Meet the Aussie radio producer behind a global True Crime hit

At 31, Jaxson McLennan has already packed a lot into his career in the entertainment industry.

Having cut his teeth as a member of the heart-throb boy band Boyracer, McLennan went on to become a radio producer for a host of stations including Melbourne’s KIIS FM, carving himself a solid reputation as an audio whiz-kid.

Now, a True Crime podcast series produced by McLennan has rocketed to the top of the global charts, reaching #1 in major international markets including Australia.

Scamanda tells the extraordinary story of American woman Amanda C Riley, who scammed friends, family and strangers out of more than $100,000 US to help pay for her fake cancer treatment.

Over eight weekly episodes, Scamanda lays bare the story of a callous crime that ended when 37-year-old Riley was imprisoned for five-years in May 2022.

It’s the latest offering from Hollywood movie studio Lionsgate‘s newly-created off-shoot Lionsgate Sound, which snapped up McLennan as part of the team tasked with establishing the new business in 2022. 

Hosted by journalist and Lionsgate Sound Creative Director Charlie Webster, the series also details how Riley’s 7-year ruse left the Californian city of San Jose stunned.

Melbourne-born McLennan says it’s exciting to see the global reaction to the podcast.

“Hopefully getting the podcast out there means we can raise awareness and help put a stop to this kind of crime happening in the future,” he says.

“We’ve already seen a similar scam in Australia, it’s heartbreaking to think that people would use human suffering to con people out of their hard-earned savings.”

Webster (pictured above) says the team at Lionsgate Sound is constantly searching for unique stories, and the wild tale behind Amanda Riley’s crimes certainly fit the bill.

“The psychology of what this woman did to manipulate and infiltrate her community using the power of social media is fascinating,” says Webster.

Scamanda is now streaming on all podcast platforms.