Behind the scenes: Alex Cooper's next era
The Call Her Daddy creator is expanding her Unwell Network with four upcoming shows on YouTube.
May 13, 2026 [[read-time]] minute read
"That's where Call Her Daddy dies. Right there in that meeting."
For Alex Cooper, the greatest threat to a good idea is a filter. Whether that be from a studio executive trying to “clean up” a script or a fellow creator looking to hyper optimize their image, the result is the same: storytelling that’s perfectly sanitized and completely uninteresting.
That stubborn insistence on honesty is exactly how Cooper gained the airtight trust of millions of listeners, transforming a single show into a network built specifically for a generation legacy media couldn't figure out.
We caught up with the creator-turned-mogul just before she took the stage at YouTube’s Brandcast to unveil Unwell Productions' massive new four-show slate—ranging from reality competitions and social experiments to microdramas and docuseries.
Take me back to the beginning of booking guests for Call Her Daddy. What was the conversation with publicists like? How has the dynamic shifted as the show has grown?
Alex: Podcasting wasn't what it is now. I’d reach out to someone's team and you could feel the confusion on the other end. A podcast? But the show and its numbers started to speak for themselves.
Today, Call Her Daddy has the reputation and trust where I don't have to explain much. And honestly the guests who came early. Those are the ones I'm most grateful for. Because they didn't come because their team said it was a smart move. They came because something about the show felt real to them. And that meant when they sat down, they showed up.
When did you realize that the traditional industry had stopped looking at you as “just a podcaster” and started actually taking you seriously?
Alex: Hollywood was never the point. What mattered was the first time a woman came up to me and said the show changed something for her. Hollywood was just eventually forced to get on board.
What’s the old-school Hollywood rule that you’ve enjoyed breaking the most?
Alex: Hollywood used to be this tiny group of executives who decided everything. Who gets the deal. Who gets the interview. Who gets to be a star and who goes home. And the way you got in was you knew somebody who knew somebody, or you looked the way you were supposed to look.
That’s the thing nobody tells you; you don’t have to convince the gatekeepers anymore. And, I’m not sure there’s ever been a better time for creators to believe in themselves and break the mold.
If you had waited on a traditional TV deal, do you think Call Her Daddy would even exist today?
Alex: It would be so dead. Not because a network would have killed it on purpose; they would have killed it by trying to help it. Some executive would have sat down and said, okay, we love the energy, we just need to clean up this and that. That's where Call Her Daddy dies. Right there in that meeting.
What’s the last thing you watched on YouTube that had absolutely nothing to do with work?
Alex: Sadly I would be lying if i didn’t say…it’s always for work [laughs]. But recently aside from watching my own Unwell Network content, it's been going down rabbit holes watching long form creators who I think would be interesting fits to join our network.
You’ve built this massive personal brand where people tune in specifically for you, so why take on the headache of building a whole network? Why make Unwell bigger than Alex Cooper?
Alex: Nobody was building for Gen Z women. Not really. Traditional media companies were trying to figure out what young women wanted, but they were just guessing. So starting Unwell felt less like a business decision and more like a mission, like someone has to do this.
And, I’m not interested in Unwell being about me or any one specific show. Companies outlive personalities.
When you’re working with talent, how do you balance being 'Alex the executive' and 'Alex the peer' who understands the creative struggle?
Alex: Nobody can hand you a manual and say here’s what works, because everyone's brand and content is different. What I've focused on is how to take my creator instinct and translate it into a structure that also works for other people. I genuinely believe that the best thing I can do for any creator is be honest with them about their work, be a creative sounding board when needed and a strong partner to them through the ups and downs of this crazy industry.
You’re putting that structure to the test this week, announcing four new projects at YouTube’s Brandcast. When you’re looking through pitches for something new, what are you looking for?
Alex: The first thing I ask is: Does it feel Unwell? Because if the answer is no, if this idea could live anywhere, then it's not for us. I'm not asking if this is a good show. I'm asking if this is our show. Those are completely different questions.
Why have you decided to release them on YouTube?
Alex: It’s all about finding the right show for the right platform. YouTube is where we can move fast, experiment, get feedback from our audience in real time, and build something we own. For these specific shows, for this specific audience, at this specific moment, YouTube made the most sense.
Unwell Games is a high-stakes reality competition where top creators and reality stars live under one roof, battling for power and prize money by day while alliances, relationships and drama unravel by night. Produced by Unwell Productions.
How does having full creative control change the final product for your fans?
Alex: It means the audience never gets a version that's been approved by someone else. That sounds simple but it's actually everything. Because the moment there's a filter between what I actually think and what goes out the audience feels it. They may not be able to name it but they feel it.
I hate to make you pick a favorite, but is there one show you’re most excited for?
Alex: Our Summer version of the Unwell Winter Games. We took such a risk with the Winter Games. We intentionally didn’t integrate sponsors, or announce a release date, or seek a distribution partner. We self funded a reality competition show because we believe in the format. And, we were right. But we also learned so much through the process and that’s going to pay off this Summer.
To close things out — you’ve shown that taking creative risks pays off. When you look at the next generation of creators starting out on YouTube right now, what is the one creative risk you wish more of them would take?
Alex: Stop chasing clicks. I feel like content has become so calculated. Every video is optimized, every thumbnail is tested, every opinion is filed down so it offends the least number of people possible. The risk I wish more people would take is being actually honest. Not "relatable" honest. I mean the stuff you'd only say to your best friend at 2am and not chasing trends but rather growing an honest catalogue that is indicative of your individuality in the space. That's where the real audience is. Everyone is so busy trying to be likable that they've stopped being interesting.