Charlotte Flair’s upcoming podcast wasn’t just born out of a business opportunity—it came from one of the lowest points of her career. While fans first learned about Off the Pedestal back in September, Flair has now revealed the personal reason she decided to launch the show
Speaking on Set, Hut!, the Queen explained that tearing her knee forced her to confront how much of her identity had become tied to wrestling. Flair admitted that being away from the ring left her questioning who she was because wrestling had become her entire life. Looking back on that period, she realized she had attached her self-worth to performing in front of fans rather than who she was outside WWE.
“So while I was out on injury, when I tore my knee, I really needed to find my purpose. Because I don’t know about you guys, but wrestling is my life. So when I wasn’t in the ring, I was kind of like — who am I? Like, I definitely put my self-worth, not necessarily on the titles, but the lacing my boots, the crowd, the fighting. And I was like — OK, I don’t know what’s next, but I know I can help people, and that makes me feel good.”
That realization ultimately led her to the idea behind Off the Pedestal. Flair said she wanted to create something more meaningful than just another celebrity podcast. Instead, she envisioned a space where athletes could openly discuss struggles that often go unspoken, including body image, mental health and the pressures that come with competing at the highest level.
“I think it was with me being honest with myself that I was tying my self-worth to the job. So I was like — I woke up one day and was like, ‘Man, I really wanna have a podcast,’ because everyone has a podcast. But I wanted to create a space for athletes where we can kind of talk about these conversations that I think necessarily haven’t been — what’s the word — comfortable to talk about.
Where, like — ‘Hey, I’ve gone through body dysmorphia, I’ve gone through self-worth issues, I’ve gone through what it means to be at the top and the pressures,’ and what that did to me mentally and emotionally and putting myself to the side. When you’re at the top, you never want to not be at the top. But for me, hurting my knee brought me down here, which I was like — ‘OK, I needed that dip to get back to here,’ and that’s why I’m doing that podcast.”
Rather than simply being another project outside WWE, Flair says Off the Pedestal grew out of one of the toughest stretches of her career. What started as a difficult recovery from injury ultimately became an opportunity to have the kinds of conversations she feels athletes don’t always get to have in public.
What do you think about Charlotte Flair’s reason for starting her podcast? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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