Pasek & Paul's CELEBRITY SUBSTITUTE Sets Season 2 Premiere with Reneé Rapp, Ed Sheeran, & More

It's time to go back to school. Celebrity Substitute, the series from Julian Shapiro-Barnum and Broadway composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, has set its Season 2 premiere date. Hosted by Shapiro-Barnum, the hit series sees some of the world’s most recognizable celebrities step in to teach unsuspecting students.

Season 2 kicks off on YouTube on Wednesday, September 10, featuring Broadway alum Reneé Rapp as the first celebrity teacher, with new episodes debuting every other Wednesday through December. The series is executive produced by Pasek and Paul via their Ampersand production banner.

Produced in collaboration with Amazon, Celebrity Substitute combines A-list celebrity guests with educational content and community support, delivering meaningful moments that help students and teachers experience everyday wins.

As part of each episode, Amazon helps clear items from a lucky teacher’s Amazon Classroom List, a new tool specifically designed to streamline how teachers build and share resources for classrooms and students in their community. Season 2’s star-studded lineup will feature GIGI HADID, Role Model, Malala Yousafzai, Ed SHeeran, Rauw Alejandro, and more, each bringing their own unique twist to the day’s lesson.

“Celebrity Substitute resonates because it blends entertainment with real-world impact,” said Julian Shapiro-Barnum, Host and Creator. “This season delivers even bigger surprises, more heartfelt moments, and unforgettable connections between our guest substitutes and the students they inspire.”

“We were genuinely moved by the incredible response to the first season, and even more excited for everyone to see what’s in store for the brilliant students and our celebrity guests this time around,” said Executive Producers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul of Ampersand.

Season 1 of Celebrity Substitute received the Webby Award for Video & Film Comedy and the 2025 Digiday Streaming & Video Award for Best Brand Film or Series. Celebrity Substitute is an Ampersand production and produced by Danielle Perelman, Zach Stafford, and Sean Walsh. The series is directed by Jake Wilson with Allison Klein as showrunner.

The debut season featured a roster of celebrity guest teachers that included Billie Eilish & FINNEAS, Andrew Garfield & Florence Pugh, and Cynthia Erivo. Watch the episode with Ashley Park below.

Photo Credit: Danielle Perelman