rankingspodcastsculture

The First 10 Celebrity Podcasts That Redefined Fan Engagement — Where Ant & Dec Fit In

UUnknown

2026-02-21

12 min read

Ranked: the 10 celebrity podcasts that first turned listeners into communities — and how Ant & Dec can join them in 2026.

Hook — Why ranking the "firsts" in celebrity podcasting matters now

Finding verified, shareable examples of celebrity podcasts that truly changed how fans gather, behave and buy is harder than it looks. There’s a flood of vanity launches and unverified claims labeled as “firsts.” This list cuts through the noise: it ranks the first 10 celebrity-led audio projects that created new playbooks for fan engagement and community-building — and it assesses whether Ant & Dec’s new show can be the next to join them.

How we ranked these "firsts"

Ranking criteria (short):

Innovation: introduced a tactic or channel (live shows, memberships, Discord, viral clips) others copied.
Scale: converted listeners into a distinct, active community (meetups, fan nicknames, paid subscribers).
Longevity: sustained fan engagement and cross-platform presence beyond a single season.
Proof: public metrics or well-documented case studies (ticket sales, subscription numbers, media impact).

We prioritized podcast-led projects where the host(s) were public figures whose celebrity helped seed and shape the community, and where the format introduced a durable engagement model other creators adopted.

Top 10 celebrity podcasts that were first to redefine fan engagement (ranked)

1. The Joe Rogan Experience (2009)

Why it’s first: Rogan showed how a single celebrity-hosted long-form show could build a massive, active fan base, monetize at scale, and create clip culture. The show pioneered the mix of unfiltered conversations, audience tours, and direct merchandising — later amplified by platform-level exclusivity deals that shifted the industry’s business model.

Impact: turned listeners into vocal communities across Reddit, YouTube clips, live-event ticket buyers and merch customers. Rogan’s model made it obvious that a single host could command culture-scale attention and direct revenue streams from audience loyalty.

Takeaway: celebrity + authenticity + long-form = a durable, monetizable community.

2. The Ricky Gervais Show (podcast era, mid-2000s)

Why it’s first: one of the earliest mainstream celebrity podcasts to attract millions of downloads and prove that comedy stars could migrate fanbases from TV/radio to on-demand audio. It converted passive TV viewership into an active listening community hungry for clips, quotes and inside jokes.

Impact: started the practice of repurposing short, viral audio/video segments across forums and early social channels — a blueprint for how celebrity podcasts feed social amplification.

Takeaway: being first to bring an existing TV/film audience into on-demand audio is a distinct advantage.

3. My Favorite Murder (2016)

Why it’s first: made a podcast fandom feel like a tribe. Hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark created “Murderinos”: a named fandom with rituals (catchphrases, listener calls, local meetups), merch and live tours. This show was pivotal in proving that content + identity = community.

Impact: turned passive listeners into event attendees and volunteer moderators who maintained local fan chapters. The brand expanded into books, live shows and an engaged Facebook community — showing how podcast communities can become independent ecosystems.

Takeaway: give fans identity markers and facilitation tools and they’ll build community for you.

4. The Bill Simmons Podcast / The Ringer (2011—2016)

Why it’s first: Simmons pioneered the idea of a celebrity-created platform. The Ringer combined podcasts, long-form written pieces and forums to create a cross-format community with shared fandom. Podcast episodes became appointment listening and a gateway into paid live events and later network deals.

Impact: spawned creator networks and showed how a personality-led anchor can scale into a media company that monetizes fans across formats.

Takeaway: scaling beyond a show to a branded network multiplies engagement opportunities.

5. Call Her Daddy (Alex Cooper) (2018)

Why it’s first: turned candid, serialized host-first storytelling into a direct, subscription-friendly business. The show’s early controversies increased engagement — fans didn’t just listen, they defended, debated and paid. Call Her Daddy demonstrated the power of controversy + intimacy to convert listeners into paying subscribers.

Impact: normalized audience monetization through exclusivity and demonstrated that a celebrity persona could be the product.

Takeaway: exclusives and emotionally charged content accelerate community formation — handle backlash carefully.

6. The Breakfast Club (2010 — radio, podcasts 2014+)

Why it’s first: radio-to-podcast crossover that created viral, appointment moments (guest confessions, news-making interviews) that drove fans to social channels and in-person events. The Breakfast Club built clubhouse-style fan loyalty via recurring segments and audience interaction.

