Joy, a Podcast. Hosted by Craig Ferguson - Lisa Ammerman
Episode Date: August 26, 2025Meet Lisa Ammerman, a Peabody Award-winning producer, journalist, and media executive. She has produced television for CBS, NBC, and PBS, as well as developed and produced podcasts for clients such as... Audible, Wondery, iHeart, Disney Music, Universal Music Group, Microsoft, and Sony. She co-founded the award-winning, independent podcast company Treefort Media in 2018 and prior to that, she originated the role of Vice President, Talent Booking at CBS Entertainment. She was the Senior Producer of The Late Late Show and it was great to catch up! EnJOY!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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This is me, Craig Ferguson.
I'm inviting you to come and see
my brand new comedy hour.
Well, it's actually about an hour and a half
and I don't have an opener
because these guys cost money.
But what I'm saying is I'll be on stage
for a while.
Anyway, come and see me live
on the Pants on Fire Tour
in your region.
Tickets are on sale now
and we'll be adding more.
as the tour continues throughout 2025 and beyond.
For a full list of dates, go to the craigfergusonshow.com.
See you on the road, my dears.
My name is Craig Ferguson.
The name of this podcast is Joy.
I talk to interesting people about what brings them happiness.
You probably don't know my guest today, but I do because Lisa Armourman,
who's my guest,
was one of the producers of the old lately show, which I used to do on CBS television.
And today, we shall spill as much tea as legally advisable about our time then.
She's a great, lovely, fun person.
As you're about to find out, Lisa Armourman, enjoy.
So, the last time we did this, you were going to say,
I said to you, funny old day, isn't it?
Something like that.
You did. You did. It's seared in my brain.
Because you were, what was the situation?
Was it Sean William Scott?
Stifflur.
Stiffler, that's right.
And you were the segment producer that was producing him as a guest.
And what, he got held up or something?
He got stuck, what happened?
Correct. He was, well, on Thursdays, we always did two shows.
And so he was the second show for,
Friday. He was going to be the lead guest. And he was coming in from Malibu. And he was delayed in
traffic because anyone who lives in Los Angeles knows to get from Malibu to like, you know,
West Hollywood is like three hours. Exactly. Yeah, it's a nightmare. So he didn't leave himself
enough time, poor guy. Uh, I should say, poor me. So. Oh, yeah, because I remember them saying
to me, uh, someone's cost and I made it. And I was like, well, who did the thing? And they said,
it was Lisa. I was like, all right, Lisa, you were up. But it's your guest.
Do you have to be on the show?
And when I look back at it, though, I thought,
did I put you on the spot?
Was that cruel?
Or did a little bit?
Was it cruel?
I'm so sorry.
No, it wasn't cruel.
I was actually, I mean, was I on the spot?
Yes, but it wasn't cruel.
It was funny.
I mean, I have a good sense of humor, obviously.
You do.
And I also figured it would be fun.
I mean, like we'd have a good time.
And also, if you hated it,
because I don't know if people knew this about or know this about late night shows,
but none of them, none of them are live.
and so if you hated it and said, look, I didn't like that,
then I could have just said, I'll kick it out
and I'll do an extra tweet and email segment then.
But my recollection is you liked it so much,
you put me out there several more times.
I was a cold open a few more times,
so I don't know about that.
Yeah, I did like it because I thought,
and I like it even now because, look,
it's 10 years since we did that show.
Yes.
We haven't, and we still talk to each other.
Yes. We just had coffee.
And we have a decent relationship.
So obviously it wasn't that bad.
It was not that bad. It was actually fun.
And it's sort of the gift that keeps on giving.
I have random people literally like text it to me and be like, oh, my God.
Yeah.
So, yeah.
Well, I thought you did great.
My recollection of it is you did great.
So listen, you won for our late night show when you were.
one of the producers in that show,
you won for that show, a Peabody Award.
I don't know how many people know that about you.
The Peabody Award will be going for that,
which is all you, really, wasn't it?
That is very kind of you to say,
but I was behind the scenes.
You were the one out there in front of the camera.
I got Desmond Tutu to the studio
with a nice letter,
but that was a team effort, for sure.
Well, look, and the way I remember it is this.
Once Desmond Tutu was in the studio,
all I had to do was just sit there
and let him be Desmond Tutu, and I'd collect the kudos.
I mean, he was amazing.
It kind of been easy getting him there, though, right?
It took, I think the process started.
It was eight months of, like, sort of, you know,
behind the scenes trying to get him there.
Michael Natus, who was our showrunner,
he saw that Tutu was going to be in Palm Springs at an event.
And so he was like, he came into my office and he said,
see if you can get him.
He's never done late night.
And so we sort of strategized, and I wrote a letter.
Basically, the gist of it was, you've never done late night.
And this is a great way to sort of educate people who may not recall,
because at that point it had been decades, you know, since he had sort of, you know,
made himself a global name.
And they said yes.
And so we did a whole sort of takeover of the show where we did three segments with him.
We asked him who his musical, like, you know,
guessed if he had his pick.
And I think he said George Clinton, if I remember, right?
Because it was George Clinton, right?
Yeah, I think we go to George Clinton.
Yeah, yeah.
And he was so lovely.
And then the only thing that they asked was because time was sort of really crunched for him.
They asked us to arrange for a helicopter from CBS TV City to go out to bring him to Palm Springs
because otherwise he wouldn't be able to do it.
So we were like, whatever we need to do, of course.
And so after we had taped, I'm like walking out to the helipad on top of the building.
And one of our interns is in the helicopter.
And she and I like lock eyes.
And I mean, like wordlessly, she just, you know, she was like talking to the pilot.
It was very funny.
He didn't, he didn't see me notice.
But it was like, get out of there.
Get out of the helicopter.
But was she going to, you better not tell me who it was.
But was she going to hitch her ride?
I don't know, I think she was just fascinated
that there was like a helicopter on the roof
you know, and so she was just like asking questions
but yeah.
Were you working at the show when I was taking the helicopter
every day? Oh my God, no.
I don't think so.
Yeah, like it was right at the beginning.
How many years in did you join the show?
It wasn't that far in, was it?
It was I actually, I had, I don't know if you remember this,
but the writer's strike that happened in 2007
when you guys were dark.
I started interviewing.
I met Michael and Peter, our producers.
And then you and I met at the Grove
because you couldn't get on this.
Yeah.
And so I started.
Because I wasn't allowed to go under the law.
Right.
That's right.
So I started in January of 2008.
That's funny because I think it was before the writer's strike.
I was doing a residency in Las Vegas, right?
I was doing a week in Las Vegas
and the helipad was right outside my office
and I used to do the show
I would do the show
and we would finish at 6 o'clock
then I would go up to the helipad
I would go to my office, get my jacket
go into the helicopter that was waiting on the helipad
go to Van Nuys Airport
and then they'd fly me up to Las Vegas
I don't think that kind of stuff
goes on that much anymore
these were different times
I don't think so.
