These Are The 10 Longest-Running Reality TV Hosts (On A Single Show)
Reality television is a genre that depicts real-life situations. It comes in all shapes and forms: keeping up with Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian, and the entire family, bladesmiths showcasing their skills on Forged in Fire, or contestants racing for the grand prize of $1 million. Regardless of whatever formats they take, reality shows are as entertaining as they are disappointing. These shows can take a viewer through a rollercoaster of emotions. The ability to tap into human emotion, is perhaps why they have been around for the longest of times, as they date back to the 1940s.
A reality show, unless family-driven like that of the Kardashians, is incomplete without a host. A vibrant host sets the tone for a racing show, keeping the viewer glued to the screen. A somewhat soft yet tough host is just the perfect fit for a show like The Bachelor since things can go south sometimes. That said, here are some reality show hosts who've spent the longest time on a single television show.
10 Tyra Banks: 12 Years
Tyra Banks’ modeling career began when she was only 15 years old. The veteran model has since broken numerous records, including being the first woman of color to grace the covers of GQ, and Sports Illustrated. Tyra, who’s earned tons of respect in the modeling industry, is not one to shy away from a business venture. In 2003, she created America’s Next Top Model, a competition that focused on aspiring models and served as the host until its cancelation in 2015.
9 Heidi Klum: 13 Years
Heidi Klum’s modeling career had an epic start when she won a modeling competition in 1992. She beat 25,000 contestants and landed herself $300,000. What spiraled after she accepted a contract was a life in the limelight that saw her grace different Vogue covers. Her role as host of Project Runway was therefore well-deserved. Heidi held the job from 2004 to 2017.
8 Tom Bergeron: 14 Years
Tom Bergeron began his career through a deejaying gig on the radio. He grew popular locally in the '80s because of his ability to blend his music sets with comedy. Soon after, he became part of a local game show, giving him his first break on television. In 2005, after hosting Hollywood Squares for six years, he got a job as the host of Dancing with the Stars. Tom served as the show’s host until his departure in 2019.
7 Gordon Ramsay: 16 Years
In 2020, Gordon Ramsay was placed 19th amongst the highest-earning celebrities in the world. His high income is largely attributed to his stellar business acumen that showed itself long before he became the toughest-talking chef on American TV. Ramsay described his entry into culinary college as ‘a complete accident.’ The ‘accident’ however led to him be the host of Hell’s Kitchen since its inception in 2005.
6 T.J. Lavin: 16 Years
Born Thomas Joseph Lavin, T.J has had his foot in the thrilling world of action-packed activity since he was 15. His journey on television began when he entered ESPN’s X Games. He later became a champion on Gravity Games. Since 2005, he has hosted MTV’s The Challenge. In addition to taking over the show in its eleventh season, T.J Lavin has hosted its spinoff, Spring Break Challenge.
5 Ryan Seacrest: 18 Years
Ryan Seacrest studied journalism at the University of Georgia. He left university to pursue his dreams in Hollywood. His career began at ESPN, where he hosted Radical Outdoor Challenge. He would then hold a few more jobs until American Idol showed up in 2002. Ryan’s fame grew with the show’s increasing viewership and saw him host it until it took a hiatus. Since its revival, Ryan has hosted the competition three more times.
4 Chris Harrison: 19 Years
Chris Harrison’s television career began in 1993 when he served as a sports reporter for an Oklahoma station. Before The Bachelor came around, he held several more jobs, including one as the host of a horse racing show. Since 2002, Harrison has gained popularity as the host of ABC’s The Bachelor. He has also hosted some of the show’s spinoffs such as The Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise. As of 2021, he decided to step away from the show.
3 Phil Keoghan: 20 Years
Phil Keogan began his television career on a New Zealand show called Spot On. Phil, who was 19, had a catastrophic experience on the show. After what he termed as a near-death panic attack when he was separated from his partner on the children’s show, Phil vowed to have a thrilling life. The wake-up call landed him a job as a host of one of America’s longest-running reality shows, The Amazing Race. Phil has held the job since the show’s inception in 2001.
2 Jeff Probst: 21 Years
Jeff Probst began his career as a narrator of marketing videos for Boeing Motion Picture. Before Survivor came by, Jeff had a couple of roles on television, including one as a host of Rock & Roll Jeopardy. In 2000, he debuted as the host of Survivor, a job he’s held for the past 21 years. On how he landed the job, he said that getting a meeting with the series creator was quite the toil, but he did it anyway because he thought the show had ‘something special'.
1 Julie Chen: 21 Years
Chen’s interest in media led her to pursue a degree in broadcast journalism at the University of Southern California. While she was still in school, she held a short-lived job as a desk assistant at ABC. Later, her early years in the industry were spent as an intern at CBS. Prior to Big Brother, she also worked as a news reporter. Since 2000, she’s hosted one of America’s long-running shows, Big Brother, and has earned the name ‘Chenbot’, due to her robotic approach of delivery.
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