Burke Leads Candid Conversations that Explore the Human Condition with Renowned Guests Including Victoria Beckham, Tig Notaro, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Reza Aslan 

New York– October 24, 2019  – As Me with Sinéad, the second weekly podcast series from the new podcast network Lemonada Media,debuts today. Hosted by Irish activist and academic Sinéad Burke, who recently graced the cover of British Vogue and was the first little person to attend the Met Gala, the series features candid conversations with diverse and notable guests that explore the human condition. The first episode features Victoria Beckham and the second, Tig Notaro. Episodes 1 & 2 dropped together today and are available now wherever you get your podcasts. 

In the series, Burke flexes a disarming ability to explore what it’s like to be each of her guests, showcasing stories and reflections from intimate spaces – Riz Ahmed’s personal workspace, Victoria Beckham’s London offices, and studios around the world. Burke challenges both guest and listener to confront their biases, deepen their humanity, and feel empowered to impact and change the world around us. Burke cracks open the shell of each guest to understand what it’s like to live as them, in their body and mind: unlearning self-deprecation with Jamie Lee Curtis, living in an aging body with Glenda Jackson, and having to be carried in her wheelchair on stage with BAFTA-winning actress, Ruth Madeley.

“I live in a world that was not designed for me. I live in a body that provokes a reaction and one which has required the kindness of strangers for my independence. My advocacy is rooted in the notion that the disabled community should not be transformed to fit within the world,” says Burke. “This lived experience has cultivated an unparalleled empathy, one that allows this podcast to be a space for intimate conversations with people we know about what it is like to live as them.  My podcast will tilt the lens on how we view the world and make it an easier place for all of us to fully be ourselves.” 

“When we set out to create Lemonada, we knew we wanted a series on our first slate that demonstrated what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes,” says Lemonada CEO and the show’s executive producer, Jessica Cordova Kramer. “Sinéad was the perfect host. She sits across from some of the most iconic humans and all of a sudden, they are talking about their biggest fears, their hopes and dreams, telling stories we’ve never heard before, and laughing and crying with her,” added Stephanie Wittels Wachs, Lemonada’s Chief Creative Officer.

In the premiere episode, “As Victoria Beckham,” the fashion icon opens up about how being bullied as a child has impacted her parenting, as well as sharing a humorous special talent. Other guests throughout the season include best-selling author and commentator, Reza Aslan, filmmaker Kulap Vilaysack, activist DeRay McKesson, Vanity Fair Editor-in-Chief, Rhadika Jones, actress Mara Wilson, rocker Ellen Kempner, and songwriter Justin Tranter.

Transcripts of each episode will be available the week each episode airs.

Earlier this year, Lemonada Media teamed up with Cumulus Media’s Westwood One, America’s largest audio network, to distribute, sell, and market the shows to build audiences across the Lemonada network. 

“Sinéad is globally known and respected by millions of people for her ability to open our eyes and shine a light on humanity,” said Suzanne Grimes, EVP Marketing, Cumulus Media and President, Westwood One. “An audio extension of her message could not come at a better time. We are proud to support Sinéad’s podcast and quest to build collective empathy along the way.”

Award-winning podcaster, Jessica Cordova Kramer (Crooked Media, Pod Save the People) and best-selling author Stephanie Wittels Wachs joined forces this spring to form Lemonada Media offering an unfiltered version of the human experience. The network offers content that is raw and real, sorting through the ugliness, weirdness, awkwardness, and darkness life can bring. They recently launched the chart-topping “Last Day,” their first of three original series, followed by “As Me with Sinéad” and “Good Kids: How Not to Raise an A**Hole” which premiers on November 26. 

The natural whole-food vitamins and supplements company New Chapter is proud to sponsor all three Lemonada Media shows launching this fall.

Cordova Kramer met Wittels Wachs in 2017, shortly after both women had lost their brothers to opioid overdoses. Hearing Wittels Wachs talking about her brother on the “Terrible, Thanks for Asking” podcast, Cordova Kramer felt understood and less alone in her grief; she even laughed. The women connected over their shared experiences, and the idea to bring Lemonada to life was born: Turn lemons into lemonade, one podcast at a time.

Westwood One, the national-facing arm of Cumulus Media, offers iconic, nationally syndicated sports, news and entertainment content to over 250 million monthly listeners across an audio network of 8,000 affiliated broadcast radio stations and media partners.

Lemonada is represented by UTA.

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