Although relatively few celebrities have found lasting success as talk show hosts, that hasn’t stopped many famous actors, singers and TV personalities from trying their hand at having their own such series.
From Khloe Kardashian to Anderson Cooper, here are the celebs you may not remember hosted their own talk show to varying degrees of acclaim.
Khloé Kardashian
If you don’t remember Khloé Kardashian’s talk show, “Kocktails With Khloé,” that’s because the 2016 series only lasted for 14 episodes. While the initial episode drew in a lot of viewers, the ratings for subsequent episodes dropped, causing the FYI network to cancel it. There were also reports of drama behind the scenes that may have led to the show’s sudden last call.
Queen Latifah
Actress and rapper Queen Latifah had her own talk-show hosting gig not once but twice. Her first attempt at “The Queen Latifah Show” ran from 1999 to 2001. More than 10 years later, she revamped the show and brought it back. The sequel aired for two seasons, between 2013 and 2015, before being canceled again.
Magic Johnson
“The Magic Hour” was legendary basketball player Magic Johnson’s late-night talk show that debuted in 1998. The show only lasted for a few months and was panned by critics. In 2016, Johnson launched his own TV network called Aspire, as well as another talk show, “Magic in the Making,” but it’s unclear what the show’s status is as of 2019.
Tony Danza
After charming TV audiences in the 1980s and early ’90s on “Who’s The Boss,” actor Tony Danza tried his hand at hosting an hour-long live talk show in the mid-2000s. “The Tony Danza Show” ran from 2004 to 2006 and is not to be confused with the short-lived sitcom of the same name from 1997. Danza said he was “pretty devastated” when the talk show was canceled.
Tyra Banks
Unlike some other celebrity talk show hosts, Tyra Banks had a fairly successful run with her series, “The Tyra Banks Show.” It aired for five seasons between 2005 and 2010 and earned her two Daytime Emmy awards. Following that show, the model launched another daytime talk show, “FabLife,” with a panel of co-hosts like Chrissy Teigen and Joe Zee, in 2015. However, that show was canceled after just one season.
Wayne Brady
Given his diverse set of talents (singing, acting and improv comedy), Wayne Brady seems like the perfect host for a talk show. TV producers at ABC thought so, too, and gave Brady his own variety show in 2001. “The Wayne Brady Show” ran for a season on ABC and was revamped as a talk show that ran for two more seasons in syndication. His work on the series the actor two Daytime Emmys for outstanding talk show host in 2003 and 2004.
Kris Jenner
She may be a savvy “momager” for the Kardashians but Kris Jenner wasn’t nearly as successful as a talk show host. Her 2013 talk show, “Kris,” lasted for only a six-week trial on several Fox stations before being yanked off the air. It also earned her some pretty harsh criticism from a Fox executive who said, “She looked not just like a deer in the headlights but like a deer that already got hit.” It seems like things have worked out just fine for her despite that guy’s opinion of her hosting skills.
Busy Phillips
Because late-night talk shows have been dominated by men since the beginning, actress Busy Phillips brought a fresh perspective as the host of “Busy Tonight,” her own show on E!. However, despite receiving positive reviews, the show never achieved high ratings. It ended up being canceled in 2019 after just one season.
Chevy Chase
Actor Chevy Chase’s infamous program, “The Chevy Chase Show,” was, by all accounts, a total failure. The show was canceled a month after it debuted on Fox and was panned by audiences and critics alike. Although he was reportedly paid $13 million to host the doomed show, Chase says he gave back some of the money, on the advice of his agent.
Meredith Vieira
Compared to some other celebs on this list, Meredith Vieira was a TV veteran when she landed her own daytime talk show in 2014. She had already been a co-host on “The View” and “Today,” but that didn’t translate to long-term success for the “The Meredith Vieira Show.” It was canceled after its second season in 2016.
Rosie O’Donnell
Daytime TV has been a huge part of comedian and actress Rosie O’Donnell’s career. First, there was her Daytime Emmy-winning talk show, “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” which aired for six seasons between 1996 and 2002. Then, in 2006, she spent a year as a co-host on “The View.” A decade later, she came back to TV with another talk show, “The Rosie Show,” on the OWN Network. It ran for just one season before ending in 2012.
Katie Couric
After hosting “The CBS Evening News” for five years, news anchor Katie Couric made the switch to daytime TV in 2012. Her show, “Katie,” ran for two years on ABC and scored her a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding talk show host in 2014. After the show was canceled, Couric became the global anchor for Yahoo’s news operation.
