The Viall Files

E1020 – Going Deeper with Brooke Schofield

October 22, 2025

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  • Brooke Schofield revealed that the ending of her podcast, *Cancelled*, was primarily driven by Tana Mongeau's desire to stop, as Brooke would have continued for financial and personal reasons despite the mental toll it took on her. 
  • Brooke acknowledged that the title *Cancelled* was initially ironic because Tana had been 'canceled' often, but the show later manifested serious cancellations for both hosts, leading Brooke to regret driving hate campaigns against people like Matt Rife. 
  • Brooke's current relationship with her fiancé, Miles, is significantly healthier than past emotionally abusive relationships because she is finally being her authentic self, and she is currently prioritizing buying a house over wedding planning. 
  • Brooke Schofield detailed the absurdity of a story she once believed involving a coma, pulling the plug, and an Australian beach house inheritance, which she now compares to the Hilaria Baldwin accent controversy. 
  • Brooke Schofield clarified that her relationship with Paige was extremely close, contrary to public perception of imaginary beef fueled by social media interpretation. 
  • Brooke Schofield stated that restricting social media comments to only followers has significantly improved her mental health by blocking hateful commentary from new or anonymous users, and confirmed that the podcast *Cancelled* is likely over. 

Segments

Cancelled Podcast Ending
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(00:05:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Brooke would have preferred a temporary pause for Cancelled rather than its full end, citing her own mental struggles and Tana being dragged into controversy because of her.
  • Summary: The final episode of Cancelled left many viewers with unanswered questions, as Brooke was visibly emotional while Tana seemed less so. Brooke admitted that if the decision were hers alone, the podcast would not have ended, as it was financially important to her. Tana reportedly wanted to end the show because Brooke’s personal controversies were negatively impacting her.
Podcast Naming Irony
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(00:08:42)
  • Key Takeaway: The name Cancelled was chosen ironically by Tana so that searches for her name would lead to the podcast instead of her history of controversies, but it ended up manifesting serious cancellations.
  • Summary: The name Cancelled was initially Tana’s idea when the show was solo, intended to redirect search results away from her past controversies. Brooke felt the show’s content, especially her role as ‘accountability police,’ led to her own downfall and the show’s end. Brooke regrets driving hate campaigns against people like Matt Rife based on things that were later proven untrue.
Public Eye and Accountability
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(00:09:34)
  • Key Takeaway: Brooke realized the weight of her words and the impact of public perception only after experiencing untrue narratives about herself constantly featured in YouTube thumbnails.
  • Summary: Brooke now understands the impact of public scrutiny, noting that she had to experience being the target of untrue rumors before she could empathize with others she had criticized. She hopes her audience learns to have a better filtration process regarding what they say online, recognizing that words spoken years ago can still have a major impact. She admitted that she and Tana did not always practice the accountability they preached on their show.
Childhood Trauma and Family
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(00:16:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Brooke was rescued from her mother’s addiction and a ‘dirt road methouse’ environment by her grandparents around age ten, though her grandmother’s subsequent illness presented new struggles.
  • Summary: Brooke’s mother struggled with addiction, leading to Brooke living with her grandparents after she was not picked up from a weekend visit. She described the transition as moving from a ‘dirt road methouse’ to a suburban, sweet family environment, which felt like a rescue. Brooke recently went completely no-contact with her mother due to emotionally abusive behavior centered around demanding money after Brooke became successful.
Relationship with Father
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(00:19:57)
  • Key Takeaway: Brooke has a healthier, more friendship-based relationship with her father now that she has accepted he lacks strong paternal instincts due to his own upbringing.
  • Summary: Brooke has a better relationship with her father than her mother, though they have had issues, as he was less involved in her traumatic childhood. She views their relationship as more of a friendship than a traditional father-daughter dynamic, which improved once she stopped expecting him to fulfill a role he was not equipped for. She noted her mother’s inability to be a good mom stemmed from her own mother’s neglect and eventual suicide.
Regret and Moving Forward
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(00:21:25)
  • Key Takeaway: Brooke does not regret Cancelled or her career path because the difficult lessons learned ultimately led her to her current state of happiness, despite the pain involved.
  • Summary: Brooke struggles with guilt over feeling unhappy despite her privileges but ultimately believes everything happened for a reason, as the journey led her to where she is now. She does not regret Cancelled because it was a huge learning lesson that she needed to experience to forgive herself for past feelings. She is currently very happy and attributes her current success to the show.
Relationship with the Internet
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(00:24:27)
  • Key Takeaway: Brooke struggles with self-harm behavior online, compulsively seeking out negative comments despite receiving millions of positive messages, a habit her fiancé Miles has helped her manage.
