This can be a real-life friend, a celebrity friend, a sassy tween, a serious news anchor, a gay man who knows about The Real Housewives, a straight man who knows about sports, or the only person she could find who actually got Taylor Swift tickets. The conversations might last three minutes or the entire episode. They can be deep, petty, silly, or smart, but they will all be eye-opening and hilarious.

Following the massive success of her series New Mom, Who Dis? on Facebook Watch — where she’s garnered more than 100 million views from fans watching her tackle pronouns with drag queens, celebrity fashion with grandmas, slang with tweens, and a sit-down with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that went viral world wide — Phone a Friend will bring her hilarious, unique takes to podcasting for the first time, and will give fans closer access than ever before.

“I’ve always had a face for podcasting,” said Jessi, host of Phone a Friend. “Now I’ll finally get to use it on a platform where I can say all the things I can’t say anywhere else. Because you can’t get in trouble from a podcast, can you? Wait… can you?”

Phone A Friend will premiere on February 9 with Dan Levy as the guest of its first episode, and will publish weekly on Thursdays thereafter. The premiere episode will mark the first on-air reunion of Jessi and Dan — who were co-hosts of MTV’s The Hills: The After Show — in over a decade. 

Acast is distributing Phone a Friend to all podcast platforms so that audiences can access it on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and anywhere else they listen.

“Jessi’s entrance to the world of podcasting brings a true luminary to the space and marks one of the most significant podcast launches by a Canadian entertainer to-date,” said Heather Gordon, Managing Director, Canada at Acast. “It’s a point of pride for us that Jessi entrusted Acast to launch Phone a Friend, allowing us to provide fans with an intimate new channel where they can engage with her and giving brands unparalleled access to a media heavyweight.”

Acast is also managing Phone a Friend’s sponsorship business and advertising capabilities. Brands and agencies can purchase ads and sponsorships on the podcast that make use of Acast’s industry-leading dynamic ad insertion technology, which allows advertisers to reach audiences using conversational targeting, first-party data targeting, listener demographics, location, and more. Ads may be purchased from Acast either programmatically or direct. Additionally, sponsors can work with the Acast Creative team to create bespoke brand integrations, such as branded mini-series, episodes, or Sponsored Stories.

At launch, the podcast’s slate of advertising partners will include renowned brands such as Peloton.

Jessi joins Acast Canada’s rich portfolio of podcasters spanning diverse genres and audiences, including Fred VanVleet and Derek Folk of Bet On Yourself, Mitch Moffit and Greg Brown of Sidenote by AsapSCIENCE, and Cat and Nat of Cat & Nat Unfiltered. Jessi is represented by UTA in the United States and The Spotlight Agency in Canada. 

The executive producers of Phone A Friend are Jessi Cruickshank and Jason Yantha. Fans can now catch Phone a Friend’s trailer and follow/subscribe to the series wherever they get their podcasts.

About Jessi Cruickshank

Jessi Cruickshank is one of the biggest stars in Canada and has been called “the funniest woman on TV today, period” (The Province). Smart, funny, bold and fearless, Jessi started her career in comedy as the only girl in an all-male improv troupe alongside Seth Rogen and quickly became Canada’s redheaded best friend. Star of the daytime talk show The Goods and host of the prime-time game show Canada’s Smartest Person, Jessi’s influence goes beyond the small screen. As the only Canadian to have her own show on the global streaming platform Facebook Watch, Jessi’s hit series New Mom, Who Dis? has become a sensation among millennial moms, garnering over 100 million views and counting. Jessi recently wrapped up a  sold-out nation-wide live comedy tour ‘Jessi Cruickshank: Up Close and TOO Personal’ with Live Nation. Her debut podcast, Phone a Friend with Jessi Cruickshank, launches February 2.

About Acast

Acast is the world’s largest independent podcast company. Founded in 2014, the company has pioneered the open podcast ecosystem ever since – making podcasts available on any listening platform. Acast provides a marketplace, helping podcasters find the right audience to monetize their content. When our podcasters make money, we make money. Today, Acast hosts nearly 88,000 podcasts, with more than 430 million listens every month. The company operates worldwide and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Acast is listed on the Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market. Certified Adviser is FNCA Sweden AB, info@fnca.se, +46 (0) 8528 00 399.

Media Contacts

Contact Ryan Hatoum at ryan.hatoum@acast.com, +1 (202) 340 8675