Most popular TV hosts of all time

- Share of people who have heard of host: 81%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 52%

For nearly a quarter-century, Dan Rather was synonymous with evening news. The seasoned reporter hosted "CBS Evening News" from 1981 until 2005. Rather got his start as a print journalist in Texas, eventually becoming an evening news anchor for KHOU-TV, a CBS affiliate. His coverage of Hurricane Carla in Galveston, Texas, in 1961 was historic, showing the first radar image of a hurricane on TV and potentially saving thousands of lives. It also led to his move to cover news for CBS in New York the following year.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 81%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 53%

After the popularity of her now-iconic cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," Julia Child found herself hosting the successful and influential cooking program "The French Chef" from 1962–1973. She went on to spend the next three decades of her career hosting various other instructional cooking programs, including the popular "The Way to Cook" video series. She died in 2004 due to kidney failure.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 86%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 53%

Bill Nye created and hosted the television program "Bill Nye the Science Guy" from 1993 to 1998 and taught a generation of young viewers about science. He also hosted 2017's Netflix series, "Bill Nye Saves the World." On Jan. 4, 2025, he was awarded the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 80%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 53%

Wayne Brady became a household name as an improvisational sensation on the comedy TV program "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" in the late 1990s and early aughts. Aside from improv comedy, Brady hosted his own talk show, "The Wayne Brady Show," as well as shows like "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" and "Game of Talents." He has been the host of "Let's Make a Deal" since 2009. Brady has been nominated for more than a dozen Daytime Emmys in the Outstanding Game Show Host and Outstanding Talk Show Host categories, taking home awards for "Let's Make a Deal" and "The Wayne Brady Show."

- Share of people who have heard of host: 89%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 53%

Like Carol Burnett and Mary Tyler Moore, Joan Rivers broke the glass ceiling with her work as a woman in comedy—but her career as a television host was no less influential. After brief stints hosting her own shows—with "The Joan Rivers Show" in the late 1960s and then again in the early 1990s and "The Late Show with Joan Rivers" in the 1980s—Rivers made her way into the popular lexicon with her biting work as a co-host of E!'s "Fashion Police" and "Live from the Red Carpet." She continued to work up until her death in 2014.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 95%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 53%

Jimmy Fallon first gained traction on Los Angeles' stand-up comedy circuit before scoring his big break in 1998 as a cast member of "Saturday Night Live." He continued to appear on the sketch show for six years, playing exaggerated versions of celebs like Mick Jagger and hosting "Weekend Update" until 2004, when he departed to venture into acting. Though his acting career ultimately didn't take off, Fallon instead scored a gig hosting "Late Night" for NBC in 2009. Now one of the most famous faces on television, Fallon has hosted "The Tonight Show" since 2014.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 82%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 54%

Before he was a mainstay on television, Ed McMahon had an illustrious career in the Marine Corps, serving in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. After returning to the States, he was hired to host the daytime quiz show "Who Do You Trust?" in 1957, marking the first of many collaborations with Johnny Carson; the most memorable, of course, was co-hosting "The Tonight Show" with Carson from 1962 to 1992. Outside of that partnership, McMahon hosted the shows "Super Bloopers and Practical Jokes" and "Star Search" in the 1980s and acted in movies like "Fun With Dick and Jane." He died in 2014 at the age of 86 with more than 150 on-screen credits to his name.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 87%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 54%

Famous for his work as a stand-up comedian, Jeff Foxworthy became a popular host of the show "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" from 2007 to 2009. He's since hosted three seasons of a game show called "The American Bible Challenge" that—you guessed it—challenged contestants on their knowledge of the Bible.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 92%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 54%

Now most famous for his nearly 20-year stint as the host of "Late Show with David Letterman," David Letterman first hosted his own morning show in 1980, followed by 11 years hosting "Late Night with David Letterman." As of January 2025, he's hosted five seasons of Netflix's "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman."

- Share of people who have heard of host: 90%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 54%

Jay Leno appeared nightly on the TVs of millions of Americans as the host of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" from 1992 to 2009 (and again from 2010 to 2014). He went on to host a number of other shows including "The Jay Leno Show," "Jay Leno's Garage," and a 2021 revival of "You Bet Your Life."

- Share of people who have heard of host: 90%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 55%

Depending on when you were born, you may know Barbara Walters as a host of "The Today Show" in the '60s; as the first woman anchor on a nightly newscast ("ABC News") in the '70s; as an investigative journalist on "20/20" starting in the '80s; or as the creator and co-host of "The View" in the '90s. She died in 2022 at 93 and is remembered for the incredible number of hats she wore and the accolades she earned throughout her 60-year journalism career.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 89%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 55%

Pat Sajak has hosted "Wheel of Fortune" since 1981. He's become a household name and has received 22 nominations for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host and has won three times. He was also awarded a Lifetime Achievement Emmy in 2011. In June 2024, Sajak ended his more-than-40-year run as the host of "Wheel of Fortune," passing the mic to new host Ryan Seacrest in September.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 89%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 56%

Most famous for her work as a supermodel in the 1990s, Cindy Crawford also had a brief but influential hosting career. During her heyday, the cover girl hosted the MTV series "House of Style," where she interviewed fellow models and fashion designers.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 90%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 56%

A multi-hyphenate in the entertainment industry, Howie Mandel is known to most as the popular host of "Deal or No Deal." Mandel has also been a judge on "America's Got Talent" since 2010, as well as on its 2024 spinoff "America's Got Talent: Fantasy League." In recent years, he's also helmed the "How Mandel Does Stuff" podcast and Netflix's "Bull---- the Game Show."

