Facts, Secrets, and Truths From the Set of Family Feud

By: Calla Conway | Published: Dec 29, 2021

When host Richard Dawson first walked out on stage to introduce Family Feud in 1976, he probably had no idea the game show would still be running nearly 45 years later. During that time, over 2,000 episodes have been filmed, and thousands of contestants have competed for their share of money and fame.

From the perspective of an engaged audience member, Family Feud looks like an expertly run bit of family entertainment. From the perspective of an insider who works behind-the-scenes, however, the show is riddled with stresses, controversies, and hidden facts. Below are 43 of our favorite ones.

Only Proven Families Can Get On Family Feud

Although some might think you can waltz up to the studio with a group and friends, claim that you are a family, and get a chance to win a few bucks, that’s far from the case.

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Source: ABC

The show’s producers have been around long enough to know that plenty of people are willing and able to fake being a family for a bit of fame and fortune. To avoid that, they have instituted strict rules that require contestants to provide proof that they’re family.

Family Feud Was Based On Match Game

Richard Dawson, the original host of Family Feud, was also a regular contestant on the TV show Match Game. In fact, he was more than just a regular contestant, he was a fan favorite rooted for by audiences across the country.

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Source: Adam Nedeff

That’s not the only thing the two TV shows had in common. Family Feud took most of its inspiration from the final round of Match Game – the round where contestants filled in blanks to see if they had a matching answer.

Richard Dawson Meets His Favorite Contestant

In May of 1981, the Johnson family went on Family Feud to try their luck. When walking around to chat with them, host Richard Dawson was visibly lovestruck by one of the Johnsons in particular – the 27-year-old Gretchen.

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Source: YouTube

During the show, Richard and Gretchen could barely contain their flirtations. It was obvious to family members, staff, and crew that some serious chemistry was going on. However, before the flirtations could grow into anything else, the show ended and the contestants had to leave.

Richard and Gretchen Go On A Date

There was so much chemistry between Richard and Gretchen that he asked for her number after the show. She obliged, wrote it down, and the next day Richard called her up. No answer. He tried again. No answer.

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Source: Associated Press

He assumed she gave him the wrong number to deflect attention. In reality, she was getting some teeth removed. When she did pick up, Richard invited her to Los Angeles. They had dinner (Beef Wellington) and a few years later, they got married.

Family Feud Films Multiple Episodes A Day

Although fans at home might assume that it takes one day to do one episode of Family Feud, that’s untrue. Even though the sets are elaborate, the host changes clothes, and the editing requires time, the crew still manages to get through more than one episode a day.

Source: ABC

A slow day typically nets four episodes, and a fast day can net up to six episodes! How much work they get done depends on the contestants and how many jokes Steve Harvey tells.

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Famous Phrases

Game-show hosts are well known for their one-liners, quips, and catch-phrases. These range from “Come on down!” on The Price is Right, to “I’d like to buy a vowel, Pat” on Wheel of Fortune, to “You are the weakest link. Goodbye” on The Weakest Link. 

Family Feud, ABC

When it comes to Family Feud, the signature phrase is “Survey Says!” When the host says those two words, all the contestants and audience members know it’s time to turn to the big screen. Hopefully, not to see a red X.

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Contestants Are Fed Well On Family Feud

Although being an audience member or at-home viewer of Family Feud is pretty fantastic, being on the show is even better! The producers and crew members provide contestants with all the fuel they need to stick in there for a few hours. 

Source: ABC

It starts before the taping with a big continental breakfast to make sure everyone’s well fed. After that, around lunchtime, food from Subway is brought in to make sure that contestants are able to pull through the grueling schedule without fainting or being hungry. 

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The Family Feud Surveys Are Done Anonymously

One of the most beloved and famous parts of Family Feud is the “survey says” section. Where do those surveys come from? The Wall Street Journal had the same question, so they decided to investigate it a bit. 

Source: Associated Press

It turns out that no one knows they’re being surveyed for Family Feud. Rather, a polling company named Applied Research-West calls up random people and asks them to answer 30 to 40 questions. Their answers are used on Family Feud, but the people are never told that. 

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The Family Feud Money Takes Months To Arrive

Although winning money on Family Feud would be great, most likely it’s not going to allow you to retire forever. Sure, it’ll cover some bills, but it might take a while to actually get to your bank account. 

