The Mint Comedy Podcast
The Mint Comedy Podcast is a video interview show hosted by Mint Comedy CEO Brandon Henderson and filmed at the Comedy Cellar in New York City. Each episode features one comedian in one long conversation about how stand-up actually gets made: the writing, the crowd work, the bad first drafts, and whatever strange places the talk ends up.
Every episode streams free, on-demand, at mintcomedy.com/series/podcast. Episode 1 with Chris Redd and Episode 2 with Maddie Wiener are out now. Episode 3 with Winston Hodges is coming soon.
The Mint Comedy Podcast at a glance
Host: Brandon Henderson, CEO of Mint Comedy
Filmed at: The Comedy Cellar, New York City
Format: Video interview, one comedian per episode, about 20 to 25 minutes
Where to watch: Free at mintcomedy.com/series/podcast
Out now: Ep. 1 Chris Redd · Ep. 2 Maddie Wiener
Coming soon: Ep. 3 Winston Hodges
Content: Unscripted and uncensored. Adult language.
What is The Mint Comedy Podcast?
Most comedy podcasts go for the bit. This one goes for the craft behind it. Brandon sits down with comedians who work the Comedy Cellar and asks what fans actually want to know. How does a joke go from an idea to something that kills? Is crowd work a real skill or a crutch? When is a joke finished, and when does it only look finished because it got a laugh on camera?
It's also a comedy podcast, which means it goes off the rails. Episode 1 ends with a pitch for a Batman/ER crossover starring George Clooney. Episode 2 covers a comedian's OnlyFans where she reads Hegel. Mint's series page sums it up: "Unscripted. Uncensored. Thoroughly funny."
The show is part of Mint Comedy's growing lineup of original comedy, alongside Mint's live, uncensored stand-up streamed from the Comedy Cellar every Thursday.
Episode 1: Chris Redd
▶ Watch Episode 1 with Chris Redd
Who he is: Chris Redd is a comedian, actor, and writer from Chicago. He was a Saturday Night Live cast member from 2017 to 2022, won a Primetime Emmy during his SNL run, and trained in improv at Second City. His stand-up special Chris Redd: Why Am I Like This? is on HBO.
What they talk about:
Nobody can replace Harrison Ford. The episode opens with Chris explaining why Hollywood keeps trying to make a new Harrison Ford and keeps failing: the new guys aren't tough "for real." He also has a theory about Chris Pratt that you'll need to hear yourself.
The face. Chris calls himself over-expressive. An improv teacher once told him "less is more," and he says he had no idea he was doing more. It was just his face. He talks about learning to use that on stage without exaggerating everything.
Vulnerability as a two-way deal. Chris admits he's uncomfortable being vulnerable on stage. His fix: when he opens up, he gets the audience to open up too, and that lets him go deeper.
Crowd work, defended (sort of). Brandon asks how an improv-trained comic watches other people do crowd work. Chris separates comics who fill time because a bit isn't landing from comics like Rory Scovel who lean into every moment. The best version, he says, mixes crowd work with written material so smoothly the room can't tell which is which.
Writing after SNL. Chris used to script every word. Now he talks jokes out, records his sets, and studies them "like the NFL watches game tape." His first punchlines are usually the bad ones. He writes more than he needs so that improvising feels like a freestyle rapper pulling out prepared lines.
Dying in a group. A new bit about his fear of plane crashes, specifically about dying with 350 strangers and nobody remembering his name.
The detour. Feats of strength performed entirely with feet. A Tarantino movie that should not be made. George Clooney as Batman and an ER doctor, working a double shift.
Best for: fans of SNL, anyone curious how sketch and improv training shapes stand-up, and people who think crowd work is overrated.
Episode 2: Maddie Wiener
▶ Watch Episode 2 with Maddie Wiener
Who she is: Maddie Wiener is a stand-up comedian, Saturday Night Live writer, and Comedy Cellar regular originally from North Carolina, now based in New York City. Her style has been described as "irreverent humor…with a streak of brazenness" and "abrasive and likeable at the same time." She's been a New Face at the Just for Laughs Festival, filmed stand-up sets for Comedy Central and Don't Tell Comedy, appeared on You Up with Nikki Glaser on SiriusXM, and was a semi-finalist for Stand Up NBC. On the road, she has opened for Dave Attell, Nikki Glaser, Robert Kelly, Anthony Jeselnik, Joe List, and Marc Maron, and she's currently headlining colleges across the US. She co-hosts the podcast We're Having Gay Sex with Ashley Gavin and Phone Is in the Bag with Kenyon Adamcik.
