America's Most Loved TV Personalities

Phil McGraw — better known as Dr. Phil — first met Oprah Winfrey in the late 1990s when he helped her with a legal case. The mustachioed life adviser soon became a regular on her show, before launching his own long-running talk show, “Dr. Phil,” in 2002. McGraw has made appearances on numerous programs over the years, including “Today,” “Good Morning America,” and “The Talk.”

Bill Maher began his career as a stand-up comedian, eventually making television appearances on shows including “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” during the 1980s and 90s. He found his calling as host of the politically charged HBO series “Real Time with Bill Maher,” which has been on the air for 18 seasons. The show has been nominated for 20 Primetime Emmys, though has yet to win one.

German supermodel Heidi Klum has proved she has more to offer than just good looks by becoming the highly regarded host of “Project Runway” and a judge on “America’s Got Talent.” Klum has also appeared as a guest on various late night shows, and has made frequent appearances on shows including “Live! with Kelly,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” and “Extra.”

Dog behavior expert Cesar Millan has used his skills with canines to become a best-selling author and widely admired TV personality. His series “Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan” ran for nine seasons on National Geographic Channel and later Nat Geo Wild, and his follow-up series “Cesar 911” ran for three seasons. Millan has made guest appearances on such diverse shows as “The Apprentice,” “Jeopardy!,” and “Hell’s Kitchen.”

Bill Nye first rose to fame during the 1990s as the star of the children’s science show “Bill Nye, the Science Guy,” which won him multiple Daytime Emmys. Following the end of the show in 1998, Nye made occasional appearances in movies and on television, including as a panelist on “Hollywood Squares” and a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars.” Nye returned to the public eye with the Netflix series “Bill Nye Saves the World” in 2017. Three seasons have been released to date.

Like Dr. Phil before him, Dr. Oz — first name Mehmet — rose to prominence as a regular guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Known as “America’s Doctor,” the heart surgeon launched “The Dr. Oz Show” in 2009. The seven-time Daytime Emmy-winning show has been renewed for an eleventh season this year.

Jimmy Fallon’s television career started as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live,” where he stood out with his exceptional celebrity impressions. After departing from the show, Fallon appeared in a few feature films, including “Taxi” (2004) and “Fever Pitch” (2005). Fallon was more successful working in television, however, and returned with “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” in 2009, taking over for Conan O’Brien. In 2014 he began hosting “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

Red-headed late night host Conan O’Brien got his start behind the scenes as a writer for shows like “Saturday Night Live” and “The Simpsons.” In 1992 he took over as host of “Late Night” after Jay Leno left to lead “The Tonight Show.” After a brief stint as host of “The Tonight Show,” which ended with Leno returning to the program, O’Brien moved to TBS with his Emmy-winning talk show “Conan.”

David Letterman revolutionized late night television with his brand of off-the-wall humor. After hosting “Late Night with David Letterman,” Letterman moved to CBS and began hosting “Late Show with David Letterman,” which entertained viewers for more than 20 years and won nine Primetime Emmy Awards. The show ended in 2015 but Letterman returned with a new Netflix series, “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction,” three years later.

Businesswoman, editor, and television personality Martha Stewart has been appearing on daytime TV since the late 1980s. In addition to appearing as a guest on numerous shows ranging from morning talk shows to late night comedy series, the homemaker-extraordinaire has hosted a number of her own programs, including “Martha Stewart Living,” “Martha,” and most recently “Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Party Challenge” — a cooking show starring Stewart and rapper Snoop Dogg. Stewart has remained popular despite a stint in prison following charges related to insider trading.

Born to the prosperous Vanderbilt family, Anderson Cooper first acquainted himself with audiences as a news correspondent on ABC and CNN. He began hosting his own show, “Anderson Cooper 360,°” in 2003. It’s been on the air since. The Emmy-winner often appears as a guest on other news shows, late night talk shows, and hosts CNN’s New Year’s Eve specials.

George Lopez worked as a stand-up comic before starring on the sitcom “George Lopez,” which ran for six seasons. In 2009 he debuted “Lopez Tonight” on TBS, making him the first Latino late-night talk show host on an American network. Following the show’s finale in 2011, Lopez has made frequent television appearances including on shows such as “Entertainment Tonight,” “The View,” and “The Talk.”