Martin Short
“The Martin Short Show,” which aired for one season from 1999 to 2000, was part talk show and part sketch comedy show. Martin Short paired celebrity interviews with comedy skits where he dressed up as different characters. One character, Jiminy Glick, actually outlived the series and got his own Comedy Central show called “Primetime Glick,” which aired for three seasons.
Megan Mullally
After “Will & Grace” signed off the air in 2006, breakout star Megan Mullally was back on TV a few months later with her own talk show, “The Megan Mullally Show.” The series aired on TBS and was short-lived. It was canceled four months after its debut due to poor ratings.
Wanda Sykes
“The Wanda Sykes Show” was a late-night talk show hosted by comedian Wanda Sykes. The series aired Saturday nights on Fox and was not nearly as successful as some of the comic’s other ventures. It lasted just one season, from 2009 to 2010, leaving Sykes to get back to focusing on her stand-up comedy career and her roles in movies and TV shows.
Gabrielle Carteris
In the mid-90s, actress Gabrielle Carteris, of “Beverly Hills, 90210” fame, hosted her own talk show. “Gabrielle” was produced by Fox and ran in syndication from 1995 to 1996. It was canceled after just a season due to poor ratings. Carteris bounced back just fine, becoming president of SAG-AFTRA, the powerful union that represents actors and radio performers.
Harry Connick Jr
With his talk show, “Harry,” singer and actor Harry Connick Jr’s goal was to “create a safe place where families could gather to be entertained, uplifted and inspired and where we could celebrate everyday women who work hard to make our world a better place.” Those were lofty goals but the syndicated series ended in 2018 after two seasons. The show wasn’t a total failure like some others on this list, earning five Daytime Emmy nominations during its brief run.
Keenen Ivory Wayans
Comedian Keenen Ivory Wayans created the iconic ’90s sketch comedy show, “In Living Color.” A few years later, in 1997, he hosted “The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show,” a late-night talk show that aired in syndication. It lasted six months before being canceled due to low ratings.
Bethenny Frankel
“The Real Housewives of New York City” star Bethenny Frankel says she was “relieved” when her talk show, “Bethenny,” was canceled. The show aired in syndication from 2012 to 2014. “Unlike my time on Bravo, I felt a bit diluted, filtered and somewhat constricted. I am a free spirit,” she wrote to her fans after news of the cancelation became public.
Fran Drescher
Best known for starring in the sitcom “The Nanny,” actress Fran Drescher had a brief career in daytime TV in 2010. Hosting her own show was reportedly a life-long dream for Drescher, and she aimed to talk about socially conscious topics. However, “The Fran Drescher Show” only lasted for 12 episodes in limited markets on Fox stations before being taken off the air.
Russell Brand
“Brand X With Russell Brand” was the late-night talk show hosted by Russell Brand that aired for two seasons on FX from 2012 to 2014. However, it wasn’t the British comedian’s first foray into talk shows. For a brief time in 2006, Brand hosted a talk show on British TV, titled, “The Russell Brand Show.”
Roseanne
Following the end of the hit sitcom, “Roseanne,” comedian Roseanne Barr was given her own daytime talk show called “The Roseanne Show” in 1998. It lasted for two seasons in syndication before being canceled in 2000. In 2018, it was reported that Roseanne was working on creating her own talk show for YouTube.
Caroline Rhea
Following the end of “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” NBC produced “The Caroline Rhea Show” for syndication in 2002. It lasted one season and was hosted by actress Caroline Rhea, who was best known her role on “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.” In 2018, Rhea returned to daytime TV with another show, “Caroline & Friends,” on Game Show Network.
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper has been a staple on primetime cable news since 2003, with his CNN series “Anderson Cooper 360°.” Then, in 2010, Cooper branched out with a daytime talk show. Sadly for Cooper’s fans, “Anderson Live” suffered from lackluster ratings and was canceled after its second season.
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson will be the newest celebrity to host her own talk show when “The Kelly Clarkson Show” debuts in fall 2019. The singer revealed that music will be an important part of her show.
“It’s gonna be musical … it’ll be a little music in it, every episode, and I’ll be talking to people,” she told the crowd at one of her concerts. Only time will tell if Clarkson’s show will end up on the pile with many of these forgotten ones or if it’ll be a hit that lasts for years.
