Most Popular Game Show Hosts in History

Jack Barry was involved in many early game shows on television as host and executive, including “Juvenile Jury,” “21,” and “Tic Tac Dough.” “21” was the highest-rated game show of the 1950s. He became embroiled in the quiz show scandals of the 1950s and for years did not appear on television. Barry eventually returned to the small screen in 1972 to host “The Joker’s Wild.”

Dennis James, frequently referred to as “The Dean of Game Show Hosts,” is credited as the host of television’s first network game show, “Cash and Carry,” in 1946. During a career that lasted until 1977, James hosted “The Name’s the Same,” the nighttime version of “The Price Is Right,” and “Name That Tune.”

Daytime TV viewers in the 1960s and 1970s will remember Jim Lange as the host of the long-running “The Dating Game,” where contestants would ask cringeworthy questions of prospective dates. Among the celebrities who appeared on the show were Tom Selleck, Farrah Fawcet, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Andy Kaufman.

Tom Kennedy, who hosted game shows for more than 30 years, including “You Don’t Say!” “Name That Tune,” and “The Price Is Right,” was the brother of one game show host, Jack Narz, and the brother-in-law of another, Bill Cullen.

Bud Collyer cut his teeth in show business on radio during the 1940s, playing the title role in “The Adventures of Superman.” He switched over to the nascent medium of television in the late 1940s and hosted several game shows. Collyer became famous as the host of “Beat the Clock” and as the bowtie-wearing host of “To Tell the Truth.”

Hal March started as one-half of a comedy team, Sweeney & March, and appeared on early television shows such as “I Love Lucy” and “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.” His big break came as host of “The $64,000 Question,” which became a television sensation because of the amount of prize money and March’s winning personality. “The $64,000 Question” was involved in the quiz show scandals of the 1950s, and March’s association with the program hurt his career.

The brother of Tom Kennedy, another game show host, Jack Narz was a familiar TV game-show quizmaster for over 20 years beginning in 1957. After a stint as a radio announcer, Narz hosted nine game shows, among them “The Price Is Right,” “Beat the Clock,” and “Concentration.”

Garry Moore was the host of the early hit game show “I’ve Got a Secret,” in which four panelists questioned the person with the secret to find out what the secret was. The show ran from 1952 to 1967 and spawned several revivals. Moore also hosted the game show “To Tell the Truth” from 1969 to 1977.

John Charles Daly was a reporter and news executive who gained lasting fame as the charming host of “What’s My Line?” Blindfolded panelists would try to identify a mystery guest who was asked by Daly to “Sign in, please” by writing their name on a chalkboard. Among the luminaries who graced the show were Eleanor Roosevelt, singer Marian Anderson, and playwright Noel Coward. The program was a Sunday night institution and ran from 1950 to 1967.

Peter Marshall hosted four game shows in the 1980s and 1990s, but none was more popular than the daytime mainstay “Hollywood Squares.” The game show placed nine celebrities in a tic-tac-toe alignment and Marshall would ask each of them a question and the contestant could either agree or disagree with the answer. The daytime version of the “Hollywood Squares” ran from 1966 to 1982.

Long before Alex Trebek put his stamp on the primetime game show “Jeopardy!,” in which contestants have to respond to clues from various categories in the form of questions, the show was hosted in daytime by Art Fleming. The show, created by Merv Griffin, ran from 1964 to 1975 and returned for a brief run from 1978 to 1979. Fleming played himself in the movie “Airplane II: The Sequel” in 1982.

Marc Summers began his entertainment career as a magician, disc jockey and comedian. His first on-air job for a game show was as an announcer for “The Joker’s Wild” in 1973 at age 22. He is best known as host of the show “Double Dare” on Nickelodeon from 1986 to 1993.

The bespectacled quizmaster known for his impish humor overcame a childhood bout with polio that caused him physical challenges the rest of his life to host 24 different game shows. Among the programs he helmed were “The Price Is Right,” “Eye Guess,” and “Three on a Match.” He also served as a panelist on other game shows, such as “I’ve Got a Secret.” Cullen was the brother-in-law of two other game show hosts, Jack Narz and Tom Kennedy.