Alex Trebek has been host of the hugely popular game show “Jeopardy!” for an astounding 36 years. The cultural icon has been famously lampooned by shows such as “Saturday Night Live” — a show on which he’s even appeared himself. Trebek has revealed a vulnerable side over the past year, following an admission to the public that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Simon Cowell first found success with the British television show “Pop Idol” before appearing as a judge on the contest show “American Idol.” Despite his oftentimes insensitive demeanor toward show contestants, Cowell remained popular among U.S. audiences as he launched another music show adapted from a British program, “The X Factor.” Cowell has won numerous awards for his work on TV, including Favorite Villain at the 2013 Kids’ Choice Awards.

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi rose to prominence as a cast member on MTV’s reality show “Jersey Shore,” which ran for six seasons beginning in 2009. The 4′ 8″ Polizzi has remained in the public eye since, appearing on daytime and late night talk shows, “Dancing with the Stars,” “The Apprentice,” and “Jersey Shore” spin-offs “Snooki & JWoww” and “Jersey Shore Family Vacation.”

After winning over British television audiences, James Corden moved to entertain American viewers with shows such as “A League of Their Own” and “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” the latter of which won a Primetime Emmy. Thanks to his easy going likability, Corden has been chosen to host both the Tony and Grammy Awards twice.

Supermodel Tyra Banks has helmed two hit television shows: the talk show “The Tyra Banks Show” from 2005 to 2011 and reality show “America’s Next Top Model,” which debuted in 2003. She both hosted and executive produced each. Banks also hosted “America’s Got Talent” for both its 2017 and 2018 seasons. She’s continued to make frequent TV appearances since.

Stephen Colbert began as a TV actor in the 1990s, appearing on shows including “The Dana Carvey Show” and later “Strangers with Candy.” In 1997 he began making popular guest appearances on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” which paved the way for his own “The Colbert Report.” In 2015 he began hosting “The Late Show,” taking over for beloved host David Letterman. Under his watch the show has been nominated for 11 Primetime Emmys, but has yet to win.

Grammy-winning R&B singer Toni Braxton successfully made the leap to television with the reality show “Braxton Family Values,” which debuted in 2011 and has run for six total seasons thus far. The show follows the lives of Braxton, her sisters, and their mother.

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has found success as the irritable host of numerous cooking shows. Among the most popular have been “Kitchen Nightmares,” which aired from 2007 through 2014, and “Masterchef,” which has been on air since 2010. Ramsay has also executive produced and starred in the reality show “Hell’s Kitchen” for what will soon be 19 seasons.

Steve Harvey became a successful stand-up comedian prior to landing his own sitcom, “The Steve Harvey Show,” which ran from 1996 to 2002. Following the series’ end, Harvey hosted the reality show “Steve Harvey’s Big Time” before taking over as host of the popular game show “Family Feud” in 2010. Harvey continues to host that show in addition to making frequent guest appearances on popular talk shows. He has also hosted the Miss Universe pageant in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

At 97 years of age, actress Betty White has had plenty of time to win the heart of America. Although her first acting credit dates back to 1945, White first rose to fame as a cast member on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and later “The Golden Girls.” She has continued to accept roles in narrative films and television programs, but has also been extremely active, making appearances as herself on every type of show available. According to IMDb, she has 341 credited appearances as herself throughout her storied career.

Oprah Winfrey holds numerous titles, including media executive, actress, and talk show host. She is best known as host of the immensely popular “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” which ran from 1986 to 2011 and won a total of 16 Daytime Emmys for the “Outstanding Talk Show Host” and “Outstanding Talk Show” awards. Winfrey, who is worth $2.8 billion, according to Forbes, launched the cable channel OWN in 2011.

Kim Kardashian West may be the most popular reality television star in history. Her show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” which follows the Kardashian-Jenner family in their daily lives, has been on air since 2007 making it one of the longest-running reality shows in history. Kardashian is exceptionally popular on social media, with 157 million followers on Instagram and nearly 30 million on Facebook.

Ellen DeGeneres was a successful stand-up comedian before launching her own sitcom, “Ellen,” in 1994. Ellen’s popularity increased exponentially with her daytime television show “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” which has been on air since 2003. The show has won 11 Daytime Emmys since its debut. In 2016, DeGeneres was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama for her contribution to the arts.