Reality show hosts discuss dreams jobs and faux pas
- Share via
When done right, reality show hosts blend into the background: They must move the episode along, point out the rules, emphasize high points while smoothing over the low points … and never think they’re the stars of the show. Their prize at the end of the season? A possible Emmy nomination. Here are four likely contenders who let us know what it’s like doing this kind of job.
Tom Bergeron
“Dancing With the Stars” (ABC)
What’s one quality a good host must have? Ninja skills. Especially on live television. Thankfully, I’ve never had to use them. I think an ability to keep a clear head in the midst of potential chaos is very helpful, though.
What’s your pre-show ritual? I’ve been meditating for 30-plus years, so I meditate. I’ve got [co-host] Brooke Burke doing it too. You shoo everyone out before the show and quiet yourself down and make sure you’re focused and present and in the moment to what is happening now. After Steve-O did the show, he sent us a picture with him holding a book about meditation. I’m trying to change Hollywood one person at a time.
What other reality show would you want to host? Phil Keoghan’s [ “The Amazing Race”]. But I wouldn’t want to be racing around — I wouldn’t want to go at his pace. I’d change the title of it to “The Amazing Saunter.”
What was your first MC or hosting job? I “hosted” the morning announcements at my high school in Haverhill, Mass. I turned it into a five-minute radio show and had people come in and sing the lunch menu. The highest tribute I ever got was from a student who tended to be truant but who said she showed up early to listen to morning announcements.
Who was the greatest MC of all time? Johnny Carson. What he did so beautifully is to take what in someone else’s hands could have been a miss and make lemonade out of lemons. I love those opportunities. When all hell is breaking loose backstage and I break into a grin, our producer says, “You love this!” and I do — I love it when it feels live.
Jeff Probst
“Survivor” ( CBS)
What’s the biggest faux pas you’ve ever committed on the show? Generally speaking, I probably have the worst grammar of any host on television. “Survivor” seems to bring out the Kansan in me. Words like “gonna” are a big part of my vocabulary. My sister-in-law is a high school English teacher, and she loves to give me a hard time about it.
What was your first job as an MC or host? At FX, working with Tom Bergeron and Phil Keoghan. We hosted shows out of a 7,500-square-foot apartment in New York City. Tom was the Man. Everybody aspired to be as good as him. I then hosted “Rock & Roll Jeopardy” for VH1 … and then “Survivor.”
What other reality show would you want to host? That’s a tough question because I have a pretty good situation with “Survivor.” The premise of the show truly speaks to my show, and because I’m an executive producer I am involved in every aspect of the show. I’ve been very blessed.
Who was the greatest host of all time? For my 12th birthday I got a small television and I would turn it on long after my parents thought I had fallen asleep. I would watch Johnny Carson until my eyes couldn’t stay open any longer. He always made the guest the star. There seems a tendency today for hosts of all genres to want to be bigger than the show. I never felt that from Carson.
Julie Chen
“Big Brother” (CBS)
What’s one quality a good host must have? You have to know how to go with the flow. You never know what contestants are going to do, how they’re going to react, and you have to be quick on your feet. A lot of times we have meetings and try to figure out, “OK, this person probably knows he’s getting voted out,” or “This person probably has no idea,” and then you roll with it.
What’s your pre-show ritual? Last summer I was pregnant so had to not do this, but I used to get a giant Red Bull on ice ready and a lemon Luna bar because the last thing I want is to be hungry or tired on a live show, and the Luna bar has just enough sugar, and if it gets stuck in my teeth no one can see it. When I was pregnant, my snack became Greek yogurt with a little honey and nuts and dried fruit. I always make sure my tummy is taken care of before the show.
What was your first MC or hosting job? When I first did “Big Brother” 11 years ago, I had always been a news person, so I had this newsy approach — which is why they called me the “Chen-bot.” I didn’t want to show any emotion; when I did the news I didn’t want anyone watching at home to think “she’s unfair.” So I tried to be more personality-driven, and I didn’t know how to do it — and my sister called and said, “You’re a little Regis Philbin-y.” I said, “That’s awesome!” But she didn’t mean it in a good way. Now I feel like “Chen-bot” is my moniker, and I go with that.
Ryan Seacrest
“American Idol” (Fox)
What’s the biggest faux pas you’ve ever committed on the show? My hair color in Season 1 (2002), which was chemically induced, as well as some of the wardrobe choices that same season. At the time, it made sense … but looking back it was less than perfect.
What’s your pre-show ritual? I don’t have one, strangely. I am more comfortable walking from an off-air conversation or telephone call or e-mailing on my BlackBerry right into the live show with seconds to spare. I get nervous when I sit and wait in the wings for something to happen.
What other reality show would you want to host? Jeff Probst and I have talked about this before — I’m a natural for “Survivor.” I think when people see me in the suits and on that shiny floor, they think I look out of place and that I should be in the wilderness for months eating bugs from a pan. I joke, but I do think that would be the most interesting for me to do.
Who’s the greatest host of all time? Who can answer that with one name? It’s tricky. I’d say Larry [King], [ Dick] Clark, [ Merv] Griffin, [Johnny] Carson, [Regis] Philbin. It’s impossible for me to pick one. The world that those names come from would generate the greatest host of all time.
