Pridecast with Jonathan Bennett

Jonathan is joined by his husband Jaymes as they kick off the premier episode of Pridecast in celebratory fashion and explain what PRIDE means to them. They take us back to their beginnings...from enduring bullying to finding the strength to come out, only to be pushed back into the closet by their careers. They explain how they met, fell in love and used their love for one another to rise above the hate. It's a Pridecast episode full of love, laughter and endless inspiration.

Jonathan and Jaymes are joined by the very funny Margaret Cho for laugh out loud moments as she shares her feelings of pride, the progress of lgbtq+ rights, and the effects menopause has had on her sexual orientation. Plus Jonathan and Jaymes are in full go mode for the upcoming ‘Fire Island’ movie!

Lea DeLaria, growing up queer in church, gay Jesus and President Biden story time. Lea joins Jonathan and Jaymes to discuss the journey to becoming the first openly gay comic to perform on American television. Lea gets into the behind the scenes details of those now infamous 9 minutes on the Arsenio Hall Show and how reclaiming certain words is empowering for the LBGTQ+ community. Jonathan explains how Lea inspired him and they reminisce about a movie they were in together as Jaymes playfully struggles to keep their egos in check.

Fresh off their honeymoon, Jonathan and Jaymes are joined by the one and only Peppermint! She talks about how a pandemic journal entry and Stouffer’s frozen pizzas turned into a 3 album journey about handling love, and they discuss how Peppermint continues to be a trailblazing role model for the trans community. They discuss their Drag Race All Stars All Winners predictions and Peppermint shares what PRIDE means and how anyone can be a part of it. And she shares how both the cisgender and transgender communities can be better allies. All that plus Peppermint reveals her superpower!

Pride is at a level 10 as Jonathan and Jaymes are joined by Teen Wolf star Colton Haynes! Colton opens up about the transformation from being closeted and told to be “less gay” in Hollywood…to the freedom of coming out and learning to be his true authentic self. We get all the details on everything from the highly anticipated Teen Wolf revival and how different it feels this time around…to his journey to sobriety and writing his book Miss Memory Lane.There’s so much to love about this Pridecast episode about learning to love yourself.

Living our best Pride Month as Jonathan and Jaymes are joined by Drag Queen, Actor, Author and Activist Nina West. She shares how Drag Race changed her life, the unbelievable call that led to her starring role in Hairspray, her new Dolly Parton approved children’s book about kindness and so much more. Plus Jonathan’s embarrassing broadway celeb stories. Go big, be kind, be you. This is Pridecast.

Pride month continues as Jonathan and Jaymes fire up the big gay spotlight as they’re joined by world reknowned American theater director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell! It’s a stroll down memory lane as they discuss how musical theater changed their lives, gave them a sense of pride and they dish on some behind-the-curtain stories from some of the most famous musicals of all time. If this episode were any more fun it’d be made into a musical itself.

The celebration continues as Jonathan and Jaymes bring Pridecast from their OUTbound cruise in Portugal! This time with endless laughs as comedian, opera singer, and oil painter Matteo Lane joins Jonathan and Jaymes on the pod…and just like Matteo’s talents, this episode contains a little bit of everything, even a special guest appearance from Dr. Who’s John Barrowman. Topics include (and these are not typos) what type of gay coffee each one would be, find out the angry comment Matteo got when he simply posted a video of himself making spaghetti carbonara and what it’s like meeting Mariah Carey vs. almost meeting Mariah Carey. All that plus Matteo shares his inspirational journey as a gay stand-up, where he found the ability to be funny and of course, what Pride means to him.

Jonathan and Jaymes are back from celebrating Pride abroad and talking to listeners on live calls. They answer listener questions and hear listener stories of pride and coming out. There’s inspiration, laughs, and even tips on love and relationships. Everyone’s individual and personal narratives together paint a prideful picture of how far we’ve come! This episode has enough love to travel the world 10 times over! It’s truly a worldwide collaboration of pride!

Not liking to be away from each other for too long, Jaymes surprises Jonathan while he’s filming in Vancouver and we get to be part of the reunion and it does not disappoint! They dish it all in full Newlywed game style…everything from who’s the messiest and who’s too cheap to turn on the AC, to who has thousands of unread messages on their phone and who’s holding up their dog Brad from getting a sibling. It’s everything you didn’t know, you didn’t know about J&J. But you’ll be glad you know now!

It’s a live taping at sea with Jonathan and Jaymes aboard their OUTbound cruise through Germany and the Netherlands! And it’s an all-inclusive event as J&J are joined by passengers of different generations sharing the advice they want to pass down to the next generation of our LGBTQ+ fam. From stories of a campfire, to a lunch at Marie Callendars, to a parade float of naked men…each experience is beautifully remindful of the importance of being true to yourself! Grab your Hoochie Daddy Shorts because this is one love boat you won’t want to miss!

Jonathan and Jaymes are joined by drag superstar and real-life good friend Jackie Cox! They break down how to act at a drag show to be the best ally and Jackie shares some exclusive, insider details about her upcoming Gay Days show at the Disneyland resort. Plus, Jackie’s spilling tea about a Bennett Vaughan wedding secret (where she was the emcee) that you won’t want to miss. Plus why the Fire Marshall was at RuPaul’s Drag Race, shout-outs to some very well-deserved members of our LBGTQ+ family, and so much more. It’s still Pride Season for a reason!