Source: ABC

We know this because Cole Simmons, a one-time contestant, revealed to the press that it took nearly 3 months for his money to arrive. Not only that, the money was automatically split up among family members and was subject to income tax. 

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If You Win $100,000, You Get Banned For 10 Years

In general, the amount of money that families can win on Family Feud depends on how well they do. For example, contestants who excel at the Fast Money round can make up to $20,000. If families continue to do that for five consecutive games, they can make up to $100,000!

Source: ABC

However, producers have laid down some rules to make sure that doesn’t happen too often. If a family ends up winning $100,000, they can’t return to Family Feud for at least 10 years. 

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No Age Limits

Although most of the contestants on Family Feud are out of their teen years, there are no age limits for who can be a contestant on the show. The general rule of thumb, however, is to be at least 15 years old.

Family Feud, ABC

The reasoning behind that number is that some of the questions on the show can be a bit adult in nature. There have been plenty of knowing smirks and sly remarks from both contestants and hosts over the years.

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The Losing Contestants Can Still Win Money

Most Family Feud games involve a winning team and a losing team. However, just because a team lost doesn’t mean they go away empty-handed. On top of the 15 minutes of fame and game show fun, they also get cash bonuses during the show. 

Source: ABC

They aren’t huge cash bonuses, but it’s better than nothing. For example, for every point that the team earned during the show, they get $5. Unfortunately, those earnings are subject to the same 90-day waiting period. 

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Richard Dawson’s Famous Kisses

Nearly every game show has a gimmick that makes it stand out from the crowd. The successful game show Jeopardy had Alex Trebek’s mustache, The Price is Right had a thin mic, and Family Feud had Richard Dawson’s kisses.

Source: Source: Everett Collection

Dawson, the original host, didn’t plan on putting that signature move in. However, in 1976, a nervous woman was on the show and didn’t want to let her family down. To calm her, Dawson kissed her on the cheek – just like his mother did to him. 

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The Kisses Grew In Popularity

That instinctual kiss ended up having a beneficial effect because the woman’s family ended up winning that episode of Family Feud. That omen was all it took for the host to start giving little pecks to each female contestant. 

Source: Reddit

It soon became Richard Dawson’s signature move, and each female contestant would ready themselves before Dawson came over. Some even tried to plant one on his lips. Although the host and contestants seemed fine with it, the crew found it creepy. 

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The Complaints Start Piling Up

Nowadays, a TV host regularly kissing contestants to wish them luck would be a clear violation of personal privacy. Back in the mid-1970s and early 1980s, however, standards were different. That being said, a few executives were getting uncomfortable with the tradition. 

Source: ABC

Quite a few people wrote in to complain about Dawson’s kissing, so he decided to put it to an audience vote. In the end, a few hundred wanted a halt to the kissing, but a few thousand wanted it to continue. 

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When Dawson Returned In The 90s, Kissing Was Gone

Although Dawson’s kisses were a big gimmick and tradition on Family Feud in the early days, they didn’t last forever. The show was canceled in 1985, came back in 1988, and saw the return of Dawson in 1994.

Source: ABC

By that time, however, he had given up on the kisses. Although those who voted against it in the 80s were glad, others wanted to know why. It turns out Dawson made a promise to his daughter not to pass smooches with anyone but his wife. 

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Dawson’s Jokes Fell Flat On A Sponsor

The Watergate scandal eventually caused Richard Nixon to resign from being President of the United States in 1974. Although that may seem unrelated to Family Feud, there is a deep connection.

Source: ABC

Richard Dawson, the host at the time, loved to make jokes while taping the show, and one of his favorite things to joke about was Richard Nixon. One of the show’s sponsors was unimpressed and threatened to leave. When the producer asked Dawson to tone it down, it didn’t end well. 

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Dawson Refuses To Edit Out The Jokes

Richard Dawson was quite the iconic and bombastic host. Usually, the host is at the mercy of the show’s sponsors because they pay most of the bills, but Dawson was having none of it.

Source: ABC

Instead, Dawson went on live television, called out the sponsor, and said they were free to go if they liked. Later on, when ABC – the company that owned Family Feud – tried to edit out the comments, Dawson said he’d quit if they did. The comments were left unedited. 

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Wild Auditions

Not only is playing Family Feud competitive, but so is the process of getting on the show in the first place. There is a limited amount of spots available compared to how many people want to play, so it’s important to really stand out. 

