Work in Progress: Danae Hays
Drama Queens
iHeartPodcasts
4.9 • 24K Ratings
🗓️ 28 January 2026
⏱️ 67 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Looking at the eclectic crowd attending a Danae Hays comedy show and - as she puts it - you don't know if it's sponsored by the NRA or GLAAD. But somehow this Alabama-born content-creator makes both the southern good ole' boys and old married lesbians laugh and even find unexpected common ground.
From prank calls to sold-out shows, Danae opens up about her viral fame, coming out young, and the real stories behind her characters and punchlines. Hear how she lied her way onto the Grand Ole' Opry stage and what happened when she called her mother after a seven-year rift.
Tickets for “The BUCKWILD Tour” are available at DanaeHays.com.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:02.6 | Guaranteed Human. |
| 0:04.3 | You want to advance your education, but not on a traditional path. |
| 0:08.9 | At Rasmussen University, you'll find flexible and engaging online experiences, |
| 0:14.1 | tuition savings options, exceptional student support, and much more. |
| 0:18.7 | You may also qualify for a new laptop when you enroll in select online or |
| 0:22.9 | campus programs. Enroll for a fully online program or one of their 20 campuses across six states. |
| 0:30.4 | Start when you're ready and get the support you need. Visit rasmussen.edu. |
| 0:36.1 | Hey everyone, it's Sophia. Welcome to Work in Progress. |
| 0:52.9 | Hello and welcome back to work in progress, friends. |
| 0:56.7 | Today we have a treat for you, a comedian that I love is here to talk about the tour she just launched and how she got here. |
| 1:08.1 | It may or may not involve a prank call, an absolute accident, and lying your |
| 1:14.3 | way to the top in a good way. Today's guest is comedian musician and content creator Dene Hayes. |
| 1:22.1 | She has built a career out of fearless honesty, nostalgic southern storytelling and characters that feel universally |
| 1:31.5 | human and universally hilarious. She is the kind of comedian that makes you laugh and then will |
| 1:36.9 | break your heart in the best way. What I love about Deney is that underneath the pure comedy |
| 1:43.8 | of the parody country songs and those viral prank |
| 1:47.4 | calls and her wicked punchlines is a story that's really been shaped by forging her own path. |
| 1:55.3 | She came out at nine years old. |
| 1:57.4 | She grew up queer in a tiny town in the south. She had to navigate faith and family |
| 2:03.4 | estrangement and figure out how to find her own self-acceptance. And now she does that on stage |
| 2:11.5 | for herself and also for audiences. The people who come to see her shows span LGBTQ fans, conservative Southerners, and everybody in between. |
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