I mean, all talk shows are now on YouTube.
Also, talk shows now, I think the, like late night, Steven's going away now.
I mean, that's going away.
And I think, you know, I think the whole thing is probably going to fold up.
And don't you think?
They're kind of, they're big shows to keep going.
They are.
I mean, it makes me sad.
I feel like it was just such a fun sort of, you know, I love the pace of it.
I loved the, you know, sort of the content.
I mean, everything was like so sort of very current and fun and funny.
You know, again, I sort of feel like what goes around comes around, you know, like podcasts, everyone was just talking and there was no video.
And now literally, late night is all podcasts.
I mean, I feel like these are very similar conversations, a lot of times.
I think that's right.
I think that the edge that people, if anyone needs to scratch a late night edge, they can.
And I don't know that I'm one of them, but if anyone does, then you can do a podcast.
I mean, it seems to me like everyone who, I mean, Stephen Colberto end up doing a podcast, I'm sure, when he's done.
And Conan does one.
I do this one for now.
But I'm always the big queer.
Lano doesn't do one, though.
He just, but he's got his cars.
He's got his car show, right?
Does he still do that?
I'm not even sure.
No, the car show he doesn't do anymore.
but he has the actual cars.
Have you ever been there?
No.
Oh, my God.
It's the greatest place in there.
Yeah.
Oh, my God.
It's amazing.
You're not in the cars, though.
I don't know how I recall.
I don't think you were ever in the cars, are you?
A little bit?
Not really.
Although, I have to say, I just was driving up my street,
and somebody has, like, a really cool, old GTO that's, like, been completely refurbished.
And my dad used to have a G-G-T.
when I was, when I was little.
And he brought it.
He actually shipped it when he was in the army to Germany so he could drive it on the
Autobong, which was insane.
Oh my God. That's great.
Yeah.
That's great.
Did you drive your dad's car in the auto ban in Germany?
I mean, I was a child.
It was like the early 70s.
Now I'm dating myself.
But yeah.
I mean, but you know, Astrid, this is sad.
I had this like plastic baby that I took everywhere.
And I was in the back of the GTO.
he's like flying down like a, 120 miles an hour on the automobile.
Somebody's passing him on the left.
And I opened the window and out goes the baby.
No, the baby.
My parents were like, I told you.
I was like three.
And so my dad like screeches over to the like, you know, emergency lane.
As people are literally like, I mean, hundreds of miles now.
I mean, it's really a thing.
They're like combing through the fields, like trying to find, you know,
the baby was like in smithereens.
Yeah.
already did the baby was the baby didn't make it the baby did not make it do you remember this
i you know like you have like everyone says what's your first memory i have i don't know if i
remember it very clearly or if i've heard the story so many times i can picture it because i can
picture like what i looked like at that age like the car me in the back seat my mom and dad like
so i don't know i'm not totally sure if i trust my own memory i didn't know about you in germany
How long were you in Germany?
We were there.
I think it was just a hair under two years.
Was your dad in the military?
Mm-hmm.
He was a psychiatrist of the Army.
Oh, shut the fuck up.
He had the option to go either to Vietnam or to Germany.
And my mother's first language was German.
So that was actually really easy.
But you know, sort of you'll appreciate this.
Because I know you and I share some sense of humor here.
where we didn't live on the base.
We lived, like, sort of off the base.
It was like this tiny town.
And on the street, there was a sign that basically warned cars
that there was cow shit.
So you had to be careful your car would, yeah.
You would drive through caution?
Yeah, yeah.
I said off cow shit and a car going through it.
How did you guys not take that back to the United States with you?
Like, that sign, I would have taken it everywhere with me.
Yeah.
But.
Yeah, but here's the thing.
You break the law in Germany, especially, no, I think probably any time, but especially then,
it probably would be that great.
Germans like things to be, you know, just so.
Yeah.
A little bit.
Yeah.
Maybe that's it.
But you know what?
Maybe that's a racial stereotype.
I don't know if that's true.
You know what?
I will.
My parents had always sort of said every time that GTO broke down and they would, like, drive
everywhere, like all over the place.
the French would just drive right by him.
The Germans always stopped.
And I said, well, how many times did this car break down
in the two years you were in Germany?
Like, maybe it wasn't the safest car, guys.
You know, no answer.
You know, a car like that.
But then again, in the 1970s,
that GTO probably isn't that old at that point, right?
It's probably like a few years old.
If that, yeah.
It shouldn't be breaking down.
No.
I mean.
Exactly.
He drove it hard.
Yeah.
I mean, my God, the idea of it.
GTO in Germany in the 1970s, man, that's, that's living your life.
Right.
And the fact that he was, I don't know why I didn't know that your father was a psychiatrist.
Makes sense now, doesn't it?
It kind of explains a little bit about you.
You've got a very psychiatrist vibe, actually, if you don't make me saying so.
I'm going to take that as a compliment because I feel like to help people.
Yes.
No, it is a compliment because I think that, you know, the job that you had when we were working
in late night was extremely political.
I mean, you were like, you were working with me and you were also working with, you know, the power of the network and all of these people.
That's like a, that's a tricky dance because I don't know how, I mean, I don't think I was ever aggressive with the network, but I didn't care for them much.
And I don't think they cared for me much either.
I liked Alex.
Alex was a great executive, but the rest of them.
Well, you know, she and I grew up together.
we were friends since we were 12
I didn't know, I knew you were friendly
I had no idea that you were such close friends
we should say Alex's second name now
because we're talking publicly
and we should give her credit Alex Jaffe
actually and I, she will love this when she finally hears this
and I said this actually before
I actually credit her with a big portion of my career
because she...
Right too. Yeah, right?
Because when I was deciding
what I wanted to do with my life, sort of a few years out of college.
I wasn't sort of happy with what I was doing.
She was like, you always like pop culture.
Why don't you do something in TV?
And so I was like, you know what?
You're right.
And so I sort of made my way into, I worked like PBS type stuff initially, more journalism.
And then when I moved out to Los Angeles, when my daughter was little, I was just
sort of doing like casting for Amazing Race and Survivor, which was really fun.
It was like Journalism 101.
And then she ran into Michael Natus in the parking lot.
at CBS, they were colleagues, and he was like,
we're really looking for a, you know, a segment producer.
And she was like, I have a friend who's never done this,
but she has like a very, like, odd sort of memory
for a lot of random pop culture stuff.
You should talk to her.
And so, and then like a year after that,
she then became the executive assigned to the show.
And initially we didn't tell anybody how well we knew each other
because I was like, well, you know,
we don't want to walk the boat.
But then it became obvious because we would laugh.
