Bethenny Frankel is opening up about why she decided to stop recording new episodes of her podcast, “Just B,” saying the decision came after a simple realization: she no longer enjoyed making the kind of content she had once embraced.
In a TikTok video shared July 10, the former “Real Housewives of New York City” star explained that ending the podcast wasn’t the result of a dispute with iHeartRadio. Instead, she said the company allowed her to leave her contract on good terms after she recognized the format no longer fit where she is in life.
“I stopped recording my podcast,” Frankel said. “I called iHeart and asked them if I could get out of my contract. Now, they have been incredible partners … they’ve let me do my thing, they’ve been great.”
Frankel launched “Just B” in 2020, interviewing everyone from celebrities to business leaders over the course of its run.
She says she wasn’t listening to podcasts anymore
Frankel said she eventually realized she approached every guest the same way, regardless of who they were.
“I rated exactly the same if I was talking to Matthew McConaughey or Hillary Clinton as I did if I was talking about French fries,” she recalled. “While it was great to have a place to talk about divorce and death and experiences, I found it shackling.”
She compared recording the podcast to her previous experience hosting a daytime talk show, saying both required a structure that no longer felt natural to her.
“You’re directing traffic, [and] I didn’t like reading ads,” she said.
Instead, Frankel said she prefers speaking spontaneously about business, entrepreneurship and whatever is happening in her life.
“I like to be in the wild,” she explained. “I like to be talking about business and doing appearances in front of large groups of people.”
One realization ultimately convinced her to leave
Photo courtesy of Just B / iHeartRadio
Frankel said another thought helped solidify her decision.
“I used to push for video, and I was told the video doesn’t really move the needle,” she said. “If I think about it, every time I watch a clip on social media about a podcast … it doesn’t make me go listen to the podcast.”
She added that she has “never been a podcast listener” herself and prefers spending that time differently.
Although Frankel acknowledged that ending the show meant she “left a lot of money on the table,” she said she has no regrets and remains grateful for her relationship with iHeartRadio.
“I just didn’t want to do it,” she said. “My absence leaves more room for people that are excellent at it … You’re amazing and patient because I cancel nothing, I’m late for nothing and I would every day be sort of dragging ass and I just didn’t love doing it.”
The reality star said she now wants to focus on projects that better match her personality and the way she naturally connects with audiences.
