Rachel Maddow Biography
Rachel Maddow is an American Emmy Award-winning liberal political commentator and program host working for MSNBC as a host of the Rachel Maddow Show. She joined the MSNBC news team in 2008, after previously working for the Air America radio network.
Rachel Maddow Career
Maddow has a background in competitive athletics, having participated in high school volleyball, basketball, and swimming. She graduated from Castro Valley High School and pursued her higher education at Stanford University. While at Stanford, she faced being outed as a lesbian when an interview with her was published in the college newspaper before she could inform her parents. In 1994, she earned a degree in public policy from Stanford and was honored with the John Gardner Fellowship at graduation. She furthered her studies as a Rhodes Scholar at Lincoln College, Oxford, in 1995. Notably, she declined a Marshall Scholarship in favor of Rhodes, becoming the first openly lesbian recipient of the Rhodes Scholarship. In 2001, Maddow completed her Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in politics at the University of Oxford.
This was with her thesis titled “HIV/AIDS and Health Care Reform in British and American Prisons,” supervised by Lucia Zedner. She embarked on her radio hosting career in 1999 at WRNX (100.9 FM) in Holyoke, Massachusetts. At that time, the station was home to “The Dave in the Morning Show,” and she entered and won a contest to become the new second lead for the show’s principal host, Dave Brinnel. Following her stint at WRNX, she hosted Big Breakfast on WRSI in Northampton, Massachusetts, for two years, leaving in 2004 to join the newly established Air America radio network. While at Air America, she co-hosted Unfiltered with Chuck D (of the hip-hop group Public Enemy) and Lizz Winstead (co-creator of The Daily Show) until the show’s cancellation in March 2005. Shortly after the cancellation, in April 2005, The Rachel Maddow Show, her weekday two-hour radio program, began airing. The show expanded to a three-hour format in March 2008, broadcasting from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
In 2008, when she commenced hosting her nightly MSNBC television program, also titled The Rachel Maddow Show, the radio show’s length returned to two hours. In early 2009, after renewing her contract with Air America, her radio show underwent a schedule change, moving to a one-hour timeslot at 5:00 a.m. Eastern Time. This revised format featured a short introduction from Maddow followed by a broadcast based on the audio from the previous night’s MSNBC broadcast of her television show. The radio show concluded on January 21, 2010, when Air America ceased operations. In June 2005, she joined the regular panel on the MSNBC show “Tucker,” hosted by Tucker Carlson. Around the November 2006 election, she appeared as a guest on CNN’s “Paula Zahn Now.” During this period, she also served as a correspondent for The Advocate Newsmagazine. This was a short-form newsmagazine for Logo with a focus on LGBT-oriented news.
By January 2008, she became an MSNBC political analyst and participated as a regular panelist on shows like “Race for the White House with David Gregory” and MSNBC’s election coverage. She also became a frequent contributor on “Countdown with Keith Olbermann.” In 2008, she had the opportunity to substitute host “Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” marking her first time hosting a program on MSNBC. Despite feeling “nervous,” she received praise from Keith Olbermann, and her success led to her hosting the show again the following month. The show she hosted became the highest-rated news program among people aged 25 to 54. Her impressive performance caught the attention of Keith Olbermann, who advocated for her to have her own show on MSNBC. Eventually, Phil Griffin, the president of MSNBC, was persuaded by Olbermann to give her the time slot previously held by Dan Abrams.
This move laid the groundwork for the development of “The Rachel Maddow Show” on MSNBC. In October 2018, Maddow introduced the podcast “Bag Man,” a collaborative effort with MSNBC that delves into the 1973 political scandal involving Vice President Spiro Agnew. This podcast gained significant traction, prompting the announcement of a film adaptation in 2022. Notably, the adaptation is set to be directed by Ben Stiller, produced by Lorne Michaels, and executive-produced by Maddow herself. Expanding her podcast endeavors, she along with MSNBC, launched “Ultra” in October 2022. This podcast series explores the landscape of U.S. right-wing extremism during the 1940s and World War II, including the noteworthy 1944 sedition trial. The success of “Ultra” was further emphasized when, in December of the same year, Steven Spielberg’s production company secured the film rights to the series.