Well, that's funny.
You must have kept it for me.
I know I knew you guys got along
but I had no idea that you went back that far
which I would have made absolutely no difference at all
but it was interesting because I remember when Alex
took over
because we were still working
on the old style of format for television
and Alex was the one that goes
to put up-to-date cameras in the studios
because if you look at the stuff before Alex
I mean it's like soup it's like TV from the night
I remember once Lily
Tomlin was on the show. And she said, oh my God, the studio, when I was here, this was a closet.
This was the wardrobe closet. They went, well, it's a studio. And then she went, well, I love what
you've done with it. Right, right. Well, I mean, oh, she was a wonderful guest, too. She was so fun.
She's great. Yeah, she was a lovely person. She was lovely. Mm-hmm. Did you do her when she was
on the show? I did. I had Lily Tomlin. I had, I'm trying to think like, I mean, I have
to say, I had so many, like, amazing sort of moments.
Hello, this is Craig Ferguson,
and I want to let you know I have a brand new stand-up comedy special out now on YouTube.
It's called I'm So Happy, and I would be so happy if you checked it out.
To watch the special, just go to my YouTube channel at the Craig Ferguson Show,
and it's right there.
Just click it and play it, and it's free.
I can't, look, I'm not going to come around your house and show you how to do it.
If you can't do it, then you can't have it.
But if you can figure it out, it's yours.
I'm Dr. Joy Harden-Brandtford, and in session 421 of Therapy for Black Girls,
I sit down with Dr. Othia and Billy Shaka to explore how our hair connects to our identity,
mental health, and the ways we heal.
Because I think hair is a complex language system, right,
in terms of it can tell how old you are, your marital status, where you're from,
you're a spiritual belief.
But I think with social media, there's like a hyperfixation.
and observation of our hair, right?
That this is sometimes the first thing someone sees
when we make a post or a reel
is how our hair is styled.
You talk about the important role
hairstylists play in our community,
the pressure to always look put together
and how breaking up with perfection
can actually free us.
Plus, if you're someone who gets anxious about flying,
don't miss session 418 with Dr. Angela Neil Barnett,
where we dive into managing flight anxiety.
Listen to therapy for black girls
on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
We all know, right?
Genius is evenly distributed.
Opportunity is not.
It's Black Business Month and Black Tech Green Money is tapping in.
I'm Will Lucas spotlighting Black founders, investors, and innovators, building the future,
one idea at a time.
Let's talk legacy, tech, and generational wealth.
I don't think any person of any gender, race, ethnicity should alter who they are,
especially on an intellectual level or a talent level to make someone else feel comfortable
just because they are the majority in this situation and they need employment.
So for me, I'm always going to be honest in saying that we need to be unapologetically
ourselves.
If that makes me a vocal CEO and people consider that rocking the boat, so be it.
To hear this and more on the power of black innovation and ownership, listen to Black Tech Green Money
from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Hi everyone, it's Janae, aka Cheekies from Cheekies and Chill Podcasts.
And I'm launching an all new mini podcast series called Sincerely Jeannay.
Sure, I'm a singer, author, businesswoman, and podcaster.
But at the end of the day, I am human.
And that's why I'm sharing my ups and doubts with you guys.
Hi, guys.
I was sitting here recording episodes of Dear Cheekies and Cheekies and Chill.
And I just had to take a time out and purge my thoughts and feelings here on Sincerely
Janay, because I've been so emotional lately, you guys.
Whether I'm in my feels, I've just had a breakthrough with my therapist,
or I've just had a really deep conversation with my siblings,
or I'm in glam getting ready for an award show.
I'm sharing my most intimate thoughts with you on the podcast.
You guys know I always keep it real with you guys,
but this time I'm taking it to the next level.
Listen to Cheekies and Chill on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
the bears.
Then you know why Smokey tells you
when he sees you passing through.
Remember, please be careful.
It's the least that you can do.
It's what you desire.
Don't play with matches.
Don't play with fire.
After 80 years of learning his wildfire prevention tips,
Smokey Bear lives within us all.
Learn more at smokybear.com.
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Only you can prevent wildfires.
Brought to you by the USDA Forest Service,
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You know what we should do, Lisa, is we should explain to people, and maybe you should
explain to me, actually, because I don't know if I fully understood the entire job.
What exactly a segment producer on a late night show, such as the one we did, actually does.
Sure. So ours actually was a little bit different than other shows.
Other shows, there's bookers and there's producers.
We combined those two roles and worked with outside bookers, too.
But so, you know, when we booked something,
we then worked up our research department
to make sure that we had sort of all up-to-date information
on what they were promoting, which we never talked about.
Yeah.
It's all right.
Nobody cared.
And then I would get on the phone with that talent
and, you know, spend like a half hour depending,
sort of, you know, find out what they were,
what was happening in their lives.
But our show really was because it was so sort of,
of off the cuff, I, you know, when I spent so much time with you, I knew, like, if you'd
fallen off a horse, if you had, like, stubbed your toe, if you decided you were no longer,
like, whatever. So I would try and find common ground because I knew once I got that common,
like, you know, denominator out there, like, and you guys could start chatting, conversational
oil just sort of took over. So I knew, like, what, and I knew people who were capable of that
and not capable of that. So if they weren't capable of it as, or it wasn't a,
is comfortable for them, I would basically, you know, give them pointers on like, you know,
if you feel like the conversation is starting to, you know, go in a direction you're not
comfortable with, ask them about something on the desk, ask them about something in the, do
a call back to something you heard earlier in the show.
And that always tended to work.
So just prepping them.
Yeah, no, that's a great idea.
You know, prepping you.
Yeah, I remember, because we used to have that meeting before the show every day where
you would come in and the other.
Who was this segment producer you worked with?
I worked with a few.
When I first started, there was a gentleman named Josh,
and then Megan O'Toole was there for years.
I'm in touch with Megan, who I love.
You guys got tattoos together?
Yes, right.
In New Orleans.
That was before my time.
And then Megan married a former intern who, Brian, Kerr, they got me.
Yes, they've been married for, like.
like 10 years now.
They have two adorable boys.
Yeah.
I mean, they're boys.
I just met them actually.
I met the boys for the first time in Newark a few weeks ago.
They're ridiculously cute.
That's fantastic.
That makes me so happy.
Mm-hmm.
And Brian was really, he was, he was a little bit older as an intern.
And so, like, he had been a pilot in the military, which is why you would, like, warm to him.
He was very impressive, dude.
He's great.
Terrific writer, lovely guy.
And I had just learned to fly.
So I was talking to him a lot about playing.
and stuff like that as well.
Is he still a pilot?
No, I don't think so.
Not that, maybe.
I actually, I shouldn't answer.
I don't know the answer to that.
But they weren't even dating when we were doing the show, well?
