On this episode of Sidequest, Podcast hosts Hela Khalil and Tilly Jones talk about their journey recreating the iconic TMZ Hollywood Celebrity Tour route.

Tilly Jones: Welcome to Sidequest, a miniseries by Daily Bruin Podcasts, where we send Podcast contributors on adventures that are unique to Los Angeles. In each episode, the contributors come to the studio to tell us about their experiences, funny stories and reviews. This is Sidequest.

Hela Khalil: LA is a city of stars. From the Kardashians to Leonardo DiCaprio to Lady Gaga, Hollywood is the place to be. It’s been on our bucket list to take a ride on the infamous TMZ celebrity tour for a while now, but, after a quick search, we found out it cost a whopping $49 per person. Ouch. Then it hit us, what if we did our very own celebrity tour inspired by TMZ? We soon began our research. After ChatGPT refused to give us specific celebrity home addresses, out of safety concerns, boo, and Reddit flamed us for being weird, we finally gathered enough information to plan out the perfect mock route. So join us for our epic sidequest to see the sights, and hopefully some celebrities, in our very own home, LA.

TJ: So, let’s take you guys back. It was February first, 3:34pm specifically, and I pulled up to Hela’s apartment ready to go. It was a beautiful afternoon, and we had, I wouldn’t say, the most specific plan, but –

HK: I think we had concepts of a plan.

TJ: We had concepts of a plan.

HK: So before we get into the detailed account of our journey, we can talk a little bit about how this idea came up. So basically, Tilly and I had this idea a couple years ago, our sophomore year at UCLA.

TJ: Yeah, two years ago.

HK: And we’re seniors now, so we’re going to be graduating soon. And we were in a phase where we were brainstorming ideas for sidequest, and we had seen the TMZ celebrity tours. It’s basically this red van.

TJ: I thought it was a bus, but it’s really just a van.

HK: Literally just a van, open air van, and it just takes you to some of the hottest spots around LA, down Hollywood Boulevard. They claim to take you to neighborhoods where they know celebrities live or have lived in in the past. And we were thinking it would be so hilarious if we took one of these tours ourselves, but we didn’t realize that they were kind of expensive.

TJ: They were pricey.

HK: $50 a person, and we couldn’t stomach that ticket price, unfortunately. So, I had the idea to kind of do our own route, because, like, Tilly has a car, which came in clutch.

TJ: It helped a lot.

HK: And we did the research and wrote out a little route on Google Docs. And she picked me up when we were ready to go. OK, so to start out our grand tour, we headed to Hollywood to 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, which is the Hard Rock Cafe right on the Walk of Fame, which is where all the Hollywood stars are, kind of etched into the sidewalk. We did accidentally map ourselves to 6081 Hollywood Boulevard at first.

TJ: It was close enough.

HK: Close enough, but as we approached Hard Rock Cafe, we started to see a lot of our competitors, which are other brands of actual Hollywood van tours. We were the copycats in the situation, but I like to think that we were better. And we were not prepared for –

TJ: Yeah, I was also, additionally, I was expecting … I had seen these Hollywood van tours before, but for some reason in my memory, they were these, like grand buses, like two double decker open air. And they’re really just vans, with maybe 12 seats. They’re small. They have like a janky Hollywood sign on the side. So it was very shocking. I did feel like we were better.

HK: Definitely not like a hop-on hop-off bus situation.

TJ: Oh no, no.

HK: But I mean us and Tilly’s car, we were cooler anyways.

TJ: For sure.

HK: While we were driving to our first location, the Hard Rock Cafe, we did pass by Capitol Records, which is a cylindrical, tall building, home of the, I think it’s a music recording group, Capitol Records. And there was a wall that was painted pink. And Tilly was like, is that the pink wall?

TJ: I was convinced it was the pink wall. Because the thing is, now that the actual pink wall has become so famous, this other business clearly decided it was going to paint its wall pink to try and convince people like me, and I was convinced. And what’s even more embarrassing about it is I actually know where the actual pink wall is. I just did not know where we were.

HK: We were in a different part of town, but it was definitely a pink wall.

