Famous American TV Presenters
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What is the hottest thing on American TV now? Buy it or not, it's the TV presenters. That's right! Love them or hate them, you surely can't ignore America TV's hosts who besides pumping up the X Factor of any show, are actively redefining the way the world views television entertainment as. There is no denying that America has given the world some searing hot television presenters who have taken prime time entertainment as well as late night shows to a whole new level. From Simon Cowell to Oprah Winfrey and from Donald Trump to Jay Leno, America surely has given the world some dollar-worthy TV presenters who have kept America awake and glued to their TV screens, thanks to their sheer presence and panache. No wonder, networks have overcome their urge of throwing any pseudo-celebs in front of the camera to see what sticks to the wall. Here, we bring you a collection of some of the most famous American TV presenters. Read on to explore the timelines, life stories and interesting trivia & facts related to their lives.
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Birthdate: January 17, 1957
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Welch, West Virginia, United States
Comedian, businessman and entertainer Steve Harvey has been active in the entertainment world since 1985. Born to parents who were avid movie lovers, he developed an early love for performing. He began his entertainment career as a stand-up comedian and soon started performing in TV shows and films. Also an entrepreneur, he founded Steve Harvey Global (SHG).
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Jimmy Fallon(Actor, Comedian and Host of the Late-Night Talk Show ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’)
Birthdate: September 19, 1974
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Bay Ridge, New York, United States
Jimmy Fallon began as a stand-up comedian and an SNL cast member and then got his own show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. He succeeded Jay Leno as the host of The Tonight Show. He has also starred in movies, written a few children’s books, and released two comedy albums.
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Oprah Winfrey(Best Known for Her Daytime Syndicated Talk Show 'The Oprah Winfrey Show')
Birthdate: January 29, 1954
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Kosciusko, Mississippi, United States
Oprah Winfrey is arguably one of the most iconic figures in America who broke many barriers to become one of the most influential women in the country. She is a role model for the black community and is also a fierce feminist. Her path-breaking The Oprah Winfrey Show mostly based on lives of common people catapulted her to unprecedented stardom.
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Bill Nye(Best Known as the Host of the Science TV Show ‘Bill Nye the Science Guy’)
Birthdate: November 27, 1955
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States
Bill Nye is an American mechanical engineer, television presenter, and science communicator. He is known for hosting the live-action science program Bill Nye the Science Guy. He is credited with inventing a hydraulic resonance suppressor tube, which is used on the Boeing 747 airplanes. He also helped develop MarsDial, a sundial that became part of the Mars Exploration Rover missions.
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Alyson Hannigan(Best Known for Her Roles in the Sitcom 'How I Met Your Mother' & the 'American Pie' Film Series)
Birthdate: March 24, 1974
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States
Alyson Hannigan is one of the most recognized celebrities, thanks to her role in the popular sitcom How I Met Your Mother and her role in one of the most popular sex comedy film series of all time - American Pie. She has been presenting the television show, Penn & Teller: Fool Us, since 2016.
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Jon Stewart(Best Known for Hosting The Satiric Television News Program 'The Daily Show')
Birthdate: November 28, 1962
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Jon Stewart is an American actor, writer, political commentator, television host, and filmmaker. He is credited with popularizing Comedy Central's satirical news program The Daily Show. Also a prominent comedian, Jon Stewart has influenced and inspired several other comedians like Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, John Oliver, Larry Wilmore, Hasan Minhaj, Jordan Klepper, Samantha Bee, and Bassem Youssef.
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Kimberly Guilfoyle(American Television Personality and Advisor to the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump)
Birthdate: March 9, 1969
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: United States
One of the prominent speakers at the Republican National Convention 2020 and a vocal supporter of American President, Donald Trump, Kimberly Ann Guilfoyle is a senior advisor and top fundraiser at Trump’s re-election campaign. A former deputy district attorney, prosecutor, legal analyst at CNN and TV host at Fox News, Guilfoyle is rumoured to be the Donald Trump Jr.’s partner.
Birthdate: December 24, 1974
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Dunwoody, Georgia, United States
Ryan Seacrest is an American television host, radio personality, and producer. He gained national recognition after hosting the popular singing competition TV series, American Idol. Also known for his humanitarian efforts, Seacrest established the Ryan Seacrest Foundation in 2010. He is also credited with producing a men's skincare line called Polished.