You see, I didn't know what the hell was going on.
They were quietly, yeah.
But, you know, our show had more than one marriage.
Our writer, Ben Stout.
Yeah.
He met his wife at the show.
I don't remember.
I think I knew that.
Yeah, because that was.
Yeah, yeah.
I'm still in touch with them.
I was actually in touch.
with them recently.
Oh, that's great.
Yeah, so those...
You're much better of this than I am.
You're the only person I talked to from the show, I think.
Josh Robert Tau.
I talked to Josh.
I love Josh.
I worked with Josh a lot.
He makes me laugh at a lot.
Yeah.
Yeah, oh, me, well, you've seen how much he makes me laugh.
It's all over the fucking internet.
You know what I mean?
It's like, do you think it's weird how much the show?
I remember having this conversation with Michael Natives, who you mentioned earlier,
about about our show when we were making it.
And I remember it was towards the end of it.
we were winding down and he said something about you know people were you know
was the tickets where the audiences were like it was backed up all the way and they
couldn't find any space for people and he said to me this thing he's because I
remember it as clear as they were in his office and he said people really love
this show and I said yeah but not as much as they're going to love it when we
stop doing it and I feel like that came true I mean I think that it's it's got
But huge presence now that I don't know if he even had the presence that kind of, I mean, I suppose it did, but I wasn't aware of it, I guess. I mean, I was just going to work every day.
I think what people really loved, I mean, I can tell it from the fan point and I can tell it from the talent point. The fan point was that it was always unexpected. Like they never knew sort of what was coming. And it was like, I mean, dancing horse, which actually, another amazing segment producer who I then worked with for years also after I left CBS, Matthew Coogler.
he started as an intern for us, too,
an amazing segment producer,
who's now an executive producer, love him.
That's amazing because Matt,
he was as a part of the horse.
He was the back end of the horse.
He was the back end of the horse.
Joe was the front end of the horse.
I'm still in touch with Joe.
Joe produces Tom Papa's radio show now.
And does Netflix as a joke and all of that.
He's a big timey TV guy or whatever people are now.
So, you know, I think that the fans love the fact that,
like, it was just wild and funny.
And for people who really regularly watch the show,
like the stuff that you got away with,
I know, I know.
Oh my God, Blake am the name of the robot.
Jeff, Jeff, you know, Jeff, how'd you get to Cleveland?
I took the train.
Oh, I mean, Cleveland steamer and all that.
Yeah, I was like, well.
I mean, some of the stuff that we were getting past the center was crazy.
Was crazy.
Yeah.
I mean, it was nice.
But because, and I also think the temperature was a little different than,
that I don't think anyone was, like,
I don't think the internet was quite looking for it.
It didn't need as much content as it needs now.
So there wasn't like, you know, this, you know,
what did they do that we can get angry about?
But, I mean, I think now there would be a little more of that.
Which is a shame because it was, you know where I kind of like,
Have you ever heard of a radio show in Britain called, I'm sorry I haven't a clue?
No.
Well, there's a radio show.
It's a panel show that's been running on BBC radio for years and years and years and years.
Like, I think from maybe the 1960s or maybe before.
And it's different people have rotated through like Doctor Who or something like that.
But there was a time when it was hosted by a guy called Humphrey Littleton, who was a jazz trumpeter.
And there were three panelists on every show.
So it was basically improvised comedy.
It was a guy called Timbrook Taylor,
a guy called Willie Rushton,
and a guy called Graham Garden.
And there were other guys on it as well
who were hilarious.
But what they did was very early on
in the life of our show.
Like I'm talking maybe even before you got there,
I think probably before you got there,
maybe like 2005-ish.
I was flying from London
to Los Angeles.
And there was a compilation of these old radio shows on Virgin Atlantic when I was on the
plane. So I listened and they were hysterical. They were hysterical and they were
filthy. I mean, stuff now they'd be like, oh my God, like utterly filthy. But it was all
double entendres. It was all, you know, filthy double entendres. And I was just weeping with laughter
on the play. And I remember saying that Megan, when I got off, I was like, you know,
whatever that is, I'm going to do as much as that.
But it was so fun. I mean, and like the, you know, sort of the, the talent liked it also
because they felt taken care of, you know, you never, it was never at like a really,
really awkward moment, like this weird pregnant pause. They all under, I mean, that was
another thing that as segment producers, we would always say to them like, yes and no
but. That is the key to this show.
You know, and they all got that.
Yeah, I think improvisation was way to go.
People always say this to me, and I wonder if they say to you,
they always say to me, who was your favorite guest?
And I always say, you know, Betty White or because there are too many that were great.
So many.
But is there anyone that stands out to you?
I mean, other than Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which was just like so amazing,
that was like really incredible.
I mean, I got, because we traveled with people, I really.
got to know some of them very well.
And they were always fun and funny.
Like Kristen Bell was a favorite.
Christina Jones was a favorite.
David Sedaris was a favorite.
Yeah.
Oh, great.
They all came to Scotland as well.
Didn't travel with us, but should have.
He would have been great.
I've worked with him a lot since.
Love.
I mean, they were all fun and playful.
I also, I loved the fact that we did so many authors.
Because I think a lot of times people only see authors
on like a really sort of short promotional window,
like, Good Morning America or the Today Show.
And it's like, tell me the plot of your book.
How hard was it?
What happens when you get writers block?
And we didn't talk about that at all.
Although, I will tell you, John Irving, who I have read, almost everything.
And you're like, we got to get John Irving.
And I'm like, okay, if you ever seen him?
Okay, he's the hardest interview.
I think you were out there with him for like nine minutes.
And I think I went back and counted.
I think he said 11 words.
I remember it.
because I remember John Irving thinking,
God, this is about as hard as it can get.
And look, he's a great writer and I wanted him in there.
Oh, my God, no that.
Yes.
And so when he came in and I, because I remember it,
then I was like, oh my God.
And then years and years and years later,
I'm talking years after we finished,
I came across some thing that was lying around the house
that Megan and I were moving out of house yet again.
And I found some thing lying around
that was a list of audits.
author's talking about their experience on our old show because...
Oh, I would love to say that.
Because I can't even remember where it was.
But there was a quote from John Irving.
He said, oh, I loved it.
It was so playful.
He had such a great time.
He was my favorite.
I'm like, you should have let me know at the time.
But I think you're right.
I think talking isn't his thing.
And he seemed like he had a grin on his face.
So I think he was enjoying himself.
He's just not super chatty.
I think he's maybe shy.
Yes, probably, yes, yes, yes, yes.
Another one that I have to say I always loved was the first time we had Robin Williams on.
And his daughter had been a huge fan and convinced him to do it because we'd been out to him forever, you know, and convinced him to do it.
And, you know, initially he came on, he did some material, and then he settled in.
