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Artwork for Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

NPR
NPR
Olympic Trials
Taylor Swift
Holiday Season
Dakota Johnson
Cookie Cutters
Congress
Molly Seidel
Fifty Shades Of Grey
Travel
Christmas
Rock Lobster
Shere Hite
Bethenny Frankel
Bob Woodruff
Elon Musk
B-52s
Geena Davis
Karen Allen
Weird Al Yankovic

NPR's weekly news quiz hosted by Peter Sagal. Have a laugh and test your knowledge with today's funniest comedians and a celebrity guest.Hate free content? Try a subscription to Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!+. Your subscription supports public radio and unlocks fun bonus episodes along with sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org/waitwait

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes406Founded20 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
LeisureComedy

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Artwork for Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Latest Episodes

This week: How to tell the temperature outside without a thermometer. Plus, how clowns trademark their unique looks.

Featuring Marlene Zuk and Julie Proctor.

You can email your burning questions to howto@npr.org.

How To Do Everything is available ... more

This week, John Cusack joins us to talk high school reunions, graphic novels, and the secrets to keeping your Vespa's tank full. Plus, panelists Rachel Coster, Adam Felber, and Joyelle Nicole Johnson go on spring break

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This week, Luke Burbank, Negin Farsad, and Hari Kondabolu offer Kristi Noem some parting words and we quiz the new voice of Sunday Night Baseball, Jason Benetti, on his knowledge of confetti

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YouTube

This week: How the Wait, Wait team decides what jokes are too inappropriate for the airwaves. Plus Mike and Ian help a caller with a personal grammar problem.

Featuring author Keith Houston.You can email your burning questions to howto@npr.org.How T... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

John Cusack
Actor, writer, and producer; author of a graphic novel
Self/John Cusack
Episode: John Cusack rides his Vespa straight into our hearts
Jason Benetti
National broadcaster, new voice of Sunday Night Baseball on NBC
NBC Sports
Episode: We say "So long!" to Kristi Noem and Benetti plays ball
Mary Norris
Copy editor and proofreader at The New Yorker
The New Yorker
Episode: HTDE: The Breakfast Rule
Anne Goldstein
Copy editor at The New Yorker, boss to Norris
The New Yorker
Episode: HTDE: The Breakfast Rule
Mark Davis
Leader at Unicode Consortium, punctuation expert
Unicode Consortium
Episode: HTDE: The Breakfast Rule
Keith Houston
Punctuation expert
Independent
Episode: HTDE: The Breakfast Rule
Lilly King
Six-time Olympic medalist swimmer, Bloomington resident
Indiana University Bloomington / USA Swimming
Episode: We tackle the SOTU and Olympian Lilly King talks trash
Ally the Piper
Bagpiper known for viral TikTok covers
Episode: We hold our own Olympic Games with our favorite guests
Nick Monte
Chief of Color for Olympic halfpipe and big air competitions.
Episode: HTDE: Curling Stones and Halfpipe Lines

Host

Peter Sagal
Host of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, known for his engaging humor and quick wit.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 43.6k ratings
  • Stop cramming the feed

    This is an excellent show. If they can go a year without putting a worse show in their feed, I’ll come back and adjust the rating.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    wikkit
    United Statesa month ago
  • Wtf happened

    I don’t mind guests from either side of the political spectrum. My problem with this show, is the panelists are simply not funny, with very few exceptions. They talk over each other in attempts to one up each other, and almost never with a funny line, just a louder one. Paula is still worth listening to, when she can get a word in without being interrupted or stepped on. I was upset when the federal funding ended, but we won’t be missing much if this show folds

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    mike raphone hog
    United Statesa month ago
  • Never Hold Your Punches

    I love your humor with cheese, with corn, or however you serve it up. I caught and loved your Snoop Dawg always near a pipe joke. From one nerd to another cheesy, corny, dad jokes - I love them all!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Kris Lah
    United Statesa month ago
  • Best show

    Wait Wait always makes me laugh. It always teaches me interesting facts but mainly I laugh so much!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Andrea G 2727
    United Statesa month ago
  • Legend

    I’ve listened to this show every weekend for almost 20 years! And it’s been amazing that entire time.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    @Adrienne.
    United Statesa month ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Positive feedback highlights the blend of laughter and learning present in each episode, making it a favorite among comedy and news lovers.
Listeners appreciate the comedic approach to current news, finding it entertaining and enlightening.
Some criticisms are directed at specific guest choices, indicating a desire for sensitivity in content and representation.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Spotify
#104
United States/Top Podcasts
Spotify
#33
United States/Comedy
Apple Podcasts
#176
United States/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#23
United States/Comedy
Apple Podcasts
#148
Canada/Comedy
Apple Podcasts
#165
France/Comedy

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

John Cusack rides his Vespa straight into our hearts
Q: Gerald Ratner was the head of Ratner's Great Britain's largest jewelry store chain when he called his own products 'crap'. How did he try to undo the damage?
He attempted to reframe the word 'crap' by putting up signs saying that crap meant cheap, reliable, and affordable prices.
HTDE: Curling Stones and Halfpipe Lines
Q: Rich, how does it feel to possibly become the oldest American athlete in winter Olympics history?
It's awesome; it's been a long journey with many missed opportunities and heartbreaks.
HTDE: Curling Stones and Halfpipe Lines
Q: What have been some of your experiences or surprises with the crowd at competitions?
I was surprised by the crowd's reaction, they cheer and enjoy when I finish painting the lines.
HTDE: Curling Stones and Halfpipe Lines
Q: How do you do it? How do you paint the lines on the pipe or the slope?
I ski while painting, and I need to balance while carrying about 20 kilos on my shoulder.
Our panel heads to Milan and Arden Cho hunts demons
Q: What was Arden Cho's recent engagement news related to?
It involved a funny moment at the TSA pre-check line regarding her fiancé sneaking away to hide an engagement ring.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

What is Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The content frequently focuses on humor-laden discussions of current events, wrapped around a quiz format that encourages engagement from guests and listeners alike. Noteworthy is its unique blend of comedy and informative content, delivered through games and interactions that appeal to a wide audience. Frequent appearances by celebrities, comedians, and experts contribute to both the entertainment and educational value, making it an enjoyable source of laughs while informing the audience about the latest news.

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Which podcasts are similar to Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!:

1. This American Life
2. Fresh Air
3. The Moth
4. How To Do Everything
5. Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone

How many episodes of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! are there?

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! launched 20 years ago and published 406 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!?

Recent guests on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! include:

1. John Cusack
2. Jason Benetti
3. Mary Norris
4. Anne Goldstein
5. Mark Davis
6. Keith Houston
7. Lilly King
8. Ally the Piper

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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