Call Her Daddy

Call Her Daddy is an advice and comedy podcast created by Alex Cooper and Sofia Franklyn in 2018. The podcast was owned and distributed by Barstool Sports until June 2021, when it was announced that Cooper had signed an exclusive deal with Spotify worth $60 million.[1][2] In the late spring of 2020, Cooper and Franklyn were engaged in a publicized dispute with Barstool founder Dave Portnoy, which resulted in Franklyn leaving the show. Cooper reached an agreement with Barstool and continued hosting the podcast on her own. In August 2024, Cooper signed a deal with Sirius XM worth $125 million to replace Spotify as her distribution and advertising partner.[3][4] According to Fortune, the podcast was the most-listened to among women in 2023.[5]

History

Break with Barstool

Following an episode titled "Kesha... The End" released on April 8, 2020, new episodes stopped being released. Explanations for the break were not communicated to fans, with the co-hosts releasing a statement on Instagram noting that they "legally can't speak out yet."[7] Amidst the lack of communication, significant gossip developed among tabloids and fan forums. On May 17, an episode was released to the podcast feed featuring Portnoy discussing the hiatus from the perspective of Barstool. The 30-minute episode described financial and contractual details. Portnoy claimed that Barstool had offered a base salary of $500,000 to the co-hosts and noted that Barstool was losing $100,000 per missed episode of the podcast.[7] He said Cooper had settled on new terms, but Franklyn remained unwilling to agree to a new contract, ultimately leading to her exit from the show.[7]

At the time, Franklyn was involved in a relationship with Peter Nelson (dubbed "Suit Man" in previous episodes of Call Her Daddy), who was working as an executive for HBO Sports. Portnoy accused Nelson of advising Franklyn to refuse Barstool's contract offer.[7] Nelson also allegedly shopped the program around to other podcast distributors, further fraying the relationship between Franklyn and Barstool.[9]

Solo hosting by Cooper

Alex Cooper began releasing the podcast alone following the break, stating in late May 2020 that she would be pushing forward without Franklyn. She told listeners that a new co-host would be chosen soon.[10] Miley Cyrus joined Cooper on the re-launched podcast in August 2020, discussing her breakup from Liam Hemsworth.[11] Franklyn eventually began her own individual podcast titled Sofia with an F.[12] After continuing as a solo host, the podcast transitioned from its original explicit sex-and-dating format toward a celebrity interview show. Among the high-profile guests Cooper has hosted is former First Lady Michelle Obama who appeared in January 2026 to discuss gender inequality and her book The Look.[13]

Distribution by Spotify and Sirius XM

In June 2021, Cooper signed a deal worth $60 million to exclusively present the podcast on Spotify.[1] Barstool continued to handle the show's merchandising.[2] In August 2024, Cooper signed a $125 million deal with Sirius XM to replace Spotify as her distribution and advertising partner. The podcast is available on all podcast platforms.[14]

Unwell Network

In August 2023, Cooper launched the Unwell Network, a podcast network aimed at Gen Z audiences.[15] The network's initial signings included creators Alix Earle and Madeline Argy, who launched their own shows, "Hot Mess with Alix Earle" and "Pretty Lonesome with Madeline Argy", through the platform. In February 2025, Earle's podcast departed from the network.[16] The Unwell Network operates as a subsidiary of Trending, a media company Cooper founded with her husband, film producer Matt Kaplan.

Alex Cooper On Tour

Alex Cooper went on tour in 2023-2024 starting with a sold out show in Boston on November 3rd 2023.[17] This series of shows was called the Unwell Tour and featured celebrity guests like Alix Earle, Chelsea Handler, and Kelsea Ballerini.[18] She promoted the shows on Call Her Daddy and used the title "Unwell" from an episode she had filmed with her former cohost, Sofia Franklyn.

title	Call Her Daddy
hosting	Alex Cooper (2018–present) Sofia Franklyn (2018–2020)
genre	Human sexuality · sexual relationships · interview · culture of New York City
creator	Alex Cooper Sofia Franklyn
updates	New episodes on Wednesdays and Sundays
length	30–60 minutes
country	United States
language	English
production	Unwell
num episodes	564 (as of April 18, 2026)
began	October 3, 2018
network	Spotify · YouTube · SiriusXM
website	https://callherdaddy.com

History

Break with Barstool

Solo hosting by Cooper

Distribution by Spotify and Sirius XM

Unwell Network

Alex Cooper On Tour

Content

Audience

Call Her Alex

Accolades

Further reading

External links

References