And afterwards, he came off camera and he literally just turned to me.
And it was like, oh, my God.
He hugged me.
And he was like, I have found a home.
And I was like, ah.
It was so lovely.
He was so lovely.
Yeah.
He was, I mean, I still, you know, kind of, I say, I think it was about this time a year when it had, when he died.
I mean, it was sort of about August sometime.
And I still think about it.
You know, I'm like, what the fuck, man?
And that one really got to me.
I mean, because people that became, Fred.
Carrie Fisher was another one.
She's still in my phone.
Yeah, me too.
I've still got Robin and Carreyfussar my phone and I still have, you know,
I lost my phone about, I don't know, a year ago or something.
And, you know, when you get your new email thing and all that sorted out.
And I found the email that I sent to Carrie before I knew she had died.
Oh.
I, you know, I had sent her an email because she'd be in London for a long time.
And I was like, I haven't seen you for ages and what the fuck
and where are you?
And then it was like the day before or something.
Wow.
And she'd never go back to me, obviously, you know, but I was like, oh my God.
She was always fun.
She always got, these are all people who just like totally got the show.
And they just leaned like, and I hit that turn, but like leaned into it, you know.
Yeah, they understood it.
I think that, you know, there are people who, like I think about, you know,
I can't believe I ended up kind of knowing them and talking to them like Dennis Hopper and Michael Kane and, you know, it's like these kind of, it's such an odd feeling when you, I don't know if you got this, but I always thought people that you could hardly really believe that they actually exist and then they become human and friendly and some of them not so friendly, but I don't really remember.
remember anyone being an asshole, to be honest?
People ask me that question all the time.
Yeah, they ask me too.
It's weird.
And I have to say, and this is real,
I'm not just sort of like throwing a Hollywood line out there.
Like very much, I was the last face that people saw
before they went in front of a live studio audience.
So they were kind.
They wanted me to help them somehow.
You know, like, give me something so that I go out there
and don't like, you know, make an ass of myself.
And so for the most part,
I never, I mean, in seven years on the show,
there were really very few incidents where you were kind of like,
all right, take a breather.
This is not, we're not cure cancer here.
I can think of one or two,
and I've never talked about them publicly,
and I won't today, because I think sometimes people get nervous.
Correct.
Particularly, I think, if they're new to the game.
I mean, there's, because I think back on,
you know, sometimes when I was,
like when I was coming up, I was probably a lot touch here.
Like if I do a talk show now or then I'm like, I don't fucking whatever.
As they say, oh, we're running late or you get yourself there or whatever.
I don't have it.
But I think when you're very insecure, most people, I think, get rid of it over time.
But some people remain insecure and it gets a little weird.
But I don't remember much of it.
I really don't.
I also feel like maybe that comes from.
the vibe of the show like being precious around our show wasn't didn't do much for you i don't think
i don't think it held and i was going to say too i mean that's also why you have producers as a buffer
for you yeah you know we you know our mantra was always to protect the host and the host is the
brand it's you is the show you know but at the same time we weren't this wasn't 60 minutes like
we are also protecting the guest i mean there were a few times where a guest said something that was
like a career ender and i like would turn to the publicism and
like, I got you. Don't worry. She will work again. Yeah. I remember a few of those thinking,
that's going to come out. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I was like. It's funny that because I think now that
would be much harder because someone in the audience would tweet it or, you know, like, oh, they said
this and they must have cut it out of the show or I think the scrutiny on the way people
are now probably makes the type of show we did almost impossible.
I would think.
It would have to have a,
it would have to have a polemic
so that you would say,
we don't care about that
or so that you would,
you know,
you'd have to be a thing,
you know,
you'd have to make it a thing.
I mean, you,
in my,
this is,
you know,
POV of one,
but my favor was always like
when something bothered you
and you just like
threw out like everything.
So like,
do you remember the time,
this is actually one of my favorite
monologues,
which is not really fair
to the writers who,
you know,
you worked so closely with,
but I did love this.
When we had the leak
in the old.
Oh, I was still fucking mad about that.
It was like 10 minutes, I mean, where you just went off, I literally, like, it was so
funny.
It was so funny.
And another thing I also loved, which was semi-rehearsed, I guess.
But when you and John Reynolds, who I'm also in touch with, love, he was a writer-performer
for us.
And he was you, and you were Larry King.
Oh, that was great.
Like, I mean, so I've literally still watched some of those on YouTube and, like, died laughing.
They're very funny.
You know, it's funny because I remember that because his impression of me was so cruel that it was hilarious.
Because he was doing it right to me.
And I could see, and he worked for me.
So he was, I mean, then stones on that man because he was, I mean, he was fucking with me really bad.
And I was like, oh, God, damn.
So funny.
And it's funny because I did the same,
I remember having the same experience with Larry.
Because remember with Larry King,
I used to do this rather kind of vicious impression of him.
And then I'm ma'am and I loved him.
He was so lovely.
He was on my very short list of like anytime we had a dropout,
like Larry King, Tom Lennon, also another favorite.
Oh, the greatest.
The greatest.
I'm still in touch with Tom, actually.
Oh, very nice.
Nice. Yeah, no, he's still, I'm so friendly with him. Yeah, I love him. Those two were like at the top of our list who were on the dropout. Oh, I would call sometimes Michael Sheen if he was in town. He was also a terrific guest. Yeah, always great as well. So great. Like those three were sort of like the very top of the list like where I was like on speed out. Hurry, can you get here at two? Yeah. There was tons of that. And I think the Tim Meadows, of course, as well. Love Tim Meadows. Yeah. I think I think. I think. I think.
I think Tim was actually on the show more than anyone else.
I think he holds the record.
I remember talking to someone years ago.
It was either Tim or Kristen Bell.
I don't know.
I'm not sure.
But he was spectacular.
I mean, he was, I remember, like, well, called Tim.
Probably the night you had to come on and be,
it must have been pretty late, or we would have called Tim or Tom Lennon.
Tom Lennon led like five blogs away from the studio anyway.
It was so late.
I mean, we started like clockwork, talk about German precision.
We were like, we always were on time.
But my kids were little.
That's why.
As a mom, I appreciated it.
I mean, you know, I was the only working, no, is that right?
No, I was not the, I was one of like two working moms when I started at the show, I think.
Right.
I think that that increased over time.
Yes, for sure.
But like at the time, I mean, my daughter, who's now 20, was like three.
Myel is 24.
It's insane, I know.
Liam's 14.
I mean, it's like, it's crazy when I think about it.
But when I, when I was, you know,
Liam was born in 2011,
so he was there for the last three years of the show.
So I had a little baby then.
And then Milo, when I started the show in 2005,
he was only four years old.
And I was a single dad at that point.
