The 15 Best Celebrity Podcasts to Listen to in 2021
Podcasts are on the rise, so it's only natural that celebrities would start their own. After all, society is fascinated by celebrity culture (just look at the skyrocketing popularity of social media stars since quarantine). But these A-listers do more than just dive into their own lives on their podcasts. Using their platform and vast network of leaders accross a range of fields, these acclaimed actors, business moguls, and game changers invite listeners to go beneath the surface of the people we see on our screens. They inquire into our world and the policies and ideas that shape it, or simply take a breather and have a laugh with their famous friends and listeners. Here, L'OFFICIEL rounds up the best celebrity podcasts to start listening to this year.
Bill Gates and Rashida Jones Ask Big Questions
Co-founder of Microsoft and philanthropist Bill Gates teams up with actress and writer Rashida Jones to discuss science, philosophy, and every topic in between. They tackle questions like “Can people really change?” and “What will the world look like after COVID-19?” and consult experts and superstars in the field, from Dr. Anthony Fauci to U2's Bono.
Sibling Revelry
Hollywood sweetheart Kate Hudson and her brother, Oliver, discuss familial relationships with celebrity guests, such as Zooey Deschanel and Jimmy Kimmel, to get personal and talk about their own sibling and family dynamics.
The Michelle Obama Podcast
In this exclusive partnership between Spotify and the Obamas' production company Higher Ground, former First Lady Michelle Obama gets candid and vulnerable with listeners in hour-long episodes, with topics ranging from family relationships and raising children to marriage and mentorship, accompanied by a range of celebrity guests. “My hope is that this series can be a place to explore meaningful topics together and sort through so many of the questions we’re all trying to answer in our own lives,” Obama told Spotify. “That’s how we can build more understanding and empathy for one another.”
Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness
Netflix's Queer Eye hair guru Jonathan Van Ness embraces his curiousity, inquiring experts and key leaders about topics from gun violence and xenophobia to pandemics and figure skating. Not only does every episode teach something new, but Van Ness urges listeners to ask questions and be curious about the world.
Archewell Audio
The royal romance between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has been in the spotlight since it began. Following their groundbreaking departure from the royal family last year, they set up Archewell, an organization that focuses on non-profit ventures and creative media. In December 2020, Markle and Prince Harry released the first episode of their new podcast Archewell Audio, a holiday special that not only features celebrities like Sir Elton John, Tyler Perry, and James Corden, but also their own toddler, Archie, who speaks for the first time in public at the end of the episode. The couple and their guests discuss struggles with COVID-19, engagements, and more.
Pretty Big Deal
Supermodel and body activist Ashley Graham continually breaks barriers with her runway career, and continues to do so in her podcast. She invites a variety of guests–from celebrities like Kim Kardashian West and Hailey Bieber, to revolutionaries of various fields like freedom fighter Patrisse Cullors and fashion innovator Dapper Dan, and even her own husband–to discuss business, beauty, activism, body positivity, and self-confidence.
Armchair Expert
Actor Dax Shepard knows he’s no expert, but a degree in Anthropology, years of acting under his belt, and a decades-long struggle with sobriety, he’s a self-proclaimed “Armchair Expert.” Joined by guests with a range of expertise and experience–from former Director of the CIA John O. Brennan to multi-platinum singer songwriter Shawn Mendes–Shepard explores his curiosities about humanity and its messiness, vulnerability, and strengths.
I Weigh with Jameela Jamil
Developed from the actress and activist’s viral social media movement "I Weigh," which cultivates a safe space on social media to critique society’s toxic ideas of weight, Jameela Jamil hosts honest conversations with famous guests to discuss body shaming and amplify diverse voices “to celebrate progress, not perfection.”
The Left Ear
In 2018, Fifty Shades star Dakota Johnson shared a phone number with the audience at the 2018 Global Citizen Festival and on her Instagram, encouraging women to share their stories of sexual abuse, assault, and harassment in the form of voicemails. Due to the volume received, Johnson decided to make it into a podcast. She announced The Left Ear show on her Instagram, writing, “I didn’t want to speak on their behalf, I wanted to listen to them.”
Here’s the Thing
Actor, producer, and comedian Alec Baldwin takes listeners inside the world and workplaces of performers, creators, and policy makers, to explore what inspires them. Guests include celebrities from famed filmmakers and music legends to congressmen and comedians.
Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations
Media mogul Oprah Winfrey combines spirituality, motivation, and health and wellness in her podcast to connect listeners to their best selves and the world around them. She features a handpicked selection of celebrity special guests, including best-selling authors, forces of social and political change, and philosophical leaders, from Maya Angelou to Eckart Tolle.
Anna Faris is Unqualified
In this weekly podcast, comedy actress Anna Faris first talks to celebrity guests about their lives, careers, and relationships. Then, Faris and her guest turn to the listeners, providing hilarious “unqualified” advice about dating and life in general.
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
After decades hosting Late Night, legendary comedian and host Conan O’Brien was disappointed to realize he never made any real friendships with any of the celebrity guests he interviewed. So, he started a feel-good podcast to have laughs and get deeper with many people he previously interviewed, such as fellow comedians Judd Apatow and Whitney Cummings.
Office Ladies
The Office co-stars-turned-best-friends Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey take a look at episodes of the hit comedy series years later, breaking down what happened behind-the-scenes during these classic TV moments–insight they say “only two people who were there can tell you.”
Under the Skin
Comedian, actor, writer, addiction activist, and philosophy enthusiast Russell Brand digs deeper to explore what’s beneath the surface of the people, ideas, and history that defines of our time. He’s joined by a range of guests, from renowned scientists to famous musicians, to investigate the “ulterior truths behind our constructed reality,” in a way that’s both hilarious and thought-provoking.