Wink Martindale, born Winston Conrad Martindale, was a game-show fixture for nearly 50 years. Among the shows the former disc jockey hosted were “Can You Top This?,” “Tic Tac Dough,” “Gambit,” and “The New High Rollers.”

Monty Hall gained fame as the host of “Let’s Make a Deal,” the show in which contestants were selected by Hall from a studio audience, many of whom dressed in flamboyant costumes, and offered something of value. Contestants were then given the choice of keeping the item or exchanging it for an unknown one behind a curtain. Hall hosted the show from 1963 to 1975.

Bob Eubanks has had an entertainment career as an actor and producer, however, he is best known as the baritone-voiced host of “The Newlywed Game,” famous for its often risqué questions posed to newly united couples who vied for prizes such as home furnishings. The first version of the show ran from 1966 to 1974.

Hugh Downs, a descendant of frontiersman Davy Crockett, had one of the most varied careers in television. He was an announcer and sidekick for “Tonight Starring Jack Paar” from 1957 to 1962; a co-host of the NBC News morning program “Today” from 1962 to 1971; and anchor of the ABC News magazine “20/20” from 1978 to 1999. Downs was also the host of the game show “Concentration,” based on a kids’ memory game, from 1958 to 1969. He was one of the first inductees into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2007.

Actress and sketch comedian Melissa Peterman is best known for her role as Barbra Jean in the television comedy series “Reba.” She has been the host of the game shows “The Singing Bee” and “Bet on Your Baby.”

Ray Combs leveraged his notoriety on the comedy circuit to become the host of the game show “Family Feud,” in which two families compete against each other for prizes. Combs hosted the show from 1988 to 1996. He also helmed the show “Family Challenge.”

Television personality Meredith Vieira began her career in television journalism, which included a stint as an editor on the long-running news program “60 Minutes.” The Emmy-Award winner was the co-host of the “Today” show and the talk show “The View,” and she was the host of “The Meredith Vieira Show.” The personable Vieria was also host of the game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” for 11 seasons.

Bert Convy, who played minor league baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies, was a singer, film and stage actor, and game show host and panelist. The telegenic Convy was best known for hosting the game shows “Tattletales” and “Super Password.”

Jeff Foxworthy gained fame as a comedian with his multi-platinum album “You Might be a Redneck If…” He parlayed his breezy, good-ole-boy persona into hosting the game show “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”, which he helmed from 2007 to 2015.

Gene Rayburn was a comedian and stage performer who appeared in such shows as “”Bye Bye Birdie” and “Under the Yum Yum Tree.” Rayburn worked with Steve Allen on the original “Tonight Show” in the early 1950s. Older television viewers remember Rayburn as the host of the original “The Match Game” in the 1960s and the reboot of the game show in the 1970s.

Chuck Woolery, who had aspirations of becoming a rock star early in his career, hosted “The Love Connection” from 1983 to 1994. This game show introduced a bachelor or bachelorette to three possible dates, and the studio audience voted on the best pairing. Woolery was the first host of the Wheel of Fortune from 1975 to 1981, when he left following a contract dispute.

Dick Clark, the host of the iconic dance TV show “American Bandstand,” and a prolific producer of television programming, was the host of “The $10,000 Pyramid,” which premiered in 1973. The game paired a contestant with a celebrity and the contestant tried to guess words or phrases in a category displayed on a pyramid game board from a description given by the celebrity. The show spawned other versions.

Sherri Shepherd is known to television audiences as one of the hosts of the talk show “The View,” for which she won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host. She has also appeared on the long-running series “Dancing with the Stars.” Shepherd became host of the rebooted “The Newlywed Game” in 2010.

