Footy-Meets-Fashion Podcast ‘No Utes in the Valet’ Joins iHeart

Australian fashion-and-football podcast No Utes in the Valet has joined ARN’s iHeart Podcast Network, with the broadcaster supporting advertising sales for the weekly show and helping grow its audience, Mumbrella and Mediaweek reported on Monday morning in Australia. The show is hosted by celebrity stylist and television presenter Elliot Garnaut and Isaac Smith, a four-time AFL premiership player and Norm Smith Medallist.

The deal comes days after ARN named the pair to its new KIIS 101.1 Melbourne breakfast show alongside Ash London, launching Monday, Oct. 26, according to both outlets. Radio Today reported on Sept. 30 that the show will air from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays, with Georgia Love as newsreader.

No Utes in the Valet launched a little over a year ago and mixes fashion, sport, entertainment and celebrity culture, pairing country-born Smith with city-bred Garnaut. Episodes have covered the business of the Oscars red carpet, Brownlow Medal fashion, AFL Grand Final week, Australian Fashion Week and the NFL, and Mumbrella added Kylie Minogue to that list. Mumbrella described the series as “the fast-talking, fashion-meets-footy podcast nobody asked for but somehow has something for absolutely everyone.”

Garnaut said the partnership would bring the podcast to more listeners, Mediaweek reported. “What started as a small chat between friends has grown exponentially into something that has become a central figure of the Aussie zeitgeist,” he said, as quoted by Mumbrella. “We are so excited to be partnering with iHeart to take No Utes to more audiences and of course promise the signature chaos and Enlightenment along the way. We can’t wait!”

Smith, who moved into radio and podcasting after retiring from AFL football, according to Radio Today, sounded a similar note. “Elliot and I started No Utes in the Valet because we couldn’t stop talking about sport, fashion, culture and everything else going on around us – so it’s pretty surreal to see where it’s taken us,” he said. “We’re excited to keep bringing the banter, new co-hosts and the big conversations and probably a few questionable opinions along the way.”

Under the partnership, ARN will support advertising sales for the podcast and help build its audience across the iHeart ecosystem, both outlets reported. Corey Layton, head of iHeart strategic partnerships and product, said, “Elliot and Isaac have created a genuinely unique show uniting sport, culture and style across audio, video and socials. Their chemistry is undeniable, and we’re excited to help grow the audience even further while connecting brands with their passionate and loyal community.”

New episodes will keep dropping every Monday morning on all major podcast platforms, including the free iHeart app, with supporting video on YouTube and iHeart channels. In the U.S., TheWrap reported on Monday that Andrew Santino and Bobby Lee’s “Bad Friends” had joined Wave in an ad sales and distribution deal. For more audio industry coverage, visit our Podcast News page.

Verification: The iHeart Podcast Network signing, ARN’s advertising sales and audience-growth role, the hosts’ backgrounds, the show’s launch a little over a year ago, its Monday release schedule and the quotes from Garnaut, Smith and Layton are reported by Mumbrella (Mumbrella staff, Oct. 5 AEDT) and Mediaweek (Staff Writer, Oct. 5 AEDT). The KIIS 101.1 breakfast hours, newsreader and Smith’s move into podcasting come from Radio Today’s Sept. 30 report; the “Bad Friends” deal comes from TheWrap.