Birthdate: May 17, 1962
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Springburn, Glasgow, Scotland
Craig Ferguson is a Scottish-American comedian, television host, and author. He helped popularize The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, which he hosted and received the prestigious Peabody Award for the same. A recovering alcoholic, Craig Ferguson has stayed sober since 1992 and is an inspiration to those trying to quit drinking.
Birthdate: August 16, 1953
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Paris, France
Kathie Lee Gifford achieved celebrity status by working as a television presenter. She then became a singer-songwriter and author, cementing her place in the entertainment industry. Also known for her charity work, Kathie serves as an ambassador for Childhelp, a non-profit organization working towards preventing child abuse.
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David Letterman(Television Host and Producer Best Known for His Long-Running Talk Show ‘Late Show with David Letterman’)
Birthdate: April 12, 1947
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Starting off as a radio weatherman, David Letterman has come a long way. He has been the longest-serving American late-night talk-show host and ranked 45th on TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list. He later dabbled in production, with hit sitcoms such as Everybody Loves Raymond.
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Pat Sajak( Host of the American Television Game Show 'Wheel of Fortune')
Birthdate: October 26, 1946
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Pat Sajak went from being a weatherman to the host of the cult game show Wheel of Fortune. His long stint on the show fetched him three Emmy Awards. He has also hosted The Pat Sajak Show and The Price Is Right, and has written columns for Human Events.
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Henry Rollins(Lead Vocalist of Los Angeles Hardcore Group 'Black Flag')
Birthdate: February 13, 1961
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States
Henry Rollins is an American musician. Rollins is credited with forming the Rollins Band, which was active from 1987 to 2006. He is also credited with founding the publishing company and record label 2.13.61, Inc. Also a well-known activist, Henry Rollins has campaigned for various causes, including the promotion of peace movement and LGBT rights.
Birthdate: September 25, 1929
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Died: December 30, 2022
Barbara Walters is an American retired television personality and broadcast journalist. Renowned for her popularity with viewers, Walters appeared as the host of several popular TV shows. A pioneer for women in broadcasting, Walters became the first woman to co-host shows like Today and ABC Evening News. In 1996, she was named in TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Stars list.
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Seth Meyers(Host of 'Late Night with Seth Meyers' and Former Cast Member of 'Saturday Night Live;)
Birthdate: December 28, 1973
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Evanston, Illinois, United States
Seth Adam Meyers is best known as the host of Late Night with Seth Meyers. He was a writer and cast member of Saturday Night Live and won several awards for his work, including a Peabody Award and an Emmy. He also hosted SNL’s Weekend Update segment.
Birthdate: June 3, 1967
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
As one of the leading television journalists for the past 10 years, Anderson Cooper has played a prominent role in influencing several important events in the United States of America. An openly gay man, Anderson Cooper has also served as an inspiration to the entire LGBTQ community.
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Rachael Ray(American Celebrity Chef and Host of the Food Network Show ‘30 Minute Meals’)
Birthdate: August 25, 1968
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Warrensburg, New York, United States
Celebrity chef Rachael Ray is best known for her Food Network show 30 Minute Meals. She also made waves with her talk show Rachael Ray and her culinary shows such as Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels. She has also authored several cookbooks and launched the magazine Every Day with Rachael Ray.
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John Barrowman
(Known for His Role as 'Captain Jack Harkness' in 'Doctor Who')
Birthdate: March 11, 1967
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Mount Vernon, Glasgow, Scotland
John Barrowman is a Scottish-born author, comic book writer, presenter, singer, and actor. Barrowman is also known for his charity work and activism. Over the years, he has been a strong supporter of the LGBT community and has worked with organizations like Stonewall. He also has his own skincare line named HIM.
Birthdate: August 25, 1931
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
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Jay Leno(Comedian, Writer and Host of the NBC Show ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno’)
Birthdate: April 28, 1950
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New Rochelle, New York, United States
Emmy-winning stand-up comedian Jay Leno is best known for his shows The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Jay Leno Show, both on NBC. The Television Hall of Fame inductee is also an avid car collector and is associated with several charitable initiatives, such as the Love Ride.
