It’s a fairly large day for Normal Gossip and Defector! We know everybody loves treats, and in the present day you’re getting three massive ones: unhinged cruise ship gossip, our personal Kelsey McKinney within the position of visitor, and Rachelle Hampton as your brand-new host! What does this all imply? What precisely is altering? Well, you must in all probability go forward and take heed to the episode! But simply to be tremendous useful we thought we’d reply just a few extra questions on this peaceable switch of energy!
Kelsey McKinney: Hello Rachelle!
Rachelle Hampton: Hi Kelsey!
Kelsey: Today is a giant day! Today is the day that we announce our massive scheming plan, our peaceable switch of energy! As of in the present day, you’re the host of the hit podcast Normal Gossip. How do you’re feeling?
Rachelle: It’s an honor to even be nominated. No, however severely I’m full of pleasure and gratitude and happiness! Today would positively go down in my reminiscence as probably the greatest days of my life if this peaceable transition of energy hadn’t been enjoying out behind the scenes for just a few months now. At this level, I lowkey preserve forgetting it is occurring till moments like this. But it’s occurring! It’s right here!
Kelsey: We preserve saying peaceable transition of energy as a joke, nevertheless it actually has been! I’m so excited for you and Se’era Spragley-Ricks (Normal Gossip’s new lead producer) to take over. It’s been actually thrilling watching you step into this position. I feel your first episode is phenomenal, and I do know you will solely enhance! I’m feeling like a giant ol’ sap.
Rachelle: I additionally assume my first episode is phenomenal and a whole lot of that’s all the way down to you being each an amazing visitor and a fair higher host emeritus.
Kelsey: I desire dowager queen, thanks.
Rachelle: Your Highness.
HELLO! IT IS ME, THE READER OF THIS BLOG!
Kelsey: Whoa, hi there. How can we assist you?
Yes! I’ve some questions on all of this. First, why are you doing this?
Rachelle: I imply I feel the actual query for me can be why would not I do that? This is a dream come true! There’s no world wherein I’d flip down the chance to step into the host chair of my favourite podcast.
Kelsey: I feel there is a temptation to imagine {that a} switch of energy—a brand new particular person on the throne, if you’ll—is due to some dire trigger. But nobody has died and nobody is depressing and there’s nothing lurking right here. Sometimes, with a inventive undertaking, it’s a must to take heed to what the undertaking needs, and provides it that. Normal Gossip needs new minds and new voices and there’s no query in my thoughts that that is the suitable determination.
How do I do know you are not mendacity? What if I’m SCARED?
Rachelle: I feel it’s necessary to honor the feelings you’re feeling. Change is frightening!
Kelsey: Rachelle is a water signal. Speaking as a Virgo let me say: You’ll reside!! I feel whenever you take heed to Rachelle’s first episode, you will see that all the things you’re keen on in regards to the present remains to be there! It’s only a totally different voice and a special story and the start of a special journey. You’ve trusted us this lengthy to make this podcast good; why not belief us slightly extra?
So nothing is altering and all the things will keep the identical without end?
Rachelle: OK, I would not go that far! The solely fixed a part of life is change. I’ll cease speaking in aphorisms now.
Kelsey: Very courageous of you.
Rachelle: As an enormous fan of Normal Gossip with the beat up keychain to show it, I need to keep the unbelievable basis that Kelsey and Alex and the remainder of the group have constructed. This is not a intestine renovation; I’m not coming in and ripping out the attractive teal-green rest room tile and portray the partitions grey. But Se’era and I are each actually excited to go away our mark on this unbelievable present. We’re each Black girls with roots within the South and we’re excited to bake these views, with their wealthy histories of oral storytelling (Reesa Teesa hi there!), into the muse of the present. Can foundations be baked? I’m not a Property Brother.
Kelsey: The Normal Gossip promise: no Millennial Gray. But actually, Alex and I aren’t dying. We are going to be round, and right here to assist with the transition as a lot as we’re wanted! We love this present. Everyone loves the present! We need it to remain good and thrilling for all of you for a very long time to return!
