Khloé Kardashian is loving her new gig as host of the podcast “Khloé in Wonderland” and a source exclusively tells In Touch she’s looking to turn it into her focus full time while carving a new niche in the entertainment world far from her family brand.
“Khloé isn’t just being a tourist in the podcasting and interviewing space, she’s wanted this for a while and slowly worked up to it, even shooting test interviews that have never aired anywhere in order to refine her interviewing skills,” the source explains. “But underneath all of her prep, there’s a pretty clear restlessness about the reality franchise, and that’s a big reason why The Kardashians is not getting multi-year renewals anymore.”
As In Touch previously reported, Kris Jenner scoring another renewal of the family’s reality reboot was a “minor miracle” considering the new, less drama-driven direction of the Kardashian’s entertainment products and endorsements. “Everyone in the family knows they can’t squeeze this lemon much longer as far as TV paydays go,” a second source previously said. Without the classic tawdriness of their original show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which put the family front and center of American cultural life, Kris, 69, is finding it difficult to keep viewers interested in the goings on of her brood.
As the era of Kardashian-led reality television wanes, each one is facing the daunting prospect of how to continue their own career sans family brand.
“Khloé, in particular, is deciding season-by-season if she wants to continue and her hope is to get some kind of brand expansion of her podcast going in the meantime,” the source adds.
“Streaming is fine, but she already has a footprint in that world and dozens and dozens of hours of content out there,” the insider explains. “What would be really fascinating for Khloé is a syndicated show like what Drew Barrymore and Kelly Clarkson have, and Khloé does see more room in that space, especially for an edgier, naughtier kind of program that speaks directly to the audience of young mothers who grew up with Khloé and her reality shows.”
The podcast also offers Khloé, 40, the opportunity to pull away from the zealous control of content momager Kris exerts over the reality show. From threatening daughter Kylie Jenner with bringing ex Travis Scott back into the family fold if the 28-year-old refuses to push boyfriend Timothée Chalamet in front of the camera to encouraging Kim Kardashian to listen to her small children’s’ dating advice for the drama, much of the stress the Kardashian daughters deal with seems to radiate from a particular source.
“If you think she can’t do this without Kris pulling all the strings, think again, because Khloé’s podcast is very much her own creation, and not some scheme that Kris pitched her,” the source assures. “It does well, but Khloé wants to turn it into something a lot bigger, and she’s not blowing smoke – she’s totally serious about this being the next evolution of her on-camera persona, which is still very likable and relevant even after all these years.”