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Al Roker(American Weather Presenter, Journalist and Co-Host of ‘3rd Hour Today’)
Birthdate: August 20, 1954
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Queens, New York, United States
Al Roker is best known as the weather anchor of Today on NBC. He is also a co-host on shows such as 3rd Hour Today. He set a Guinness world record by reporting non-stop for 34 hours. He has co-authored several books, including a set of murder mysteries.
Birthdate: October 7, 1943
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: San Antonio
Former U.S. marine lieutenant Oliver North was convicted in the Iran-Contra case, which involved selling weapons to Iran illegally. After the charges were dropped, he hosted a radio talk show and War Stories with Oliver North. He has also been the president of the National Rifle Association.
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Penn Jillette(American Magician, Author and One Half of the Magician Duo 'Penn & Teller')
Birthdate: March 5, 1955
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Greenfield, Massachusetts, United States
American magician Penn Jillette is part of the magician duo Penn & Teller, which he formed with fellow magician Teller. A graduate of the Ringling Bros. clown college, he began his career with a Broadway touring show. He has been part of several TV shows and has penned the NYT bestseller God, No!
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Julie Chen
(Television personality, News anchor)
Birthdate: January 6, 1970
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
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John Walsh
(television presenter, actor)
Birthdate: December 26, 1945
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Auburn
Birthdate: July 29, 1970
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Birthdate: November 11, 1986
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Kenner, Louisiana, United States
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Savannah Guthrie
(Co-Anchor of the NBC News Morning Show 'Today')
Birthdate: December 27, 1971
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia
NBC News anchor and broadcast journalist Savannah Guthrie is best known for co-anchoring the show Today. She appeared in the series finale of 30 Rock. She has penned two children’s books, too. She is also a practicing lawyer and has worked with domestic abuse victims.
Birthdate: June 23, 1956
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
Randy Jackson started his career playing bass guitar for various artists, He then started his stint as a producer with Columbia and MCA Records. He is best known for his appearance as a judge on American Idol. He has also been the executive producer of America's Best Dance Crew.
Birthdate: July 30, 1962
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Alton Brown soared to fame as the creator of the Food Network culinary show Good Eats. He has also hosted shows such as Iron Chef America and Feasting on Asphalt. He has authored several bestselling cookbooks. He also created two culinary shows on YouTube during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Birthdate: June 22, 1973
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Santa Monica, California, United States
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Robin Roberts
(First Woman of Color and First Openly LGBTQ+ Woman to Host the American TV Game Show ‘Jeopardy!')
Birthdate: November 23, 1960
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Tuskegee, Alabama, United States
A former basketball and tennis player, Rubin Roberts began her career as a sports anchor and reporter for a Mississippi channel, WDAM-TV, eventually joining ESPN as sportscaster, concurrently serving as a featured reporter for Good Morning America. In 2005, she left ESPN to become a co-anchor for Good Morning America, currently serving as an anchor for the same program.
Birthdate: May 1, 1986
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Pennsylvania
Daughter of Jon Huntsman Jr., former governor of Utah, Abby Huntsman is an Emmy-winning broadcast journalist who rose to fame with her shows on MSNBC and NBC News. She has also co-hosted Fox & Friends Weekend and The View. She was listed on Forbes 30 under 30, too.
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Jamie Hyneman
(American Television Host and Special Effects Expert)
Birthdate: September 25, 1956
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Marshall
Jamie Hyneman is an American television host and special effects expert. He achieved popularity as the co-host of the popular TV series MythBusters. He is also credited with inventing an unmanned firefighting robotic vehicle called Sentry. Jamie Hyneman also co-designed Wavecam, an aerial cable robotic camera system used in entertainment and sports events.
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Elisabeth Hasselbeck(Television Personality and Former Co-Host on the ABC Daytime Talk Show ‘The View’)
Birthdate: May 28, 1977
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Cranston, Rhode Island, United States
Retired TV personality and talk show host, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, first gained fame as a contestant on the American version of the TV show, Survivor, in 2001. In the ensuing years, she became a co-host on the daytime talk show, The View, which further added to her popularity and earned her a Daytime Emmy Award. She is also a published author.
