Yu Up? with Rachel Yu

Rachel Yu
  • 4.8 (4)
  • COMEDY INTERVIEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Hosted by Rachel Yu, Yu Up? is a late-night sleepover podcast where nothing’s off-limits. Each episode kicks off with, “What’s keeping you up tonight?” and unravels into unfiltered chats about dating, sex, girlhood, and all the messy, hilarious stuff you’d whisper to your best friend in the dark. Hosted literally under the covers in Rachel's 90’s teen-girl-inspired NYC bedroom — which, fun fact, is a converted living room because she doesn’t even own a couch. So grab your blanket, get cozy… Yu Up?

  1. 3D AGO

    21 - Love Bombing Is My Love Language

    Liz joins Rachel with a wildly patriotic dating strategy: straight girlies should date moderate men on Hinge and convert them “for the good of the country.” What starts as a bit turns into a chaotic debate about manipulation as civic duty, alpha vs. handyman men, why no one in New York stands up on the subway, and whether picking someone up from the airport is the ultimate green flag. They also unpack bridesmaid cult economics, bachelor party boot camps, and the terrifying rise of men who make personal dating websites with their net worth listed. Then things take a sharp left into love bombing, situationships, and falling in love fast and hard. Liz tells the full rom-com story of meeting a 6'4 Greek improv god, kissing before speaking, and raising her romantic standards forever. They talk about raising your bar, dating across cultures, whether opposites attract or exhaust, and why hot girls absolutely have stuffed animals on their beds. Political, emotional, delusional, and deeply sincere — just another night at the slumber party. -- Follow the host Rachel Yu on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Liz Coin on Instagram Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠

    44 min

  2. FEB 9

    20 - Just Ghost Me. It's Better Than Closure

    Arjun joins Rachel with a hot take that immediately divides the room: if you’ve been on fewer than four dates and you’re not interested, just ghost. No “I’m not feeling it,” no delayed closure, no fake emotional maturity three days later. They break down why waiting is worse than silence, how everyone mentally processes rejection before it even happens, and why a late “kind” text actually hurts more than being ignored. From there, the conversation spirals into dating timelines, texting anxiety, age gaps, New York dating math, hot people ecosystems, and why “it’s not you, it’s me” is the biggest lie in human history. They debate shallow honesty, lying to protect feelings, Android’s unhinged follow-up reminders, and the radical belief that if someone is emotionally mature enough to reject you properly… you would’ve been perfect together. Chaotic, validating, and painfully real — like group therapy, but meaner and funnier. -- Follow the host Rachel Yu on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Arjun Banerjee on Instagram Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠

    46 min

  3. FEB 2

    19 - Becoming Famous Is My Sexual Orientation

    Charles joins Rachel with a simple but controversial thesis: gay people deserve the right to be famous — especially him. From there, the conversation spirals into queer celebrity entitlement, “platinum star gay” lore, cooties, vaginal terror, and whether straight people should even be allowed privacy. They unpack fame as a sexuality, queer fishing, gold vs. platinum stars, and why not wanting fame might actually mean you’re straight. Somehow, this turns into a surprisingly deep conversation about surrogacy, frozen embryos, ethical science, and the future of making gay babies in labs. Along the way: barbershop survival tactics, lying to straight men, learning Mandarin and Russian curse words, foot fetishes on Grindr, comedy industry delusion, manifesting success, and a legally binding blood pact to make each other famous. Chaotic, sincere, unhinged — and very gay. -- Follow the host Rachel Yu on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Charles Happel on Instagram Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠

    47 min

  4. JAN 26

    18 - Everyone Is Asian If You Think About It

    Sarah joins Rachel with an immediately unhinged hot take: men should be attracted to armpit hair and nipple hair — the longer, the better. What starts as a body-hair manifesto spirals into ponies vs. stallions, dominance logic, puberty trauma, ariolas (Saturn rings), and whether shaving nipple hair is a crime against nature. There’s also an unexpected detour into astrology, pregnancy paranoia, Gen Z aging anxiety, and the radical act of eating oatmeal at night. The episode then swerves hard into culture, race, and dating politics. They unpack Asian identity beyond East Asia, porn categories vs. real people, “weebs,” fetish vs. familiarity, Republican men with Asian obsessions, and why being called a “good listener” on a date is actually an insult. Along the way: stolen packages, USPS conspiracies, Chinese police efficiency, databases, dating apps as surveillance, capitalism ruining pajamas, and the conclusion that the solution to everything is simple — stop being a pony, grow thick skin, and be a stallion. -- Follow the host Rachel Yu on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Sarah Thomas on Instagram and TikTok Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠

