The 20 most charming game show hosts

Not surprisingly, Wayne Brady remains a beloved and charismatic game show host. In addition to being the host for Let’s Make a Deal since 2009, he has been quite successful on stage, appearing on Broadway as Simon/Lola in the award-winning musical Kinky Boots. He was also well-regarded for his starring on Whose Line Is It Anyway? With his beaming smile and easy rapport with the various contestants, he was seemingly born to be a game show host (the same can be said of Drew Carey, another Whose Line Is It Anyway? star who went on to host a game show).

Richard Karn might be most famous for his appearance as Al in the hit comedy series Home Improvement, but he has shown remarkable versatility. For a brief stint in the 2000s (from 2002-06), he hosted the long-running game show Family Feud. In the role, he showed the same effortless charm and down-to-earth personality that he had used to such remarkable effect in Home Improvement. Though his appearance on the game show was sadly not very long, it was still fun to see him stretch his muscles a bit and get his time in the spotlight. 

Few game show hosts have been as prolific as Bill Cullen, who was the host for over 20 different shows (hence his nickname “The Dean of Game Shows”). It’s easy to see why so many would draw on his talents, as he was one of those people who was innately charismatic. Unlike so many other game show hosts, who relished the chance to make themselves larger-than-life, Cullen’s charm lay in his ability to just seem so ordinary and likable. Some of his most notable game show appearances include I’ve Got a Secret and To Tell the Truth. 

Monty Hall was one of those television hosts who managed to be successful in front of and behind the camera. He is now largely remembered for his engaging personality on the set of the game show Let’s Make a Deal, and he hosted the show during several of its different incarnations (stretching over four decades). Part of his charm lay in his ability to convey warmth and generosity of spirit as a game show host, which, as it turned out, was also true in his personal life, as he was also a well-known philanthropist. 

Richard Dawson had quite a career in television. In addition to being the host of both Match Game (from 1973-1978) and Family Feud (from 1976-1985 and 1994-1995), he was one of the cast members of Hogan’s Heroes. He was one of those actors who seemed to have an innate sense of how television as a medium worked, and he managed to command the camera and establish a nice rapport with contestants. His kissing of female contestants certainly looks a little cringe from the point of view of 2023, but it seems to have been unfortunately popular with many who watched Family Feud in its original run.

Physically, Gene Rayburn is the very epitome of the 1970s game show host, with his gleaming white teeth and polyester suits. He was, of course, most well-known for his hosting of Match Game, and there was an easy charisma to his performance that was impossible for either audiences or contestants to resist. While his rapport with contestants was certainly key to his appeal, it was his banter with the various celebrities who were a part of the show that was the highlight, particularly when one of them tried to push the envelope in terms of what they could get away with.

The mark of a truly great game show host is the ability to get contestants to have fun and make a bit of a fool of themselves. Few were as successful at this as Bob Eubanks on The Newlywed Game, on which he seemed to have an almost supernatural ability to get guests to give ridiculous answers. Moreover, he was undeniably charming, largely because he was so young when he began hosting the show. This allowed him to have a youthful energy not always true of game show hosts, and it also allowed him to push the envelope in terms of sexual innuendo.

Even though the death of Alex Trebek left behind a significant hole in Jeopardy!, a number of hosts have stepped in to fill the gap. Of particular note is Ken Jennings, previously famous for being the show’s premier champion. What is particularly notable about Jennings’ stint as host is how different he is from Trebek. Rather than trying to imitate his predecessor’s charming gravitas, Jennings has stayed true to his persona. Though he can be quite sarcastic, he still manages to be as charming as a host as he was as a seemingly unbeatable champion. 

Though it might have seemed that Bob Barker could never be replaced as the host of The Price is Right, Drew Carey has done a very good job of stepping into the role. Like many other successful replacements for beloved hosts, he realized that the key to establishing his own tenure was simply to be himself. Somehow, both deadpan and avuncular, Carey has proved to have remarkable staying power, and he has been with the show since Barker’s retirement. He has even maintained Barker’s legacy by continuing to urge viewers to have their pets spayed or neutered. 

While Pat Sajak might be the most famous host of Wheel of Fortune, he isn’t the only person to have occupied that role, as Chuck Woolery initially did so in the 1970s and into the 1980s. He’s most famous, however, for being the host of Love Connection, as well as several other ventures. With his wavy hair, the gleam in his eyes, and that dashing smile, it’s easy to see why he would be considered one of the great game show hosts of the 1970s and 1980s. As is so often the case with game show hosts, he was able to leverage his larger-than-life appearance into an endearing persona.

At first glance, it might seem counterintuitive to say that Anne Robinson, the host of The Weakest Link, was charming. After all, her signature was saying — in her crisp, no-nonsense British way — that someone was the weakest link before dismissing them from the show. However, precisely the deadpan delivery of her signature line made her so charming. She was like the stern British governess that every American audience member secretly wanted. One couldn’t help but cheer her on as she destroyed the dreams of aspiring contestants, waiting for the moment when she would deliver her signature line. 

When it comes to being a television presence, few performers are as prolific as Steve Harvey. Among other things, he appears in The Steve Harvey Morning Show, Family Feud, Celebrity Family Feud, and Judge Steve Harvey. He has had quite a lengthy tenure on Family Feud and Celebrity Family Feud, having been in the role since 2010. In his role as host, he demonstrates his keen comedic sensibilities, and he manages to be both effortlessly charming and quietly in command of the show and its various contestants. 

For many years, Regis Philbin was a true household name, thanks in large part to his show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee (and its successors). He also showed that he was quite a good game show host thanks to his role on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. With his unmistakable New York City accent, Philbin was somehow a little grating and incredibly charming. He made “Is that your final answer” prevalent in the American lexicon. His hosting duties weren't limited to Millionaire, as he also hosted Million Dollar Password. 

The perpetually youthful Dıck Clark was a staple of American television for several decades, thanks in large part to his annual celebration on New Year’s Eve. Among his many TV appearances was in the game show Pyramid, which he hosted in several of its incarnations. With his gleaming smile and ability to simply command the camera, he was one of those people who was seemingly born to host a game show. In many ways, he was also the epitome of a true gentleman, making him such an enduring icon in the American cultural landscape. 

Few game show hosts are quite as famous as Bob Barker, a staple of daytime television, thanks to his long-running stint as the host of The Price is Right. He hosted the show from 1972 until 2007, becoming a sort of grandfather to the show’s many generations of fans. He had such an easy command of the stage that it’s easy to see why he stayed on the show for so long, and it was fun just to watch how he bonded with the various contestants on the show. The fact that he was a staunch animal rights advocate made him that much more appealing. 

Tom Bergeron is one of those hosts who has been ubiquitous on the game show circuit for several years, having appeared on various shows. These include both Hollywood Squares and Dancing with the Stars. He’s one of those game show hosts who knows how to tell a joke that really lands, and he quickly establishes a good rapport with the contestants and the various panelists. This dynamic is most clearly on display on Hollywood Squares, but it also comes through in his other appearances. He’s one of those people who wears his charisma lightly on his sleeve, so it makes sense that he would be so beloved. 

Avuncular and gregarious, Allen Ludden was widely beloved thanks to the many years he spent hosting Password.  Of particular note was his opening (“Hi, doll’), which was in reference to his mother-in-law, the mother of Betty White. Indeed, Ludden’s undeniable chemistry with White helped make him such a charming host (the two were married in 1963 and remained so until his death in 1981). Ludden's smile seemed to light up a room, and his presence on the show remains a joy to watch.

When it comes to game show hosts, it’s truly hard to beat Alex Trebek, who hosted Jeopardy! from 1984 until he died in 2020 from pancreatic cancer. Somehow, he managed to be both erudite and incredibly charming, providing viewers a steady presence throughout the decades. Trebek could always be counted upon to be serious and authoritative, but he also knew how to ask piercing questions when he spoke with contestants. Trebek was one of those game show hosts who was quite simply a cultural institution, and much of this was due to his unique charm, which entertained audiences of multiple directions.  

Though Bert Convy might not be as much of a household name as some of the other game show hosts out there, he still occupies a special place in the hearts of those who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s when he was the host of such beloved shows as Tattletales and Super Password. Convy had an effortless charm as a host, which he used to great effect, managing to put contestants at their ease. Of course, Convy’s skill at being a host was no surprise, given that he’d long been a guest on various shows before taking over hosting duties himself.

Like Alex Trebek and Bob Barker, Pat Sajak became a staple of the American television landscape thanks to his hosting gig on Wheel of Fortune. Like the best game show hosts, he had a knack for knowing how to keep the game moving while appearing friendly and charismatic with the players. There’s also something genuine about how Sajak interacts with everyone on the show — no matter their station or skill. This helped to endear him to the many millions who have made Wheel of Fortune a part of their nightly viewing, and when he departs the show in 2024, he will be dearly missed.