Are celebrity podcasts passion projects or for profit margins?

In the last five years, social media has seen a large increase in celebrity podcasts. Yet, it appears these endeavours are less about a genuine passion for the podcast medium and more about maintaining relevance in the public eye. While some celebrities seem to embrace their latest hobby of podcasting, most use it as a platform to dwell on and relive their past fame.

Spotify has created an entire celebrity podcast section on their app which seemingly stretches into eternity, urging listeners to tune in to everything from Dax Shepard’s podcast episode featuring Barack Obama to Abby Lee Miller’s latest podcast Leave it on the Dance Floor.

Not only does the content of the podcasts vary greatly, it seems as if the quality of them does too.

Honestly, you can quickly tell when a celebrity is churning out a new way to make profit. If you see “X spills the tea about Y” (usually about an event that happened 10 years ago), it’s a pretty good bet you’ll be bored within the first five minutes of pressing play.

It’s becoming all too normal for B and C-list former actors to come out with a new podcast going through each episode of a show that aired 10 years ago and go over the lukewarm tea happening at the time.

This is becoming all too popular, with podcasts recapping different episodes of our beloved childhood Disney shows such as Boy Meets World and The Wizards of Waverly Place, but notably missing input from its main characters who have since moved on to new projects.

Though Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey’s podcast The Office Ladies, where two fan favourite actresses from The Office recount their hilarious memories, is a rare success, this format doesn’t have the same impact when lesser-known shows try out this model.

Seriously, we don’t need a fifth perspective on a singular episode of Dance Moms that premiered 10 years ago.

As bad as the celebrity podcast epidemic seems to be getting, there are some interesting celebrity podcasts that seem to be contributing positively to the celebrity brand.

One of the people who does it best is Emma Chamberlain with her podcast anything goes with emma chamberlain, which has been going for almost four years now. She brings up deep personal subjects and experiences such as panic attacks, addiction, and her thoughts on romanticization, while teaching listeners what trends she saw at Fashion Week and how to build your ideal wardrobe.

Similarly, while Alix Earle just started her new podcast Hot Mess, it seems as if she has found a new passion in podcasting, despite hers being in its early stages.

What good celebrity podcasts seem to have in common is they add to a celebrity’s identity rather than dwelling on aspects of them we’ve already seen. These podcasts give us the inside scoop into the lives of the celebrities we adore and give listeners the sense the celebrities are talking specifically to them about relatable and relevant issues.

They don’t tell us about events that happened 10 years ago or something they’ve already shared on other social media platforms. A good podcast gives listeners new content they couldn’t consume on other platforms.

So, while many celebrity podcasters are entertainers who are way past their prime and attempting to find a new way to make revenue, there are some good celebrity podcasts providing new insights into celebrities’ thoughts and lives and fueled by passion.