Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! - Episode Summary

Date: October 18, 2025
Host: Peter Sagal
Guests: Jeff Gordon, Anna Kendrick, Jan Jensen, Panelists Roy Blunt Jr., Faith Saley, Shantira Jackson, et al.
Location: Studebaker Theater, Chicago & featured venues (via best-of/highlights show)

Episode Overview

In this "best of" edition, Peter Sagal and Bill Curtis revisit standout moments from earlier in the year. Episodes feature interviews and games with NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon, actor-director Anna Kendrick, and Iowa basketball coach Jan Jensen, plus classic Wait Wait... quiz fun with comedians and memorable stories from listeners. The tone remains irreverent, warm, and quick-witted, with characteristic tangents and plenty of laughs.

Key Segments & Highlights

1. Jeff Gordon: Retired Racing Legend and Reluctant Driving Instructor

[01:13–12:41]

• Early Start in Racing:

  • Started racing at age 5 in California with other kids the same age.
  • Step-father introduced him to racing through a barter: fixing a friend's car in exchange for a hand-me-down "quarter midget" race car.

  "I'm guessing at that point maybe they couldn't pay him. And so they said, 'Oh, I've got this old race car that my son used to drive... How about I give you that?'"
  —Jeff Gordon [01:57]

• Transition from BMX to Race Cars:

  • Brief attempt at BMX at age 4.5; found he lacked the physicality, but loved cars because "I've got an engine."

    "When I got in the car, I'm like, I don't need that. I've got an engine."
    —Jeff Gordon [03:14]

• Racetrack Radios & On-Track Distractions:

  • Reveals that drivers sometimes get distracted enough to notice fans and events in the grandstands; sometimes radios in odd comments.
  • Stresses: the radio is public—care is required in what you say.

  "There were a few times I noticed some fans or something happening up in the grandstands, and I radioed to the team and said, 'hey, did you see that?' They're like, seriously, Jeff, you're noticing things up in the grandstands?"
  —Jeff Gordon [03:48]

• Post-Racing Career & Family:

  • Co-owns teams, involves his family in driving. Feels helpless watching children learn to drive.

    "It's probably one of the scariest things I've ever done is sit in the passenger seat while somebody has zero experience driving."
    —Jeff Gordon [07:54]

• Panel Quiz: “Leave the Driving to Us”

  • Hilarity ensues as Jeff faces multiple-choice questions about odd passenger incidents (farting taxi passengers, extremely slow roller coasters, and Raiders fans drinking a plane dry).
  • Wins prize for listener after scoring 2/3.

2. Bluff the Listener: "Don't Bring Your Kid to Work"

[14:25–20:55]

• Panelists spin wild stories about kids wreaking havoc at their parents’ workplaces.

  • Faith Saley: A 12-year-old accidentally takes adult confessions at a church.
  • Roy Blunt Jr.: A child bites a German soccer referee in the unmentionables.
  • Shantira Jackson: Girl replaces placards in NYC’s Met Museum with her own honest reviews ("skip this room. You can't even sit on any of the couches.").

• Caller & Outcome:

  • Contestant Dustin from Omaha correctly identifies Roy's German soccer bite story as true.

3. Anna Kendrick: Hometown Hero, Director, and Awkward Introductions

[21:01–30:34]

• “This is not your first time on this stage, is it?”

  • Anna recounts memories from Portland's Merrill Auditorium as a kid (dance recitals in lion face paint; standing behind Judy Collins in choir; singing a single “Ah” in the Nutcracker).

  "I have come here to stand behind Judy Collins for one song in the choir during a Christmas special... wearing what can only be described as a Handmaid's Tale-esque robe."
  —Anna Kendrick [21:27]

• Paula Poundstone doesn’t recognize Anna Kendrick:

  • Hilarious, dry banter when Paula asks for film credits; Anna obliges, only for Paula to remain lost.