Impact: created a news cycle feedback loop — fans pushed clips into social media, which drove more bookings and more engagement.

Takeaway: create repeatable moments fans can quote and share — that’s how you stay in the cultural conversation.

7. Armchair Expert (Dax Shepard) (2018)

Why it’s first: used vulnerability and self-disclosure as community glue. Shepard’s long conversations were accompanied by transcripts, behind-the-scenes clips and active social moderation — building trust and a loyal listener base that attended live tapings and bought direct-to-fan merchandise.

Impact: reinforced the idea that celebrity vulnerability (not just star power) is a reliable pathway to engaged communities.

Takeaway: transparency and full-text accessibility expand discoverability and deepen connection.

8. SmartLess (2020)

Why it’s first: two parts celebrity trio + one part surprise-guest format = shareable clips on steroids. SmartLess accelerated the strategic use of short-form video clips across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to turn weekly podcast drops into daily social conversations.

Impact: demonstrated how celebrity casts can engineer continual visibility by converting long-form episodes into dozens of micro-moments tailored for each platform.

Takeaway: integrate a clip-first production workflow — your full-episode is the reservoir, short-form is the amplifier.

9. Goalhanger portfolio (The Rest Is History / The Rest Is Politics — 2020s)

Why it’s first: this is a network-level case study: Goalhanger’s portfolio approach — building a family of shows, then layering memberships, ad-free tiers, early access and dedicated Discord chatrooms — has proven to be a modern, replicable community playbook. In January 2026 Goalhanger announced it had surpassed 250,000 paying subscribers, generating roughly £15m a year from membership benefits that include ad-free listening, early ticket access and private Discord rooms.

Impact: shifted the industry from ad-dependent models to membership-driven communities. The explicit inclusion of members-only chatrooms (Discord) is now a template for celebrity hosts who want direct, ongoing interaction.

“Memberships are live on eight out of 14” — documentation of a deliberate roll-out that prioritizes fan-first benefits (Press Gazette, Jan 2026).

Takeaway: owning the relationship (email + community + early access) is now as valuable as downloads.

10. Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend (2018)

Why it’s first: transformed late-night celebrity into a podcast-first relationship. Conan used his TV fame to produce a podcast with a fan-facing tone, then translated fans into live tour buyers and superfans who engage across platforms.

Impact: lowered the barrier for TV talent to launch high-engagement podcasts and proved that a beloved comedic voice can create a cross-platform brand experience.

Takeaway: legacy-media stars should reframe podcasting as a direct fan channel — not just promotional content.

Quick verification notes

These entries were chosen for documented innovations that created repeatable engagement models. For 2025–2026 context we include Goalhanger’s January 2026 subscriber milestone as a concrete, recent example of network-level community monetization.

Where Ant & Dec fit: "Hanging Out" and the Belta Box strategy (Jan 2026)

Ant & Dec announced in January 2026 that their first podcast, Hanging Out with Ant & Dec, will be part of a new digital entertainment hub (Belta Box) across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. The hosts explicitly asked their audience what they wanted; listeners said “we just want you guys to hang out.”

“So that’s what we’re doing — Ant & I don’t get to hang out as much as we used to, so it’s perfect for us.” — Declan Donnelly (statement on Hanging Out, Jan 2026)

That positioning is smart in two ways: it nails authenticity (a proven driver for community) and it’s platform-native (clips + social-first distribution). But where does Belta Box sit against the list above?

Short verdict

Ant & Dec have the raw ingredients to join the top 10 — massive legacy audience, cross-platform distribution and distinctive chemistry — but they’ll need to execute on three fronts to be considered a “transformative first” rather than a high-profile latecomer.

Three gaps they must close

Convert passive viewers into named fans (fan identity). Fans need an identity to organize around — a name, rituals, or catchphrases they can rally behind.
Offer gated community benefits (memberships or chatrooms). Free catch-up clips are helpful, but long-term engagement is driven by exclusive access — Discord servers, early ticket sales, members-only Q&A.
Design a clip-first repurposing pipeline to keep the show viral across TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.

Actionable playbook: How Ant & Dec (or any celebrity) can join this top-10 group in 12 tactical steps

Below are practical, battle-tested strategies aligned to 2026 trends (subscriptions, Discord, AI-aided personalization).