  • Summary: Brooke is driven by emotion, causing her to overlook positive feedback and obsessively search for negative comments, which her fiancé noticed and helped curb. She finds it frustrating when people accept fabricated stories about her as truth, especially when those stories involve her fiancé, Miles, and untrue allegations about him dating an underage girl. She noted that people often hold partners of accused individuals accountable, unlike in other public scandals.
Relationship with Miles
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(00:42:35)
  • Key Takeaway: Brooke’s relationship with Miles is fundamentally different because she is being her authentic self, which was impossible in previous relationships where she adapted her personality to meet her partners.
  • Summary: Brooke previously struggled with identity issues, changing her personality to meet her partners, which led to bad relationships. Being 100% herself in her relationship with Miles, who is patient and avoids arguments, has been healing after several emotionally abusive relationships. Their current focus is on planning and settling into the house they bought, rather than planning a wedding.
Future Content and Reality TV
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(00:43:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Brooke hopes to return to long-form podcasting in the future when she is less sensitive to public criticism, but for now, she is focused on YouTube and TikTok content.
  • Summary: Brooke expressed a desire to create more tasteful and serious long-form content or podcasts once she develops a thicker skin regarding public opinion. She is currently focused on making videos for YouTube and TikTok, and she and Miles are prioritizing their new house over wedding planning. Brooke is a huge fan of reality competition shows like The Challenge and Big Brother and would love to compete on The Traitors.
Fabricated Story Details
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(00:53:55)
  • Key Takeaway: Brooke recounted a highly detailed, unbelievable story about someone dying and leaving her an Australian beach house.
  • Summary: The segment focused on a story involving someone falling down stairs, being in a coma, and the speaker having to pull the plug before receiving a deed to an eight-bedroom Australian beach house. Brooke found the level of detail in the story unbelievable. The speaker noted that the person would sometimes cry during dinner, claiming it was their mother’s birthday.
Australian Accent Authenticity
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(00:54:29)
  • Key Takeaway: Brooke questioned the authenticity of a past Australian accent she used, comparing her performance to Hilaria Baldwin’s.
  • Summary: Brooke questioned if her previous Australian accent ever cracked, admitting that upon reflection, it might have been unconvincing. She compared her accent performance to Hilaria Baldwin’s perceived inauthenticity. She later noted that the person’s actual origin was Brunei, which slightly explained regional accent variations, but still questioned the specific Australian claim.
Reality TV Commentary
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(00:55:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Brooke expressed excitement for the drama surrounding Taylor Frankie Paul potentially becoming The Bachelorette.
  • Summary: Brooke shared her admiration for Whitney Lovitt from Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, though she had only watched season two. She found Taylor Frankie Paul being named The Bachelorette to be crazy but exciting for the drama. Brooke confirmed she watched Nick Viall’s season (Season 16) of The Bachelor because she was in a sorority at the time.
Friendship Dynamics and Reality TV
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(00:56:43)
  • Key Takeaway: Brooke confirmed she and Paige are actually great friends, despite public perception suggesting beef or competition.
  • Summary: Brooke emphasized that she and Paige were very close friends, often hanging out more than Paige and Tana. She described the public perception of imaginary beef and competition between her and Paige as strange to witness. Brooke praised Paige as one of the funniest people on the planet and expressed deep affection for her.
Future Show Aspirations
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(00:57:38)
  • Key Takeaway: Brooke expressed a strong desire to participate in The Challenge and Big Brother reality competitions.
  • Summary: Brooke explicitly asked to be considered for The Challenge. She stated she really wants to be on Big Brother but doubts the show would allow an influencer unless it was Celebrity Big Brother. She concluded she would go on any reality competition show that would have her.
Social Media Mental Health Strategy
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(00:58:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Restricting Instagram comments to only followed accounts significantly aided Brooke’s mental health by blocking shaming from new viewers.
  • Summary: Restricting Instagram comments to only people she follows was a major positive change for Brooke’s mental health. This strategy prevents people who recently saw her shamed on TikTok from commenting hatefully. She noted that staying off Reddit, which she previously consumed heavily, was crucial, stating that continuing that pattern might have led to self-harm.
Status of Cancelled Podcast
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(01:00:24)
  • Key Takeaway: Brooke believes the podcast Cancelled is over, though annual live shows might occur.
  • Summary: When asked directly, Brooke confirmed that in her mind, the show Cancelled is over. She mentioned the possibility of doing one live show per year because those events were fulfilling and special. She is excited to see what her next steps will be.