How did Guy Fieri go from food to game shows?

From Twitter yesterday, @chefguyfieri - Ever wondered how Guy Fieri became Minute To Win It host? Of course, I know there are quite a few who do. Here is a vid for you.



@bobhellman - Dude, ease up on the double promotion with ur Twitter handle.. We KNOW it's from U....

Actually, I don't think it was from Guy, at least not directly. Guy Fieri has hired Zenergy Works SEO (website), and I think several recent tweets are coming from them.

From Zenergy's press release, April 15, 2010 - "Zenergy Works will be promoting and shaping the information that Guy puts online to more effectively reach his online audience."

Haha, I had to laugh. Isn't that what we've been doing? :)

But back to the point - Guy Fieri recently told becksmithhollywood.com about how he got into the Game Show Host game.

"I've got a good sense of humor and could see being involved in a sitcom or a movie." He confesses that NBC didn't approach him about broadening his professional horizons by hosting a game show.

"My agent," he says, "asked what were other things I might like to do that I wasn't doing and I thought, ‘Well, I'm a game show fan. I love the way the hosts can interact with contestants.’ And I said, 'I'd love to host a prime time game show.' I didn't think anyone would take me seriously. But not only did they, they designed a show I feel I was born to do. It's perfect for me."

I'm not sure if I see Guy in a sitcom, but I sure can see him doing a voice for a Pixar film, eh? Haha!

From a satellite interview in March 2010, Starrymag.com and others asked similar questions: How did Guy Fieri go from food to game shows? (edited to salient points)

Q. Very cool. So how did you - how did the (producers of the show) find you?

Guy Fieri: ... You know what? It was actually a collaboration between our Executive Producer, you know, Craig Plestis, and Jason Hodes from William Morris Endeavor.

Two had met two years ago in I believe it was France. There was a conference that was going on there. And they just started to have this, you know, discussion about, you know, I’ve got this new guy that’s on the Food Network. His name is Guy Fieri....


And that was it. I remember Jason telling me he had met this guy. And I bet you someday we’ll have some, you know, some program. Well as everybody knows in this business there’s a lot of ideas and designs and hopes and wishes and dreams.

And the fact that this has really come to, you know, fruition that it’s just, you know, what do you say? I’m amazed. And I appreciate the opportunity because I am a chef. And a restaurant owner, a dad. And I do have other shows. You know, I’ve got other things going on.

And to be chosen to do this, you couldn’t - I’ll just tell it to you this way. You couldn’t have designed a game ever that was going to be more fitting to me and my style than this.

And that’s not just a cliché statement. I mean I don’t know what you could have called the game. But this right here, this is how - this is what - you know this is how - this is me.

On a programming note, we have two All New episodes of Minute to Win It this week:


Sunday, May 9, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT
Ten competitors participate in challenges simultaneously and the last one standing will go on to compete for the big prize!

Wednesday, May 12, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT
Kevin Jonas stops by Minute To Win It to compete in some nerve-wracking games for his charity Change For The Children Foundation.

Kevin Jonas fans? Check out this blog entry for several larger than life pix of K2 on M2WI. Enjoy.

*update*
Minute to Win It is casting
SATURDAY, MAY 8TH
Dodger Stadium
1000 Elysian Park Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Parking Lot B
5 - 7pm

Related Posts:
Guy Fieri on M2WI, Good Day LA
"Minute to Win It" will continue through the summer
M2WI videos, SXSW eats and DDD goes to Tennessee

more on Minute to Win It