This continued success underscores her ability to engage audiences across various mediums and her commitment to exploring historical events with societal impact.
Rachel Maddow Salary
Maddow earns an annual salary of about $47,000-$120,000.
Rachel Maddow Net Worth
Maddow has an estimated net worth of about $1 Million – $7 Million which she has earned through her career as a host.
Rachel Maddow Age
Maddow was born on April 1, 1973, in Castro Valley, California, United States. She is 51 years old as of 2024, and she celebrates her birthday on the 1st of April every year.
Rachel Maddow Height and Weight
Maddow stands at a height of 5 feet 6 inches tall, and she weighs 125 lbs (75kgs).
Rachel Maddow Family
Maddow is the daughter of Elaine Gosse, a school program administrator and Robert B. Maddow, a former U.S. Air Force captain. She also has a brother called David Maddow.
Rachel Maddow Wife and Children
Maddow is married to Susan Mikula, a photographer who she met in 1999, when Maddow was working on her doctoral dissertation. She resides in Massachusetts together with her family.
The Rachel Maddow Show
In August 2008, MSNBC announced that “The Rachel Maddow Show” would replace “Verdict with Dan Abrams” in the network’s 9:00 p.m. slot the following month. Following its debut, the show became the highest-rated on MSNBC on several occasions, surpassing “Countdown.” Within its first month on air, Maddow’s program doubled the audience in that time slot. This marked a historic moment, as she became the first openly gay or lesbian host of a primetime news program in the United States. Initial reviews for the show were positive, with praise for her formula on MSNBC. The Guardian even hailed her as the “star of America’s cable news.” her collegial relationship with Roger Ailes of Fox News, seeking his technical advice on camera angles, was noted. She stated that Ailes’ assistance was valuable and gave her an advantage over competitors. In mid-May 2017, amid controversies surrounding the Trump administration, MSNBC surpassed CNN and Fox News in news ratings.
“The Rachel Maddow Show” became the No. 1 non-sports program on cable for the week of May 15. She has been recognized as “America’s wonkiest anchor” by Rolling Stone and is credited with cutting through the chaos of the Trump administration, becoming the most trusted name in the news. She has expressed her show’s mission as increasing the amount of useful information in the world. Her rule for covering the Trump administration is to focus on their actions rather than their statements. She often begins broadcasts with a lengthy story, known as the “A-block,” which can last over 20 minutes, connecting past events with current news. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was an outspoken advocate for vaccination, encouraging people to get vaccinated for their benefit and the well-being of others. In 2022, she took a hiatus from her show for the film adaptation of “Bag Man,” and as of May 2022, her show has moved to a weekly broadcast on Mondays.
Rachel Maddow Writing
Maddow is an accomplished author with a notable body of work that covers a wide array of subjects. In her first book, “Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power” (2012), she examines the postwar American political landscape, specifically focusing on the role of the military. This book achieved significant success, reaching the top position on The New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover nonfiction. Following this, she contributed a monthly opinion column to The Washington Post starting in December 2013, providing her insights over a six-month period. In 2018, she ventured into the realm of crossword puzzles, collaborating with Joe DiPietro to create her first puzzle for The New York Times. Subsequently, she released “Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth” (2019).
This is a book that explores the intersection of democracy, Russia’s role as a rogue state, and the impact of a powerful and destructive industry. The audiobook version of “Blowout” earned her a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album in March 2021. Continuing her literary pursuits, she co-authored “Bag Man: The Wild Crimes, Audacious Cover-up, and Spectacular Downfall of a Brazen Crook in the White House” with Michael Yarvitz, a book published in December 2020 that delves into a scandal and the subsequent downfall of a corrupt figure within the White House. In her latest work, “Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism,” released on October 17, 2023, she draws from her podcast, Ultra. This book likely explores the historical context of the fight against fascism in the United States. Through her writings, Maddow showcases her diverse interests and a commitment to exploring critical issues in American politics, democracy, and historical events.
MSNBC
While working for MSNBC Maddow co-works alongside:
Social Media Platform
Maddow is very active on her Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages. She has 1.2M followers on Twitter 581.5k followers on Instagram and 2.6M followers on Facebook.