Intrusive Thoughts by Adam Rippon

Episode: Ending 2025 Thankful, Starting 2026 Fearless
Release Date: January 1, 2026

Episode Overview

Adam Rippon rings in the new year with reflections on gratitude, self-improvement, slipper saga drama, and a deep dive into pop culture—specifically, the unexpected phenomenon of the Canadian TV series "Heated Rivalry." This episode finds Adam both comedic and candid, bringing his trademark unfiltered storytelling to celebrate leaving 2025 behind and stepping into 2026 with fearless optimism.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Embracing New Year's Energy & Gratitude

• Adam kicks off showing the energy he’s bringing into 2026: optimism and a focus on winning, not on what he's "down."
  • Quote: "I'm not thinking about how I'm 16 down. I'm thinking about how I'm $4 up." [02:00]
• He reflects on the importance of carrying positivity and a new, slightly less caring attitude—emphasizing going after what he wants.
  • Quote: "I'm just gonna go for it and I'm gonna fake it till I make it...because I'm gonna make it." [03:00]

2. The Search for the Perfect Slipper: ‘Slipper-gate’

• Adam spends a significant (and endearingly excessive) amount of time discussing his passion for slippers, house shoes, and his disdain for barefoot Instagram posts.
  • Humorously Judgemental Rant:
    • "When people post pictures...head to toe outfit and then no sock, no shoe, barefoot...I feel more scandalized by that than someone being in their underwear...Totally porny for Instagram." [06:00]
  • Adam describes his slipper history, starting from saving up for Uggs as a teenager, the decline in product quality, and learning about real Uggs from Australia ("Ugg since 1974").
  • He narrates a saga of ordering slippers from Australia, a missing DHL package, and customer service headaches.
    • "Strike one, Australia. Strike two on me for thinking I could order something abroad and not have any trouble." [37:30]
  • He details trying new brands (Stegman’s, Allbirds), returning ill-fitting pairs, and his specificity for slipper features—open backs, sturdy soles, "no woolen trim 'lip' at the heel."
    • "Nothing will drive me closer to insanity than this little half-inch of woolen trim hitting the back of my... This would be it. This would be my 13th reason." [29:00]

3. Slipper Preferences: Adam’s Rules

• No barefoot around the house: “I am a sock person at home, because I have dignity.” [10:05]
• A slipper must:
  • Have a hard, grippy sole (for taking the dogs out or the trash)
  • Not have a “back lip” or heel trim
  • Slide on easily, no stepping on the back like Toms (which he describes with withering, nostalgic shade)
• "If you know a good slipper...feel free to send me a pair!" [40:00]

4. Heated Rivalry: A Deep Dive

• Adam encourages listeners to skip ahead if they don’t want spoilers for "Heated Rivalry," the Canadian TV show he fell in love with in 2025.
  • "If you haven't watched it yet, stop listening to this episode, because I'm not going to save the ending for you." [43:10]
• He praises the show as a surprise TV “event” of the year.
• The first four episodes are described as moving quickly, setting up for pivotal episode 5 & 6.
• Describes the characters: Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov (rival hockey players/lovers), and Scott Hunter/Kip (closeted gay athlete and civilian love interest).
• Iconic moment:
  • The emotional impact of episode 5, including Ilya’s Russian-language monologue, and Scott Hunter’s public kiss with Kip on the ice after winning the Stanley Cup.
    • "Episode five is, like, one of the greatest episodes of television I've literally ever watched in my life." [51:00]
    • "It's so good...I was crying throughout the episode." [51:30]
• Offers a nuanced take on the show’s themes:
  • Scott/Kip is more of a coming out story, tied to the time period (2015 “nobody was gay!”), while Shane/Ilya’s romance is different—more about scandal, secrecy, and sports collusion.
  • "This is not a gay story. This is like Watergate. This is craziness." [01:02:30]
• Humorous aside on 2015’s supposed lack of gays, referencing Marsha P. Johnson and Stonewall with intentional anachronism.

5. Pop Culture, Self-Reflection & Appreciation

• Adam reflects on reaching a podcasting milestone: making it through an entire calendar year.
  • "One of my goals this year is that I do the podcast, and I do it all the way through." [01:18:00]
• Gratefully shouts out his creative and editing team and discusses how the show has grown.
• Mentions his other shows—Runthrough (figure skating), My New Favorite Olympian (NBC).
• Discusses the unpredictability of solo podcasting and how he's finding his rhythm.
  • "If I can do a podcast on my own, talking to... literally, let's look around, I look to my left, my right—there's nobody here." [01:19:30]
• Hints at future episode topics: vision boards, New Year's resolutions, naming conventions (New Year vs. New Year's), and audience prompts.
  • "We're going to be talking about New Year's resolutions as I have mentioned. Make sure you call or text the podcast hotline and leave me your intrusive thoughts." [01:27:30]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Nothing will drive me closer to insanity than this little half-inch of woolen trim hitting the back of my... This would be my 13th reason." (on slipper annoyances) [29:00]
• "Strike one, Australia. Strike two on me for thinking I could order something abroad and not have any trouble. Like I said, it’s probably DHL. No offense." [37:30]
• "When I see those piggly wigglies, I think that you're asking for attention. Not even though it should be the opposite, other way around." (on bare feet in photos) [08:40]
• "Episode five is, like, one of the greatest episodes of television I've literally ever watched in my life." (on Heated Rivalry) [51:00]
• "This is not a gay story. This is like Watergate. This is craziness." [01:02:30]
• "No, Stonewall was like... when you said Stonewall in 2015, it was like, no, you mean a wall of stone. You don’t mean the hotel...that was before Stonewall even. Marsha P. Johnson was 2016." (deadpan anachronistic comedy riff) [01:06:00]
• "You need to not love your job, you need to job your love." (comic insight while riffing) [01:14:20]
• "I was leaving 2025 in a grateful state of mind, and I'm...ready to kill it. Get ready for me all over the place in 2026." [01:22:00]
• Hotline for audience input: 310-909-7717 [01:05:50 & 01:27:30]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:40 – Adam’s “winning” mindset, Powerball ticket story
• 03:55 – New Year’s energy & philosophy shift
• 05:45–37:30 – Deep dive ‘Slipper-gate’: Uggs history, rant, ordering nightmares
• 29:00 – “13th reason” slipper line
• 40:00 – Recap and still searching for perfect slippers
• 43:10 – "Heated Rivalry" show intro/spoilers begin
• 51:00 – Emotional response to episode 5 of Heated Rivalry
• 01:02:30 – Show analysis: scandal vs. gay narrative
• 01:14:20 – Job/love riff and transition to closing reflection
• 01:18:00–end – Podcasting milestones, audience prompts, gratitude, sign-off

Final Thoughts

This episode is a quintessential Adam Rippon podcast experience: sharply observant, hilariously tangential, affectionate, and a little bit off the rails. Listeners are left with a sense that 2026 should be approached with humor, resilience, and the occasional strong opinion about both slippers and scandalous television.

For participation:
Send your thoughts or New Year’s intrusive thoughts via text or call: 310-909-7717