Sammy Jaye’s Holiday Rules

Sammy Jaye, a New York City native, discovered her love for journalism early on while writing for her school newspaper in 7th grade. A chance interview with actor and musician Jordan Fisher landed her an opportunity to work with Radio Disney, and at just 17, Sammy became the youngest person to host her own podcast on iHeartRadio with “Let’s Be Real.” Now 19 and recently named to PopSugar’s 20-under-20 list, Sammy’s upcoming fourth season will feature interviews with Hollywood’s top talent, covering topics from pop culture to mental health and politics. When not hosting her podcast, Sammy enjoys practising yoga, hiking, and tap dancing. Passionate about mental health and political activism, Sammy has worked with the Child Mind Institute and Rock the Vote.

Your big break came after talking with a family friend who worked at iHeart, and they convinced you to do an interview. After that, you were introduced to the head of Radio Disney and began working with them shortly after. Tell us about this experience.

I started writing for my school newspaper in the 7th grade and found out that I loved interviewing people and hearing their stories! Soon after, when I was 13 years old, I got an amazing opportunity with iHeart to interview celebrities from a young teenager’s point of view. My first interview was with Jordan Fisher. He was so kind and it was so much fun. Soon I was doing Facebook Live for iHeart and had all sorts of amazing opportunities. That led to working with Radio Disney, interviewing celebrities on the red carpet, hosting field pieces, and more!

At 17, you launched “Let’s Be Real” making her the youngest person to host her podcast on iHeartRadio. Tell us about what inspired you to host a podcast.

When I was a sophomore in High School my anxiety became really crippling and I started listening to podcasts as a distraction from my anxiety. I found that I couldn’t relate to the content out there. I just wanted to hear real and down-to-earth conversations about life from people that I looked up to in the public eye. So, I came up with the idea for “Let’s Be Real”, which is about having honest and unfiltered conversations with celebrities, activists, athletes and influencers in the hopes that it could be a positive distraction for people to hopefully feel less alone.

You are about to start on her 4th season of “Let’s Be Real” and are interviewing some of Hollywood’s top-tier talent including Jessica Alba, Madison Beer, Kesha, Liza Koshy, Justin Baldoni, Meghan Trainor, Lindsey Stirling, Rachel Platten, Dixie D’Amelio and many more. What can listeners look forward to this season?

We just wrapped Season 4 and it was amazing!! Coming out of Covid, I got to do in-person interviews for the first time in a couple of years and that alone made it super special. Because we all have been through so much in the past couple of years, my guests had a lot they wanted to talk about, as well as all the stuff they are looking forward to doing! We got a chance to talk about it all!

Season 4 has been a ton of fun for me. Meghan Trainor was my first repeat guest. I’ve interviewed her 4-5 times now at various places so it was wonderful to catch up. Having Ashe on my podcast was also a highlight because I felt like I was connecting with someone I had known for years! Our season finale with Dulè Hill was incredible and meant so much to me as I’m a huge fan of the show Psych and I started taking tap dancing because of him! There were so many great moments, and I learned a ton!

Your podcast covers a wide range of topics from pop culture, politics, mental health, and so much more! How do you choose the topics you discuss with your guests?

For me, research is really important. I like to listen to interviews they’ve given, things they’ve written and really try and understand what their passions are so I can focus on topics that could be interesting to my audience. I also try and approach things a little bit differently than the norm so we can have a different conversation than people have heard before. I’ve learned over and over that if you truly listen to what your guest is saying and the meaning behind their words, the conversation can go to amazing places.

When not hosting your podcast, you practice yoga and enjoy hiking and tap dancing. How do you strive to achieve balance in all that you do?

To be honest, balance is something I’m constantly working at. I love finding hobbies like tap dancing because it’s been a great way to explore new activities, I never thought I would do. It’s also a great way to find people with similar interests to mine.

You are incredibly passionate about mental health and political activism, previously working with the Child Mind Institute and Rock the Vote. Tell us about these endeavours and why they are important to you.

I think it’s essential to speak out about what is important to you. Anxiety is something I deal with so it’s very personal for me. Mental health has become such a huge issue in society and specifically for my generation and I want to help normalize the conversation so people don’t feel alone. In this crazy world that we live in, and in social media where everyone posts their ‘perfect’ world, it’s so easy to get down on yourself. I want people to feel positive and believe that life can be an amazing journey…and that we all have similar struggles.

Sammy’s Holiday Rules

What is your favourite vacation destination?

Hawaii.

What is the best stamp on your passport?

France.

Favourite spa treatment?

Facial.

Where is next on your bucket list?

Switzerland.

Packing essentials?

Fuzzy socks. A hoodie. Comfortable shoes.

Your packing advice?

I would say less is more.

The one beauty product you can’t live without?

Cream blush.

What is your airport style?

Sweats and a hoodie.