💄 What happens when a former CNN entertainment producer trades celebrity interviews for contour palettes and a tour buse? Meet JD Cargill — or as Palm Springs now knows her, Anita Doll.
In this wildly fun, deeply moving, and at times jaw-droppingly honest conversation, Jason Ball interviews JD during his full transformation into Anita Doll — lashes, foundation, and all. Together they unpack how JD went from chasing fame to creating joy, and how drag didn’t just change his career — it saved his life.
🔥 Highlights from the Episode
•From KTLA to CNN: JD reflects on how entertainment news once felt like salvation — until it became spiritual suffocation.
•Drag as a Spiritual Awakening: The pandemic forced JD into stillness… and into drag. In his Pasadena basement, Anita Doll was born.
•Birth of Drag and Fly: JD combines news production chops with queer creativity to create Drag and Fly Tours, a drag queen–hosted, mobile theater experience through Palm Springs.
•The Power of AI + Imagination: How JD used artificial intelligence to design a custom tour vehicle with stadium seating and panoramic views.
•Faith and Fabulousness: JD opens up about reconciling his queer identity with his religious upbringing.
•Anita as Armor: The difference between JD and Anita isn’t just wardrobe. Anita is a superhero — bold, fearless, and full of self-love.
•The Business of Joy: From viral videos to word-of-mouth buzz, JD shares the real talk of building a brand rooted in community, inclusivity, and sparkle.
•Dreaming Big: With ambitions to make Palm Springs the drag capital of the world, JD reveals plans for The Dollhouse, The Tea Garden, The Flight Club, and beyond.
🐉 About Drag and Fly Tours
Drag and Fly Tours is a one-of-a-kind sightseeing experience hosted by drag queens aboard a custom-built, stadium-seated tour vehicle. The show combines comedy, storytelling, music, and video — all produced with a TV producer’s precision and a queen’s flair.
📍 Location: Palm Springs, California
🔗 More info: dragandflytours.com
✨ Quotes to Remember
“Drag didn’t save me from dying — it saved me from disappearing.”
— JD Cargill
“Anita is everything I need to be — fearless, fabulous, and free.”
— JD Cargill
📬 More from Life After News
•🌵 Desert Dispatch — Our Palm Springs newsletter: https://desertdispatch.beehiiv.com/
•🏨 Old Ranch Inn — Stay with us in the heart of Palm Springs: https://oldranchinn.com/
🔗 Stay Connected to Life After News
•🎧 Subscribe: Spotify, Apple Podcasts & more
•📺 Watch: YouTube.com/@LifeAfterNews
•📱 Follow: @MrJasonBall & @LifeAfterNewsPod
•💼 LinkedIn: Jason Ball
•🏨 Stay: Old Ranch Inn
•🗞️ Read: Desert Dispatch – the newsletter on storytelling & reinvention
•📅 New Episodes: Every Tuesday
•💌 Love the show? Share it with a friend!
And don’t forget to share this episode with someone who needs a little sparkle.

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

📺 In this special bonus episode of Life After News, Jason reflects on the powerful new documentary Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything (🎬 stream it on Hulu), Barbara’s 2008 memoir Audition, and her complex, groundbreaking legacy in the news business.

🔍 Topics covered in this episode:

· 🛫 Barbara’s rise from “Today Girl” to Today co-host—over Frank McGee’s dead body (literally)

· 💰 Becoming the first million-dollar anchor at ABC—and the sexist backlash

· 🎤 How she redefined interviews, disarmed world leaders, and helped shape global headlines

· 📚 Jason’s reflections on Audition and why he still recommends it to young journalists (especially women)

· 🎭 The intense behind-the-scenes rivalry with Diane Sawyer

· 🎥 The record-breaking Monica Lewinsky interview—and how she outmaneuvered Oprah for the exclusive

· 🧠 How Barbara’s childhood trauma and complicated family life fueled her drive and perfectionism

· ❤️ Personal takeaways: what Barbara sacrificed, what she modeled, and the importance of balance

💬 Favorite quote:

“Mostly I just worked and didn’t whine.” – Barbara Walters

🧠 Jason's takeaway: “She wasn’t just the role model—she created the role and the model.”

