Miss Understood with Rachel Uchitel

Episode: Reality Rundown with Sarah Fraser: TLC’s Juiciest Headlines, Personal Updates, and a Little Friendly Fire

Released: January 19, 2026

Guests: Sarah Fraser (The Sarah Fraser Show/TSFS)
Host: Rachel Uchitel

Episode Overview

In this lively and candid crossover episode, Rachel Uchitel catches up with fellow podcaster Sarah Fraser for a “reality rundown,” full of juicy pop culture commentary, personal updates, and honest conversations about career, family, and the wild world of reality TV. The two friends delve into Sarah’s turbulent year, Rachel’s new marriage, the ins and outs of podcasting, TLC’s biggest reality shows, and the business (and awkwardness) behind booking high-profile podcast guests. Expect genuine banter, reality TV gossip, industry insight, and memorable moments.

Personal Updates: Love Lives and Family Blends

Rachel's New Marriage and Family

• Rachel reveals details about meeting her husband, Dan, on Bumble nearly five years ago, initially dismissing him as “just a security guard”—before realizing he owned multiple global security companies. (04:14)
  • “I was like, I mean, he’s so nice, but I don’t date the security guard. I date the guy who owns the…runs the party. So I just didn’t…I was like, whatever.” – Rachel (04:31)
  • Dan's businesses include Olympic and Super Bowl-level security and canine explosive detection.
• Rachel is now “Mrs. Donovan” and describes settling into blended family life as a “Brady Bunch” scenario. She’s become a step-grandmother whom her grandchildren call “Zsa Zsa,” the “fancy grandmother.” (06:26)
• Rachel describes the challenges and joys of blending households, including Dan bonding with her teenage daughter through volleyball and family dinners. (07:04)
  • "The greatest joy of his life is being a stepfather. He's super cool as a stepfather, like having a teenager again." – Rachel (07:43)
• A year of dramatic events: house renovations, wedding drama (“Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong”), People magazine exclusive, and a “Dirty Dancing” first dance at her wedding (09:41).

Rachel’s Celebrity-Studded Wedding

• Guests included: Heather McDonald, Jill Zarin, Bam Margera, NYC fire commissioner, and other media figures. Notable last-minute cancellations included Dr. Drew and Rudy Giuliani (the latter sent a video because he had to attend Trump’s party). (10:28)
• Wedding fun fact: Jill Zarin’s facelift is praised as "one of the best" and Heather McDonald’s ageless looks are discussed (12:05).

Sarah’s Tumultuous Year: Loss, Pregnancy, and Persistence

• Sarah recounts a traumatic, rollercoaster year, including:
  • The sudden death of her beloved uncle (“gunkle”), executor drama, family secrets, “living his best life” in a gay leather fraternity (23:17)
    • “He joined a gay leather fraternity where he would go every weekend, dress up in leather and get beat…and electrocute his balls.” - Sarah (02:19, 24:57)
  • Multiple miscarriages, a cousin’s suicide, struggles with natural pregnancy and IVF, ultimately leading to a successful pregnancy via egg donor. (26:54–32:09)
    • "It's been three years...three pregnancies, three miscarriages, including my uncle died. Then one of my favorite cousins committed suicide." – Sarah (26:54)
    • On egg donation: “You don't meet them. You don't know their name...We bought eight eggs. Loved the woman...She wanted to pay her way through college." – Sarah (30:16)
  • Currently eight months pregnant (32:14), expecting a “surprise” baby after years of trying.
    • “The baby is almost four pounds...I'm so excited.” (32:09, 32:22)

The Reality TV Rundown: TLC, Bravo, and Niche Fandoms

TLC Obsessions and Recaps

Sarah, a self-described reality TV superfan, details her deep dive into TLC programming:

• Sister Wives: The show’s evolution, Kody Brown’s divorces, spin-offs like Seeking Sister Wife (“Epic!”), and the enduring appeal of “reality trash.” (34:46)
  • “The Welcome to Plathville one is about a family in Cairo, Georgia, uber religious…They never gave their kids...kids didn't even know self phones existed.” – Sarah (35:18)
• Welcome to Plathville: An ultra-sheltered religious family becoming reality TV gold as they discover the outside world (35:18).
• My 600-lb Life and Dr. Now’s deadpan delivery ("You're too fat. You need to lose another 145 pounds, or you will die.") (37:13, 37:50)
• Discussion of TLC’s formula and criticism: “Not to be rude, trailer trash type of stuff where they turn these people into stars and then all of a sudden they...crash and burn.” – Rachel (36:24)

Bravo and Reality TV Cross-Chatter

• Contrast between Sarah’s TLC focus and her podcast partner David Yontef’s Bravo-heavy coverage. Discussion of the decline of Bravo’s cultural dominance (38:36).
• Rachel recommends the new Netflix series “Members Only: Palm Beach” - labeling it a “train wreck” but highly watchable (40:59).