Zombies 3 star Terry Hu joins Pridecast as Terry and Jonathan bond over being the first to portray lgbtq+ characters on their respective networks, Disney and Hallmark. There’s a lot of laughs as they compare audition and commercial horror stories. Terry’s big lie, Jonathan’s big puke, and what does neuroscience have to do with it all?! It’ll all make sense when you listen and it’ll leave you feeling like part of the family.This is a Pridecast filled with laughter and inspiration.

The word ‘hero’ gets tossed around alot, especially in the entertainment world…but Jonathan and Jaymes' guest today is legit one. Actress and activist Nicole Maines (a.k.a. ‘Dreamer’) is the world’s first Trans superhero on television and she joins Jonathan and Jaymes as they share real-life stories of the pressure, responsibility and pride that comes along with such roles. Jonathan and Jaymes contemplate a major change in their relationship and how it could affect their future. Plus back-to-school horror stories! Double the runtime on this one because you’ll probably want to listen twice.

J&J are joined by what’s her name? Priyanka! She spills all the details about her momentous rise to the top of the Drag World just when the world needed it. From Canada’s Drag Race to an upcoming rom-com, Priyanka explains how doubts turned into courage and what it means for those like her. The big gay spotlight is shining on Priyanka right now and we’re all feeling the warmth!

It’s a special day because we’re getting 3 for the price of 1!…Daniel Franzese a.k.a. Damien from Mean Girls…a.k.a. Donna from RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race is on the pod!!! Daniel takes us behind the curtain of Drag Race including why he once considered fainting as his only option. Plus, find out what loophole from Mean Girls helped his character break barriers for the LGBTQ+ community! This reunion between Daniel and the J's is so much fun, you may want to listen three times!

Coco Montrese and Alexis Mateo take us all the way back to their humble beginnings - theme park shows! The same shows Jonathan and Jaymes both got their start in. Plus the most iconic RuPaul’s Drag Race Lip Sync of all time, how BAM was born, behind the scenes of Drag Race Live in Vegas and Alexis and Coco announce their exciting new Vegas Strip plans that have them not only starring but also producing.

Breaking news: Jonathan has fulfilled his lifelong big, gay, Broadway dream! It’s a story to end all stories and it involves who else, but Kristin Chenoweth! (No more spoilers, you’ll have to listen to to find out the rest!)After that, Jonathan is joined by the legendary Louis Van Amstel as he reveals the humbling obligation he felt to return to DWTS…and who he thinks will be the last couple standing!Plus an in-depth personal conversation about children and adoption…and Louis shares an emotional story involving his son and how others rallied around him.

While Jonathan and Jaymes recap their Halloween, Jonathan digs deep into an emotional time in his past to explain the connection to his 'Elphaba' costume and why the iconic character played such an important role in his life. Then let the fangirling begin as the absolutely amazing Brad Goreski joins us to discuss everything Canada's Drag Race. And finally with a successful 21+ year relationship under his belt, Brad shares his top 3 secrets to as successful relationship!

Drag royalty Shangela is in the house with Jonathan and Jaymes today with details on Shangela’s Fully Lit Tour which promises to be, you guessed it…fire! They have a heartfelt talk about the importance of being who they are for the younger versions of themselves! We reveal it all — DWTS, Beyonce & J-Lo, Palm Springs Pride and Jonathan confesses to a near on-stage accident?!

David Archuleta joins Jonathan and Jaymes as he continues to proudly share his journey. A journey which at age 30, finally allowed him to find peace in his truth. From his “faith crisis” and stepping away from the Mormon church to the moment that helped him finally speak his truth, we cover it all. David’s story is one that many can relate to and hopefully even more will find healing from.

Let’s celebrate the premiere of Jonathan’s Christmas Rom-Com movie “The Holiday Sitter.” This week we are joined by Jonathan’s co-star and on set husband George Krissa! Find out all about George and his journey, why Jonathan calls him a “unicorn” and get some behind-the-scenes stories from Hallmark’s first Holiday movie starring and centered on an LGBTQ+ couple.

Jonathan and Jaymes are thrilled to be joined today by Eureka who is coming to them live from the set of RuPaul’s Drag Race in Vegas!They discuss the power of ‘We’re Here,’ share their journey from Tennessee to today and celebrate sobriety. There’s so much joy to be had in the pod today!

Jonathan, Jaymes and Carson revisit their first drag experiences (it’s as amazing as you want it to be!). They discuss the changes in drag over the years from early clubs to modern day virtual and reveal their top Queens from the season of Drag Race. Plus it wouldn’t/couldn’t be 2023 without a recap of J&J’s NYE Ball Drop!!!

Tales from Jonathan and Jaymes’ trip to Park City including why Jonathan passed on teaching Jaymes how to ski. Plus, the hilarious Ross Mathews joins them bursting with excitement regarding the latest news from his daytime dream job, his passion for Palm Springs and the inspiration behind his new clothing line!

Jonathan and Jaymes are joined by L. Morgan Lee who made history when she became the first openly transgender actor to be nominated for a Tony Award! They discuss her journey to the top, and her 20 year friendship with Jaymes which began working at a theme park together in Virginia. Needless to say, there’s plenty to reminisce about, plenty to dish about and so much more to feel hopeful about on the horizon. Plus, find out what Jaymes does on flights, and what Jonathan has to say about it.

Lance Bass joins the Js and it’s every bit as amazing as you want it to be. They waste no time getting into it…from being closeted in the industry (find out what Jonathan has been waiting to say to Lance), to how they view what it's like working with your husband, to how Lance and Michael are handling being parents of 16 month old twins!