Donned in medieval garb and seated in thrones fit for queens, Brittany Broski’s “Royal Court” is not what you may expect from a talk show, but amid late night’s decline, the unexpected might be the ticket to growing audience numbers.
While other hosts like the Jimmys wear suits and sit behind desks to interview talent, Broski invites her guests for a Gothic feast and puts them on trial to see if they have what it takes to become a coveted member of her court.
Just over two years into the show’s existence, the content creator has hosted the likes of Colman Domingo, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Kyle MacLachlan on her show, garnered over 800,000 subscribers and millions of views. Her most popular episode to date with Cole Sprouse accumulated 5.8 million views.
“I always knew the show was going to do well,” Broski told TheWrap. “I love shows like ‘Hot Ones’ [with Sean Evans] and even ‘Chicken Shop Date’ [with Amelia Dimoldenberg], where these people come on and you see a completely different side to them than what you see in the tabloids or social media.”
Broski’s show seeks to do just that. Her cheeky challenges, medieval slang and quirky demeanor are all an attempt to allow her high-profile guests to embrace their goofy sides and show audiences a new side of themselves. A self-proclaimed fan girl, Broski’s primary goal as a host has always been to provide fan-service to the people who love her guests. Her comments sections even rave about her ability to unlock a different side to the talent who step foot in her court.
“The point of the set is that it’s so over the top that you have no choice but to lean in,” Broski said. “We’re sitting in a castle. You might as well have fun. The way that celebrities have just leaned into the format is so rewarding for all of us – the platform, for me as an interviewer, for them as the guests, and ultimately for the project they’re promoting.”
Paul Mescal has been at the top of Broski’s dream guest list since the show’s inception, she told TheWrap. The “Gladiator II” star joined Broski on “Royal Court” Friday to promote his new film “Hamnet.” Broski said the Irishman was a perfect fit for the series with his quick wit, and her fans seemed to agree, commenting emphatically on his announcement post.
The content creator flew to London, where she recreated her “Royal Court” set, to test if the Oscar nominee had what it takes to join her court. She kicked off the interview asking Mescal about eating 20 sausages in one sitting and if he was more of a Glinda or Elphaba before getting into his upcoming theatrical acting endeavors and his experience working on “Hamnet.”
“I don’t know what it is about those spotlights, but after a while, it feels so intimidating, and then people just loosen up,” she said. “We were giggling like little girls by the end of the episode.”
“I think he really enjoyed himself. And that’s all I get a sh-t about, to be totally honest,” she added.
The “Royal Court” host sees her YouTube show as a competitor with traditional entertainment. Scoring consistent viewership week after week and booking top talent, Broski said that legitimizing her show as talk shows’ future is unsteady is a primary goal as she enters the show’s third season.
Broski never saw “Royal Court” as a web series or digital-first entertainment. In fact she said that placing a webshow label on the series felt reductive.
“It is just a talk show, and it just happens to be on YouTube,” she said.
The host did say that her growth would have been impossible if the show took place anywhere but the digital platform. Her show was a grassroots effort. Broski hired a team to come to her house, create a set with Party City decor, write questions with her and interview stellar guests. After her friend Orville Peck agreed to be the show’s first guest, she was able to leverage his appearance to book bigger talent.
Broski hopes that the show will continue to be a junket stop for celebrities on traditional entertainment press tours. She told TheWrap with the emergence of the internet it is no longer about where you can watch your favorite talent appear, it is simply a game of who has the best moment with your favorite celebrity.
“Royal Court” specifically breaks from the traditional structure of late night as talent comes in largely unaware of what the experience will be but trusts that Broski will make a fool of herself alongside them and have a laugh along the way.
“A big goal of mine is to keep legitimizing ‘Royal Court’ because I still feel like with old Hollywood, there’s this snooty attitude sometimes towards content creators,” she said. “It’s a new version of the same job, and it’s just as legitimate as any of the traditional white guy late night hosts.”
Mescal’s “Royal Court” episode is available to watch on YouTube.
