Unscripted: the NolaPapa Podcast

Send us Fan Mail 🎃 The NolaPapa Podcast: Halloween Special #1  We’re kicking off our FIRST of TWO Halloween specials with a little fall magic, a whole lot of spooky-season fun, and conversations that will have you embracing your weird side! 🍂 First up, we’re welcoming back New York Times bestselling author and certified spooky-season lover, Christy Mandin! And she isn’t coming back with just one...

Send us Fan Mail THE NOLAPAPA PODCAST • SPECIAL EPISODE This special episode of The NolaPapa Podcast is presented without advertising and is not endorsed by any business or corporation. The opinions expressed are solely those of Erik Alexander. Last year, when I hosted the New Orleans Mayoral Forum at the House of Blues, the energy in the room was electric. Our city stood at a crossroads, and ther...

Send us Fan Mail This week, we’re stepping into the magical world of Witchlings with New York Times bestselling author and Scholastic sensation Clairbel A. Ortega! With the release of the fifth and final installment in her spellbinding series, we’re celebrating the magic, imagination, and inspiration behind a groundbreaking story that has captured readers’ hearts. We chat about what sparked this i...

Send us Fan Mail  Two guests. Two kinds of magic. One BIG show! ✨ We’re dancing into this episode with New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory, who is making her YA debut with her brand-new novel It’s Only Dancing, releasing October 6 from Scholastic! Inspired by one of my mama’s all-time favorite movies, Dirty Dancing, Jasmine and I get into the heart of the story—and so much more. ❤️...

Send us Fan Mail 🧡 PIPPI LONGSTOCKING IS HERE! 🧡 One of the most unforgettable characters of our childhood is back… and this time, she’s telling us the story! 🎬✨ The one and only Tami Erin joins me to relive the magic of Pippi Longstocking and take us behind the scenes of what it was like to land the role out of 8,000 kids from around the world! 🤯 From playing a beloved character to meeting r...

Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ 🌟 HERE IT COMES! From NolaPapa Studios in New Orleans!!! We’re celebrating the 55th Season of my beloved The Price Is Right with NONE OTHER than resident model of 13 YEARS, the winner of the whole dang model search, James O’Halloran! 🥳 From the Outback of Australia to the razzle dazzle of Hollywood, James takes us through his incredible beginnings, that spark that changed eve...

Send us Fan Mail Today, we’re sitting down with a true New Orleans original — a man whose name, cooking, and influence have become part of the fabric of this city. This episode is sponsored in part by Rouses Markets — a company that understands the importance of bringing great food home and celebrating the incredible local ingredients and people that make Louisiana cooking so special. And today, w...

Send us Fan Mail We’re kicking off the Fall Premiere with two extraordinary guests who are making an impact through shining their light and talent for the whole world, and one has lot of New Orleans spirit! And speaking of New Orleans, the best coffee deserves the best conversations. And our hearts are full of Cafe Du Monde! Life is better with powdered sugar.  First up, we welcome Super Bowl Cham...

Send us Fan Mail 🌙🎙️ DAD’S AFTER DARK ! 🎙️🌙 This is a parent only Podcast with explicit material! You have been warned. This week, we’re hanging out with Nick Bryan of Sandpiper Vacations and NolaPapa ! Nick joins us for a fun conversation about travel, family, business, fatherhood, and the stories behind the brands he’s built . We get into what it’s like balancing dad life with entrepreneurship...

Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ 2026 Summer Super Show is HERE! ☀️📚 Y’all- We're kicking it off with a very special guest— Newbery Medal-winning author and Scholastic favorite Jerri Spinelli! We chat about his brand-new release, Fifth Grade Top Dogs , a story that couldn't have arrived at a better time. As the parent of a soon-to-be fifth grader myself, this conversation hit especially close to hom...

Send us Fan Mail Switching gears from our regular show- Adults Only!  Tonight on After Dark , I sit down with world-renowned Chef and United States Marine veteran Eric Cook, the force behind Gris-Gris and one of the most respected voices in New Orleans cuisine. Chef Cook’s journey is one of service, perseverance, and passion — from his years as a Marine to becoming a nationally recognized chef who...

Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Summer Finale | History, Legacy & New Orleans 🇺🇸🎇✨ For our midseason finale, we’re taking a seat at one of the most legendary tables in America. Join us as we sit down with Lisa Blount of Antoine’s Restaurant to explore the remarkable family legacy behind New Orleans’ oldest continuously family-owned restaurant and its place in the story of our nation’s 250th anniversary....