Birthdate: October 29, 1988
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States
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Merv Griffin(Host of 'The Merv Griffin Show' and Creator of the Games Shows 'Jeopardy!' and 'Wheel of Fortune')
Birthdate: July 6, 1925
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: San Mateo, California, United States
Died: August 12, 2007
Merv Griffin was an American media mogul and television show host best known for hosting, The Merv Griffin Show, from 1965 to 1986. He is also credited with creating famous game shows, such as Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, through his TV production companies. For his contribution to TV, Merv Griffin was inducted posthumously into the Television Hall of Fame.
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Billy Mays
(American salesperson)
Birthdate: July 20, 1958
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: June 28, 2009
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Katie Couric(Journalist and Television Host at All of the ‘Big Three' Television Networks in the United States)
Birthdate: January 7, 1957
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Arlington County, Virginia, United States
Regarded as “America’s Sweetheart”, Katherine Couric has been a familiar face on top US television networks for decades. The journalist and presenter had a long stint with NBC News before she switched over to CBS News and then to ABC News. She is also known for co-hosting programmes on Today. She co-founded multimedia news and production company Katie Couric Media.
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Gayle King(Author and Broadcast Journalist Known for Co-Hosting the Morning Show ‘CBS Mornings’)
Birthdate: December 28, 1954
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States
Gayle King is an American author and TV personality. Since 2012, King has been co-hosting CBS News' popular program, CBS This Morning. She has also been serving as CBS News' broadcast journalist. Also an editor-at-large for the famous O, The Oprah Magazine, King was included in Time magazine's list of 100 Most Influential People in 2019.
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Maury Povich
(Television personality, best known for hosting the tabloid talk show Maury)
Birthdate: January 17, 1939
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States
Birthdate: June 2, 1968
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, United States
TV producer Andy Cohen is best known as the host and executive producer of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. He is the first openly gay host of a late-night talk show. He hosts Radio Andy and has produced shows such as Top Chef and the Real Housewives franchise.
Birthdate: May 9, 1918
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Brookline, Massachusetts, United States
Died: April 7, 2012
A popular American journalist and media personality, Mike Wallace is credited with bringing important information to the household of several Americans during his illustrious career that spanned nearly 70 years; he interviewed prominent personalities like Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Ayn Rand, and Salvador Dalí among others. His life and career inspired several films and he was portrayed by popular actors.
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Kennedy Montgomery(Political Commentator and the Host of 'Kennedy' on the ‘Fox Business Network’)
Birthdate: September 8, 1972
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Political commentator and host Lisa Kennedy Montgomery, began her career as MTV VJ “Kennedy” on the alternative rock shows 120 Minutes and Alternative Nation. She has authored two books and has also hosted Fox network shows such as Kennedy and Outnumbered. She has also been a panelist on The Five.
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Charissa Thompson
(Television Host)
Birthdate: May 4, 1982
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States
Birthdate: June 19, 1969
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Garden City, New York, United States
Best known as the co-host of ABC’s Good Morning America, TV journalist and anchor Lara Spencer was a competitive diver in her early days. She has also hosted Antiques Roadshow and loves turning yard-sale goods into show-pieces. She has also authored books on designing homes with vintage artifacts.
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Rob Mariano
(Television personality)
Birthdate: December 25, 1975
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Sharon Osbourne(British-American Television Personality and Author Known for Her Talk Show ‘The Sharon Osbourne Show’)
Birthdate: October 9, 1952
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Brixton, South London, England
Heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne’s wife, Sharon Osbourne is a music manager. She rejuvenated Ozzy’s career by organizing the Ozzfest tour. She was the star of the reality show The Osbournes, wrote several books, was a panelist on Loose Women, and judged America's Got Talent and The X Factor.
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Boomer Esiason
(Football Player)
Birthdate: April 17, 1961
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: West Islip, New York, USA
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Safaree Samuels(Rapper and Songwriter, Best Known as the Cast of VH1 Reality Show 'Love & Hip Hop")
Birthdate: July 4, 1981
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Jamaican-American rapper Safaree Samuels started his career with The Hoodstars. He is also known as rapper Nicki Minaj’s former boyfriend. He once launched a sex toy line and later sold his porn videos on his OnlyFans account. He has also been part of the reality show Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood.