Pop culture aficionado Maya Abrahamsson has been interviewing your favorite celebrities for years. Not only has she spoken with celebrities like Jesse Eisenberg, Ryan Seacreat, Grant Gustin, Joshua Bassett, Zachary Levi, Why Don’t We and more, Maya has also hosted her own talk show on YouTube at the Seacrest Studios at The Children’s Hospital in Colorado.
She was diagnosed with metastasized brain cancer three weeks before her 3rd birthday. She had surgery to remove as much of the tumor in her brain as was possible and then had two and a half years of chemotherapy. She has had 26 brain surgeries in her 20 years and at 18 was diagnosed with recurrence and had 6 weeks of targeted radiation to her brain. The radiation shrunk the tumor, but it is still there and she is living with a brain tumor and still an active neuro oncology patient.
Despite these challenges Maya has always pushed through any challenges that came her way, and brought light to those around her. She has conducted over 300 celebrity interviews for her show, culminating with an interview with Ryan Seacrest himself.
Now, Maya has launched her latest show “The Latest with Maya” where she opened the show with TIkTok star Tommy Winkler, who has amassed over 10 million followers on the social media app.
Maya has been featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show and was invited by Kelly Clarkson to attend her show in Las Vegas.
Maya is living proof that when you find your passion, nothing can hold you back. She has used her show to connect with people throughout the isolation of her illness, and her energy has inspired and lifted up those around her.
Here’s 5 fast facts about Maya!
She’s gotten to meet some of her biggest idols.
I was on The Kelly Clarkson Show in May, and that was an unforgettable experience. Ryan Seacrest surprised me while I was talking with her. I’ve been a huge fan of Kelly’s forever, so getting to meet her and be on her show was a dream come true. And then to have someone I admire so much and who has been a mentor to me surprise me, it meant so much.
There’s still a few she would LOVE to get a chance to chat with!
There are still so many celebrities I’d love to interview! If I could interview anyone though, it would be Jacinda Ardern, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand. The way she led the country and her policies have always inspired me and I think she’d be really interesting to talk with and learn more about. Also, I would have loved to have interviewed Harper Lee. “To Kill A Mockingbird” is one of my favorite books!
She has a great support system.
My twin sister, Leah and my mom are my best friends and they are always in my corner. Knowing I have them and so many people who are always there for me and cheering me on always helps. Also, I’ve said before that The Seacrest Studios and my show has always been my lifeline. Connecting with people, and having goals of people I want to connect with keeps me going. It keeps me focused on things other than my health.
Pop culture isn’t the only thing she is passionate about.
Because I’m so obsessed with pop culture, people might be surprised to learn that I am very passionate about Criminal and Social Justice. One of my favorite classes I’ve ever taken was a class called Street Law.
She’s got a brand new show!
My new show is “The Latest With Maya.” New episodes air every Wednesday on my YouTube Channel. Each episode is a conversation with someone doing interesting things in pop culture. We’ve had guests like Tommy Winkler, Morgan St. Jean, and Montana Tucker so far and I’m excited to share more each week. Stay tuned!