TJ: And it looks similar.

HK: Close enough. Anyways, at around 4:30, traffic was horrendous, so it took us longer than expected. We arrived at Hard Rock Cafe, and I rolled down the window to get some fresh air, and I was instantly overstimulated.

TJ: Immediately hit by music and people talking and lights and just everything you could imagine being in the center of Hollywood.

HK: And all of this noise and action was genuinely concentrated in one very short block.

TJ: Like maybe 40 feet of energy, and then it was nothing on either end.

HK: I quickly understood why TMZ probably starts its tour there. I mean, if I was a tourist and went to the sidewalk outside of Hard Rock Cafe, I’d be like, wow.

TJ: This is LA.

HK: This is the Hollywood experience.

TJ: Totally.

HK: And Jimmy Kimmel was right across the street, so that’s where his show films.

TJ: And that gave us immediate inspiration. That was one of the things about this tour, we were inspired for more sidequests we could do exactly, and that was one.

HK: Which is always good. And we ended up arriving at our second location, which was the TCL Chinese Theater, very shortly after, because it’s in the same block.

TJ: And by very shortly, Hela means like maybe two seconds after, we just bam and bam.

HK: And we did a little bit of research about the Chinese Theater, because if you haven’t seen it, it is a very cool looking building, heavily Chinese-inspired architecture. But we didn’t know much about the theater.

TJ: Nothing about the theater.

HK: So after doing some research, we found out it opened in 1927 and it was, for a short period of time, in the 1940s it hosted the Oscars, and it has also been a very popular spot for movie premieres such as “Star Wars.” “Star Wars” premiered here.

TJ: Yeah, which is very cool. It was a really cool building. I will say, I didn’t really know what to expect, but the building was very, I mean, it was a little like hokey LA, but it was really cool.

HK: Yeah, I definitely wish we had gotten to see it for longer. We did not leave the car during this tour.

TJ: Yeah. We were trying to have an authentic TMZ van experience, where they’re really just driving through LA.

HK: And speaking of authentic LA experiences, pretty much right after we drove past the theater, Tilly got majorly cut off by a Lexus.

TJ: I think the problem with – I think I’m a good driver, and I also think that people in LA tend to be bad drivers. I’m definitely one of those. The problem with my driving in this particular moment was that I kept slowing down to almost a stop so that we could possibly take in these landmarks and buildings for longer than 10 seconds. And the people behind me were not, they weren’t thrilled. They were not thrilled with my behavior.

HK: That just goes to say the stereotype is true. People in LA generally can’t drive or are very aggressive drivers. If you’ve never gotten the experience of driving in LA –

TJ: Don’t.

HK: Maybe be careful before you do that.

TJ: Yes. So as we were leaving the heart of Hollywood, which was, again, that 40 foot section, I immediately felt familiar with our area. And I asked Hela if we were near Saddle Ranch, which, if you guys don’t know, Saddle Ranch, is this, like iconic, very Tik-Toker populated in 2020, restaurant that … Doesn’t it have?

HK: A western theme.

TJ: Yeah, a western theme, mechanical bull. And I have never been and yet somehow I just could feel it coming. And then we turned the corner, and there it was. And so heading down Sunset, we also passed Doughbriks, which was David Dobrik’s pizza company, and he opened that in 2020-2022. And these all were just very iconic, like UCLA freshman year landmarks. And I remember coming to freshman year for the first time, and driving down Sunset and passing Doughbriks and Saddle Ranch, and just feeling like, “Wow, I’m in LA,” so it was a little bit of a nostalgic moment for me.

HK: Yes, and anywho, we started driving through the neighborhoods of West Hollywood, driving down Sunset again, and I just get a random hit of inspiration again. Back to what we were saying, this was a very inspiration-heavy journey. What if we visit the old Team 10 house?

TJ: And immediately we knew we had to.

HK: We had to. Tilly, how would you describe Team 10 for those who don’t know?

