Rosie O’Donnell, who reigned over the daytime television talk show circuit from 1996 to 2002, has started to talk again – this time on a podcast. Her new show, Onward, debuts this week via iHeartPodcasts and its new LGBTQ-targeted the Outspoken Podcast Network.
“Thank you for catching this wave with me,” said O’Donnell as she opened her return to hosting duties. “The goal is we will be together for about an hour each week and we’ll share some human wisdom, hope and inspiration, and a little humor and comedy, and a little love,” she said on the launch that she noted also coincided with her 61st birthday.
In the first episode, O’Donnell is joined by her longtime friend, Emmy-award winning actress and author Sharon Gless (Cagney & Lacey, Queer As Folk). The two friends talk about Sharon’s old Hollywood family legacy through her grandfather who was a prominent Hollywood attorney, reaching for your dreams and overcoming obstacles, and love between friends. Other upcoming guests to the podcast include Jenifer Lewis, Fran Drescher, Ricki Lake, Camryn Manheim, Kathy Griffin, The TikTok Bubbie, Kristin Chenoweth, Dylan Mulvaney, and Natasha Lyonne, among others.
Unlike the late-90s television show, Onward with Rosie O’Donnell will allow listeners of the podcast to interact with the host. She invited fans to send her voice memos that will be featured on the series. New episodes will be published weekly on Tuesdays.
After creating podcast verticals for African Americans and Hispanic listeners with Black Effect and My Cultura, respectively, iHeartMedia this month launched a new podcast network geared for the LGBTQ community. What is branded the Outspoken Podcast Network will feature a combination of existing podcasts and new shows. The Outspoken Podcast Network is executive-produced by LGBTQ activist and media strategist Raquel Willis, alongside Jay Brunson, iHeartMedia’s Creative Development and Marketing Director.
Shows on the Outspoken Podcast Network will cover a wide range of topics, genres, stories and perspectives, according to iHeart. In addition to O’Donnell’s Onward, the network will also feature podcasts by former ‘NSync member Lance Bass will host Frosted Tips while Loni Love and Alec Mapa will host Squirrel Friends: The Official Drag Race Podcast.