Boise couple invite you to ‘wake up laughing’ with new morning radio show in eastern Idaho
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IDAHO FALLS — Joey and Lauren Jenkins want you to wake up laughing.
The Boise couple are the hosts of a new syndicated morning radio show launching Monday on Z103. “Joey & Lauren in the Morning” will air weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
In a conversation with EastIdahoNews.com, the duo says they’re excited to be part of listener’s morning commute.
“It’s really exciting, but the most excited person about this is my mom, who grew up in Idaho Falls. She is a Skyline High School graduate and when I told her we are the new morning show on Z103, she said, ‘Oh my gosh! I’ve got to tell all my friends,'” Joey says in a high-pitched voice.
Lauren describes the show as two relatable people who are having fun together, providing friendly banter and an escape from the daily grind.
Their focus is to provide engaging content that is happy, light-hearted, funny and family-friendly so that listeners can feel a release from the “crazy” and “heavy” things happening in the world today.
“We don’t cover controversial topics. We don’t really cover hard-hitting news. When you listen, whether you’re dropping the kids off at school, on your way to work or driving around, we want you to feel a release from the hard things in life,” says Joey.
On Monday mornings, the couple have a segment called ‘The Monday Debate.’ It’s a friendly argument about silly things, like whether pudding or yogurt is better, or how to put on your socks when you get dressed in the morning.
“We talk to people about their dating life. We call that ‘Make up or Break up.’ We have a segment called ‘That awkward moment.’ If you had something awkward happen in your life, you call us and tell us what happened because we just want to laugh,” Joey says.
Radio listeners in the Boise area may be familiar with the Jenkins. They started co-hosting about five years ago on 102.7 FM. Working together as a married couple was never the plan, but the show has grown in popularity over the years and the duo now have a syndication deal with stations across the Gem State.
Joey got his start in radio many years ago, but his interest in the industry started when he was 11.
“I was a nerdy kid who’s known what he wanted to do since he was little. I was obsessed with radio, and with broadcasting in general,” he says. “If you were talking and broadcasting, I thought you had the coolest job.”
Joey grew up in northern Idaho where his neighbor, Steve Shannon, hosted a morning show. Joey was enamored with Shannon’s ability to entertain people by talking into a microphone.
As a sports fan, he also enjoyed listening to Colin Cowherd, the host of a national sports talk program.
Joey got his first radio gig at a college job fair. He hosted his own sports show for a while, and would often reference something his wife said on the air. One day, station managers asked if Lauren wanted to co-host a show with her husband.
Lauren initially said no because she had no experience in broadcasting. But managers believed in the idea and invited her to give it a try.
“I left my job and we dove in feet first,” Lauren explains. “We’ve had a lot of fun and done really well. It’s been an amazing blessing in our life and fun to be together. (We love) connecting with people in the community.”
While some are critical at the thought of working with their spouse, Joey says they genuinely enjoy being together. It’s created an on-air chemistry between the two of them that listeners enjoy.
Still, Lauren says they’ve had a lot of years to “figure it out” and now “they know each other so well.” One thing that’s helpful for them is having different hobbies. Joey likes to golf and Lauren likes to hang out with her girl friends.
Joey and Lauren grew up together. They first met when they were 14 and attended the same high school. They were best friends for a long time before deciding to get married 11 years ago. They have two boys — one is three and the other is 10 and a half months.
The couple is excited to expand their footprint in eastern Idaho, and they’re hoping people like what they hear.
“Z103 is such a big part of the community … and we really want to be a part of everyone’s lives. We’re really excited and we feel so blessed to have this opportunity,” says Joey.
WATCH OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE JENKINS IN THE VIDEO ABOVE.
