Milena Sanchez returns to podcast after quitting The Receipts

Just over a year ago, Milena Sanchez suddenly left one of the UK’s most successful podcasts, seemingly shocking everyone – even her co-hosts.

For seven years, she created The Receipts with Audrey Indome and Tolani Shoneye, attracting more than 100,000 listeners each week.

Speaking to BBC Newsbeat, Milena said quitting smoking was a difficult decision but her mental health had deteriorated to the point where she could no longer continue.

“I’m not taking it lightly, even though it may look that way,” Milena, 33, said.

Audrey and Tolani said in January they were blindsided by Milena’s decision to leave, but Milena claimed it came after a period of hard work. A rift that lasted for years.

There were also rumors that Milena was bullied and pushed out of the group, but the podcasters denied this.

“Ultimately, I had to stay true to myself and remove myself from that space,” Milena told Newsbeat.

The Receipts was founded in 2016 and signed a lucrative exclusive deal with Spotify in 2019, and has approximately 100,000 weekly listeners on Spotify.

“Financially, I could have shut up and stayed and packed my bags,” Milena said.

“But to me, that’s not the point. It means so much more to me – my mental health, my integrity and who I am as a person, and not selling something that’s not true.

“It’s not easy, especially when I have a daughter who depends on me.”

Milena said she was one year old when The Receipts was formed and now, almost 10, her daughter helped her find the courage to quit smoking.

“I really had to sit down and ask myself, if my daughter came to me in the same predicament, how would I respond to her?” Milena said.

“My answer wouldn’t be to stay somewhere just because of the money. It would just be ‘choose yourself.'”

“You only live once, I know it sounds cliche, but you can’t be stuck in a place where you don’t feel happy.”

Milena says the year since quitting The Receipts has been a “whirlwind” for her.

She said she left London to live in the country and pursue music and writing, but realized she was missing podcasts.

“We did a lot of reflection, a lot of self-analysis,” Milena said.

“Eventually I had to say to myself: I love talking, and my voice is so needed.”

Milena said she had to overcome a lot of self-doubt before launching her personal podcast.

“I’m scared to launch this podcast.

“I feel like I’m just talking at home. It doesn’t feel big enough, not dazzling enough.

“But it doesn’t matter where it comes from,” Milena told herself.

“You started from the ground before, so let’s move on.”

Since launching her solo project Milena’s Diary at the end of September, she said she has been “overwhelmed” by the response.

“It reminds me, ‘This is why you’re here. This is your purpose’.”

But “it was very difficult to start from scratch,” she said, and there was definitely a change of pace from “Receipts.”

There, “I have a team,” she said.

“We have production people, we have social media people, we have people who edit podcasts.

“All I have to do is show up and talk, that’s it.

“Now doing solo, I do everything myself. I’m a one-man band.”

Previously, she was one of three presenters who criticized each other, and it was a “difficult” transition not to do so.

“I really enjoy being in a show with other people because you do recover and it triggers other stories in your mind, which is nice,” she said.

“But I think it’s also really important to have time alone for self-reflection and conversation.”

Milena said she uses the podcast “as therapy” and feels more authentic than ever.

Over the past year, she’s also released some music that leans into her Colombian heritage and queer identity.

“Even though I was born in London, my culture is ingrained in me,” she said.

“I’m a queer woman, so I’m going to be very proud to speak out about that.”

Looking back on the past year, “I feel very blessed,” Milena said.

“I’m in a situation where I’m doing a lot of work on myself, doing a lot of self-reflection and taking responsibility for things that I didn’t think I would do a few years ago.

“I’m very grateful for the decision I made.”

Despite her public statement earlier this year, Milena said she only wants the best for her former costars Tolani and Audrey, who continue to work together as a duo.

“I always wish the girls the best,” she said.

“And they’re doing a really good job.”

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