What they talk about:
"Training wheels for God." Maddie grew up culturally Jewish with a humanist mom and a hardcore atheist dad who banned Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy because they were "training wheels for God." For her ninth birthday, she went to a Richard Dawkins lecture.
Brandon's origin story. Brandon, who was adopted, shares what he learned from 23andMe: a Mormon birth mother, a Jehovah's Witness birth father who didn't know he existed, and the Greyhound bus tattoo they got together after meeting. The reason for the Greyhound logo is the best reveal of the episode.
Salt Lake City and life after Mormonism. The two compare notes on Utah comedy crowds, the Mormon church's perfectly trimmed lawns, and Maddie's asthma attack while opening for Matteo Lane (he walked her to urgent care).
The least sexy OnlyFans ever made. Maddie has an OnlyFans. It's her reading Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. The bots comment anyway.
Starting stand-up at 16. Maddie started doing open mics as a teenager in North Carolina, getting up seven nights a week if she was willing to drive. That's where she met Kenyon Adamcik, still her friend and now her co-host. Her parents approved the jokes. Her heroes were, in her words, "filthy, angry old men" like Attell, Bill Burr, Maron, and Doug Stanhope.
When is a joke actually finished? The most useful part of the episode for anyone who does comedy. Maddie explains why she's moving from jokes that happen by accident to jokes that start with something she actually wants to say. She also worries that young comics will call a joke done as soon as it gets a laugh they can clip.
Best for: fans of dark, dirty, smart stand-up, people who grew up religious (or aggressively not), and anyone who has ever wondered how a joke gets written.
Episode 3: Winston Hodges (Coming Soon)
Who he is: Winston Hodges is a Virginia-born stand-up comedian, a Virginia Tech graduate, and a Comedy Cellar regular. In 2026 he reached the final six of Netflix's Funny AF with Kevin Hart. Known for his Southern charm and edgy wit, he has toured clubs across the country full time for more than a decade. His award-winning special about loss, Grieving Productively, is free on YouTube.
Episode 3 is coming soon to mintcomedy.com/series/podcast. Follow Mint Comedy on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to see when it drops.
About the host: Brandon Henderson
Brandon Henderson is the CEO of Mint Comedy. He brings a writer's curiosity to the interview chair (he has an MFA in writing, and admits he's still trying to find his voice 20 years later). He's also willing to share his own stories, including the Greyhound tattoo, and happy to chase a bit wherever it goes. Chris Redd's review at the end of Episode 1: "You're good at this, man." Follow Brandon on Instagram at @minthenderson.
Where to watch The Mint Comedy Podcast
Every episode streams free, on-demand, at mintcomedy.com/series/podcast. No membership needed.
Want more after the podcast? Mint Comedy streams live, uncensored stand-up from the Comedy Cellar every Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET at mintcomedy.com/live-stream. It's $2.99 per show, or included with a Mint membership ($4.99/month or annual).
▶ Watch The Mint Comedy Podcast
Frequently asked questions
What is The Mint Comedy Podcast?
The Mint Comedy Podcast is a video interview series from Mint Comedy. Host Brandon Henderson, Mint's CEO, talks with one comedian per episode about stand-up, writing, and their lives. It's filmed at the Comedy Cellar in New York City.
Who hosts The Mint Comedy Podcast?
Brandon Henderson, CEO of Mint Comedy, hosts the show.
Where is The Mint Comedy Podcast filmed?
At the Comedy Cellar in New York City's Greenwich Village, the club where Mint Comedy also streams live stand-up every Thursday.
Where can I watch The Mint Comedy Podcast?
Every episode streams free, on-demand, at mintcomedy.com/series/podcast.
Is The Mint Comedy Podcast free?
Yes. Every episode streams free at mintcomedy.com/series/podcast. No membership needed.
Who has been on The Mint Comedy Podcast?
Episode 1 features Chris Redd (Saturday Night Live, HBO's Why Am I Like This?). Episode 2 features Maddie Wiener (SNL writer, We're Having Gay Sex, Comedy Cellar). Episode 3 with Winston Hodges (Funny AF with Kevin Hart) is coming soon.
When is the next episode of The Mint Comedy Podcast?
Episode 3 with Winston Hodges is coming soon.
How long are episodes of The Mint Comedy Podcast?
Episodes run about 20 to 25 minutes.
Is The Mint Comedy Podcast explicit?
Yes. Like Mint's live stand-up, the podcast is unscripted and uncensored, with adult language and topics.