So I would like,
I, the reason I got in a habit of the show always had to be on time is because I had
childcare until six o'clock. And if I didn't finish it so six o'clock, then what the
fuck I was going to do? So I had to start on time and finish on time so that, and it, it's
crazy when you think of all of the shit I could have got up to, but I always had to finish at
six o'clock and then get the baby and take them home.
Mm-hmm. I used to bring Sasha, my daughter, to the office.
If we had a dropout, like, I was like, here's some pushpins, play with these, you know, yeah.
Yeah.
But I mean, remember, there were kids, towards the last few years of the show, it seems like there were kids running all over the place.
Totally.
It was a different, yeah, it was a different type of thing.
I'm Dr. Joy Harden-Brandford, and in session 421 of therapy for black girls, I sit down with Dr. Ophia and Billy Shaka to explore how our hair connects to our identity.
mental health, and the ways we heal.
Because I think hair is a complex language system, right?
In terms of it can tell how old you are, your marital status, where you're from, you're a spiritual belief.
But I think with social media, there's like a hyper fixation and observation of our hair, right?
That this is sometimes the first thing someone sees when we make a post or a reel is how our hair is styled.
We talk about the important role hairstyles play in our community.
the pressure to always look put together and how breaking up with perfection can actually free us.
Plus, if you're someone who gets anxious about flying, don't miss session 418 with Dr. Angela Neil Barnett,
where we dive into managing flight anxiety.
Listen to therapy for black girls on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Hi everyone, it's Janae, aka Cheeky's from Cheeky's and Chill Podcasts.
And I'm launching an all new mini podcast series called
Sincerely Jeannay. Sure, I'm a singer, author, businesswoman, and podcaster, but at the end of the day, I am human.
And that's why I'm sharing my ups and doubts with you guys. Hi, guys. I was sitting here recording episodes of Dear Cheekies and Chichies and Chill.
And I just had to take a time out and purge my thoughts and feelings here on Sincerely Janay.
Because I've been so emotional lately, you guys. Whether I'm in my feels, I've just had a breakthrough with my therapist, or I've just had a
really deep conversation with my siblings, or I'm in glam getting ready for an award show.
I'm sharing my most intimate thoughts with you on the podcast.
You guys know, I always keep it real with you guys, but this time I'm taking it to the next level.
Listen to Cheekies and Chill on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
We all know, right?
Genius is evenly distributed.
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It's Black Business Month and Black Tech Green Money is tapping in.
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especially on an intellectual level or a talent level to make someone else feel comfortable
just because they are the majority in this situation and they need employment.
So for me, I'm always going to be honest in saying that we need to be unapologetically
ourselves. If that makes me a vocal
CEO and people consider
that rocking the boat, so be it.
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i don't know if i said this to you at the time but i do remember it and i've talked about it
you know since one of the things one of the reasons why i really had to stop doing that show
was when I came in every day,
and you touched on it earlier with that protective host thing,
that when I walked in every day,
there was pictures of me everywhere,
and all the stationery had my name on it,
and everybody wanted to make sure I was in a good mood,
and that really fucks with your head.
It really fuchs with your head,
because I started, I mean, it makes you paranoid.
Because I have a friend who's a,
who was a cop, he's no longer a cop,
But he said, what you hated about being a cop is that you feel like, even if they're not,
you feel like everyone's lying to you.
And I said, that's exactly what it's like being a fucking late, I host.
Not everyone is lying to you, but it feels like everyone is lying to you.
And I think it's a kind of paranoia that comes in.
I mean, you know, I will say, I think I speak for anybody who works with hosts or anchors
or anybody who's got a daily or a nightly show.
you do not want to say something ahead of the show
that could impact the host, like, you know, performance, mindset, whatever.
And I remember actually when, you actually had said to me
when we were in the interview process,
when we met that time at the Grove beforehand,
you had said to me, if you have an issue with me,
we can talk about it at 6 o'clock.
Let's not talk about it before the show.
I remember that.
And which is true.
And I mean, you know, there wasn't anything that was like earth shadowy that we couldn't figure out like how to handle.
And so it was, you know, that was again, it was protecting the host.
It was protecting the show.
And it was protecting the guest that was going to go out there.
So there wasn't anything that was like, I mean, nobody walked in violent, you know.
No, no.
I don't remember any kind of because you hear, I mean, I heard that about other shows and you hear stuff.
I don't really remember anything, any guests behaving particularly badly with us
or anybody being an asshole when they were coming at.
I mean, again, I probably wouldn't have heard about it.
You know, I probably, certainly you're not going to say to me before someone comes out
and I've got to be nice to them, this person's a fucking asshole, and you're going to hate them
because that doesn't make any sense.
Then because I know you, I wouldn't think, well, this person isn't an asshole, and I am going
to hate them, and then that's not great to watch.
No, and I mean, and I think, and I think what was helpful, I think, too, is because we would do the pre-interview and somebody would, like somebody said, like, you know, please just make sure he doesn't ask me about like my dating life because I'm getting divorced. Like, okay, totally get it. Off the record, of course. And like, you know, we would tell you that. Because again, you never want to have that moment out there because that's not protecting you. It's not protecting them. Like, this isn't this isn't TMZ. I remember one, we won't say who it is, but I remember one where I said,
It was just riffing out there, but nothing.
And I said to the guest,
you're still in that mad religious cult?
And I didn't know that they were a Scientologist.
I'll tell you later who it was.
Oh, I think I do know where this.
Yeah.
And then I think it was you said to me afterwards,
you know, they're a Scientologist.
I went, I didn't fucking, oh, my God.
They're thinking, oh, no.
And we cut it out of the show.
And I had, I remember, I called this person up in their car
or the way home.
when I said, I have so sorry.
I know I admit nothing by that and we'll cut it out.
And they were fight about it.
But I was like, Jesus.
You can put your fucking foot in it so easy over and over again.
We had somebody that we worked with quite a bit.
I'm not going to name names.
Okay.
Who was off camera because we spent some time with this person.
And they then were very difficult to myself and the staff.
But we kept that from you until we were,
we were positive that we had good content with that person
because it was something, stuff we were doing off cam.
I mean, you know, outside of the studio.
Oh, my God.
Yeah.
Oh, I was a guy.
I remember.
I remember who that was.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Oh, no.
We can't talk about that.
But yeah, that's right.
I was like, oh, my God.
I had no idea.
Yeah.
I remember you guys saying, well, that's, I remember you told me afterwards, though.
I remember that.
It was very disappointing.
Yes.
But Josh Robert Thompson did an amazing impersonation of that person that made it so much
easier.
Every time that person opened their mouth, we were like, ha, ha, ha, ha, it didn't matter.
You know, it's so funny, Josh can do everybody.
It's unreal.
Everybody.
He, that, the savant-like quality that you can watch a human being for, like, you know, 10 minutes.
