Wrong Turns with Jameela Jamil

Episode: Erica Rhodes and Steve Agee
Date: February 19, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of "Wrong Turns" finds Jameela Jamil joined by comedians and actors Erica Rhodes and Steve Agee, as they gleefully recount disastrous, humiliating, and outright ludicrous moments from their personal and professional lives. True to the podcast’s tagline ("where dignity goes to die"), the trio bond over stories of failed pranks, mortifying public incidents, and show-business betrayals—without a silver lining in sight. The conversation is raucous, irreverent, and full of laugh-out-loud moments, making listeners feel right at home in the shared messiness of being human.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Wild Career Credits and “Lowest Lows”

[02:24 – 05:55]

• Introductions:

  • Jameela reads out Erica and Steve’s impressive (and delightfully varied) career resumes.
  • Steve reminisces about a very early (and undignified) credit: getting kicked in the nuts for a web short, shot outside a porn shop, complete with a “cup” for protection.

• Steve’s Early Humiliations:

  • Shares about being cast as a “homeless man” on New Girl, and the mortification of arriving on set only for the makeup artist to declare no additional makeup—or “dirt”—was needed.
  • Quote:

    “They usually would spend half an hour putting dirt, fake movie dirt on my face...She just goes, ‘You’re ready to go.’” — Steve Agee [05:30]

• On Birthdays in Showbiz:

  • Both Jameela and Steve lament how little birthdays matter on production sets.

2. Dating Disasters and Viral Stories

[07:00 – 08:10]

• Erica’s Viral Date Story:
  • Erica recounts a date where the guy told her:

    “You look like JonBenet Ramsey if she were still alive.” — Erica Rhodes [07:18]

  • She retorted, “You look like the killer if they found him,” leading to a night of bizarre roleplay.
• Both guests agree their lives feel like “one long humiliation,” which has become fodder for their comedy.

3. Micro-Humiliations: Public Pantsing & Accidental Encounters

Steve’s “Pants Down on Hollywood Blvd” Story [08:25 – 13:52]:

• Setup:
  • Steve sets the stage: 1995, rough part of Hollywood, doing laundry in sweats sans underwear.
• The Incident:
  • Sweats fall to ankles while crossing a packed intersection, bags in hand, wallet dragging the pants down, no way to cover up — completely exposed.
  • “And I can’t grab them to pull them up...I just kind of shuffle with my dick and ass out the rest of the way across the street.” — Steve Agee [11:36]
  • Jameela and Erica break down the “no-win” situation, agreeing that stopping would have only made things worse.
• Lesson:
  • “Drawstrings.” — Steve Agee [13:50]

Erica’s “Supermodel” Encounter [13:59 – 17:18]:

• Setup:
  • Trying to get back at an ex, Erica intends to get hit on, ends up going home with an apparent “Native American Studies professor from NYU” (who reeks of cigarettes and shares a NY apartment with 20 other guys).
• Punchline:
  • The next morning, feeling underwhelmed, Erica lets him leave. Hours later, she sees his face—gigantic—on an H&M billboard in his underwear.
  • “He’s a supermodel and I kicked a supermodel out of my bed.” — Erica Rhodes [16:34]
  • The group laughs at the irony, noting the guy was a pathological liar and, thankfully, not worth pining over.

4. The Nightmare of Kidney Stones

Steve’s Medical Horror Story [20:26 – 31:40]:

• Passing Kidney Stones:
  • Steve has passed 14 kidney stones in his lifetime, and describes two hospitalizations, morphine experiences, and finally a surgery for one stone “too big to pass.”
  • Vivid description of morphine:

    “It’s like being kissed on the inside of your veins by angels, is the only way I could describe it.” — Jameela Jamil [21:56]

• Surgical Trauma:
  • Denied the non-invasive shockwave procedure due to weighing just five pounds over the cut-off, he’s put under for a “through the penis” laser removal.
  • Post-surgery, discovers a stent running from kidney to bladder—removal is done while awake at the doctor’s office.
  • Harrowing details: being walked into a room with stirrups, having an anesthetic “glue gun” used on his penis, then a “pipe as wide as my thumb” rammed in to remove the stent.
  • “He pulled it out like he was starting a lawnmower.” — Steve Agee [29:41]
  • Steve describes the aftermath: sitting in his car, trembling, trying to process what just happened.
• Health Warning:
  • Drink lots of flat water, not excess sparkling water, as Jameela recounts giving herself kidney stones after a sparkling water binge.
    • “I was giving myself kidney stones for a hundred days. It was insane.” — Jameela Jamil [32:59]

