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Top 10 Most Popular TV Hosts in the World

This article highlights the top 10 most popular TV hosts in the world from Christiane Amanpour to Tyra Banks and the most popular, Oprah.

Published

2 years ago

February 3, 2023

Praise Shogbade

Top 10 Most Popular TV Hosts in the World

Our TV screens are filled with various programmes hosted by some of the best men and women in the game. Having highlighted the top 10 richest TV hosts in the world, this article will be taking a dive into the most popular hosts in the world.

We can all agree that fame doesn’t necessarily constitute wealth. However, some of the most popular TV hosts should be part of the wealthiest too, don’t you think? Without further ado, here are the top 10 most popular TV hosts in the world.

10. Sean Hannity

Sean Hannity is an American talk show host and political commentator. He hosts The Sean Hannity Show, a talk radio show, alongside other shows from time to time. He is however most popular for hosting a commentary program, Hannity, on Fox News; he has been the host of Hannity on Fox since 2009.

Hannity worked at several broadcasting commissions before becoming as popular as he is now. Before hosting Hannity on Fox, he co-hosted Hannity & Colmes on the TV platform with fellow TV host, Alan Colmes until Colmes’s departure in January 2008.

Hannity has received several awards for his prowess on the screen like an honorary degree from Liberty University. He is equally a New York Times bestseller.

9. Tyra Banks

Tyra Banks, known as BanX is also an American TV host and producer, who is also well-known for being a model. She began her TV career as an actress in the sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1993, making her film debut in the drama, Higher Learning in 1995.

In 2003, BanX created a reality TV series titled “America’s Next Top Model”, which she presented for over 22 seasons. She equally co-created True Beauty between 2009 and 2010 and her own tv talk show, “The Tyra Banks Show” which aired on The CW from 2005 to 2010. The show won two Daytime Emmy awards for Outstanding Talk Show Informative.

In 2015, Banks co-hosted the talk show, FABLife for 2 months and in 2017, she hosted America’s Got Talent for its 12th season. In 2020, she equally hosted Dancing with the Stars for its 29th season, also serving as an executive producer.

8. David Letterman

David Letterman is an American Television host and comedian, who is most popular for his late-night TV talk shows. He made his late-night talk show debut with the February 1, 1982 “Late Night With David Letterman” on NBC. He hosted late-night shows for 33 years, ending with the May 20, 2015 broadcast of the “Late Show with David Letterman” on CBS.

Letterman hosted a total of 6,080 episodes of Late Night and Late Shows, making him the longest-serving late-night talk show host in the history of American Television.

In 1996, he was ranked 45th on the 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time by TV Guide. TV Guide also ranked The Late Show with David Letterman as 7th on the 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time list.

7. Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart is not just known for being one of the most popular TV hosts in the world, but also for his many endeavours like advocacy and book authorship. In addition to being a Talk Show host, Stewart is an American comedian, political commentator, actor, and director.

Steward hosted various shows before his current show, “The Problem with Jon Stewart”, which started airing in September 2021 on Apple TV+. Between 1999 and 2015, he hosted The Daily Show, a satirical news program on Comedy Central.

Jon Stewart has appeared in movies like Big Daddy (1999) and Death to Smoochy (2002). His Daily Show won 22 Primetime Emmy Awards, 2 Grammys and several other news and journalism awards. In 2022, Stewart received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. He also hosted the 78th and 80th Academy Awards.

6. Wendy Williams

Wendy Williams is an American broadcaster, popularly known for hosting the nationally syndicated TV talk show “The Wendy Williams Show” between 2008 and 2022.

Before switching to TV, Williams was a radio DJ and host, who gained popularity as a shock jockette. She equally gained popularity for her radio spats with celebrities. The screen diva is an author and actor as well. As a presenter, she toured her own comedy show. Wendy Williams has been inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2009 and now has a street named after her in New Jersey.

5. Jimmy Fallon

Jimmy Fallon is an American TV host, comedian, and actor who is best known for hosting “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”. The presenter got his breakthrough as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live (SNL) between 1998 to 2004.

Fallon equally hosted the late-night talk show, “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” between 2009 and 2014 before becoming the host of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”. He co-hosted SNL’s Weekend Update segment and gained popularity before leaving the show in 2004 to star in movies like Taxi (2004) and Fever Pitch (2005).

He eventually returned to TV as the host of “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” on NBC in 2009, before moving from the show to become the 6th permanent host of the long-running Tonight Show in 2014. In addition to his many TV wonders, he has released two comedy albums and seven books, mainly for kids.

4. Christiane Amanpour

Christiane Amanpour is one of the most popular TV hosts in the world. Best known for being the Chief International Anchor for CNN and the host of CNN International’s nightly interview program “Amanpour”, she is one of the most respected TV hosts in the world.

Amanpour is equally the host of “Amanpour & Company“on PBS, a one-hour late-night public affairs series launched by PBS and WNET in collaboration with CNN. The new series features a wide range of in-depth conversations with global thought leaders and cultural influencers on trending issues impacting the world on a daily basis. Amanpour has also been featured in several movies, playing herself in newscasts. Some of these movies include Iron Man 2 and Pink Panther 2.

3. Trevor Noah

Trevor Noah is a South African-born comedian, political commentator, and actor. He was popularly known for hosting The Daily Show, a late-night American talk show and satirical news program on Comedy Central between 2015 to 2022. Asides from being named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine, he was equally named one of the “35 Most Powerful People in New York Media”.

Noah has won several awards for his prowess on TV including a Primetime Emmy Award out of 11 nominations, MTV Africa Music Awards for Personality of the Year, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite African Star, GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Talk Show Episode, and Thurber House for American Humour.

He hosted the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021 and the 64th in 2022 as well as the 2022 White House Correspondents Dinner.

2. Steve Harvey

Steve Harvey is an American Television host, producer, actor, and comedian. He is the host of “The Steve Harvey Morning Show”, “Family Feud”, “Celebrity Family Feud”, “Family Feud Africa”, and the arbitration-based court comedy “Judge Steve Harvey”. He is equally known for formerly hosting the Miss Universe competition.

Harvey has hosted a lot of shows in the past like Little Big Shots, Little Big Shots Forever Young, and Steve Harvey’s Funderdome. He has written four books, including his bestseller, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.

As one of the most popular TV hosts in the world, Harvey is not without awards. He is a seven-time Daytime Emmy Award winner, a two-time Marconi Award winner, and a 14-time NAACP Image Award winner in several categories.

1. Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is an American talk show host, TV producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is popularly known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, a broadcast from Chicago, which ran in national syndication for 25 years, between 1986 to 2011.

Winfrey is dubbed the “Queen of All Media”. Aside from being the world’s richest TV host, the screen beauty was once ranked one of the most influential people in the world.

She landed a job in radio while still in high school and became a co-anchor for the local evening news at age 19. Winfrey equally has her own production company and is credited with creating a more intimate, confessional form of media communication.

She has bagged several accolades for her career including the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Chairman’s Award, 18 Daytime Emmy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, a Tony Award, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, awarded by the Academy Awards and two additional Academy Award nominations. Winfrey was also elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021.