Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! Episode Summary: Featuring Heather Gay
Release Date: August 2, 2025
NPR's beloved news quiz, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, hosted by Peter Sagal, delivered another engaging and humorous episode from Abravanelle Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah. This episode featured special guest Heather Gay from The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, along with panelists Shantira Jackson, Shane O'Neill, and Luke Burbank. Here's a detailed breakdown of the key segments, discussions, and highlights from the show.
Introduction and Listener Contestant
The episode kicked off with Peter Sagal welcoming listeners and introducing the first contestant, Madeline from Brooklyn, New York. Madeline, a recent graduate from the City University of New York, shared her upcoming role as a clinical and research audiologist. Peter humorously remarked, “You're gonna bring hearing to people who don't have it” (02:05).
Panel Introduction
Peter introduced the panelists:
- Shantira Jackson: A writer and comedian who authored Clean Slate on Amazon.
- Shane O'Neill: A reporter at the Washington Post, known for his Stage Style Memo newsletter.
- Luke Burbank: Host of the daily podcast TBTL and the public radio variety show Livewire.
Game 1: Who’s Alzo?
In this segment, Alzo Slade presented three news quotes, and listener Madeline had to identify two of them to win a prize. Notable moments included:
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Presidential Fitness Challenge Revival: Alzo quoted, “If you spent your childhood struggling to do chin ups in gym class, brace yourself” (03:07). This led to a humorous discussion about the high standards of the revived fitness test, with Peter noting, “The standard was too high” (04:41).
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Bringing Own Food to Restaurants: Alzo asked, “Is purse tuna ever okay?” (05:11), sparking panelists to debate the absurdity of diners bringing their own meals, such as a whole rotisserie chicken pulled from a purse.
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Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau Rumors: The quote, “To forgive A space flight or two for this” (07:53), led to laughter over the unlikely pairing of Katy Perry and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with Luke quipping, “This feels like a rom-com” (08:35).
Madeline correctly identified the Presidential Fitness Challenge quote, securing her prize: “the voice of your choice on your voicemail” (09:38).
Discussion Highlights
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Presidential Fitness Challenge: Panelists reminisced about the rigorous tests from their school days. Shantira recalled the “touch box” flexibility test, while Luke humorously imagined President Reagan analyzing children's fitness results (04:17).
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Restaurant Food Policies: The panel debated the practicality and etiquette of diners bringing their own food, with Shantira expressing a preference for authenticity over substitutions (06:55).
Game 2: Bluff the Listener - Seborga
The game focused on the term "Seborga," with panelists presenting three different explanations:
- Rare Reindeer Cheese: Shantira described "Seborga" as a semi-hard cheese made from reindeer milk, facing extinction due to declining traditional practices (16:52).
- Fictional Diplomatic Scam: Luke recounted the story of Harshvardarn Jain, who falsely claimed to be an ambassador from Seborga, scams extending to other fake countries (17:01).
- Lithuanian Slang: Shane introduced "Seborga" as Lithuanian slang meaning “I persist in my lifestyle,” akin to “no homo” (18:22).
The correct answer was Luke's story about the fictional diplomatic scam. Tara Casey from Richmond, Virginia, correctly identified this as the true story, winning the game (20:50).
Special Guest: Heather Gay
Heather Gay joined the show to discuss her role on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and her new book, Good Time Girl. Key highlights include:
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Authenticity of the Show: Heather emphasized the realness of the Salt Lake City Housewives, saying, “We are all pretty real, and Salt Lake City keeps us real” (22:25).
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Taglines and Persona: She shared her season taglines, such as “I was raised Mormon, but now I'm raising a glass of champagne” (23:46). Heather humorously noted that the taglines are assigned, adding, “They shut those down immediately” (24:14).
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Book Insights: Heather provided a sneak peek into her book, recounting adventures like her senior trip to Tijuana and her mission in the south of France, showcasing her transition from her Mormon roots to a more liberated lifestyle (25:41).
Game 3: Good Time Girl - Heather Gay
In this segment, Heather Gay hosted a game focused on female criminals. Madeline participated, answering questions such as:
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Lyft Gas Station Robbery: She correctly identified that the woman called an Uber after her Lyft driver refused to let her back in (28:05).
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Massachusetts Drug Conviction: Madeline chose the correct answer, identifying that the woman lost her job as the head of a drug testing program for Massachusetts police (29:01).
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Mob Barker’s Shootout: She successfully answered that people attended picnics to watch a final shootout (30:28).
Heather commended Madeline’s perfect score, followed by closing remarks appreciating Heather’s participation (31:08).
Game 4: Listener Limerick Challenge
Dr. Rachel from Omaha participated in the limerick game, completing rhyming puzzles such as:
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Yogurt Cooling: Madeline filled in “yogurt” to complete the limerick about using yogurt to cool down her house (39:44).
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Tyra Banks Crumbs: She correctly answered “crumbs” for Tyra Banks’ unconventional method of cleaning food from her apartment (40:49).
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Mario and Peach: Rachel guessed “South Park” incorrectly, eventually completing Mario's revelation about his relationship with Princess Peach (42:06).
Despite high spirits, Rachel did not secure enough points to win the final prize (49:52).
Game 5: Lightning Fill in the Blank
Shane O'Neill emerged as the episode's champion by answering rapid-fire fill-in-the-blank questions correctly, including:
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Senate Democrats and Epstein Files: "Epstein" (45:01).
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Presidential Tariffs: "Tariffs" (45:34).
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Ozzy Osbourne Funeral: Correctly identified “Ozzy Osbourne” as the subject of a funeral procession (47:30).
Peter acknowledged Shane’s victory, awarding him the top spot in the episode's leaderboard (50:02).
Panel Predictions
In a playful segment predicting comebacks, panelists offered humorous suggestions:
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Shantira Jackson: Joked about a Furby movie (51:09).
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Shane O'Neill: Lightheartedly mentioned Circuit City’s return (51:11).
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Luke Burbank: Poked fun at his fear of hot lava (51:13).
Conclusion and Acknowledgments
Peter Sagal wrapped up the episode by thanking Heather Gay for her participation and the panelists for their lively contributions. He also extended gratitude to the production team and sponsors, maintaining the show’s signature blend of humor and trivia.
Notable Quotes:
- Peter Sagal (02:05): “You're gonna bring hearing to people who don't have it.”
- Shantira Jackson (22:25): “We are all pretty real, and Salt Lake City keeps us real.”
- Heather Gay (23:44): “We have roots here, and we are just messed up enough to keep it interesting.”
- Luke Burbank (34:22): “I might die tonight” regarding the hot dog lifespan study.
- Madeline (28:14): “She sounds like a real housewife.”
This episode of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! seamlessly blended current events, pop culture, and humor, offering listeners both laughs and insightful commentary. Whether contesting news trivia or enjoying Heather Gay’s candid anecdotes, the show remained both entertaining and informative.