Erika Casupanan

Survivor 41 winner Erika Casupanan joins us this week for a story about the perils of gossiping at work. Listen to Erika's podcast, Happy to See Me! Sign up to hear Normal Gossip's next secret here. Support Radiotopia's fall fundraiser! You can support Normal Gossip directly by buying merch or becoming a Friend or a Friend-of-Friend at supportnormalgossip.com. Our merch shop is run by Dan McQuade. You can also find all kinds of info about us and how to submit gossip on our Komi page: https://normalgossip.komi.io/ Episode transcript here. Follow the show on Instagram @normalgossip, and if you have gossip, email us at normalgossip@defector.com or leave us a voicemail at 26-79-GOSSIP. Normal Gossip is hosted by Kelsey McKinney (@mckinneykelsey) and produced by Alex Sujong Laughlin (@alexlaughs). Jae Towle Vieira (@jaetowlevieira) is our associate producer. Abigail Segel (@AbigailSegel) is our intern. Justin Ellis is Defector's projects editor. Credits read by Libby Crowe. Show art by Tara Jacoby. Normal Gossip is a proud member of Radiotopia. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

This week, Erika Casupanan, the vibrant winner of Survivor 41 and host of Happy to See Me, takes center stage. She shares her journey from a timid choir alto with childhood dreams of stardom to confronting her karaoke fears head-on. Listeners are captivated as she recounts reclaiming her identity, the anxiety of public performance, and the supportive environment of a sapphic bar. Erika's transformation highlights that connection trumps perfection, proving that it's never too late to chase your passions.

Erika Casupanan, Survivor winner and Happy to See Me podcast host, talks about reality TV and early days of Vanderpump Rules. They discuss Kristen's behavior, Lisa Vanderpump's birthday dress shopping, a cast member's dental procedure mystery, and Tom's confession of cheating. Tensions rise between Tom and Kristin, and they promote their own podcast Happy to See Me.