TJ: Oh, Team 10. If you don’t know, you’re missing out. So Team 10 was like peak 2017-2018 and it was this group of influencers, led by Jake Paul, the infamous. And they all lived in a house together, and they filmed vlogs. I think they released videos like every day. And it was, it really just defined our middle school experience. And they got so popular, they had music careers and Musical.ly, was that the app that they were dominant on? I think it was Musical.ly. And then eventually, I think of a lot of them broke the law and they set fires in their house. So it all blew up.

HK: Some pranks that went a little wrong, some careers that turned a little south.

TJ: For sure.

HK: But if what the Hype House is, it is essentially the original, the predecessor.

TJ: Without Team 10, the Hype House would not exist.

HK: Team 10 walked –

HK and TJ: So the hype house could run.

TJ: But Team 10 was running also, so I can’t compare the two.

HK: Anywho I was like, we should go to Team 10 house. It had always been a dream of mine.

TJ: It was a great, it was an incredible idea.

HK: Yeah, I don’t know why it was a dream, but I think I would have, I was just ready for a hit of nostalgia. So this was actually the only address that we could find online. It gave us a specific address, and we were only five minutes away.

TJ: That was the crazy part. I had no idea what neighborhood of LA, the Team 10 house was in, and we mapped it, and we were, we were literally a four minute drive away.

HK: So Tilly whipped her car around to U-turn.

TJ: Immediately.

HK: And we started driving down Melrose, which, the house is located right off of Melrose. Literally, just Google the address.

TJ: It’s public, very public.

HK It’s probably not hard to find. It was a very quiet neighborhood, and we should have known that we wouldn’t be alone at the Team 10 house.

TJ: We should have known, and as we’re pulling up to this house, we see these two girls standing in the driveway who are clearly there to take a picture in front of it. They were also younger than I would maybe think. To me, they looked maybe 17, so I was surprised that they even knew of Team 10 and its power, but they were there clearly to have had the same moment we were having.

HK: Yeah, and this, at this point, when we arrived, was the only time during our tour route where I actually exited the car, because –

TJ: It was important.

HK: I needed to get closer to the Team 10 house.

TJ: How would you feel like that initial, initial sighting? What was the impact it had on you?

HK: Well, from outside, it genuinely looks just like a normal house for that neighborhood.

TJ: Totally.

HK: The architecture is actually pretty cool. It has like a gate in front of it, but I just felt like I lived there. It’s weird. I could picture the entryway and backyard and the bedrooms of the house.

TJ: It’s like I could give a tour of that house if I walked in.

HK: Yes, and admittedly, I think I built the Team 10 house in Minecraft in middle school.

TJ: Really? Wait, that’s incredible. That’s actually incredible.

HK: So that was a Team 10 experience.

TJ: And of course, we also were listening exclusively to Team 10 music as we pulled up. As we left, or as we pulled up? One of the two.

HK: I think when we were leaving.

TJ: OK, yes. We hit “It’s Everyday, Bro.” We hit “The Fall of Jake Paul,” which isn’t technically Team 10, but it’s associated.

HK: So we got so sidetracked by our Saddle Ranch/Team 10 experience that we totally forgot to mention that we also stopped by the Chateau Marmot. I think that’s how it’s pronounced.

TJ: Marmont?

HK: Marmont question mark? It is also located down south that Boulevard. And I did not know what it was until after we drove past it, but it was listed.

TJ: Had you heard of it?

HK: No.

TJ: Oh, OK.

HK: I had never even heard of it.

TJ: I did not realize that.

HK: So naturally, a quick Google search revealed that it is essentially a discrete hideaway for A-list celebrities in Hollywood. And specifically, when these celebrities experience any sort of scandal or just want to socialize in a private setting, they go to the Chateau.

TJ: It’s like an invite-only club, I believe.

HK: We didn’t get an invite.

TJ: So we instead drove by the Chateau.

HK: So we stalked it from the outside, very tall bushes. We didn’t really see the building or anything behind the gates.

TJ: It’s discreet, for sure.

HK: Although everyone seems to know where it is exactly, that’s not very discreet.

TJ: I always just see pictures of it and it will be like, “Blank And Blank Stun at the Chateau Marmont.” And I’m like, OK?

