On many millions of For You Pages, Alix Earle has appeared and become a mainstay source of entertainment with her deliciously candid (and oh, so messy) looks at her life as a twenty-something girl just trying to live in the fast lane. Just last year in September, the content creator birthed the ‘Hot Mess with Alix Earle’ podcast for her over 7+ million TikTok followers to listen in on the behind-the-scenes moments that you don’t see in her few minute long videos as she gets real on the woes of relationships, sororities, anxiety, social media, and beyond. Fast forward many episodes later, ‘Hot Mess’ is back for season two with a whole new look and co-host, her 21-year-old sister, Ashtin Earle.

Below, V chatted with the Earle girls to find out how the two joined forces for the second edition of the podcast and what wild stories listeners can expect to hear from the two bombshells.

V Magazine: Back for season two and Ashtin is joining in on the fun! Alix, walk us through the revamp of the podcast—what made you want to bring Ashtin into the mix? 

Alix Earle: I really wanted to elevate the whole feel of Hot Mess for Season 2 and after Ashtin co-hosted with me a few times, I knew that we would be able to do just that by bringing her on in a bigger way. Podcasting with my sister feels so natural and fun because it’s essentially just our normal conversations but with mics in hand and a virtual audience tuning in. Ashtin is the perfect person to join because although we are similar in many ways, we still have different aesthetics, opinions, and outlooks on life. I’m excited for my listeners to hear two perspectives as I’m sure some will relate to what Ashtin has to say more than myself and vice versa. 

V: What would you say is different about the overall look, feel, and sound of S2 compared to S1? 

Alix: The podcast to its core will always showcase the behind-the-scenes of what is going on in my life, which as my audience knows, can be a little bit messy! This season, with my sister Ashtin by my side, will dive into more candid conversations about everyday life including family, friendships, mental health, and all the challenges of navigating your 20s. Even though Ashtin and I have differing opinions at times, we have such a good dynamic it’s a fresh way to bring perspective from all angles. Shooting the imagery was also the first time we’ve ever officially shot something together, which felt very special to do as sisters. 

V: You both recently did an episode of ‘Hot Mess’ where you went into the depths of self-confidence and breakups. Was this the episode that kicked off the idea of joining forces and doing something together? 

Alix: The episode where Ashtin went into depth about her breakup absolutely solidified my idea of wanting to have her on the podcast. I had spoken about the same topic in so many episodes before, but hearing her side of things made me realize how different our experiences were. It’s really important to me to amplify as many perspectives as I can so that every listener, no matter who they are or where they come from, can hopefully find something they relate to or even learn something from our stories that can help them in the future. 

Ashtin: Prior to the breakup episode, Alix and I had briefly thrown around the idea of joining forces, but could never figure out what that would look like. After we released that episode, we were shocked by the positive response to hearing two sides of each circumstance. This led us to ultimately decide to take this on together in hopes to help others going through similar situations. 

V: Ashtin, was podcasting something you were into at all? What made you take an interest in tapping into ‘Hot Mess’? What were some of your initial thoughts when Alix popped the question of you joining in on the fun? 

Ashtin: The first time I ever podcasted was for the Hot Mess Earle Girls vs. Paris episode where Alix and I filmed under the Eiffel Tower while we were in town for fashion week last fall. Before that, I never thought I’d be into podcasting, but after trying it out with Alix I actually had a lot of fun, and made me excited to dive into it with her. I look forward to seeing what we can continue to build together with Hot Mess and beyond. 

V: Alix it’s been one year since the debut of ‘Hot Mess’—congratulations! Now a year in, what has been the most rewarding/fulfilling part you’ve experienced throughout this chapter? Where do you see your growth most looking back on this past year? 

Alix: Thank you! The most fulfilling part of starting and growing Hot Mess has definitely been the ability to connect with my audience on a deeper level. I share pretty much everything about my life and sometimes that can leave me feeling really vulnerable, but when I meet people in person and they tell me how an episode I recorded impacted their perspective for the better, it truly makes putting myself out there all worth it. Through this last year, I have grown so much as a storyteller and speaker. When I go back and listen to early episodes, I can really hear the difference between then and now. I’m so much more comfortable and confident in front of the camera and it’s truly become second nature for me to share my experiences in that way. 

V: You’re both only two years apart—in what ways do you think your experiences and life stories that you share with your audiences differ and relate? 

Alix: Although Ashtin is two years younger than me, in some ways I think she is more mature than I am. Having grown up together, we of course share similar experiences, but the way they have shaped and molded us as people has been so individual to each of us. Ashtin is really good at not acting on her emotions in the heat of the moment, which is a quality I really respect and appreciate about her. I sometimes feel like our roles are reversed where she is the one giving me ‘big sister’ advice. I love that we can now give the Hot Mess audience an inside look at that dynamic. 

Ashtin: Alix and I definitely have the same core values and morals given the fact that we have grown up together, but at the same time, we have very different personalities. Alix is more outgoing and social and I tend to be more reserved, shy, and pretty much avoid conflict at all costs, lol. These differences are what I love about us doing ‘Hot Mess’ together because we can agree on the same solution to a situation but give different approaches on how to get there. 

V: Are there any fun surprises and special guests that we can expect from S2? Spoilers, please! 

Alix: We’re looking to incorporate more guests this season, which we have a lot of fun people lined up for! That being said, something that is really important to me for this show is recording the episodes week to week. Even though it can be a bit of a scramble at times, I think it’s really valuable to pull guests and topics from what’s going on both in my life and what people are talking about. The internet can be a messy place and I always want to give people a safe space to share their stories and perspectives without feeling like they are in a formal or serious, sit-down interview. You can definitely expect even more crazy, behind-the-scenes stories, deep sister chats, and to hear from a few of your favorite people.