THE owners of a UK-based podcast with the same name as Michelle Obama’s new show have so far been met with radio silence after appealing to the former First Lady in a viral video.
Michelle’s podcast, which she records with her brother, Craig Robinson, is titled ‘IMO’ – and launched last week.
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The British ‘In My Opinion’ podcast premiered back in 2020 and although they don’t own the trademark to the name in the US, brothers Uzoma, DT, and Mulinde are hoping Michelle may reconsider.
In an exclusive interview with The U.S. Sun, Marvin Mulinde said they have around seven million monthly views on social media and audio platforms combined, and a significant portion of their listeners are based in America.
“We couldn’t help but worry about the impact the name of Mrs. Obama’s podcast might have on our engagement and searchability,” he said.
“Her celebrity status and massive following may make it harder for our audience to find us.
“For example, when you now search ‘IMO Podcast,’ we no longer appear at the top of the results, and in some cases, we don’t appear at all, whereas we did previously.
“We have reached out to Mrs. Obama’s office through their web form and are patiently awaiting a response.
“Our goal is to ensure that both podcasts can thrive and continue making a positive impact in their own unique ways.”
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Michelle’s office for comment but is yet to hear back.
Despite the name clash, Mulinde said they have “immense respect and admiration for Mrs. Obama.”
“As the first Black woman to serve as First Lady of the United States, she’s been a trailblazer and an inspiration to so many, including us,” he said.
“When she launched her podcast, we were genuinely happy and supportive – it’s not every day you get to hear from a former First Lady on such a platform.
“We’ve listened to it, and we think it’s fantastic. We’re big fans of Mrs. Obama and enjoyed hearing her and her brother, Craig, in their element.
“In fact, we’d love the opportunity to collaborate with her someday – whether on her podcast, ours, or both.
“It’s wishful thinking, but we believe our shared commitment to meaningful conversations could make for a powerful partnership.”
We recognize that this may have been an oversight, and if anything, we are humbled and flattered.”
Podcast host Marvin Mulinde
He added, “We haven’t sought legal advice because, frankly, Mrs. Obama hasn’t done anything wrong legally.
“She was well within her rights to trademark ‘IMO Podcast’ in the US, and we’ve never accused her of infringing on our trademark by doing so.
“We recognize that this may have been an oversight, and if anything, we are humbled and flattered to know that we might even be kindred spirits for coming up with the same name.”
He went on to explain they launched their podcast from the living room of one of their co-hosts with a clear mission “to create a space for ‘edutainment’ – where education meets entertainment.”
“Our goal is to shed light on important but often overlooked topics, such as breast cancer awareness, autism awareness, male infertility, fibroid awareness, and more,” he said.
Trouble in paradise?
Divorce rumors involving Barack and Michelle Obama has swirled online in recent months.
- The rumors first emerged when Michelle Obama missed former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral on January 9.
- Barack Obama attended the funeral alone and sat next to all the former presidents and first ladies.
- Michelle Obama then skipped President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, giving no reason for her absence.
- Barack Obama was caught on video arriving at the inauguration alone and sat next to former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush.
- On February 21, Michelle and her older brother, Craig Robinson, were spotted enjoying dinner at a Los Angeles hotspot without Barack Obama.
- The former president was pictured courtside at the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers and Detroit Pistons game on March 5.
- Obama was seated between Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie, but Michelle was nowhere in sight.
“While these subjects are serious and impactful, we recognize that not everyone can dedicate two hours to heavy discussions.
“That’s why we infuse our episodes with humor and banter, using our comedic personalities to deliver these topics in a lighthearted yet meaningful way.
“We’ve been absolutely overwhelmed by the podcast’s success.
“What started as a lockdown project to keep ourselves busy has grown into something far beyond our expectations.
“Today, we have over 330,000 followers across all our platforms, with more than seven million monthly views on social media and audio platforms combined.
“It’s been an incredible journey, and we’re grateful for the support we’ve received.”
Despite the team’s praise for Michelle’s new project, it has not been well-recieved by everybody, with critics claiming the former First Lady is having a “rocky start.”
In a trailer for IMO, Michelle promised to deliver insightful conversations to fans with a wide variety of guests every week but she is yet to see good ratings.
Michelle said, “Let’s be real: We are living through some really complicated and confusing times, and people are feeling more alone than ever.
“But I’ve learned that if you’re feeling a certain kind of way, the reality is that others are probably feeling that way too, and when you take the time to be just a little vulnerable and open up about it, it’s a whole lot easier to find the answers you’re looking for.”
In her debut episode, Michelle gave listeners a sneak peek into her marriage with the 44th president, Barack Obama, and how his lack of punctuality irritated her at the start of their relationship.
“Barack had to adjust to what on time was, you know,” she said.
“I’ve got this husband who, when it’s time to leave, he’s getting up and going to the bathroom.
“And I was like, dude, three o’clock departure means you’ve done all that. It’s like, don’t start looking for your glasses, you know, at the 3 departure.
“He’s improved over 30 years of marriage, but that was a ‘you must adjust.'”
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