Launch membership tiers: start with a free tier and one premium tier offering ad-free episodes, early access and members-only chatrooms. Look to Goalhanger’s model — memberships converted to predictable revenue and community access in 2025–26.
Activate a branded fan identity: name the community (e.g., “The Hangouters”), create a welcome packet (emoji pack, wallpapers), and seed rituals like weekly prompts or listener shout-outs.
Operate an official Discord or Telegram: assign community managers, create structured channels (episode-discussion, meetups, fan art), and host weekly AMAs. Moderation + signal-to-noise matters more than size.
Clip-first production: produce 10–20 social clips per episode (vertical + subtitles + chapter timestamps). Automate this pipeline with AI editors to cut cost and speed up distribution.
Repurpose legacy TV content: Belta Box can re-use iconic TV clips as conversation starters; nostalgia fuels engagement with long-time fans.
Design a live show program: 2–4 exclusive live tapings per year with members-only pre-sale windows. Live shows are the single strongest conversion tool for superfans.
Sell thoughtful merch and experiential bundles: limited drops, signed items and VIP meet & greet add revenue and status to membership tiers.
Use data to segment fans: track listening patterns and social engagement to tailor member benefits — early access, curated episodes, or localized live shows.
Invite co-creation: run listener-submitted episode prompts, fan-curated segments and occasional listener-hosted mini-episodes to increase ownership.
Partner with creator networks: consider a distribution or production partnership (or white-label membership tech) to accelerate subscriber growth and learn from proven templates.
Lean into transmedia: short-form videos, newsletters, TikTok series, behind-the-scenes Reels and serialized mini-videos create multiple touchpoints to keep fans active daily.
Protect the community’s culture: invest in active moderation, a clear code of conduct and volunteer moderators. Community durability depends on healthy norms.

Why this matters for 2026: trends and predictions

Late 2025 and early 2026 crystallized several trends that make fan-first celebrity podcasts both necessary and lucrative:

Memberships are mainstream — Goalhanger’s 250k paying subscribers (Jan 2026) show that audiences will pay for direct benefits. Celebrity-led shows that tie membership to exclusive access outperform ad-only models.
Short-form drives discovery — TikTok, Reels and Shorts remain the fastest route to new fans. Celeb podcasts must be clip-native from day one.
Communities live off-platform — Discord, private Telegram groups and in-app communities are where conversations thrive; platform algorithms alone won’t sustain them.
AI scales personalization — transcript search, automated highlight reels and AI-generated show notes improve discoverability and reduce creator workload.
Live + hybrid experiences win loyalty — in-person events remain the strongest currency for superfans; streaming-only relationships are weaker.

Risks and guardrails for celebrity hosts in 2026

Launching a podcast that aspires to change fan behavior carries risk. Key guardrails:

Don’t treat community as an afterthought — building a paying community requires investment in staffing and moderation.
Avoid one-off gimmicks — fandoms grow from ritual and recurring value, not a single viral episode.
Be transparent about exclusivity — fans tolerate paywalls if value is clear (early access, events, chat). Obscured value kills trust.
Respect platform rules — community platforms have moderation policies; celebrity-led groups can draw trolls and need clear enforcement.

Final verdict: can Ant & Dec join the transformative top 10?

They can. Ant & Dec have three decisive advantages: a multigenerational TV audience, a clear content promise (hanging out), and cross-platform reach. What will determine whether Hanging Out with Ant & Dec becomes a transformative first versus a high-profile late entrant are execution and commitment to community infrastructure.

If Belta Box launches membership tiers, builds a real off-platform community (Discord/Telegram), automates a clip-first pipeline, and designs live experiences with members-only benefits, the duo could join — and perhaps reframe — the celebrity podcast playbook for the 2026 era.

Actionable takeaways (quick)

Prioritize community mechanics from day one: name the fandom, set rituals, and open a moderated Discord.
Make a clip-first content calendar: short clips for discovery, long episodes for depth.
Offer paid tiers that are clearly differentiated and tied to real benefits (events, early access, private chats).
Repurpose legacy content to create nostalgia moments — low-cost, high-return engagement.
Invest in community management and moderation — it’s the new production cost of fandom.

Call-to-action

Want a one-page community blueprint tailored to a celebrity podcast? Subscribe to Firsts.Top’s newsletter for weekly playbooks on the latest fan-engagement firsts, and drop your nomination below for the next celebrity launch to watch. If you’re an Ant & Dec fan, join Belta Box on launch day, ask to be added to members-first channels, and share which community ritual you’d like them to create first — we’ll spotlight the best ideas in our next story.

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