Celebrities Who Host A Podcast

By Gavin Crisp. 15 Jan 2018 1:45 PM

We live in the age of the microblog, an age when anyone with a modicum of technical wherewithal can broadcast their voice around the world for all to hear. Some of those lending their voices to the airwaves are celebrities, whose fame attracts more ears than the average podcaster. Here are a few notable ones.

Photo: 'The Punies

Kevin Pollak – 'Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show'

Ricky Gervais – 'The Ricky Gervais Show'

Anna Faris – 'Anna Faris Is Unqualified'

Adam Carolla – 'The Adam Carolla Podcast'

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Kobe Bryant – ‘The Punies’
Photo: 'The Punies
Kobe Bryant’s Granity Studios in partnership with Cadence13 is set to launch its first scripted family-friendly podcast series, “The Punies”, which will premiere on August 25. The youth sports-focused series, which will run for 10 weeks, will follow the story of a young boy named Puny Pete and his friends as they learn important life lessons through dialogue and sports commentary.

“Having spent my whole life playing basketball, there were many times I wasn’t on the winning team. However, those experiences ultimately proved the most valuable because they taught me perseverance, determination, and teamwork,” says Bryant.
Russell Brand – 'Under The Skin'

Tasking himself with exposing “what’s beneath the surface,” comedian Brand takes a look at a wide range of topics – showbiz, politics, Shakespeare, to name a few – and with the help of actors and academics, tries to proffer a comprehensive examination of some things you perhaps wouldn’t associate with the Brit.
Kevin Smith - 'SModcast'

More than a podcaster, the “Clerks” director is a podcast mogul. He is to podcasts what Oprah is to all other media. Under the SModcast Podcast Network umbrella are currently 19 shows (other shows have come and gone), hosted by Smith and his friends and colleagues. Smith is a raconteur par excellence, especially when talking about the stuff he likes – comics, movies, “Frasier” – which the podcasts tend to focus on.
Michael Rapaport – 'I Am Rapaport'

Despite roles in “Beautiful Girls” and TV show “White Famous”, Rapaport is probably nowadays known best for this foul-mouthed podcast in which the actor shares his thoughts on sports, acting, and pretty much anything that crosses his mind. Rapaport has appeared on maaaany other shows (some of which are listed here) so he knows the medium well. He isn’t one for mincing his words so brace yourself for emphatic remonstrances on this podcast that doesn’t look to have a set release schedule, though every other day there seems to be something new.
Jay Mohr – 'Mohr Stories With Jay Mohr'

The comedian/actor has enjoyed tremendous success with this podcast that, as with many on this list, has a strong sports bent but also touches on showbiz and comedy. A meat-and-potatoes podcast, “Mohr Stories” gets right to it, beginning its hour-long interviews with its celeb guests immediately (as opposed to being preceded by 10 minutes of ads and promotion). Mohr knows his stuff, as demonstrated by his interview style, which is probably why his show has done so well.
Kevin Pollak – 'Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show'

Perhaps not an A-lister, Pollak nevertheless attracts the best and brightest from the acting world to chat for sometimes over two hours. Along with him are Samm Levine (“Freaks and Geeks”) and his partner Jaime Fox who chime in with Ed McMahon-esque commentary. Mixed in with the in-depth interviews are an assortment of games that see guests impersonate Larry King and answer rapid-fire “A or B” questions. The guests lean toward the comedic suggesting Pollak subscribes to the “talk about what you know” school of thought.
Alec Baldwin – 'Here’s The Thing'

Really, we should listen in solely for that sandy yet soothing tone of Emmy winner Alec Baldwin. But if you want to pay attention to what he says and not merely how he says it, you stand to learn something – presumably something NYC-based, as the podcast/radio show is brought to us by WNYC Studios. Baldwin hosts a plethora of the city’s artists, performers, and public figures for anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour, making possible interviews that go beyond the typical junket.
Ricky Gervais – 'The Ricky Gervais Show'

The progenitor of celeb podcasts is this one – started in 2005 – from “The Office” co-creator and comedian Ricky Gervais. A bit of a misnomer as it was co-hosted by Gervais’s work partner, Stephen Merchant, and revolved around the life of oddball producer Karl Pilkington, it nevertheless set the tone for future celeb-hosted shows, being the most downloaded podcast in the world (until Adam Carolla came along, that is). Since its inception, the show has undergone numerous format changes, title changes, and focus changes but the personnel core of Gervais, Merchant, and Pilkington is usually present.
Anna Faris – 'Anna Faris Is Unqualified'

What started out as a hobby seems to have grown into a full-time occupation – such is the fame achieved by Anna Faris’s comedy/relationship podcast. Regularly split into two sections, “Anna Faris Is Unqualified” plays to the host’s strengths: comedy and relationship advice, which, as the title suggests, she is unqualified to give. While the first half consists of Faris doing improv and sketches with her guests, the second half sees her and producer/friend Sim Sama address the personal problems of callers. The show even spawned a book, released in October 2017.
Adam Carolla – 'The Adam Carolla Podcast'

While former “Man Show” co-host Jimmy Kimmel was making a name in late night television, Carolla was making a name in podcasting. And what a name he made! Currently the most downloaded podcast in the world, “The Adam Carolla Show”, in its current format, resembles the radio show on which it was based but without the pesky FCC restrictions and unsolicited “advice” from radio station bigwigs. Carolla and co. will comment on the news, chat with celebs, and run segments like "What Can't Adam Complain About?" and "Totally Topical Tivo Trivia", all blessed with Carolla’s inimitable rants about, well… anything.

Celebrities Who Host A Podcast

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