    59 min

  5. JAN 19

    17 - Men Should Be More Embarrassed During Sex

    Talia joins Rachel with a correct and controversial take: men should be way more embarrassed during sex. They get into why women overthink everything while men bring unchecked confidence into the bedroom, why teaching grown men basic anatomy kills the vibe, and why “trying your best” is not enough when Google exists. Books like She Comes First and Becoming Cliterate make an appearance, as does the universal experience of pretending something feels good when it absolutely does not. The conversation spirals into insecurity vs. horniness, why women protect men too much, mid men dating women who are objectively out of their league, and the exhausting mental math women do during sex. From vibrators and “whiskey dick” to period underwear, Facebook Marketplace foot creeps, being lowballed for feet pics, gay male beauty standards, Wicked-induced body discourse, and why female friendships are the most emotionally advanced thing on earth — this episode is chaotic, honest, horny, and deeply woman-core. -- Follow the host Rachel Yu on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠

    44 min

  6. JAN 14

    16 - You Don’t Have to Be Poly to Be Cool

    Charlotte joins Rachel for a very honest, very Gen Z debate about polyamory, monogamy, and the pressure to be “cool” in dating. They unpack why not everyone is meant to be poly, why jealousy TikToks feel like red flags instead of growth, and why having panic attacks every time your partner goes on a date might be a sign — and that sign is monogamy. The conversation spirals into first-date etiquette, whether honesty is overrated, why you don’t need to explain every breakup in detail, and the quiet power of euphemisms. They talk about manually selecting crushes, realizing you’re gay by accident, height lies on dating apps, housing markets ruining relationships, roommate politics, conflict avoidance, and the radical idea that you don’t need to force yourself into a relationship structure just to seem evolved. -- Follow the host Rachel Yu on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Charlotte Polk on Instagram Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠

    50 min

  7. JAN 5

    15 - Being Hot Makes You Crazy

    Rachel and Piyali spiral through modern dating, technology, and the unsettling realization that AI might be easier to deal with than men. They talk about “prompt engineering” as emotional labor, why dating apps bring out the worst personalities, and how men can go from “good morning beautiful” to absolute chaos in one missed text. They also unpack getting banned from dating apps for being too nice, the humbling experience of Bumble BFF, why hot girls are allowed to be crazy, and the uncomfortable truth that height, money, and muscles won’t emotionally support you. The episode closes on beauty standards, fake boobs vs. AI actresses, and why women are judged no matter what — while men somehow keep failing upward. Chaotic, self-aware, and painfully current. -- Follow the host Rachel Yu on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Piyali Syam on Instagram and TikTok Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠

    1 hr

  8. 12/30/2025

    14 - Sex Is Easy. Intimacy Is Terrifying.

    Amanda joins Rachel after they meet in peak New York fashion — in full costume on the subway at 5 a.m. after an absurdly good Halloween party. Their conversation quickly moves into why sex is easy but real intimacy feels terrifying, and how hookup culture often replaces presence with performance. They talk about eye contact during sex, emotional avoidance, and the realization that you can be physically close without actually being seen. Amanda shares her path through personal development, somatic work, festivals, psychedelics, and becoming an “intentional party girl,” while Rachel reflects on connection, sobriety-curiosity, and what intimacy really means. The episode weaves through Burning Man, ego death, bad trips, and breathwork — landing on the idea that intimacy isn’t about access, it’s about presence. -- Follow the host Rachel Yu on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Amanda Laurena on Instagram Follow Amandafest Podcast on Instagram and Spotify Follow the show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠

    49 min
See All (21)

Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Hosted by Rachel Yu, Yu Up? is a late-night sleepover podcast where nothing’s off-limits. Each episode kicks off with, “What’s keeping you up tonight?” and unravels into unfiltered chats about dating, sex, girlhood, and all the messy, hilarious stuff you’d whisper to your best friend in the dark. Hosted literally under the covers in Rachel's 90’s teen-girl-inspired NYC bedroom — which, fun fact, is a converted living room because she doesn’t even own a couch. So grab your blanket, get cozy… Yu Up?

Information

  • Creator
    Rachel Yu
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Rachel Yu
  • Show Website
    Yu Up? with Rachel Yu