The Covid-19 pandemic introduced the term “Essential Workers” for a class of people who existed before and will persist long after the virus is gone. Vital to society, but rarely heard from, this “essential” class is often hit hardest by the imbalances and injustices of our culture. In each episode, host Wilmer Valderrama will have intimate conversations with people on the frontlines of the food system, transportation, child-care and other workers who are so often overlooked. That conversation leads to a round-table discussion with activists and politically-active celebrities, discussing themes, issues and areas of needed change. New episodes air weekly on Tuesday.

iHeartMedia, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally, today announced four new shows launching in July from My Cultura, iHeartMedia’s new podcast network dedicated to elevating Latinx voices and creators, while also sharing the Latinx experience with millions of listeners. The network’s initial lineup will include “Essential Voices with Wilmer Valderrama,” “Exactly Amara,” “Transportista” (published in both English and Spanish) and “Life As a Gringo.” With a driven commitment to the creation of a platform that helps amplify the Latinx community. All of the new podcast series will be available on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard. 

Grove: How did you come up with the concept for Essential Voices?

Valderrama:  I partnered up with iHeartRadio and Clamor and we decided that my company, WV Entertainment, should launch an audio department. I talked to Leo Klemm on our team, who is now the head of our audio department, and our first creation was Essential Voices. We thought this could be a way to create notable and important narrative stories that we thought were important to highlight. I have my co-host MR Raquel with me and the podcast builds on what we were doing with“6 Feet Apart” on Instagram Live.

In E! News' exclusive first trailer released on Tuesday, July 20, the 41-year-old NCIS star explains why he is hosting Essential Voices. The previously announced podcast, which is a part of iHeartMedia's My Cultura and produced by Clamor Media, focuses on interviews with the essential workers who have been vital in keeping the country afloat amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, in addition to looking at how their roles continue to shift. This iHeartMedia project, which was also produced by WV Entertainment, launches Tuesday, July 27, and new episodes can be heard on subsequent Tuesdays.

Wilmer Valderrama Says Father’s Battle With COVID Inspired New Podcast About Essential and Frontline Workers. Produced by Valderrama’s production company WV Entertainment and Clamor and distributed by iHeart, “Essential Voices” is co-hosted by MR Raquel and is an offshoot of his “6 Feet Apart” interview series on Instagram Live.

Joined by co-host MR Raquel, Valderrama will share intimate conversations with people on the frontlines of food service, transportation, child-care and other systems where workers’ voices are often overlooked. The show will be split into two parts — first the conversation with an essential worker and then a roundtable discussion featuring guests who are a mix of activists and politically active celebrities, such as Amy Turk, Jon & Vinny, Nithya Raman, Yvonne Mariajimenez, Adrianna Alejandre, and Dr. Nadine Burke Harris.