- Share of people who have heard of host: 84%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 56%

Pat Sajak may have hung up his "Wheel of Fortune" hosting duties in 2024, but his longtime co-host Vanna White is still going strong. For more than four decades White has been revealing the letters on the show's game board, always with a smile and some applause. In fact, in 2013, she was named the Most Frequent Clapper by the Guinness Book of World Records, which estimated that she claps about 600 times per episode.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 95%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 56%

Martha Stewart first became renowned worldwide as both a businesswoman and a lifestyle guru with her 1990 magazine "Martha Stewart Living." She then launched a TV show of the same name in 1993. After being convicted of insider trading in 2004, Stewart served her time and went on to host TV specials and series like "Martha Bakes," "Martha Cooks," and "Martha Gardens." She's also famous for her unlikely partnership with rapper Snoop Dogg, who frequently appears alongside Stewart on TV. The two hosted their own cooking show, "Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party" on VH1.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 83%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 56%

Ed Sullivan was the host of the influential television program, "The Ed Sullivan Show," from 1948 to 1971. His show is known for introducing millions of Americans to the likes of Elvis Presley and the Beatles. In September 1974, he was diagnosed with late-stage esophageal cancer; he died a month later.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 94%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 56%

Jimmy Kimmel got his start in radio before taking on his first television gig: hosting the game show "Win Ben Stein's Money" in 1997. After winning a Daytime Emmy for Best Game Show Host alongside Stein in 1999, Kimmel went on to lead "The Man Show" and "Crank Yankers" for Comedy Central, both of which became major hits for the network. In 2003, ABC launched "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and the rest is history. As of January 2025, Kimmel is the nation's longest-running late-night talk show host.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 94%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 57%

Early in Conan O'Brien's career, he honed his comedy chops with gigs writing for "Saturday Night Live" and "The Simpsons." He then took the airwaves by storm as a popular late-night host: first, on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" from 1993–2009; followed by an infamously brief run as the host of NBC's "The Tonight Show"; and most recently, on his own program, "Conan," from 2010–2021. O'Brien also hosts a podcast called "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend." The podcast also spawned a new TV hosting gig for O'Brien: the 2024 Max travel series "Conan O'Brien Must Go," which sees the longtime late-night fixture meet up with fans around the world, from Thailand to Argentina.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 82%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 57%

Dick Clark is most famous for his work hosting the television program "American Bandstand" from 1956 to 1989. He's also well-known for hosting "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" alongside the famous ball drop in New York's Times Square. A stroke in 2004 effectively ended his career; he died in 2012.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 89%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 59%

After gaining notoriety as a comedian and the star of his own self-titled sitcom, Drew Carey went on to have a successful hosting career. He has become well-known as the host of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" and even replaced Bob Barker as the host of "The Price Is Right" in 2007.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 94%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 59%

Before his days of (publicly) calling people "idiot sandwiches," Scottish chef Gordon Ramsay operated a string of Michelin-star-winning restaurants around the world. He's since built a brand on his famously short temper, delivering memorable rants on TV shows like "Kitchen Nightmares," "Hell's Kitchen," and "Masterchef." In addition to hosting more than a dozen series for both American and British audiences, Ramsay continues to open acclaimed restaurants and has published multiple bestselling books, including an autobiography titled "Roasting in Hell's Kitchen." In January 2024, he launched a YouTube series titled—what else?—"Idiot Sandwich."

- Share of people who have heard of host: 95%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 60%

Prolific in many ways, Steve Harvey has hosted a slew of television programs including his own show, "Steve Harvey," and the podcast "The Steve Harvey Morning Show." Harvey hosted the Miss Universe pageant from 2015 to 2021, even though he infamously crowned the wrong winner in 2015. He's also made waves as a host of "Family Feud" and "Celebrity Family Feud."

- Share of people who have heard of host: 83%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 61%

Known during his career as "the most trusted man in America," Walter Cronkite served as anchorman for 19 years on "CBS Evening News." His humanity was burned into the national consciousness during his reportage in 1963 on the assassination of U.S. President John Kennedy. He won several awards for his work as a reporter, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. After his "Evening News" run ended in 1981, Cronkite hosted the Kennedy Center Honors until 2002. He died in 2009.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 87%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 61%

Johnny Carson is best known for his tenure as the host of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" from 1962 to 1992. He received six Primetime Emmy Awards for his work. During his tenure, Carson hosted more than 8,000 episodes. He died in 2005 after battling emphysema.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 88%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 61%

One of the most famous game show hosts of all time, Bob Barker hosted "The Price Is Right" from 1972 to 2007. He famously ended each episode with a reminder to audiences to get their pets spayed or neutered. He died in 2023 at the age of 99.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 91%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 65%

Although Alex Trebek got his start hosting game shows like "The Wizard of Odds" and "Double Dare," he's best known as the face and voice of "Jeopardy!" which he hosted from 1984 until his death in 2020. For his work on "Jeopardy!" Trebek won eight Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show Host.

- Share of people who have heard of host: 88%
- Share of people who have positive opinion of host: 69%

Internationally beloved, Steve Irwin was a zookeeper and conservationist who taught a generation of audiences about animals with his program, "The Crocodile Hunter," from 1997 to 2004—two years before his untimely death. He also hosted a number of other animal-related programs with his wife Terri including "Croc Files" and "New Breed Vets."