🎁 Want Jason’s copy of Audition? Follow him on Instagram and DM your interest! First come, first mailed.
📸 https://www.instagram.com/mrjasonball
📸 @lifeafternewspod

🎧 Referenced Media:

· 📺 Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything on Hulu

· 📖 Audition: A Memoir by Barbara Walters → Find on Amazon

· 📹 2008 20/20 Special with Charles Gibson → Watch on YouTube (insert correct link if different)

🗨️ Have you seen the doc or read Audition? Let Jason know your thoughts—DM or tag him!

⭐️ If you enjoy Life After News, leave a 5-star review and share it with someone who grew up watching Barbara (or interviewing like her). Until next time…

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.

🎙️ God, Gossip, and Getting Real: Dorothy Lucey on Life After Morning TV

🎧 Episode Summary

In this wide-ranging conversation, Jason Ball sits down with Good Day LA alum Dorothy Lucey to talk about fame, faith, fire—and finding purpose after live TV. Best known for her role in the iconic morning trio with Steve Edwards and Jillian Barberie, Dorothy gets candid about the real dynamics behind the scenes, how it all came crashing down, and the unexpected gifts of life after news.

From being told her voice made someone’s “eyes bleed” to saying goodbye to the show, Dorothy shares it all with her signature humor and honesty. She opens up about volunteering with Mending Kids, her journey of teaching journalism, navigating faith in Hollywood, and surviving the devastating Palisades fire that nearly destroyed her Malibu home.

Jason and Dorothy reminisce about their late friend Sam Rubin, swap newsroom war stories, and imagine a new kind of media—one rooted in meaning, spirituality, and real connection.

🔑 Key Topics

• Behind the scenes of Good Day LA: chaos, chemistry, and candid moments
• Getting fired and finding identity after a long TV career
• The “gift wrapped in sh!t”: parenting after leaving morning news
• Global medical missions with Mending Kids
• Teaching the next generation of journalists at Chapman and Pepperdine
• Balancing gossip and grace: Dorothy’s faith blog and spiritual life
• Surviving the Palisades fire and the trauma of natural disaster
• Remembering Sam Rubin: legacy, friendship, and laughter
• Reimagining purpose: from gossip reporting to soul work

🧭 Notable Quotes

“We were the housewives of morning TV—minus the booze.” – Dorothy Lucey
“I always say it was a gift wrapped in sh!t.” – Dorothy on being home with her son post-firing
“We can all be more than one thing.” – On faith, gossip, and being a whole person
“My faith has made me a slightly better person—I hope.”

🔗 Links & Mentions

• Mending Kids – global nonprofit Dorothy volunteers with
• Chapman University – where Dorothy teaches journalism
• Follow Dorothy’s faith reflections: @DorothyLucey on Instagram

🙏 Gratitude

Thank you to Dorothy for sharing so openly—and reminding us that life after news isn’t just about what comes next, but who we become along the way.

🎙️ Next Up

Sometimes, life after news can be a drag. Former TV news producer J.D. Cargill now performs as drag queen, Anita Doll. J.D. owns and operates Drag and Fly Tours in Palm Springs. It’s one of the best lives after news so far.

🔗 Stay Connected to Life After News

· 🎧 Subscribe: Spotify, Apple Podcasts & more

· 📺 Watch: YouTube.com/@LifeAfterNews

· 📱 Follow: @MrJasonBall & @LifeAfterNewsPod

· 💼 LinkedIn: Jason Ball

· 🏨 Stay: Old Ranch Inn

· 🗞️ Read: Desert Dispatch – the newsletter on storytelling & reinvention

· 📅 New Episodes: Every Tuesday

· 💌 Love the show? Share it with a friend!

Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.