Game Show Hosts Who Are Actually Terrible People

Game shows have been around almost as long as TV itself. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the first game show ever was Spelling Bee, which aired all the way back in 1938. On the show, host Freddie Grisewood tasked people with, wait for it, spelling words. Riveting stuff! And it paved the way for the literally thousands of game shows that have existed since then.

There are all kinds of styles and formats of game shows, everything from tests of physical endurance to games of chance to intellectual endeavors. For all the variety of potential games, there is one tried and true constant — the host. The game show host is usually friendly, upbeat and excels at innocuous banter while explaining the rules and bringing the contestant along for the ride. It’s worth remembering that the host you see on TV is just a persona, however, a character these people are playing. In real life, some of these game show hosts can be just awful. They are, after all, just like the rest of us, even if they wear terrible suits and tell jokes that are cornier than your dad’s. Some of them are awesome people and some are, well, you’ll see.