And there's not to say that he doesn't work at stuff.
I know that he does actually have a process and he works and he's very diligent and stuff,
but he's coming from a place of such talent anyway.
I mean, it's bizarre.
Unbelievable.
It is really unbelievable.
I don't think he, he's never done me to my face, but I bet it would be good.
I bet he could do you.
I bet he could do you.
I mean, what's alarming is when he did me to me and because he started doing the robot doing my voice,
My voice is nothing like that.
And then people would laugh because he would say, oh, yeah, it is.
And I was like, but it's not.
And, but apparently it is.
And I guess you don't hear yourself like it is inside your head.
I suppose that happens to me quite a lot.
Well, you know what I love about that too is that, you know,
I feel like, you know, so many people are always saying like, you know,
it's so hard to pay attention and we're so distracted.
We know, we're overwhelmed with so much information.
He, like, zones in on stuff that people say he listens so intently and then uses it.
I mean, it's really, it's, it's amazing.
Yeah, he finds a quirk and he gets out of it.
I'm Dr. Joy Harden Bradford.
And in session 421 of therapy for black girls, I sit down with Dr. Ophia and Billy Shaka to explore how our hair connects to our identity, mental health, and the ways we heal.
Because I think hair is a complex language system, right?
In terms of it can tell how old you are, your marital status, where you're from, you're a spiritual belief.
But I think with social media, there's like a hyper fixation and observation of our hair, right?
That this is sometimes the first thing someone sees when we make a post or a reel is how our hair is styled.
We talk about the important role hairstylists play in our community, the pressure to always look put together,
and how breaking up with perfection can actually free us.
Plus, if you're someone who gets anxious about flying,
don't miss Session 418 with Dr. Angela Neil Barnett,
where we dive into managing flight anxiety.
Listen to therapy for black girls on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
We all know, right?
Genius is evenly distributed.
Opportunity is not.
It's Black Business Month and Black Tech Green Money is tapping in.
I'm Will Lucas spotlighting black founders, investors, and innovators, building the future one idea at a time.
Let's talk legacy, tech, and generational wealth.
I don't think any person of any gender, race, ethnicity should alter who they are, especially on an intellectual level or a talent level,
to make someone else feel comfortable just because they are the majority in this situation and they need employment.
So for me, I'm always going to be honest in saying that we need to be unapologetically ourselves.
If that makes me a vocal CEO, and people consider that rocking the boat, so be it.
To hear this and more on the power of black innovation and ownership,
listen to Black Tech Green Money from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Hi, everyone, it's Janae, aka Cheeky's from Cheeky's and Chill Podcasts.
And I'm launching an all-new mini podcast series called Sincerely Jeanne.
Sure, I'm a singer, author, businesswoman, and podcaster.
But at the end of the day, I am human.
And that's why I'm sharing my ups and doubts with you guys.
Hi guys.
I was sitting here recording episodes of Dear Cheekies and Cheekies and Chill
and I just had to take a time out and purge my thoughts and feelings here on Sincerely Jeannay
because I've been so emotional lately, you guys.
Whether I'm in my feels, I've just had a breakthrough with my therapist,
or I've just had a really deep conversation with my siblings,
or I'm in glam getting ready for an award show.
I'm sharing my most intimate thoughts with you on
the podcast. You guys know
I always keep it real with you guys, but this
time I'm taking it to the next level.
Listen to Cheekies and Chill on the IHeart
Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you get your podcasts.
When your car is making
a strange noise,
no matter what it is, you can't
just pretend it's not happening.
That's an interesting sound.
It's like your mental health. If you're
struggling and feeling overwhelmed, it's
important to do something about it.
It can be as simple as talking to someone, or just
taking a deep, calming breath to ground yourself.
Because once you start to address the problem, you can go so much further.
The Huntsman Mental Health Institute and the Ad Council have resources available for you
at loveyourmindtay.org.
So it's 10 years, more than 10 years since we stopped doing the show.
Yes.
So what did you do in between?
What did you do between then and now?
I know you kind of invented podcast or something.
What happened?
I did not inventing podcasting, but right after the show ended,
I was an exec at CBS for a number of years
where I was sort of creating synergy across the network.
So I worked with a lot of the people that, you know,
in PR and marketing and other late-night shows.
Oh, I remember all of those people.
And Gordon started, yeah.
So that was actually really fun.
Did you work with James Corden after I had gone?
No.
Oh, right.
Just, I mean, just sort of his staff.
I was never on the show.
Right for the transition.
Exactly. Yes, a little bit of that. And then after I did that for three years, and then I co-founded a production, a podcast production company. And we did that. I did that for like the last like seven years. I left that in November. And now actually just more recently, I started as a director of cultural programming at a members club in New York. So I'm actually really living in New York now. It's just kind of bonkers.
That's very nice.
Now, I don't want to reveal my exact location, but I am also in New York.
I mean, I'll reveal my exact location to you.
Yeah.
But, you know, and I don't think anyone cares anymore, but there might be a few crazy people
left over who couldn't sleep in the, you know, 10 years or so ago.
It's funny though, I don't, I feel like that level of visibility that was,
there was on, you know, that we were dealing with on late night, that, uh, I would not court that
anymore. I know, I, that never made me comfortable. Well, you know, I mean, I raised a child in
Los Angeles. And so we would see people out everywhere, gas station, grocery store, whatever. And,
you know, we'd be like, or, you know, little canyon store where I am. Yeah. Yeah.
Oh, look, look, you know. And when she was really, she was getting milk. I thought he was a vegan.
And when she was little, she would say,
do you think I could ask for a picture?
And we would always say, no, that person's not working today.
Like, lead them alone.
They're with their family.
Right.
And I mean, I have watched, like, you know, at the airport,
like someone's, you know, sniping a picture of so and so.
And it's like, it's off.
There's no privacy.
I wouldn't, I mean, I'm a very private person.
I would not want that for myself.
And I find it, I think it's probably hard for most people.
You have so little that's your own anymore.
I think that's true.
I mean, look, you don't even have to be famous now.
You just have to be dumb.
Like, look at those people at that, um, code play coins for those people that were having an affair.
Like, neither one of those people is a public person.
Neither one of them has a TV show or anything like that.
They were fucking everywhere.
Everywhere.
I mean, the memes that I got, some of them were hilarious.
I mean, I have to say some of them were hilarious.
But it's still.
Exactly.
And I catch myself because I think, oh, you know, they're parents.
They have kids who are seeing this too.
And it's like the collateral damage on that is heartbreaking.
I think so.
I think that it's such an oddly different world.
It's funny, though, because I talk to, I talk to people even on this podcast, you know,
if you talk to actors or directors or.
artists of any kind, they're very concerned and very suspicious about AI and about the development
of that. If you talk to anyone in medicine, they're like, this is the greatest fucking thing
since sliced bread. This stuff's amazing. It's going to save so many people. And so I guess the
perspective of what the technology can do depends on where you're standing. But I feel like,
like publicly, it, it seems like an odd time to be famous.
