8 Game Show Hosts From Yesteryear: Where Are They Now?
With the deaths of Alex Trebek and Regis Philbin last year, the pantheon of game show hosts lost two of its greats. But many other game show hosts are still alive and hard at work, whether they’re emceeing other TV shows, hosting podcasts, taking acting roles, or earning money as public speakers.
Anne Robinson, for example, landed a new hosting gig in the U.K. in February, the job coming nearly two decades after she brought her “Queen of Mean” reputation stateside to host Weakest Link on NBC. Here are updates on Robinson and several other game show alums.
Weakest Link’s Anne Robinson
With her withering glare and harsh comments, Robinson made quite the splash on the original U.S. version of Weakest Link, even though it only lasted from 2001 to 2003. She hosted the U.K. version until 2012, though, and returned for its 2017 revival. These days, Robinson is the new host of the British game show Countdown. When that gig was announced in February, Robinson also faced renewed accusations that some of her Weakest Link comments were homophobic.
Love Connection’s Chuck Woolery
In addition to hosting Love Connection, Woolery was also the host of the game shows Wheel of Fortune, Scrabble, The Dating Game, Greed, and Lingo. Now he’s the cohost of the Blunt Force Truth podcast, and he recently made a stir by tweeting COVID-19 conspiracy theories that then-President Donald Trump retweeted.
Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader’s Jeff Foxworthy
After hosting Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, Foxworthy fronted the three-season game show The American Bible Challenge and the one and only season of The American Baking Competition, a Yankee adaptation of The Great British Bake Off. Most recently, the comedian was the host of the A&E reality show What’s It Worth?
Fear Factor’s Joe Rogan
Rogan bolstered his NewsRadio fame by hosting Fear Factor, and after that cringe-y game show ended (the first time), he went back to his comedy career and his role as a UFC commentator. He launched his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience in 2009, but as a broadcaster, he’s developed a history of racist, transphobic, and homophobic remarks, as CNN reports.
Supermarket Sweep’s David Ruprecht
Ruprecht hosted the Lifetime and PAX TV iterations of Supermarket Sweep for more than a decade, as you can see in the collection of episodes currently streaming on Netflix. After that job, Ruprecht went back to acting—starring, for example, in the 2020 film The Author, the Star, and the Keeper. He also told Entertainment Weekly last year that he had auditioned to be the announcer for the new ABC version of Supermarket Sweep, hosted by Leslie Jones.
Double Dare’s Marc Summers
After endearing himself to millennials everywhere as the host of two slime-splattered game shows—Double Dare and What Would You Do?—Summers segued into drool-worthy television as the host of Unwrapped and an executive producer on Dinner: Impossible and Restaurant: Impossible. And when Double Dare returned to Nickelodeon in 2018, Summers returned as well—not as host but as announcer and commentator.
Family Feud’s Louie Anderson
Anderson was the first emcee of the current revival of Family Feud, hosting the show from 1999 to 2002. Afterward, he went back to stand-up comedy before landing his Emmy-winning role as Christine Baskets on the FX comedy Baskets. Now Anderson is a a panelist on the game show Funny You Should Ask, and he recently had a recurring role as Bob on HBO Max’s Search Party.
The Newlywed Game’s Bob Eubanks
The oldest personality on this list, Eubanks hosted episodes of The Newlywed Game off and on between 1966 and 2010. Now 83, Eubanks is no longer hosting game shows—or the annual Rose Parade, for that matter—but he is working as a “sought-after public speaker,” according to his website, and he’s also the celebrity pitchman for the 60uP Balance Board.
