Alex Warren is unplugging from the Internet—well, sort of.
In his new podcast Locked In With Alex Warren, debuting on April 20, the TikToker and Hype House star has banned his guests from using their cellphones while recording. They're left in a room with only Alex and his microphone for a candid one-on-one interview.
Although the situation can sometimes lead to "action-packed mayhem," a term Alex used to describe the podcast's inaugural episode with Tana Mongeau, he told E! News in an exclusive interview that the project has become more of a space for content creators and influencers to share their stories and set the record straight about their lives.
"There's a lot of things in social media world that not a lot of people know. For example, I don't know what Justin Bieber goes through on a day-to-day basis. I don't know what his traumatic experiences has been," the 21-year-old explained. "That's exactly what this podcast is for. It's kind of giving some light to people who may not necessarily understand, or feel like they've been dealt bad cards, and feel like they can't [be a creator]."
While he has not recorded an episode with Justin, Alex's podcast is inspired by familiar faces. The idea for a space where people can come to clear misconceptions about themselves came to the star after he became friends with Logan and Jake Paul—two YouTubers who have faced their fair share of controversies.
"When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the Paul brothers," he recalled. "I genuinely thought to myself that I would not be able to do what they're doing in their life because of the cards that I was dealt. And I became friends with Logan and Jake, and I learned that there are a lot of things they went through that would be detrimental or traumatizing. And yet, they powered through it."
The no-phones policy was implemented to help create a place without "distractions" because, as Alex joked, "everyone in L.A. does not know how to silence them."
But why does Alex lock himself in a room with his guest to tape the episode? He said it was the only way to ask "questions they would never want to be asked."
"A lot of the times I've been on podcasts, there's a whole team right there staring you down as you're talking about your deepest, darkest secrets—and I didn't like the idea of that," he said. "I like the idea of being able to do a one-on-one with my guests and making them feel as comfortable as possible."
Some of the issues tackled in the podcast's first few episodes include mental health and drug abuse—topics Alex said he and his friends often avoid speaking about in public.
"We all have a PR face. We all have a way of not answering questions when the paparazzi come asking," he shared. "To be able to give them a safe place to talk about the things they want to talk about but feel like they can't articulate is the most beautiful thing in the world."
Alex added, "At the end of the day, what I hope everyone gets out of it is inspiration, or at least to understand a creator more."
Produced by Wheelhouse DNA, Locked In With Alex Warren premieres April 20.