Send us Fan Mail Thanks to our friends at New Orleans Ice Cream Co and to our entire roster of amazing sponsors that allow inspiring stories like these come to life!  For our Father’s Day special, I had the honor of sitting down with one of the most recognizable voices in animation, Bill Farmer, the voice of Goofy for nearly four decades, alongside his son, Austin Farmer, a talented drummer and so...

Send us Fan Mail As we celebrate Pride 2026, this week’s guest represents the heart, resilience, creativity, and joy that make our community so special. By day, Joey serves the people of New Orleans as a dedicated civil servant. But when the lights come up and the music starts, audiences know and love her as the bold, hilarious, and unforgettable Debbie with a D. From behind the bar at some of New...

Send us Fan Mail 🌍🎙️ This week on Unscripted with NolaPapa… We’re honored to welcome global environmental champion Joseph Nguthiru for a powerful conversation about innovation, sustainability, and protecting the future of our planet. Joseph is the visionary behind Hyapak — his groundbreaking plastic-eliminating creation designed to rethink waste and inspire real environmental change across the gl...

Send us Fan Mail Meredith Walker has spent her career helping tell stories that make us laugh, think, and occasionally spit coffee across the room. She’s an award-winning television producer who worked during what I personally consider one of the greatest eras of Saturday Night Live —an era that gave us unforgettable characters, legendary sketches, and enough quotable moments to survive every awkw...

Send us Fan Mail 🍔 National Burger Day just got a whole lot more New Orleans. Thursday! May 28- mark it DOWN. This week we’re joined by New Orleans burger royalty — Adam Biderman of The Company Burger. From redefining the local burger scene to building one of the most talked-about burger spots in the South, Adam’s passion for the perfect burger helped turn Company Burger into a true NOLA institut...

Send us Fan Mail Yall, this week's guest is a storyteller whose words don’t just entertain — they heal, challenge, and stay with you long after the final page. Keala Kendall  is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author behind Disney’s A Twisted Tales novels inspired by Moana and Lilo & Stitch — and now, her powerful new book, That Which Feeds Us , is turning heads across the li...

Send us Fan Mail 🌺 You already know that for Mother's Day I had something up my sleeve. JUST Released this past Tuesday is the SWEETEST book for Mom.  Another New York Times Best Seller today yall. Yes, YES- I know it is a children's book, however! When mama and kiddo snuggle in to read this book together...trust me. This book hits, folks.  It is a love letter to mamas everywhere, while...

Send us Fan Mail Tuck the kids away and clock out from work! Because this one is A HOOT!!!!      Adult language and major shenanigans will be had for the next 60 Minutes! Psss. Did you know that Mrs. Kasha Davis AND Darienne Lake are coming to      NEW ORLEANS!?! YES! May 7th at  ALLways Lounge 10pm!! But before their own show the gals met up with me for mine and we CUT UP hunny. We talked about w...

Send us Fan Mail I love it when authors sit down with me to share their VERY FIRST book. It is so freaking special. This week, Sara Amini is one of the stars in the Peacock espionage techno-thriller series... HOWEVER! She JUST released her first of 3 YA (young adult) graphic novels, "Mixed Feelings"  by powerhouse, SCHOLASTIC! Sara is  an Iranian-Colombian actress who has starred in vari...

Send us Fan Mail Back in 2011, I remember personally waiting in line on Freret Street at the new hot dog closet that had just opened up. A line down the block. It was something to behold. Especially because it was only 6 years after Katrina. And Freret Street still looked like it. For real.  But a few investors saw potential and the first sparks in the dark were made.        And before you knew it...

Send us Fan Mail Alyson Gerber is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Liars Society series , a middle grade mystery, like Knives Out for the family. The Liars Society is a Barnes & Noble Bookseller Favorite, Girls' Life Book Club Pick, and The Week Junior Book of the Week. The Liars Society has been nominated for the Texas Bluebonnet Award as well as book awards in...

Send us Fan Mail A super special Easter episode coming at ya this week. Holy week became more special to me as my children grew and became curious. I love learning more about not only Christ and the way, but also introducing new knowledge to my babies. WHO better to lead us in this meaningful conversation than our own Brother Todd van Alstyne, New Orleans Anglican Dominican Friar.  We welcome Brot...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever made a mark… just to see where it might take you? Our guest today has built a magical world out of that very idea! Peter H. Reynolds is the creative mind behind some of your favorite stories, and he’s here to remind us that every one of us has something special to share.  Peter just released his brand new book 'When You Dream Big' by Scholastic!    'Wh...