Allen Ludden was the original host of the game-show stalwart “Password,” which gained lasting fame as the subject of a famous episode of the sit-com “The Odd Couple.” Ludden was the husband of actress/comedian Betty White, who was a frequent player on the show, in which players had to guess a word from a one-word clue.

Television viewers probably remember Brooke Burns from her recurring role on the series “Baywatch,” where she appeared from 1998 and 2001, and for her appearance in the movie “Shallow Hal.” She was the host of the reality game show test of survival “Dog Eats Dog” in 2001 and “Hole in the Wall” in 2008-2009, in which contestants try to fit through a narrow opening.

Legendary comedian Groucho Marx hosted the game show “You Bet Your Life,” in which contestants were quizzed on their knowledge, and during the course of the program might win money if they said a secret word. More than anything else, the show was a vehicle for Groucho’s rapier-like wit.

Snarky game show host Chris Hardwick has helmed popular programs such as “Singled Out,” a dating show that ran on MTV from 1995-1997, in which a person chooses from among 50 people through three rounds of questions and stunts. Hardwick won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media – Social TV Experience for his work on the show @midnight.

Mario López reached stardom in the 1980s as a teen heartthrob in the sitcom “Saved by the Bell.” He also played OIympic diver Greg Louganis in the television movie, “Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story.” López has extended his celebrity status by hosting shows such as “Masters of the Maze,” “Pet Star,” and “America’s Best Dance Crew.”

From appearing as Joey Bishop’s sidekick on a talk show in the 1960s to co-hosting daytime chat shows such as “Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee,” Regis Philbin has been a television institution. He was the first host of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” which became a primetime hit, and he also helmed the entertainment competition program “America’s Got Talent.”

Besides starring in MTV’s hit series Teen Wolf (2011) and appearing in a slew of Hallmark Channel films, the highly recognizable Wagner has hosted the reality series “Wipeout” for seven seasons. In the game show she provides commentary and interviews contestants competing on an obstacle course.

Anthony Anderson is a familiar face on primetime television as a recurring character on the sitcom “Black-ish.” He’s also appeared on the big screen in the Scary Movie franchise and the Martin Scorsese-directed “The Departed.” Anderson has served as host for the rebooted game show “To Tell the Truth.”

Actor Jane Lynch reached stardom for her role as the bullying cheerleading coach on the series “Glee.” Lynch has been the host of “Hollywood Game Night,” in which two teams of celebrities and contestants compete for cash prizes. Lynch has been rumored to succeed Alex Trebek as the next host of “Jeopardy!”

British import Richard Dawson became known to American audiences as a wisecracking English prisoner of war in the 1960s sit-com “Hogan’s Heroes.” He built on that recognition by becoming a panelist on “Match Game” in the early 1970s, before landing the job as the original host of “Family Feud” in 1976. Dawson, who raised some eyebrows for kissing the female contestants, hosted the hit show until 1985, and returned to helm the program in 1994-1995.

Actress and comedian Aisha Tyler has been the host of the reboot of the comedy improvisational show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” since 2013. Tyler appeared in the first season of “Ghost Whisperer” (2005) and voiced the character Lana Kane in “Archer” (2009). She has also had a recurring role on the series “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”

Canadian-born comedian Howie Mandel hosted 232 episodes of the game show “Deal or No Deal,” which is modeled on a Dutch game show. The primetime game show debuted on American television in 2005. Mandel has been nominated for a daytime and a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Game Show Host.

Comedian Drew Carey, with his trademark Buddy Holly glasses, has had much success on television with his sitcom “The Drew Carey Show” and as host of game shows “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”, a comedy improvisational program, and “The Price Is Right.” Carey holds the record for the most money won on the celebrity version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” winning $532,000 on two appearances on the show.

Liza Koshy, the youngest person on the list, is a YouTube comedian and actress who has been cited by Time magazine as one of the 25 most influential people on the internet. She appeared on the social platform Vine and amassed over 5 million fans with a series of 6-second videos. After Vine shut down in 2017, her fans followed her to YouTube and she has gained more than 17 million subscribers. Koshy has co-hosted the return of the game show “Double Dare,” with TV veteran Marc Summers, on Nickelodeon. On “Double Dare,” contestants answer trivia questions, face physical challenges, and take on an obstacle course.