I don't know if I'd want it.
I mean, like the deep fake stuff like that.
I mean, that's even...
Yeah, I mean, you know,
I mean, you don't know what to believe sometimes.
I guess the good thing is if you ever do anything dumb,
you can just go, ah, that's not true.
That's AI.
I didn't do that.
Right.
And in fact, that's going to be magnetization from now on.
There you go.
When everyone says, you said that when that wasn't me,
it was Josh Robert Cholveson.
Exactly.
He was him doing my voice,
which I still don't think so is like my voice,
but apparently it does.
Well, I mean, I don't know if he still does Morgan Freeman or not,
but when he, so Morgan Freeman came on probably once a year on the show,
and I produced him.
More than that, I think, yeah, the majority of that time.
And one time, as he was, we were done and he was walking off stage,
Josh just started riffing as Morgan.
And he turns to me and he's like, does that me?
He couldn't even tell the difference.
I know, which was insane.
Yeah.
I know.
It was amazing.
I remember because when Josh got a load, when Morgan Freeman got a load of what
Josh looked like, and he's like, wow, you're a skinny little white kid.
What the hell?
I mean, and it was, it was amazing.
Wild. Yeah.
It is funny to think, to say, I mean, I don't, I didn't watch late night before I did it.
And I didn't watch it when I was doing it.
And I don't watch it now.
So I have no real connection to it.
Did you, were you a fan of it?
Did you?
I grew up watching Letterman, like in bits, you know, like the top ten list, stupid pet tricks.
I had a friend who tried to.
That I would do.
Yes.
Letterman was different.
Yeah.
Well, I remember her standing.
This woman is now a doctor.
But when we were in like 10th grade, she was standing on the pay phone at, in our high school.
doing like an, I guess, what's the right word,
audition for stupid pet tricks.
She was like doing some animal noises or something like in the hallway
in her like, you know, uniform.
So she did not make it, but she ended up, okay.
She's a doctor.
And then, but when my daughter was born,
she was born in the, like just after 1230 in the morning.
I was when I went to labor.
And so Conan was on in the room.
How weird is that?
So funny.
that is so funny
yeah which I hadn't thought about until just now actually
and but I mean
I have to say I having
I love conversation
so I love sort of those kinds
of like storytelling and you know
like that reminds me like my childhood and like
listening to my parents and my grandparents like
always sort of telling crazy stories
one louder or more you know
it's strange
than the other and so I like that
yeah I like it too
I feel like
I just wonder sometimes, and it's the thing that I wrestle with, even with this podcast,
is that I love the conversations and I love the conversations with people that I want to talk to.
And I was talking today and stuff like that.
And sometimes I feel like the tricky part is people who do not wish you well are listening into these conversations.
And that sometimes goes to my head and sometimes I completely forget all about it.
I never used to think about it late night, just never at all.
But I think about it a bit now.
I had a coffee with a friend the other day and we're both, you know, women of a certain age.
And we're sort of laughing.
I was like, aren't you at that age and I were you like, could give two fucks?
I don't care.
Like at this point, like, you know, like, honestly, if somebody doesn't like something I said,
I think I've been kind.
I try to, I try to be a good listener, a good friend.
If somebody is upset about something, I can't, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
And you know what, I think that, I think that's fucking healthy.
My position is this, and I say this and I do it when I'm doing stand up now as well.
I say, look, I can't be held accountable for what I say.
There.
That's it.
Fair.
Yeah.
I can't be held accountable for what I say.
Also, the thing is, it's kind of weird, this is one thing I noticed about when you write a book as well.
And I remember I've talked to a few authors about this, that you'll write.
something down maybe in your 30s or 40s and you really believe that thing to be true and then about
10 or 15 years later you're like oh my god that's such fucking bullshit I hate that I feel completely
the opposite of that but now that's a thing you said and it's written down so people can put it on
t-shirts and then put your name underneath it and you're like oh my god and then now I'm the guy
that said that, and I don't believe that at all.
But I did then.
Do you want to write more?
Or do you want to write another book?
Yeah, I'm kind of dizzling away
of something right now.
Oh, that's great.
Okay.
Fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction.
But in this day and age,
I don't think there's such a thing as fiction or non-fiction.
I think it's all just a big fucking soup now.
Fair.
But the,
it was the thing that Peter
Cook, who had he been alive, I would definitely have him on the show.
You know Cook was my mentor.
I think I've told you that years ago, yeah.
And Cookie was so great to me.
Whatever anyone would say, he told me this himself.
He said, whatever one anyone says to me, I'm writing a book.
I always say this, neither am I.
There is.
Was he ever on the show?
No.
No, he died before we started.
Oh, he did die before.
Okay, I didn't know when he died.
Yeah, he died.
He died.
like quite a long time before I started late night.
I would have fucking been,
he would have been all over it as well.
He would have fucking loved it.
Because of course,
my whole fucking,
a lot of what I did was stolen from,
stolen seems like a bit much,
was influenced then and procured from me,
but certainly in some part
by knowing Peter and working with Peter Cook.
I mean,
he was fucking amazing,
so funny.
And so again,
a very kind person,
and a very empathetic person
and a kind of sad person too, you know.
How had you initially met him?
I forgot.
I asked them to be on a thing that I was doing
for Channel 4 in the UK
and I sent him the script and he said yes.
I think he said yes because the production company
I was working for was owned by Rowan Atkinson,
Mr. Bean.
and Rowan knew Peter
and then once I met Peter
he was very nice and friendly
and he established you know how it happens
you know, just that thing
and it was lovely
look
we should meet and
spill some real tea
that we can't talk about
publicly
very soon
I'm out of town right now
but I'll be in New York in a couple of days
and I know Megan wants to call you
and set up something as well
so we'll do that
in the meantime bugger off
you're done here.
Well done.
Thank you.
And the next time I'll talk to Sean William Scott.
Oh, thank you.
I could find him.
I'll find him for you.
You know, that would be funny if we, I haven't seen him in years.
Years, although he was, oh, do you watch righteous gemstones?
Yeah, yeah, he was great.
I'm re-watching that right now because my daughter hadn't watched it.
That's a great show.
Eaddy Patterson is a genius.
Danny McGrath is genius.
Wall of God, it's genius.
fucking American poet.
It's wonderful, yeah.
I love that show.
Again, he's a somebody I wish he'd had on the show
and he didn't have,
and that'd be right.
But then again, it could have been a journey
or a big situation.
Maybe he's no good at it.
Maybe he likes to be in charge,
but I don't know.
I don't know.
All right.
Thank you, sir.
We're done here, bugger off.
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