“I just think it’s hilarious”: Jamie Lee Curtis calls out the fact that podcasts now have a video element to them

As of 2025, podcasts are everywhere. Data shows there are more than 4.5 million of them worldwide, with almost half a million new ones launched in just the last three months.

And since creators want to reach as many people as possible, they often put their shows on multiple platforms, including YouTube.

That means the “podcast” experience isn’t just audio anymore, it’s on camera too. However, not everyone is comfortable with that shift.

Jamie Lee Curtis isn’t a fan of podcasts with cameras

Actor Jamie Lee Curtis recently made that clear during her appearance on Alive with Steve Burns. A clip from the episode was posted on TikTok, where Curtis questioned why podcasts even need cameras at all.

“If it’s a podcast, why do we have to be on camera?” she asked at the start of the clip. She laughed about how “everybody has a podcast” now and said that when she agrees to do them, her first question is always: “Great, but it’s not on camera, right?”

@alivewithsteveburns @jamieleecurtis is asking the tough questions. #steveburns #90skid #bluesclues #adulting #podcast ♬ original sound – Alive with Steve Burns

According to Curtis, she has often been told otherwise. “They go, oh yeah, it is. And they’re lit like bitches,” she said, explaining that many shows now hire lighting crews, use professional headphones and microphones, and stage everything like a TV set. She contrasted that with her own reality of dialing in from home, without all the glamor.

Steve Burns joked back in a gremlin voice, “And you’re like, ‘How you doing?’” Curtis quickly jumped in, “Exactly.”

The numbers back her up

Curtis’s frustration isn’t just a one-off. According to podcastatistics.com, nearly half of U.S. podcast listeners—46%—say they actually prefer to watch podcasts.

Meanwhile, 42% still prefer audio-only shows. That shift in audience preference explains why more hosts are investing in video setups.

In fact, about 17% of podcast creators now record both audio and video formats for their shows.

Fans in the TikTok comments had mixed reactions. Some sided with Curtis completely. “Jamie is right, though,” one wrote.

Another said, “Jamie has ZERO filter.”

But not everyone agreed. One person argued that video podcasts serve accessibility needs: “I like them on camera because I’m deaf, and reading the transcripts are no fun,” they wrote. “I like to see the reactions of the faces of the people who are speaking.”

Others brought up different learning styles. “Okay, but as someone who is a visual learner, I cannot sit and just listen to someone talk without seeing their face,” a commenter explained. “Maybe that’s just me, but as many podcasts are out there, I’ve never listened to one.”

You can watch the pair’s full conversation below.