Former first lady Michelle Obama launches new podcast with brother Craig Robinson
America's historic first Black first lady announced that she and her older brother, Craig Robinson, will host "IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson."
Former First Lady Michelle Obama is continuing to expand her media portfolio with a brand new podcast coming to a streaming service near you. On Monday, America’s historic first Black first lady announced that she and her brother, Craig Robinson, will host “IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson.” The abbreviation “IMO” stands for “In My Opinion.”
“There’s a lot going on in the world right now. We’re living through some really complicated and confusing times and on top of that, folks are trying to juggle family life, work dynamics, relationships, aging parents, and more,” said Obama, the wife of former U.S. President Barack Obama, in an Instagram post announcing the new podcast.
Mrs. Obama, 61, said her older brother Craig, who is 62, is “one of the people I turn to whenever I have anything on my mind,” adding, “He always has the insights, the wisdom, and the humor to get me through anything.” Robinson, who Michelle Obama joked was her mother’s “favorite” child, is a former basketball head coach and executive. He currently serves as executive director at the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
Obama said the “IMO” podcast will see her and her big brother share their “perspectives” about a range of topics based on questions submitted by listeners. She shared, “And we won’t be doing it alone. We’ll be joined by special guests, friends, and experts along the way.”
According to Deadline, the first two episodes of “IMO” with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson will feature an intro episode and a second episode featuring special guest Issa Rae of “Insecure” fame, which will premiere on Wednesday, March 12. Obama and Robinson will also travel to Austin, Texas, to record an episode at the SXSW festival.
Though Obama’s tenure as first lady and her subsequent projects, including publishing two New York Times bestselling memoirs, have made her an inspirational and aspirational figure to millions, she admitted she and Robinson “don’t have all the answers.” She explained, “But there will be a lot of opinions. A lot of learning. And plenty of laughs. because we all need some moments of light right now.”
The “IMO” podcast will be Mrs. Obama’s second foray into the podcasting business. In 2020, the former first lady launched “The Michelle Obama Podcast” through Higher Ground, a media company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama. Higher Ground has also produced several television series and documentaries, including the Bayard Rustin Netflix biopic “Rustin” and the Emmy Award-winning children’s short animation film “We The People,” which is executive produced by the Obamas and Kenya Barris. Most recently, Obama executive produced and hosted the children’s cooking show “Waffles + Mochi.”
Over the years, the Obamas have shared their ventures in media are about using their global platform to produce content that helps people live better lives. Michelle Obama has also shared her personal struggles with mental health and marital challenges to promote healthy dialogue about self-care and relationships. She told People, “I believe I have a responsibility…I can’t just go off and do great things and do fun things and feel good about it if I’m not making a difference.”
More About:Lifestyle