Bob Barker hosted “The Price Is Right” from 1972 to 2007. Along the way, Barker won 15 Emmys, 12 of them for Outstanding Game Show Host, which has been awarded since 1974. When Barker retired in 2007, “The Price Is Right” had become the longest-running daytime game show in history as well as the first hour-long game show on television. The jovial quizmaster also hosted the game show “Truth or Consequences” from 1956 to 1974. Barker is also known as a passionate animal rights activist.

Television viewers know Ryan Seacrest as co-host of “Live!” with Kelly Ripa, as well as for his hosting duties on the music competition show “American Idol.” He also is an executive producer for the programs such as “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” and “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.” Seacrest was host of the short-lived game show “TRyan Seacrest,” which aired in September 2013.

Affable comedian Wayne Brady was a regular participant on the improvisational comedy television series “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” He was also the first host of the game show “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” from 2007 to 2009. Since 2009 he has hosted the revived version of “Let’s Make a Deal.” Brady made history in 2002 when he became the first African American to host the Miss America beauty pageant.

Before he became the king of late-night television, Johnny Carson was the host of the game show “Who Do You Trust?” (the original title was “Do You Trust Your Wife”) from 1957 to 1962, in which married couples were asked a trivia question and the husband decided which of the two would answer it. Carson was also a panelist on game shows such as “What’s My Line?” and “To Tell the Truth.”

Michael Strahan has become a familiar face on television following his Hall of Fame career as a defensive lineman for the NFL’s New York Giants. In addition to co-hosting “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” Strahan has handled the hosting job of “The 100,000 Pyramid” since 2016. Contestants are paired with celebrities and try to guess words or phrases on a pyramid-shaped game board to win money.

When it comes to longevity, nobody tops Pat Sajak, who has been host of “Wheel of Fortune” since 1983 (his letter-turning associate Vanna White has been on the show for the same length of time). On “Wheel of Fortune,” one of many game shows created by Merv Griffin, three contestants try to solve a puzzle by spinning a wheel, whose arrow might land on prizes, and they guess letters in a word or phrase.

Genial comedian Steve Harvey has hosted the venerable “Family Feud” game show since 2010 and helmed a spinoff, “Celebrity Family Feud.” Prior to his game-show stints, Harvey hosted the entertainment competition show “Showtime at the Apollo” from 1993 to 2000. He starred in “The Steve Harvey Show,” a sitcom that ran from 1996 to 2002.

Jamie Foxx is the only game show host who has won an Academy Award. Foxx took home the golden statue for Best Actor in 2005 for his portrayal of musician Ray Charles.The multi-talented Foxx — actor, singer, songwriter, record producer and comedian — has been host of the game show “Beat Shazam” since 2017. “Beat Shazam” is an updated version of “Name That Tune,” in which three pairs of contestants try to beat the computer “Shazam” to identify song titles in the shortest time period.

Few game show hosts can match the resume and longevity of Canadian-born Alex Trebek, whose career spanned more than 50 years. Trebek was the host of “Jeopardy!,” a game show that has become a cultural totem, since 1984. Trebek himself has become a television icon, lampooned by comedian Will Ferrell on “Saturday Night Live.” Trebek, who turned 80 on July 22, lost  battle with pancreatic cancer on Nov. 8, 2020.

Comedian Ellen DeGeneres has become a fixture on television as a talk-show guest and host, game show host, and producer. DeGeneres has been the host of “Ellen’s Game of Games” since 2017. Many of the games on the game show were played on her talk show. She’s been the host of her own talk show, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” since 2003. Known for her effusive, fun-loving personality, DeGeneres has also hosted the Academy Awards, the Grammys, and the Emmys. Her public image has taken a beating lately over accusations by former employees that her show has created a “toxic” work environment.