5. Erica’s Big “Wrong Turn”: The Reality TV Prank

[35:04 – 44:39]

• Believes She Landed Her Breakout Movie Role:
  • Auditions for a sci-fi film in New York, lands the role of “Clix the Robot,” with wardrobe fittings, contracts, and a dramatic eccentric director.
  • Chaos ensues on set: actors fighting, people injured, special effects disasters.
• Twist Reveal:
  • After days of shooting and her rehearsing an impossible “robot” monologue, the cast is told:

    “Congratulations, you’re not starring in your own film. You’re starring in your own reality TV show.” — Erica Rhodes [41:13]

  • Erica is devastated, feeling duped after pouring her heart into the part, only to learn it was all for AMC’s “Film Fakers.”
  • “To this day I remember the monologue...” — Erica Rhodes [41:53], then recites the absurd line about “remagnetified neurotransmodulators.”
• Aftermath:
  • Gets only $1,000 due to signing the unread contract; took a while to book another significant acting job.
  • The trauma followed her—later, unrelated jobs triggered paranoia about being pranked again.

6. Pranking Gone Wrong & Trust Issues

[44:52 – 46:51]

• Jameela sympathizes, recounting her own sensitivity to pranks on British television:

  • Prank shows where “comedians” send upsetting texts from your phone to other famous people, leading to her replying with such heartfelt, sincere bewilderment that the reactions are “too sad to air.”
    • “It hurts in like your flaps, like, hurt.” — Jameela Jamil [45:49]

• Erica identifies as neurodivergent, perhaps explaining both her monologue superpower and prank trauma.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | 05:30 | "They usually would spend half an hour putting dirt, fake movie dirt on my face...She just goes, ‘You’re ready to go.’" | Steve Agee | | 07:18 | “You look like JonBenet Ramsey if she were still alive.” | Erica Rhodes | | 11:36 | “My sweats fall down to my ankles. I'm not wearing underwear...so I just kind of shuffle with my dick and ass out the rest of the way across the street.” | Steve Agee | | 13:50 | “Drawstrings.” | Steve Agee | | 16:34 | “He’s a supermodel and I kicked a supermodel out of your bed.” | Erica Rhodes | | 21:56 | “It’s like being kissed on the inside of your veins by angels.” | Jameela Jamil | | 29:41 | “He pulled it out like he was starting a lawnmower.” | Steve Agee | | 41:13 | “Congratulations, you’re not starring in your own film. You’re starring in your own reality TV show.” | Erica Rhodes | | 45:49 | “It hurts in like your flaps, like, hurt.” | Jameela Jamil |

Noteworthy Segments & Timestamps

• Guest Introductions, Showbiz Humiliations: [01:50 – 05:55]
• Erica’s Viral Date Story: [07:00 – 08:10]
• Steve’s Hollywood “Pantsing”: [08:25 – 13:52]
• Erica’s “Supermodel” Encounter: [13:59 – 17:18]
• Steve’s Kidney Stones & Surgical Horror: [20:26 – 31:40]
• Erica’s Reality TV "Big Break" Shock: [35:04 – 44:39]
• Jameela’s Prank Trauma, Neurodivergence: [44:52 – 46:51]

Tone and Atmosphere

• Fast-paced, unfiltered, and darkly comic, the episode delves into the absurdity, unpredictability, and indignity of “wrong turns”—both mundane and spectacular.
• The camaraderie between the guests is palpable, with each one-upping the other’s mortifying anecdotes, only to pile on the laughter and self-deprecation.

Where to Find the Guests

• Erica Rhodes:

  • Instagram: @ericarhodes
  • Website: ericarodescomedy.com
  • Live tour: “Call Me Crazy”

• Steve Agee:

  • Instagram: @steveagee
  • Watch Peacemaker (season 1 and 2) on HBO Max
  • Look out for his recurring “homeless man” on New Girl

For anyone who’s ever felt like their life is a string of disasters: this episode is a cathartic laugh—reminding us that sometimes the best way to process humiliation is to revel in it together, on a podcast.