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“Dancing With the Stars” alumni are set to join the newly created Outspoken podcast network, which is being launched by iHeartMedia.
JoJo Siwa and Lance Bass are both set to join the network, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s report. The network is set to feature LGBTQ+ voices.
Siwa is set to host and executive produce a podcast for the network, and she will assist in developing the programming for Outspoken.
iHeartMedia Hopes to Celebrate Diverse Talent and Listeners
One of the goals of the new network is to bring forth LGBTQ+ voices.
“With Outspoken, iHeartMedia and a team of brilliant creators are building a space for LGBTQ+ talent and listeners everywhere to celebrate who they are. It’s exciting to see podcasting becoming a medium where voices of all kinds go to be heard, and the Outspoken network will elevate the impactful culture of the LGBTQ+ community,” president of iHeartPodcasts Will Pearson revealed in a statement, per iHearRadio.
He added, “We’re also honored to have some of the biggest personalities in podcasting joining us as advocates by using their massive platforms with millions of listeners to amplify these creators and help bring a greater diversity of voices into the podcast space.”
Existing podcasts like Lance Bass’s “Frosted Tips,” Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers’ “Las Cultaristas,” Laverne Cox’s “The Laverne Cox Show” are all set to join the network.
Media strategist and activist Raquel Willis will work with iHeartMedia’s creative development and marketing director Jay Brunson are developing two podcasts for the new network. Other networks owned by iHeartMedia include My Cultura Podcast Network, Charlemagne Tha God’s Black Effect Podcast Network, and Next Up, according to iHeart.
JoJo Siwa is Set to Star in a Movie in 2023
JoJo Siwa is set to star in a comedy horror-thriller movie this year, Deadline announced in February 2023.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the upcoming movie ‘All My Friends Are Dead,’” Siwa said in a statement obtained by Deadline. “This is a project that is so different from anything I’ve done previously; however, I absolutely love horror movies and I can’t wait to start production! I’m also excited to work with Jade again. We worked together when we were younger and can’t wait to create this movie together.”
According to Bloody Disgusting, the movie “follows a group of close college friends who get a steal on a killer Airbnb for the biggest music festival of the year. A weekend of partying quickly takes a turn for the worse, as the group is murdered one by one. They soon discover that each one of their deaths directly corresponds to one of the seven deadly sins.”
The film was written by Josh Sims and Jessica Sarah Flaum and produced by John Baldecchi, Jason Resnick, and Kevin Greutert.
Siwa was the runner-up on “Dancing With the Stars” season 30 alongside Jenna Johnson in the show’s first same-sex partnership. She lost to Iman Shumpert and Daniella Karagach. Bass was on season 7 of the show alongside professional dancer Lacey Schwimmer.
“Dancing With the Stars” is set to return in the fall of 2023 on Disney+.