Wait. What is occurring to Alex? Who is that this “Se’era?”
Rachelle: Se’era Spragley Ricks is my unbelievable inventive associate and the brand new producer of Normal Gossip. We labored collectively beforehand on In Case You Missed It and we’re each so excited to get to work collectively once more.
Kelsey: Alex will stay in her supervising producer position for Defector! Hopefully now that she will not be ensuring that Normal Gossip stays afloat, she’s going to really have the ability to do this job and get to work on extra thrilling and exquisite tasks in your ear holes.
What is occurring to Kelsey? Is she OK?
Kelsey: I’m stepping down as host, however I’ll nonetheless be round! I’m going to assist Rachelle as a lot as I can and I’m going to put in writing extra. I cherished writing all of those scripts a lot, however it’s time for me to return to writing different issues! I’ll nonetheless be with you all the time in your hearts but in addition in your screens and generally in your ears! I’m OK, I promise! I’m excited to make new tales to share with you!
Rachelle: More Kelsey writing! More Kelsey writing!
Now I wish to ask some questions on this new episode that got here out in the present day, if that’s okay.
Kelsey: When has that stopped you earlier than?
OK no have to be impolite, Dowager Queen! Just for that, is it true that everybody cried within the recording?
Rachelle: It’s true! It was stunning, certainly one of my most cherished reminiscences.
Kelsey: To be trustworthy, I very not often cry in any kind in public so I really feel very weak about crying on this recording! That’s OK. Vulnerability might be good, I’ve been instructed. But I did know I used to be going to cry entering into as a result of I cried writing the script lol! I’m simply actually pleased with myself, and of Alex, and of Rachelle and Se’era. And if something will make me cry, it’s emotions of pleasure.
Rachelle, how did you strategy your first episode? How did it really feel to make it?
Rachelle: So one thing we have not talked about right here but is that I’ve been concerned with Normal Gossip principally since I began working at Defector in late July. I’m fairly certain my very first assembly was a Normal Gossip assembly?
Kelsey: Wow. Lore drop!!
Rachelle: Gotta give the ladies what they need (gossip!).
Kelsey: Yeah the true gossip is that Rachelle got here in along with her eyes on gossip. She wished to return to conferences! Who needs that?
Rachelle: Who would not need to come to a Normal Gossip assembly? They’re so enjoyable! I’ve mentioned this a lot in actual life however getting to look at Kelsey and Alex make this season felt like all of the enjoyable components of college with not one of the differential equations.
You did not reply my query about how the primary episode felt to make.
Kelsey: God, you are nosy. I like you a lot. You’re identical to us. She’s getting there!
Rachelle: You’ll study that I can take some time to get to the purpose. But it is all necessary info! Basically, I first heard the gossip you will hear within the finale of season 7 approach again in August. So the story has form of been rattling round in my mind for the previous few months, together with all the things I realized from watching Kelsey and Alex in writers’ rooms and run-throughs. By the time I sat down to put in writing the script, it felt so pure. I felt ready and supported and most significantly, I had a lot enjoyable!
Kelsey: You did not ask me, however I felt excellent in regards to the episode! Rachelle made me really feel snug because the visitor though I used to be nervous to begin. And the story is such a rattling whirlwind. I cherished it!
Rachelle: I am unable to wait to listen to the response to the story as a result of it actually does take some turns.
Well it is already out. I cherished it, really. But I do have an necessary query for each of you, based mostly on it: Imagine you are going to be caught on a cruise ship along with your coworkers for the following 9 months. You can solely smuggle one (1) form of contraband on board. What’s your pleasure? Hot plate, fairy lights, sword, edibles, Xanax?
Rachelle: GREAT QUESTION, edibles. Didn’t even have to consider it.
Kelsey: This is a tough query for me as a result of I feel my reply is Mezcal however theoretically that might already be on the cruise ship and I’d simply steal it though it was in opposition to the foundations. I feel I’d smuggle on a heating pad. I like heating pad.
