Annie F. Downs Says ‘You’re Never Too Old To Try Something New’—and Her New Show Proves It (Exclusive)
The beloved podcast host opens up about faith, fresh starts and the powerful lessons from her new series, 'I Gotta Ask'
Key Takeaways
- Annie F. Downs reveals why she loved feeling like an amateur while filming her first TV show.
- The author encourages women that you are never too old to chase a brand-new dream.
- Her new series 'I Gotta Ask' tackles tough topics like grief, faith, and relationships.
Whether she’s sharing from a podcast microphone, the pages of a bestselling book or a candid Instagram post, Annie F. Downs has a gift for making people feel seen. And in her new series, I Gotta Ask, she takes the time to ask the hard questions about faith, relationships, grief and purpose.
The bestselling author, beloved host of the That Sounds Fun podcast and soon-to-be author of Don’t Let That Hold You Back: A Bold Guide to Finding the Life You’re Longing For (out September 18), is partnering with Wonder Project for a six-episode series that explores everything from dating and finances to grief, recovery, success, and anxiety.
For Annie, the opportunity means reaching people in a new way. “We are getting to make hope-filled, light-filled content that’s going into a new medium for us,” she shares with Woman’s World. “People who feel like we’re already friends because of social media can now find our friendship on TV.” She adds, “I want to be a part of hope getting to people in any way that is possible, and TV is a real possible way to do that.”
And hope is exactly what she’s delivering. Here, Annie opens up to Woman’s World about why this show was the right next step, what she learned from her guests and why she believes it’s never too late to start something new.
Why Annie F. Downs embraced being a ‘beginner’ again
Although Annie has written bestselling books and recorded hundreds of podcast episodes, creating a television show challenged her in a completely different way. “I love being new at things. I love being an amateur,” she explains. “It isn’t often that I get to do something brand new.” She recalls telling her now-fiancé before filming began, “This is the only day of my whole life that it’ll be the first day I ever film a TV show.”
That willingness to embrace uncertainty made the experience especially meaningful. And when it came time to name the series, the answer was simple. “‘I gotta ask’ is a very normal thing for me to say,” Annie shares. “I found myself with these particular topics and these guests, I found myself going, ‘Well, the next thing I’ve got to ask is…’ and I was like, this show is called I Gotta Ask.”
The deeper conversations women crave now
From dating and faith to addiction recovery and navigating loss, Annie believes today’s audiences are looking for something deeper than surface-level inspiration. “We want authentic people to tell us the truth,” she says. “We don’t just want authentic people telling us their stories.” Instead, she believes people are searching for wisdom from those who have walked through hardship and emerged with faith intact.
“Across these episodes, we get to hear from people who’ve walked through real hardship and come out the other side with wisdom and faith intact,” Annie explains. The conversations changed Annie, too. “I learned from everybody,” she reflects. “You can sit at a table with anybody and learn from them, and God can speak to you through anybody around a table.”
Annie’s powerful message for women starting over
One message Annie hopes resonates with women in every season of life — especially those navigating retirement, an empty nest or a major life transition — is that it’s never too late to begin again. “You’re never too old to try something new,” she says. “The thing you have to say to yourself is, ‘I will never be so stuck in what I’ve already done that I won’t try something that I haven’t done before.'”
“I hope viewers feel inspired to try something they’ve put off and to dream again,” she adds. And for those carrying disappointment over dreams that didn’t unfold as expected, Annie offers gentle wisdom: “Grieve what you can’t have, and embrace a change in a dream that may make the dream possible.” Her reminder is both hopeful and freeing. She urges, “Do not waste another day.”
What Annie wants you to take away from her new show
As Annie prepares for the September release of her new book, Don’t Let That Hold You Back: A Bold Guide to Finding the Life You’re Longing For, her deepest hope remains the same whether she’s writing, podcasting or hosting a television show. “If you look at my Instagram bio, it says ‘Making friends + making things,'” she says. “Those are my two favorite things to do.”
Through I Gotta Ask, which streams on Wonder Project’s subscription service on Prime Video, she hopes audiences walk away feeling connected and encouraged. “My hope for the book reader, for the Instagram follower, for the podcast listener, for the person who watches the TV show, is that they’ll feel like they have made a new friend,” Annie says. “I hope they feel like they got 30 minutes of hope and light and joy and curiosity. And I hope it gives them the inspiration to do something different.”
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