HK: I wonder if they have secret tunnels underneath, where they maybe they do escape, where they get out.

TJ: Yeah, because I feel like no one’s getting paparazzi outside the Chateau. Maybe they are, though, I don’t know.

HK: Again, didn’t even know it was a thing until this past weekend. So that was that.

TJ: So after the Chateau and Team 10 and everything, our next stop was Beverly Hills, and specifically Rodeo Drive. We had both been there before, but we were driving through at a really beautiful time at night, so that was really nice. Rodeo Drive, the second you get to it, it just feels

like an LA movie. Very Los Angeles.

HK: Yes it feels like a movie scene, like fake life, like a simulation.

TJ: Like palm trees lined really perfectly and like a bunch of perfect lights. And I think one of the best things we saw was, as we were driving down Rodeo Drive, we saw this eight-year-old girl. She was completely alone, she had her phone on a tripod, and she was filming a TikTok dance. And I was just like, wow.

HK: Shamelessly.

TJ: She was confident about it too.

HK: Yeah. Quintessential LA experience.

TJ: She kind of killed it. I can’t lie. So that was really incredible. And we were laughing for a while.

HK: And we had actually come to the Rodeo area two years ago when we recorded our Erewhon sidequest episode. We went to the Beverly Hills location. But the whole area and neighborhood is just lined with designer stores. I felt extremely out of my tax bracket.

TJ: It’s crazy. Yeah, for sure. And everyone’s dressed really nicely. And there’s like, people lining the streets for Louis Vuitton. And so it’s just, it’s overwhelming, for sure.

HK: But again, quintessential LA experience. So it makes sense why TMZ stops there.

TJ: Yeah, I think also it’s important to note that as we were doing this drive, we kept passing more like TMZ Hollywood vans, so we knew we were on the right track. I think in Rodeo Drive we saw one of them, we were like, hey, it’s our people.

HK: Yes, I think that we were definitely following the right route with a little side-questing, because that’s what we do.

TJ: But we needed that.

HK: We needed that. So after we saw this girl, and passed by all the designer stores, we went to the Beverly flats, which is just this area of the famous palm tree lined streets with very nice houses, arguably mansions.

TJ: Oh, for sure, they’re huge.

HK: And we, again, did not spot any celebrities, nor could we find specific addresses where celebrities lived. So we just had a moment to brainstorm.

TJ: We’ve decided –

HK: And be delusional and think, who could possibly live in these houses?

TJ: And here was our list. We have Owen Wilson, who is frequently spotted in Westwood, so it’s not that far off. Dakota Johnson, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis.

HK: Yes, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis I know have also been spotted on campus multiple times.

TJ: Dakota Johnson was out of left field, but we saw this little house that was like such a little cute, perfect cottage. And it was – you know what I’m realizing? She did her Architectural Digest. Oh, do you remember that with the limes thing?

HK: Yes.

TJ: So we should look, we should look at that, and we should see where she – well, that’s a little stalkerish, but yeah, we can do it. We passed by all their houses, we’ve decided.

TJ: So that was our last stop, and by this point, we were about 10 minutes away from UCLA. So we headed back home. But I really think that on this journey, I saw more of LA. I feel like I got more of an understanding of the city. We saw so many quintessential LA things, like the Team 10 house, the pink wall – the actual pink wall, and the fake one – the eight-year-old girl TikTok dancing. So it did feel very LA, and it inspired me to go see more of LA, I would say.

HK: Me as well. I think that I mean, being a student, it’s very easy to get stuck in the bubble of Westwood, so forcing ourselves to go outside of the bubble and see the places and the sites that people travel from all over the world to LA to see was very cool and –

TJ: And that’s what we’re hoping to do going forward in this series.

HK: If you want to see more of LA, I recommend copying our route.

TJ: Yeah, you guys should sidequest with us for sure.

HK: Yes, please.

TJ: Thank you for listening to this episode of sidequest. Stay tuned for our next adventures, one of which is going to be going to a Jimmy Kimmel taping. So we’re very excited about that, and that’s going to be coming soon on Daily Bruin Podcasts.