Thank you in your honesty. I’m feeling rather a lot higher now that I do know there can be extra gossip sooner or later. I’m not as scared anymore. Is there something I can do to assist the transition or the brand new season?
Rachelle: Please be good to me! I’ll be weak right here since Kelsey cried within the recording however my main concern is the viewers not giving me an opportunity. Obviously I perceive that a whole lot of y’all will miss Kelsey’s period of Normal Gossip. I’ll too! But greater than something, I need to proceed making a present that y’all all love and adore, hopefully with all the assist and charm you’d need prolonged to you in case you had been to take over your favourite podcast!
Kelsey: It is my time to go. Throughout my tenure on this present, y’all have all been so open and accepting of our efforts to make the present sustainable and good (even when it meant you bought fewer episodes). I actually hope that you’ll be excited for this new period and provides Rachelle the identical form of grace and assist that you just gave me.
Also, I need to be very fucking clear that anybody who’s imply to Rachelle is straight away added to my private shit checklist, which isn’t a recreation. I’m excellent at holding a grudge.
Rachelle: Hot.
Kelsey: Another factor you could possibly do to assist can be to ship your gossip tales to normalgossip@defector.com in order that Rachelle and Se’era have good choices for his or her subsequent season to kind by means of. Rachelle, is there something particularly you are hoping to get?
Hey! I’m asking the questions right here! But sure, what sort of gossip do you crave?
Rachelle: OK I like household historical past gossip, like secret second households and other people written out of wills. I’m a Real Housewives and Selling Sunset girlie so actual property gossip or wealthy individuals gossip or wealthy individuals actual property gossip can be an actual pleasure. Also web gossip! Tell me your fandom gossip, I do know you all have it.
Kelsey: I’ll say that my WHITE WHALE whereas internet hosting this present was restaurant gossip. I need restaurant gossip so badly, however the issue is most restaurant gossip is extraordinarily miserable or poisonous. My (dowager) kingdom for a stupendous little rom-com story about … idk … competing bakeries.
Rachelle: Oh my GOD, I’d die of happiness. Gossip that is secretly a romance novel can be very welcome.
Wow that every one sounds so good. I additionally want to hear this gossip!
Rachelle, when will there be one other season? I’m determined for gossip and my household is ravenous for tales.
Rachelle: Do not concern! There can be one other season, the truth is many extra seasons. You can count on the following season to begin airing within the spring of 2025.
Kelsey: Please do not panic! There can be a pair bonus episodes earlier than then on the primary feed, and we are going to proceed to launch month-to-month subscriber solely episodes, so your loved ones will not starve to dying.
Thank you each a lot. Will you do something to rejoice this massive and thrilling information that I’m now very enthusiastic about too?
Rachelle: Well tonight we’re partying laborious with Defector workers.
Kelsey: Yeah we’re gearing as much as celebration so laborious that we should take an extended and prolonged break from partying over the vacation season. Pray for us.
Rachelle: ALSO Kelsey will start her Dowager Queen period with a bang, a.okay.a. publishing AN INCREDIBLE BOOK all about gossip that comes out subsequent 12 months.
Kelsey: Oh, proper! Good level! I can be happening e-book tour for my massive gossip e-book in February! You can get tickets for that at kelseymckinneybook.com, and Rachelle is even going to affix me for no less than one occasion!
Rachelle: See you there!
You can assist the present by subscribing on Pocket Casts, Overcast, or wherever else you pay attention! You may comply with Normal Gossip on Instagram. The transcript of this week’s episode might be discovered right here. You can join the Normal Gossip e-newsletter right here.
That’s a wrap on season seven! We’ll spend the tip of the 12 months cozying up with some tea a.okay.a. looking for a very good batch of tales for season eight. Please ship all of your mess to normalgossip@defector.com, or go away a voice message on our hotline at 26-79-GOSSIP.
