Since television entered the mainstream in the 1950s, the show hosts have played an integral role in the medium. Across genres and formats—from network evening news to daytime and late-night talk shows to syndicated game shows—hosts have forged special relationships with American viewers and carved a unique place in popular culture. They relay world events, discuss societal issues, interview celebrities and industry leaders, provide comedy and entertainment, and ultimately attempt to connect on a human level.
Often the face of a network or show, hosts hold a highly coveted job, capable of changing and elevating a career, which means it breeds intense competition. This has especially been the case throughout late-night talk show history, in which hungry comedians have jockeyed to take over legendary shows from comedy icons. You only need to look back to NBC’s “The Tonight Show” conflict in 2010, when Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien had an intense public battle that ended when O’Brien left the network. The fallout underscored the intense scrutiny and inherent challenges television personalities endure and face when competing against or maintaining the legacy of another popular host.
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To get a comprehensive look at the hosting hierarchy, Stacker examined YouGov data on the most popular TV personalities of all time, spotlighting 15 shows that have had at least two hosts for a minimum of five years to determine, via YouGov’s popularity rating, the most popular host of the show.
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'The Tonight Show': Johnny Carson
- Have heard of: 89%
- Have positive opinion of: 67%
"Heeeeere's Johnny!" There may not be a more iconic entrance for a late-night talk show host than the one bestowed upon Johnny Carson, who headlined "The Tonight Show" for nearly 30 years. After hosting a series of television shows throughout the 1950s, Carson took over the late-night gig in 1962, filming in New York for 10 years before moving the show to Burbank, California, until his final episode in 1992.
Often revered as the best late-night personality in history, Carson was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987 and launched numerous comedians' careers before being succeeded by Jay Leno. He died in 2005 at 79.
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'The Price is Right': Bob Barker
- Have heard of: 89%
- Have positive opinion of: 60%
Over his 35 years hosting "The Price is Right," the longest-running game show in television history, Bob Barker became an American institution. While bantering with contestants at their bidding podiums, helping them spin the big wheel, and encouraging them to win new cars, he earned 19 Emmy Awards, made cameos in movies and television shows, and became a devoted animal rights advocate.
The comedian Drew Carey succeeded him as host in 2007 and has retained the position ever since, but the show's success will always be attributed to Barker, who died in 2023 at 99.
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'The View': Barbara Walters
- Have heard of: 93%
- Have positive opinion of: 53%
Barbara Walters amassed myriad roles, milestones, and accolades over her six-decade-plus journalism career. The most notable highlights include her becoming the first female co-anchor of a network evening news program in 1976; interviewing every president and first lady from Richard and Pat Nixon to Barack and Michelle Obama; and creating, producing, and co-hosting the ABC daytime talk show "The View."
She led discussions at the table with names such as Meredith Vieira and Joy Behar from its inception in 1997 until 2014, two years before her final public appearance. She died in 2022 at 93.
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'The Daily Show': Jon Stewart
- Have heard of: 86%
- Have positive opinion of: 52%
Setting the gold standard for political satire, Jon Stewart brought his signature charm, wit, and incisive and pressing questions to Comedy Central when he took over hosting "The Daily Show" from Craig Kilborn in 1999. The comedian and actor spent 16 years pillorying and poking fun at a spectrum of politicians and world events, cultivating a stable of comic correspondents—including Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, and Samantha Bee—who went on to host their own late-night shows.
Since he handed the baton to Trevor Noah in 2015, he has directed a movie, hosted his Apple TV+ series, and reported for weekly hosting duties once again in 2024 to cover the presidential election.
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'Family Feud': Steve Harvey
- Have heard of: 93%
- Have positive opinion of: 58%
Throughout its storied 48-year history, "Family Feud" never had a host capable of colorful, deadpan, instantly meme-able reaction faces quite like Steve Harvey. The Black entertainment icon had spent the early part of his career as a stand-up comedian, hosting a couple of comedy shows in addition to being a writer, actor, and producer. When he began hosting "Feud" in 2010, however, he entered another dimension of pop culture, using his comedic timing to bedevil scores of family and celebrity contestants.
The show has come a long way, and it has seen a variety of hosts since it started with Richard Dawson in 1976. There has yet to be a successor to Harvey.
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'The Late Show': David Letterman
- Have heard of: 93%
- Have positive opinion of: 58%
After he was a weatherman, sitcom writer, stand-up comic, and morning talk show host, David Letterman got his first late-night shot with NBC, spending 11 years as host of "Late Night." But after the network hired Jay Leno to take over for Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show," Letterman sprang for CBS to lead "The Late Show," a competing late-night program that earned an Emmy in just its second season.
Since Letterman retired from the gig in 2015, Stephen Colbert has taken over the Ed Sullivan Theater, attempting to maintain his predecessor's legacy as a whip-smart interviewer and entertainer, skills Letterman continues to use in his Netflix series "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction."
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'Today': Katie Couric
- Have heard of: 86%
- Have positive opinion of: 50%
Starting in 1991, Katie Couric spent 15 years waking up America as the co-host of "Today." Succeeding Deborah Norville, she presented news and conducted countless interviews alongside Bryant Gumbel and later Matt Lauer, becoming one of the faces of NBC.
After leaving "Today" in 2006, Couric made history as the first woman to solo anchor a network evening newscast, acting as both anchor and managing editor of "CBS Evening News" for five years. In 2017, she founded Katie Couric Media, which develops and produces numerous entities, including a podcast and documentaries.
