“Wasn’t actually making money”: Loren LoRosa reveals she didn’t get paid while initially hosting ‘Breakfast Club’

Loren LoRosa has revealed that she was not compensated during her initial guest-hosting appearances on The Breakfast Club, one of iHeartRadio’s most prominent morning radio programs.

While speaking on the Bag Fuel podcast, LoRosa talked about how she got started with the show. She explained that, at the beginning, she wasn't getting paid but treated it as a chance to improve her radio skills and get noticed instead of expecting money.

“I wasn’t paid to be at The Breakfast Club for a long time,” she said. “I wasn’t actually making money from working with Breakfast Club until I came back, when Jess [Hilarious] went on maternity leave.”

LoRosa, who had worked in the past as a producer and reporter at TMZ, pointed out that not getting paid to guest host was pretty typical. She mentioned that many people took on guest hosting roles either to promote their work or to gain credibility in the industry. She saw it, though, and viewed it as a way to practice her craft.

“None of us are being paid to guest host,” LoRosa explained. “We were doing it because you understand the opportunity. Some people were doing it because they had things to promote. For me it was: number one, I need to get my reps in … Here is the space, here is the field, run it up. So any time y’all need me, I’m gonna come. This is practice for me.”

When discussions began about potentially adding her more permanently to the lineup, LoRosa said she wasn’t sure if her role was important enough to deserve a budget change. This was true as iHeartMedia dealt with financial troubles. In 2024, the company announced losing $1 billion reported RadioWorld.

“If I’m being honest with y’all, maybe that was a conversation that I wasn’t having with myself because maybe I didn’t think that I was worth them having to reevaluate their budget,” she said. “I thought if anything they might find a couple of dollars for me to be up there a couple days to help with the show production, but even if not … I was willing and they knew this, like, if y’all need me, call me.”

Jess Hilarious and Loren LoRosa address on-air tensions

Jess Hilarious joined The Breakfast Club as a co-host in February 2024, taking over the spot Angela Yee left open the year before. LoRosa filled in when Jess went on maternity leave that August.

People noticed their work dynamic when Jess shared feeling uneasy about going back to the show. During an Instagram Live in March, she revealed she didn’t expect to see LoRosa still on the air. She also pointed out similarities between her segment, “Jess with the Mess,” and LoRosa’s “Loren with the Latest.”

The tension later eased after the two addressed the issue on-air. They went on to parody the situation with a performance titled “The Job is Mine,” a playful take on Brandy and Monica’s hit “The Boy is Mine.”