Radiolab Names Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser Co-Hosts, Alongside Jad Abumrad
Following the retirement of longtime co-host Robert Krulwich,
the new trio of hosts will lead Radiolab’s team of storytellers into the future
Miller debuts as co-host on today’s episode about insomnia
(New York, NY — September 25, 2020) — WNYC Studios’ Radiolab—one of the most popular and influential podcasts and radio shows across the globe—announced today that creator and host Jad Abumrad will be joined by two new co-hosts: Lulu Miller, Radiolab alum and former Co-Host and Co-Founder of NPR’s Invisibilia, and Latif Nasser, Radiolab’s Director of Research. Miller and Nasser succeed Robert Krulwich, the show’s much-beloved, longtime co-host who retired earlier this year. Radiolab also announced today that reporter Molly Webster has been named the show’s first Senior Correspondent.
Listeners will hear Miller’s debut as co-host in today’s episode about “Coronasomnia,” featuring voices of listeners who called into Radiolab’s “insomnia hotline” to share what’s been keeping them up at night in the midst of a global pandemic. Miller and Nasser will pop up on the podcast periodically over the coming weeks and will take the hosts’ chairs full-time later this fall.
“When Bobby K decided to step away from the show, I knew two things right away,” said Jad Abumrad, Host and Creator, Radiolab. “First, that no ONE person could possibly fill his giant size 13 shoes. And second, that we had to embrace this moment in the true spirit of the show. Radiolab has always been about experimentation and asking the right questions without necessarily having all the answers. Lulu and Latif are both brilliant, talented and utterly unpredictable, in that Krulwichian way. I’m so excited that these two kindred spirits will join me in the hosts’ chair to work alongside Radiolab’s incredible collective of storytellers.”
Miller and Nasser are both longtime members of the Radiolab family. Miller began her career in audio when she became the first producer hired at Radiolab in 2005 and was part of the team when the show earned its first Peabody Award. She went on to co-create and co-host NPR’s Invisibilia, which had 50 million downloads during its first season and was one of the industry’s first podcasts hosted by two women. Miller has continued to contribute to Radiolab over the years, and her written work hasbeen published in The New Yorker, VQR, and Orion, among other publications. She is also the author of Why Fish Don’t Exist, a nonfiction scientific thriller and memoir that The National Book Review called “irresistible” and a “small marvel of a book.”
Nasser started as a freelancer at Radiolab in 2010 while still pursuing his PhD in the History of Science at Harvard University. As the show’s Director of Research, Nasser has reported and produced stories on everything from snowflake photography to medieval robots. Earlier this year, he hosted and reported Radiolab’s first-ever serialized story, The Other Latif: a six-part series about his Moroccan namesake (aka Detainee 244 at Guantanamo Bay), which was hailed by The New Yorker as a “magisterial, emotionally compelling feat of reporting, with countless chilling takeaways.” Nasser is also the host and executive producer of the Netflix science documentary series, Connected.
“It’s surreal to be returning to Radiolab in this role,” said Miller. “Radiolab was the beacon that first lured me into the otherworldly realm of audio journalism—this place where empathy often comes more easily, and the listener’s imagination helps co-create the story. And over the years, as I explored new places as a journalist, Radiolab continued to be a cherished source of nourishment and surprise. I’m so excited to join and collaborate with this team of incredible reporters and producers, and to follow them deep into my own blindspots to see what we uncover together.”
“Even though there are a kajillion podcasts out there, Radiolab still stands alone in terms of the depth of the reporting, the inventiveness of the editing, and the playfulness of the big ideas,” said Nasser. “I feel as lucky being here as I did on day one, and I can’t wait to take on this new role alongside Jad and Lulu and the entire crack team.”
Radiolab also announced today that reporter Molly Webster has been named to the newly created role of Senior Correspondent. Webster developed, produced and hosted Gonads, Radiolab’s critically acclaimed podcast and live event series “about the parts of us that make more of us.” In her new role, Webster will use her position as one of the show’s most recognized voices to continue to do deep investigative reporting and tell surprising stories, along with providing mentorship and editorial guidance to the production team.
“Molly is such a wildly talented and powerful storyteller,” said Abumrad. “Her work has been an anchor for Radiolab listeners for years, and even more so during the pandemic. As the team has expanded and we continue to evolve, I’m thrilled to see Molly take on this important new role and can’t wait to hear what she comes up with.”
“Millions of listeners all over the world have made Radiolab a part of their life,” said Andrew Golis, Chief Content Officer, WNYC. “They trust its brilliant storytellers to move, surprise, and challenge them, and they follow them from one adventure to another as the show fearlessly explores new terrain. I cannot wait to hear what Jad, Lulu, Latif, Molly, and the entire Radiolab team come up with next, and WNYC Studios couldn’t be prouder to be their home.”
Radiolab started in 2002, first as a late-night show and then as a five-episode seasonal radio program that aired locally in New York on WNYC. Today it is a two-time Peabody Award-winning, nationally syndicated weekly show that airs on 587 public radio stations and is consistently one of the top-downloaded podcasts globally.
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