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'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve': Dick Clark
- Have heard of: 85%
- Have positive opinion of: 62%
Dick Clark spent the vast majority of his career as one of the most influential figures in music, hosting "American Bandstand" for more than 30 years while also lending his talents to a variety of game shows. But most of his younger fans knew him best as the host of "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," the annual ABC special that debuted in 1972 and aired every Dec. 31, counting down the New York City ball drop.
Clark made his final appearance as host in 2011 to celebrate the 40th installment and died months later at 82, but the show's legacy lives on with Ryan Seacrest, who co-hosted with Clark starting in 2005.
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'Wheel of Fortune': Pat Sajak
- Have heard of: 90%
- Have positive opinion of: 60%
"Wheel of Fortune" began in 1975 with Chuck Woolery as its host. But Pat Sajak's successive 42-year reign as its leader is unparalleled. Eventually gaining a mainstay co-host and letter-turner in Vanna White, Sajak took over the word game in 1981 and holds the record for longest-serving game show host, which is unlikely to be broken.
Along with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Sajak with his congenial personality earned four Emmys, helping "Wheel" become a syndicated staple. He handed over hosting duties to Ryan Seacreast after his last show on June 7, 2024.
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'Access Hollywood': Mario Lopez
- Have heard of: 86%
- Have positive opinion of: 53%
Mario Lopez earned celebrity status as A.C. Slater on "Saved by the Bell," but he became an omnipresent media personality in the decades after, most notably since taking over as host of "Access Hollywood" in 2019 after Billy Bush held the position from 2004 to 2016.
Lopez remains the half-hour weeknight show's face, using his insider knowledge and affable enthusiasm to relay celebrity gossip and news. In addition to hosting the show, he also hosts its one-hour spinoff, "Access Daily," with Kit Hoover, a live daytime show that focuses on similar Hollywood stories and news.
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'Good Morning America': Diane Sawyer
- Have heard of: 89%
- Have positive opinion of: 56%
Diane Sawyer began her well-respected broadcasting career as a weather forecaster in Louisville, Kentucky; went to the White House to work in the Richard Nixon administration; and then joined CBS to begin work as a news journalist. She got her break after moving to ABC in 1989, hosting "Good Morning America" starting in 1999 and holding the post for 10 years. She left an indelible and intrepid mark on the program, flying 346,205 miles to cover stories around the world, according to ABC.
After her "World News" anchor run ended in 2014, Sawyer continued contributing long-form interviews and hosting primetime specials, burnishing her status as an elite reporter.
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'Live! with … ' : Regis Philbin
- Have heard of: 85%
- Have positive opinion of: 48%
When Regis Philbin died at 88 in 2020, The New York Times called him "TV's enduring everyman." Known primarily and affectionately by his first name, Philbin spent over five decades as a TV personality, but he didn't turn into a superstar until his morning talk show was nationally syndicated in 1988. That was due in large part to his firecracker energy while interviewing guests and his improvisational banter that caffeinated his shows, which included Kathie Lee Gifford as his co-host until 2000, followed by Kelly Ripa.
Philbin also hosted game shows and made cameo appearances, while Ripa has piloted "Live!" with a few different co-hosts after Philbin retired from the show in 2011.
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'NBC Nightly News': Tom Brokaw
- Have heard of: 83%
- Have positive opinion of: 51%
Considered one of the most distinguished and articulate nightly news anchors in history, Tom Brokaw most notably served as anchor, managing editor, and chief of correspondents for NBC News' evening newscast. He got his start in Sioux City, South Dakota, before working his way up to a national gig at NBC, where he took on various hosting roles and became the sole anchor of the "Nightly News" in 1983.
The veteran broadcaster covered numerous significant events—including the space shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986 and the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks—ending his anchor run in 2004 as one of the most popular news personalities in the United States. Since Brokaw left his post, Brian Williams and now Lester Holt have filled the anchor chair.
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'The Talk': Sharon Osbourne
- Have heard of: 91%
- Have positive opinion of: 49%
Similar in format to "The View," "The Talk" first aired in 2010 with Sharon Osbourne as one of six co-hosts who discussed a range of contemporary issues and pop culture events. The English music manager, who married Ozzy Osbourne, began her own talk show and judged Britain's "The X Factor" and "America's Got Talent" in the 2000s before joining CBS.
In 2021, the network announced that Osbourne was leaving the show after a contentious conversation with co-host Sheryl Underwood regarding Osbourne's defense of Piers Morgan, who left "Good Morning Britain" after racist remarks about Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Three years after her departure, "The Talk" was canceled, and it will finish its run at the end of 2024.
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'CBS Evening News': Walter Cronkite
- Have heard of: 85%
- Have positive opinion of: 60%
During his 19-year stretch anchoring "CBS Evening News" beginning in 1961, Walter Cronkite, as PBS put it, "became a daily presence in the American home." Able to forge a distinct path while upholding Edward R. Murrow's legacy, Cronkite helped raise the reputation of the network, delivering breaking news and his own opinions about some of the most notable events in American history during the 1960s and 1970s, ending each broadcast with his signature line: "And that's the way it is."
His successors, including Dan Rather and Katie Couric, were notable in their own right, but Cronkite owned the job at a time when the evening news was the country's primary source of national and global information. The pioneer died in 2009 at 92.
Data reporting by Luke Hicks. Story editing by Mike Taylor. Copy editing by Lois Hince.
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