Sep 9, 2026 · 1h 3m
Paige DeSorbo turns reality-TV pressure into a broader career
Two Reality Queens w/ Paige DeSorbo
The conversation traces how surveillance, anxiety, and public expectations can fuel — and complicate — ambition beyond reality television.
- 1Paige DeSorbo connects reality-TV surveillance and live performance pressure to her experience with anxiety.
- 2Giggly Squad grew from pandemic Instagram Lives into a touring podcast with an improvised stage format.
- 3Paige now measures success against a calmer future while building Daphne and developing a scripted project with Amy Poehler.
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Paige describes her first panic attack before a Giggly Squad live show in Denver and how reality-TV pressure had left her in fight-or-flight mode.
The brief
Paige DeSorbo recounts joining Summer House after her father encouraged her to audition, then describes the lasting bonds and constant surveillance that shaped her reality-TV life.
The pressure did not end when filming stopped: Paige links years of living in fight-or-flight mode to panic attacks and performance anxiety during Giggly Squad’s live shows.
Giggly Squad began as pandemic Instagram Lives and became a touring podcast, where improvised PowerPoints and “Is He Trash?” turn audience participation into part of the format.
Paige’s ambitions now extend beyond television through Daphne, her pajama brand, and a scripted project she is writing with Amy Poehler after touring with Hannah.
The conversation closes on family, motherhood, and a changing definition of success: not less ambition, but a life with more stability and calm.
Featuring
Summer House
Giggly Squad
Amy Poehler
Des BishopListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.