This Is Alex Cooper's Secret to Getting A-Listers to Open Up

Alex Cooper has gotten countless exclusive celebrity stories on her blockbusting podcast Call Her Daddy.

Recently, The Bachelor alum Rachael Kirkconnell told her all about her very public breakup with Matt James, including why he broke up with her and her shock after he posted about it on social media while she was still processing it herself.

Cooper also secured Zayn Malik's first interview in six years back in 2023, got Avril Lavigne to address her "Melissa" conspiracy theory, and booked presidential candidate Kamala Harris on the show during her campaign, among many, many other major moments on the podcast.

If you're a regular listener of the show, you've probably asked yourself how in the world Cooper is able to get some of the most prominent stars to spill their deepest, darkest secrets. Well, as it turns out, she's not using any wild mind tricks: She's just a really good listener.

"I have been on many shows—not to put other shows down—but the host is looking five inches to the right of my head and reading a teleprompter and asking me questions. It's very dehumanizing. Almost like, Wait, I don't even know if you actually knew my name," Cooper told Marie Claire in a new cover story for our 2025 Mogul Issue, when asked how she gets guests to feel safe with her.

The podcast host went on to explain how she developed her philosophy and where she got the inspiration for making the show a safe space.

"Oprah was really the first person that was actually listening and sitting and having these in-depth conversations," Cooper said.

"A lot of what I'm doing goes back to just what my mother taught me from a young age, which is making someone feel seen and heard and understood and making them feel like you actually care about what they're saying. Because I do. Yes, I care about the celebrity sitting across from me, but I also care about my audience, so I'm also trying to get as much out of them as I can for my audience because they're going to learn something today."

Alex Cooper, we thank you for your service.