If you ever felt like you needed someone to talk to, Heidi Hamilton could be your new best friend. The out radio personality has taken on a new gig as the host of Logo’s new nightly live That Sex Show, where she’s not only the one wrangling the experts together to answer your questions, but she’s also the resident lesbian.
Heidi is the co-host of The Heidi and Frank Show on KLOS in Los Angeles and says although she’s always been out to her friends and family, she made the choice to come out publicly to listeners in 2006.
“I really honestly had no idea how that was going to play out, because our show was so much about our lives and being honest. I was always talking about my partner but I was doing the pronoun thing. I was keeping it vague. That old gag,” Heidi said. “And I decided I don’t want to do that anymore, because I feel as a lesbian I feel a responsibility. I grew up in a very small town in Indiana where there wasn’t, to my knowledge, there wasn’t anybody like me. So if I could turn on the TV and go ‘Oh, wow. She’s gay, she’s cool, OK! So it’s not so weird.’ Or you can point to a relative and say ‘See, she’s gay and she’s cool and she’s funny! I’m like her!’ And I’m proud of that. I’m so proud to be at Logo.”
Because she’s used to keeping her radio show on track, Heidi will make sure That Sex Show does the same, which can prove a little difficult considering all that’s involved. In the ’90s, Loveline had it easy with phone callers only — now Heidi will have to help the panelists answer questions via Skype, Facetime, Twitter and other social media avenues.
“I kind of view myself as the bus driver and we’re on this crazy journey and having a ton of fun on the way, but I got to make sure we get us there and get us there safe,” Heidi said. “And so I’m the crazy bus driver and I’m there to bring levity because a lot of it is Dr. Mike Dow, he is very serious and passionate about what he does. He’ll take a call and he’ll take the clinical point of view. But sometimes, when things get heavy, I’m sort of there to go “All right!” and make sure it does still stay light and that we’re all still having fun, so it’s not like ‘Whoa, that was a buzz kill.’ I’m always there to keep it light.
That Sex Show‘s panel is made up of aforementioned relationship and sexuality expert Dow, psychic life coach Dougall Fraser and former porn star Katie Morgan and Heidi said they all have a chance to share their ideas and answers to viewers’ questions.
“I think anytime you’re bringing dialogue and opening it up and educating people, and that’s essentially what we’re doing and I’m sort of there to bring the levity because I’m not an ‘expert,'” Heidi said. “I’m an expert in my life. I bring life experience, but I’m just there to bring levity and sort of lighten it up and make it not seem so crazy overwhelming in a way, and make it not so serious.”
Heidi was invited to be part of the new venture when a fan of her radio show asked what she’d think about a late night advice show on Logo. A fan of Loveline and similar programs, she instantly wanted to be a part of it.
“[The producer] was bouncing it off of me, asking ‘What do you think? What do you think?'” Heidi said. “I said “I love it! I want to be involved in it.’ We just started talking and met the cast and we clicked immediately. It was just an immediate chemistry and connection and I thought ‘This will be easy. This will be fun!'”
And besides having fun with her cohorts, Heidi said she’s already been learning a lot during practice sessions and presentations for the network.
“I swear, you spend 30 seconds with Katie Morgan, you’re just like ‘Wait — huh? What do you do with a tootsie roll? What?’ It’s fascinating.”
Heidi said That Sex Show is for everyone “from all walks of life” who want to hear a psychic’s opinion or a therapist’s take or a porn star’s advice, but queer women will also find someone like themselves in her, someone who is willing to open up to help based on what she’s learned in her time spent in similar circumstances.
“Most things a lesbian has gone through or is going through, I can say — if not me, somebody close to me — ‘Oh yep, when I was 21, that happened to me and here’s how I handled it. Here’s what happened as a result of how I handled it,'” Heidi said. “If you’re going through it, chances are I have been through it as well, whether it’s a bad breakup or a family member that asks ‘Why are you a guy hater?’ You deal with that. I try to explain it to somebody. I think whatever you’re going through, I’ve been there or I understand it and I can do my best to help. … Sometimes you’re just like ‘I can’t bring this to a friend because I feel kind of embarrassed,’ or I can’t really talk to my mom — that’s what we’re here for. All are welcome! It’s a place to ask questions without feeling silly.”
That Sex Show premieres February 4 at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Logo.
