Forgotten TV game show hosts – where are they now?

Dubbed as TV’s ultimate “Queen of Mean” with her icy catchphrase, “You are the weakest link, goodbye!”, Anne Robinson became famous for her sardonic dismissal of competitors on The Weakest Link, which she hosted from 2000 to 2012. Anne first honed her legendary TV persona as the host of Watchdog (1993–2001), a role which she went on to reprise as The Weakest Link came to an end, and even briefly hosted Countdown for a year in 2021. 

After a brief hiatus – and confirming her relationship with Queen Camilla’s ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles – she’s set to host the new Channel 5 show The Sentence: You Will be the Judge, which will see four real-life sentence hearings recreated for audiences to decide the verdict.

Already known for his “You might be a redneck…” stand-up, Jeff Foxworthy made the jump from comedy to game show hosting, and unsurprisingly brought laughs to viewers across the world. If you could bear the second-hand embarrassment, you would’ve caught him hosting Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?, the trivia show where contestants tried (and often failed) to answer primary school-level questions. 

After hosting various versions of the show from 2007 to 2015, he passed the mantle to John Cena and later Travis Kelce, but he’s now back on air as half of Sirius XM’s comedy duo Jeff & Larry's Comedy Roundup.

Best remembered for his iconic colourful sweaters, David Ruprecht was the memorable host of Supermarket Sweep from 1990 until its cancellation in 2003. The show saw contestants answer trivia questions before embarking on a mad dash around a supermarket to gather as many items as they could. A successful actor beforehand, with turns on Punky Brewster and Days of Our Lives, David followed his “Big Sweep” of the game show world up with guest-star slots on shows like True Blood and Star Trek Prodigy. 

David later revealed that he auditioned to host the 2020 revival of Supermarket Sweep, which went to Leslie Jones and was later shelved after two seasons (no pun intended).

A Nickelodeon mainstay who wasn’t afraid to both slime others and get slimed himself, Marc Summers hosted the network’s hit Double Dare (1986–1993), where contestants competed in messy physical challenges to win prizes. After his popularity on the show, he went on to helm the short-lived What Would You Do? (1991–1993), putting park guests at Universal Studios in unpredictable situations while the audience called the shots on how they should react. 

Marc also starred in his own one-man theatre show, The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers, a nod to his legacy and his 1999 memoir, which candidly chronicled his battle with OCD.

Before there was Steve Harvey, there was Richard Dawson. After charming audiences as Corporal Peter Newkirk in Hogan’s Heroes, the British-born actor became the original host of Family Feud (1976–1985, 1994–1995), going on to win a Daytime Emmy for Best Game Show Host. He became particularly known for his bizarre ritual of kissing every female contestant on the lips to reportedly calm their nerves – much to the chagrin of producers – earning him the nickname "The Kissing Bandit". 

Richard went on to poke fun at his persona in Arnold Schwarzenegger's The Running Man (1987), playing the egotistical presenter Damon Killian. The infamous host passed away in 2012.

The Scottish presenter who helped kick off the home makeover craze, Carol Smillie traded assisting Nicky Campbell on Wheel of Fortune UK for hosting her own show, Changing Rooms (1996–2003), which saw couples swap houses and DIY each other’s spaces. The show ended up being a massive hit, inspiring the US version Trading Spaces, and Carol earned spots presenting a number of popular shows like the National Lottery. 

Following an impressive career, Carol is now a qualified Humanist Celebrant and conducts non-religious funerals, naming, and legal wedding ceremonies across the UK.

If you caught Anna Kendrick’s chilling Netflix thriller Woman of the Hour, the story is set around the real-life show The Dating Game, hosted by the charming Jim Lange from 1965 to 1980. The matchmaker guided three contestants vying for the same date through a range of questions, and the show even featured the likes of Farrah Fawcett and Steve Martin prior to stardom.

Previously a radio show host, Jim returned to the profession after his game-show heyday, leading The Lange Gang in San Francisco for eight years before retiring in 2005. The dating show super host passed away at age 81 in 2014.

A television institution for half a century, Bob Barker hosted the longest-running game show in North American history, The Price Is Right, from 1972 to 2007. Before he was calling contestants to “Come on down!”, Bob also hosted the game show Truth or Consequences (1956–1975), where contestants had to perform an embarrassing stunt if they got a trivia question wrong. 

After 35 years hosting The Price Is Right, Bob retired in 2007 and continued to dedicate much of his time to animal rights activism. The pop culture icon passed away in 2023, leaving behind an impressive TV legacy.