Sean Evans, the charismatic host of Hot Ones, shares that the show was conceived to revolutionize the typical celebrity press tour experience, and he has been successfully executing this innovative concept for over a decade now.
This camera, this camera or this camera, tell us what you have going on. For Sean Evans, Hot Ones has become a cultural phenomenon over the past decade, where he engages with celebrity guests (and even animated ducks) in a unique format that tests their tolerance for heat as they ascend the Scoville scale. The show’s premise may seem simple, yet it has created unforgettable moments, including instances where even A-listers like Jennifer Lawrence have had to fight back the urge to vomit. This combination of humor and heat has captivated audiences and created a distinct niche in the realm of celebrity interviews.
As the host of over 360 episodes of Hot Ones, Sean Evans boasts that he has devoured approximately 30,000 wings throughout the show’s run. But how did this innovative series come to life? In an interview with Variety, he explained, “The intention behind it was to try to disrupt the PR-driven flight pattern that so often celebrity guests naturally have when they’re doing a press tour. So, we were like, well, what could we do to disrupt that? And his solve for that was have them eat increasingly spicy chicken wings, and it was just the best dumb idea ever. I immediately recognized its potential. And when we began shooting episodes, it wasn’t a huge hit at first, but I could see the way that people would come alive — Machine Gun Kelly doing laps around the studio and standing on the table. I’d never seen anything like that while we were shooting it. So, I always knew that once there was some sort of discovery event with the show that people would like it, and it turns out that that impulse was the right one.”
Hot Ones has transformed into one of the most popular interview shows, breaking away from conventional formats, with First We Feast reporting an impressive follower count of 14.5 million as of this writing. The show’s unique approach, which highlights the connection between food and personal stories, has led to some of the most memorable celebrity interviews in recent years – special shoutout to Conan for his unforgettable episode!
As Hot Ones approaches its significant milestone of 10 years, having first premiered in March 2015 with rapper Tony Yayo, it continues to draw in viewers. The latest episode featured the legendary Bill Murray, who impressively maintained his stoic demeanor throughout the entire spicy wing challenge.
Are you an avid follower of Hot Ones? Which celebrities would you love to see take on the heat in upcoming episodes? Share your thoughts and predictions!