  "She wasn't just like, 'Oh, you're Anna Kendrick,' and I didn't just start going Up in the Air, End of Watch, The Accountant, Pitch Perfect, ever heard of them?"
  —Anna Kendrick [23:09]

• Legacy of Pitch Perfect:

  • Jokes (and apologizes) about inspiring college kids to join acapella groups.
  • Shares the acapella crowd's self-deprecating humor:

    "What are we doing if we're listening to a song—maybe the thing that makes the sound of a drum should be the drum..."
    —Anna Kendrick [24:49]

• Directorial Debut – "Woman of the Hour":

  • Describes her Netflix film, based on a true story of a woman on The Dating Game matched with a serial killer. The panel reacts in mock horror.

• Panel Quiz: "Pitch Perfect (Meet Female Dog Perfect)"

  • Anna answers quiz questions about show dog names and dog show mishaps, wins for her Maine listener after a two-out-of-three performance.

4. Comedic News & Medical Bills Game

[32:34–38:35]

• License Plate Gaffe:

  • Maine’s new plate features a pine tree that looks like "flipping the bird" (i.e., a raised middle finger).
  • Smuggling candy into summer camps—parents resort to creative tactics like candy-filled tampon boxes and hollow Monopoly games.

  "They'll do anything while mom says, 'Well, you know, it's just not parents visiting day if I'm not swallowing balloons filled with Skittles first.'"
  —Peter Sagal [35:12]

• Unexpected Medical Bills Quiz:

  • Panelists guess medical emergencies leading to staggering expenses (bat in mouth, rattlesnake selfie, bitten by mouse-infested soda, helping a raccoon).

5. Jan Jensen: Iowa Women’s Basketball and Generational Excellence

[40:05–49:15]

• Basketball Heritage:

  • Jensen’s grandmother was named Iowa’s MVP in 1921; she played in bloomers and had her own trophy.
  • Grandma’s nickname: “Lottie” (she scored “a lot”).

  "She did. It was named—she was named Lottie because she scored a lot of points."
  —Jan Jensen [40:43]

• Generational Modesty:

  • Jensen reflects on how her grandmother never boasted about her achievements, requiring coaxing to hear stories.

• Coaching Caitlin Clark:

  • Jensen describes coaching superstar Caitlin Clark as “passionate, feisty... She shoots it from the parking lot... makes a dazzling pass.”

  "Because someone asked me, what was it like to coach Caitlin Clark, and I said, everything you think it was in a matter of a minute."
  —Jan Jensen [43:08]

• Coaching Philosophy:

  • Focus on team culture and celebration; advocates “celebrators of each other.”
  • Shares her honest motivational approach:

    "For you particularly, I would say, get your head out of your ass."
    —Jan Jensen [45:02]

• Panel Quiz: Courtship Rituals

  • Jan aces questions about bizarre historical dating customs (speak-tubes in Puritan homes, pumpkins of shame, apples in armpits).

  "Three for three. Yes. Wow. I've been stressing about this the whole day."
  —Jan Jensen [49:02]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "When I got in the car, I'm like, I don't need that. I've got an engine."
  —Jeff Gordon [03:14]

• "I'm so sorry [for all the college kids who joined acapella]. I'm into people's hyper specific interests and passions..."
  —Anna Kendrick [24:15]

• "Get your head out of your ass."
  —Jan Jensen to Peter Sagal, on coaching tough love [45:02]

• "The new Maine license plates feature a majestic pine tree. And a lot of people look at the top and say, oh, it looks like it's giving you the finger."
  —Peter Sagal [33:20]

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• Jeff Gordon Interview and Quiz: 01:13–12:41
• Bluff the Listener ("Don't Bring Your Kid to Work"): 14:25–20:55
• Anna Kendrick Interview and Quiz: 21:01–30:34
• Comedy News and Medical Bills Game: 32:34–38:35
• Jan Jensen Interview and Quiz: 40:05–49:15

Episode Tone & Style

• Conversational & Playful: banter, running jokes, self-deprecation, and audience engagement.
• Genuine Curiosity: Peter Sagal’s questions mix humor and respect.
• Self-Referential: Multiple callbacks to Wait Wait’s own traditions and prior gags.
• Inclusive: All guests feel comfortable ribbing each other and joining the comedy.

This episode is packed with laughs, games, and smart conversations, making it easy to jump in even if you’ve never heard Wait Wait before. Whether you’re a news buff, dog lover, fan of motorsports, or curious about Midwestern women’s basketball—or just in need of a good chuckle—the show delivers classic NPR wit and warmth.