“Behind the Headlines”: Notable Guests, Fame, and Podcasting Real Talk

Booking Guests: Money, Edits, and Candid Behind-the-Scenes

• Both share tales of booking high-profile guests—and the sometimes shocking sums requested (Ryan Lochte: $3,500–$5,000; Marla Maples: $3,500; Conrad Murray: $50,000) and the politics of who will talk freely and for what price. (65:53–66:39)
  • "He wanted $50,000." (Conrad Murray) – Rachel (66:33)
  • “If I'm paying you, you’re coming on for 60 minutes and you're going to...you can decline to answer, but I'm not going to not ask you a question.” – Sarah (65:39)
• Sarah says editing requests from reality personalities drain her time, while Rachel notes most of her guests (often misunderstood public figures) rarely ask for edits (69:09).
• Rachel pays some guests out of pocket (Susan Powter) for financial hardship, but not typically for exposure value (54:54, 54:31).

Building a Podcast Brand: Realities and Aspirations

• Sarah's path: from morning radio to “The Sarah Fraser Show,” through syndication, rebranding, and now 10 years in podcasting (43:11–44:57).
  • “My podcast actually turns 10 years old this year. In 2016, I started my podcast.” – Sarah (44:57)
• Sarah now teaches a podcasting course ("how to start" for $9, up to a $900 "six-figure roadmap"), consults, and discusses the challenges and opportunities in independent media (60:12–61:21).
• Rachel focuses more on “misunderstood” headline-makers and guests with deeper stories—Greg Louganis, Sean Spicer, Lorena Bobbitt, Jay Paterno (Penn State scandal), and the daughter of Joey Buttafuoco—giving people space to tell their full story (52:31, 68:13).

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On reality TV's formula (Dr. Now):
  "You're too fat...You need to lose another 145 pounds or you will die." – Rachel (37:40)
• On worldview changes after loss:
  "Life is sometimes really full circle. The very first date he and my uncle went on...was at the Met, was at the opera, and then he died there." – Sarah (26:01)
• On self-help influencers:
  "Who the fuck is Mel Robbins? Did something, is she a doctor? Did something happen to her early in her life that she knows all this stuff she’s talking about?" – Rachel (48:46)
• On Susan Powter's downfall:
  "No one knows this besides George, but I...put $500 in an envelope and pretended like we paid...She had like fifteen hundred dollars to her name and lives in like, a little apartment in Las Vegas." – Rachel (54:54)
• On podcasting independence:
  "If you can create your own brand and your own show...you have your own credibility, the expert of what you want to be." – Rachel (59:51)

Industry Insight & Podcast Behind-the-Scenes

• The business of podcasting: Negotiating talent fees, boundaries on what can be asked, choosing when to “play ball” vs. draw the line for good content (65:39–68:01).
• Pay transparency: Rachel has rarely paid for guests (outside of compassionate gestures); Sarah says payment requests are increasingly common for “names.”
• Podcast branding and trends: Discussion around authenticity, niche fandoms, and the hustle of building and scaling a show in a crowded and changing industry (46:15–47:17, 59:18).

Security Insights & a Glimpse into the Future

• Rachel teases a future episode with husband Dan about event and school security, current threats (not always “ISIS”—often domestic actors), and modern approaches like canine detection units (73:28–77:22, 74:03).
• Example: Recent school security incidents, secret service overprotection, safety debates.

Pop Culture and Social Trends

• Trends in reality TV: From “Amish rumspringa” stories, to Sister Wives spinoffs, to Netflix poaching Palm Beach society dramas, and the virality of “reality trash.”
• Crossover of influencers, “self-help” stars (Mel Robbins, Jay Shetty), and podcasting’s blurred line between expert and entertainer.

Final Highlights and Looking Forward

• Sarah previews upcoming TSFS guests: Suki from Sister Wives’ “One on Ones,” Kim Kardashian’s hairdresser (on book tour), and her planned expansion into on-the-street, investigative, and reality-based podding (69:33–70:45, 61:32–63:13).
• Both vow to continue their engaging, cross-pollinated podcast partnership and wish each other well—Sarah with the new baby (due February 26), Rachel enjoying newlywed life and podcast growth.

Timestamps of Key Segments

Rachel’s Marriage & Blended Family: 04:09–09:41
Wedding Stories & Celeb Guests: 10:14–13:24
Sarah’s Year of Loss & Pregnancy Journey: 23:17–32:09
Podcasting Real Talk/Guest Booking: 65:53–68:13
Reality TV Deep Dive (TLC, Bravo, New Trends): 34:05–47:17
Memorable Quotes About Podcasting & Fame: 47:17–50:29
Future Security Episodes Teaser: 73:28–77:22
Upcoming Projects & Closing Banter: 69:33–72:56

In Summary

This episode is a fast-paced, candid, and often hilarious look into the lives and thoughts of two reality-obsessed podcast pros. It’s full of personal vulnerability, pop culture dish, industry wisdom, and deep dives on both headlining guests and everyday challenges. Whether you love TLC, podcasting insights, or a peek “behind the headline,” you’ll want to tune in for the chemistry, the confessions, and the ongoing mission to rewrite misunderstood stories.