Joe Rogan podcast: what did Dr Sanjay Gupta say about Covid on The Joe Rogan Experience - and where to listen

Dr Sanjay Gupta is the latest public figure to appear on Joe Rogan’s controversial podcast.

Gupta and Rogan are in conversation for more than three hours, as the doctor tries to persuade his podcast host to get vaccinated against Covid.

Here’s a look at what was said on this latest episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, and why Gupta opted to go on the podcast in the first place.

Who is Joe Rogan?

Joe Rogan is an American comedian, UFC commentator, former television presenter and current host of the podcast The Joe Rogan Experience.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1967, each episode of Rogan’s podcast is listened to by millions of people and is now exclusively available through Spotify.

He has not been shy about airing his controversial views on Covid vaccination and the virus since the start of the pandemic in early 2020.

In September 2021, Rogan said he tested positive for Covid but he had quickly recovered five days later without a vaccine.

He married Jessica Ditzel in 2009 and the couple have two daughters together, and Rogan is stepfather to Ditzel’s daughter from a previous relationship.

The family lives in a lakeside residence on Lake Austin, in Texas.

Who is Dr Sanjay Gupta?

Dr Sanjay Gupta is a well known American neurosurgeon, medical reporter and writer.

He is a familiar face on US television on health issues and currently serves as the chief medical correspondent for CNN.

Gupta has been the host of his own CNN show, Sanjay Gupta MD, and has been a regular contributor on numerous other programmes.

Born in Michigan, in 1961, Gupta and his wife Rebecca Olson, a family law attorney, live in Atlanta and have three daughters.

What did Dr Sanjay Gupta say on Joe Rogan podcast?

Joe Rogan began by taking shots at CNN’s coverage of his recovery from Covid, with Dr Sanjay Gupta rejecting the claim the network reported on his illness "with such glee".

They moved on to talk about Covid vaccination, with Rogan claiming he doesn’t need a jab now that he’d had the virus and had the antibodies to prevent serious illness.

Rogan said: "I’m a healthy person, I exercise constantly, I’m always taking vitamins, I take care of myself."

But Gupta replied by advising him that it’s "not a strategy to recommend people get infected" and that vaccination was still the best option in defending against Covid.

He said it was far better for someone not to get the virus and that those recovering from it should still get vaccinated because it is still unclear how long natural immunity lasts.

Why did Dr Sanjay Gupta go on The Joe Rogan Experience?

After the release of the podcast episode, Dr Sanjay Gupta took to Twitter to explain his actions as well as write a blog post on the CNN website talking about the experience.

On Twitter, Gupta wrote: "I walked into the lion’s den and spoke with @joerogan on his podcast for more than 3 hours — vaccines, ivermectin, and much more. Friends tried to get me to turn down his invite, but ultimately I’m glad I did it."

In his CNN editorial, Gupta detailed how he told Joe Rogan that he didn’t agree with his "apparent views on vaccines against Covid" when they met.

He said Rogan smiled and the two of them spoke for three hours as Gupta "wanted to exchange views with [Rogan] in a real dialogue".

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