Michelle Obama teams with Audible for new podcast
Image: Audible newsroom
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Michelle Obama’s recent celebrity-filled book tour is becoming a podcast.
Audible announced Wednesday that the former first lady will launch the "Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast" on March 7. It’s based on Obama’s tour promoting "The Light We Carry," her recent bestselling book, which featured special guests like Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Tyler Perry, David Letterman and more.
"Though only a few thousand people were able to attend the events live, these remarkable conversations can now be heard by everyone," Audible said in a news release. The eight-episode podcast "goes beyond the book as Michelle Obama and her friends share personal stories and insights listeners won’t encounter anywhere else."
Obama said in a statement that the book tour was a way to expand on the book’s reflections about dealing with stress and change and a chance to "connect with real people once again." The podcast, she said, is "a deeper examination of those fun and meaningful moments."
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Obama released "The Light We Carry" book on Nov. 15, and kicked off her promotional tour the same night. She was joined in Washington for the first event by DeGeneres.
The podcast is the first original project in a multiyear deal between Audible and Higher Ground Productions, which was started by Barack and Michelle Obama after they left the White House. The company has produced several acclaimed documentaries, including the Oscar-winning film "American Factory."
Episodes of "The Light Podcast" will be an Audible exclusive for two weeks, and will be widely available on other podcast platforms after that.