"You won't commit any corruption, will you?" This is a burning question for the government that most Indonesians have probably been tempted to ask, but at least one person has had the audacity to actually do so: Deddy Corbuzier.

He posed the question during an episode of his popular podcast to former Jakarta deputy governor and current Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno.

The name Deddy Corbuzier is known to nearly everyone. He has evolved before our eyes on television screens for more than two decades. But what he has been known for has shifted time after time, from a mentalist, to a TV host, to a certain diet trendsetter, to a podcaster. And to an extent unlike any other podcast, his has influenced the nation.

The first episode of Close The Door, the title of the podcast, aired in August 2019. Deddy has since talked to 345 different people in different episodes. But it's not just celebrities that Deddy has been talking to. Some notable names on the list are Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, who ran against incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in 2019; Education, Culture, Research and Technology Minister Nadiem Makarim; Health Minister Budi Gunadi; and Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan.

Room for politics

Deddy said Prabowo Subianto was one of his most surprising guests. "When Prabowo was about to respond to my invitation, he said that for the longest time, he had never accepted any interview request," Deddy Corbuzier told The Jakarta Post. Deddy responded, "What do you think I'll be asking you about? It wouldn't be an interview, it would be just us chatting with each other."

So what convinced Prabowo and other politicians take time out of running the country to appear on Close The Door? In Deddy's judgment, political figures also want to be accepted as humans. "Normally, in conventional media, they aren’t accepted and treated as human. They are treated as someone important, with their own political agenda. Meanwhile, in my podcast, we can talk about anything, even coffee and cats," said Deddy.

Nonetheless, the father of one asked Prabowo one of his most-asked questions: What was behind the maneuver to join Jokowi's cabinet, resulting in the unusual absence of polarized rivalry among political parties?

Despite his hard-hitting questions, Deddy is not pushy in his pursuit of getting an answer. Close The Door, true to its name, leaves Deddy and his guest alone in the recording room while the camera is rolling.

Podcasts, as a genre, were initially in audio format only. The term came from “iPod broadcast”. Yet for his podcast, Deddy offers a video format to complement what the audio lacks, like facial expressions and the setting where the conversations occur.

The show’s conversations have always been arranged in the same manner. Deddy sits wearing a headset, talking into the microphone in front of him with a table in the middle. Product placement is apparent at times. This setting was set up for a reason. According to Deddy, "When the soundproof headset is on, it's only my voice in the ears of my guest, and the only voice that I can hear is their voice. I think this emulates a sense of being in a safe space to talk and open up."

At the time of writing, Close The Door had garnered 15 million subscribers on YouTube with more than 91 million views in July alone, not to mention the statistics from Spotify and Apple Music. A platform that big opens the door to his podcast becoming subject to political pressures if he's not cautious.

Deddy is fully aware of this possibility, hence the guests come from both sides of the political divide. "To be frank, I don't care about politics. I do talk about politics, but it's not like I care who will run in the 2024 presidential election. I just love to talk about it," said Deddy.

Prabowo Subianto, who ran for president in 2019, makes an appearance on Close The Door. The episode had garnered 12 million views as of July. ">

Deddy said he tried to be as impartial as possible and had a line he wouldn't cross. "There are plenty of people who are willing to pay to be on my podcast, and I'm talking about a big amount of money here. But it won't happen because the credibility of my podcast is at stake."

The true influencer

Close The Door's influence is reflected not only by its number of views but by its impact in spearheading movements and mitigating public unrest. Once, Deddy spoke with an ustad (Islamic teacher) about free books propagating terrorism and radicalism circulating on the internet.

Thanks to Deddy, the issue was brought to public attention. The National Police and the Communication and Information Ministry then launched an investigation into the concern. "I'd like to think that my podcast can help pave the way for officials to make headway. If my podcast can help the country to resolve that, why not?" said Deddy.

Following the stabbing of Syekh Ali Jaber, the late Islamic teacher made an appearance on Close The Door. It appeared that members of the public would cause chaos in the streets the following day in response to the attack. But after Syekh Ali Jaber said on the podcast that he had come to terms with the stabbing and didn’t want anyone to stand up for him, the impending unrest came to a halt.

On the other hand, occasional threats come Deddy’s way for things he has said on his podcast. But his platform is built for a cause.

"If I wanted to play it safe, I could do vlogs with my family. I’d get the money, and I’d be happy. But I can't do that because as cliché as it may sound, I think every citizen has their share of responsibilities for their own country. On a less cliché note, I have a 15-year-old son, and I despise the possibility of my kid living in a country full of hatred and violence."

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