Source: Shroeder family

Over the years, that motivation has led to some pretty wild auditions. Families are eager to get air time and win some money, so they tend to be over-the-top during the auditions. Although helpful, it’s also important to be yourself. 

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An Answer So Bad It Didn’t Air

On an (unaired) episode of Family Feud, host Steve Harvey asked one contestant to think of another word for “mother.” The first answer was “mommy” and it garnered them some points. The next answer was “nanny.” That didn’t garner points.

Family Feud, ABC

Neither did the next answer – “nana.” The team lost another point. When it was handed off to another contestant, she answered “nana” again. Harvey pointed out that it was the same answer. She thought again and then landed on “mommy.” The exhausting segment was cut from airing.

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Dawson (Tries To) Play Himself In The Running Man

When host Richard Dawson appeared in the 1987 movie The Running Man, he appeared as a game show host (albeit, not the Family Feud game show host). Dawson was hired so he could play himself – but that didn’t work out too well. 

Source: IMDB

Richard tried to “act like a game show host” by having the film extras in the fake audience come up to the stage. However, scriptwriters and the film crew thought it was too much so they skipped over it. 

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Louie Anderson’s Legacy

Over the long history of Family Feud, there has been a variety of hosts. Some, like the original host Richard Dawson, have left an indelible mark because of their personality. Others, like Louie Anderson, have left a mark for other reasons.

Source: ABC

Anderson’s mark on the show was financial. Over the course of his four years as host, he persuaded the producers to up the ante on the prize money. Eventually, they agreed – it went from $10,000 to $20,000. Great job Louie!

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Dawson Was A Hot Head On Set

Richard Dawson went from being a regular on Match Game to being host of Family Feud – one of the most popular game shows in television history. Over time, it might have gone to his head a bit and caused him to be quick to anger. 

Source: Extra

To give him the benefit of the doubt, being a popular TV host is stressful. That being said, it still seems like Dawson was a bit of a hothead when it came to minor disruptions on set. 

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Dawson’s Long Stories Caused Trouble For The Editors

Although game shows are on a pretty tight schedule, there’s always a bit of leeway for hosts to joke with the contestants and audience members. Dawson, however, seemed to take that privilege a bit too far. 

Source: Associated Press

Sometimes he would just go off on long stories or convoluted jokes that seemed to serve no purpose other than wasting time. All of this caused a lot of extra work for the editors, who had to snip it down to size to fit the scheduling slot. 

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After Dawson Won An Emmy, He Felt Invincible

When people imagine what it would be like to be famous, they often forget about the dangers. One of the chief dangers is that of having an inflated sense of self. Some people who hit the big time think that they can do no wrong. 

Source: Shutterstock

This happened to Richard Dawson after winning a Best Daytime Game Show Host Emmy in 1978. Multiple crew members and co-workers said he was insufferable after that. He even challenged the producer’s decisions because he felt all-powerful. 

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Richard Dawson Had a Complicated Relationship with One of the Producers

Although the outward appearance of Family Feud is that of a smoothly running show, the behind-the-scenes reality was a little rougher. With tough shooting schedules and big egos, not everyone gets along all the time. 

Source: Shutterstock

This was the case with the producer Howard Felsher and Richard Dawson. Felsher wasn’t happy with Richard’s behavior, and Richard wasn’t happy with having someone dislike his behavior – so he got Felsher banned from the set. Luckily, the boss Mark Goodson simply gave Felsher an off-set executive producer position. 

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A New Host For The New Show

Over the course of its history, Family Feud has been canceled and revived more than once. The first revival, however, came in the late 80s to early 90s. The show’s producers knew that Dawson would be problematic, so they scouted around for another host.

Source: USA Today Sports

One of those was famed NFL quarterback Joe Namath. However, he got cold feet right before signing the contract. After that, the hosting job went to stand-up comedian Ray Combs who carried it for a total of six years.

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Dolly Parton Was Considered

After a while, the production team decided that Roy Combs wasn’t the best fit. They decided that creating a celebrity cast would help to attract more viewers, so they decided to give the country music star Dolly Parton a call. 

Source: Getty Images

Although their hopes were high, Dolly Parton declined the offer almost immediately, so we have no idea what the show could have been like. After that offer fell through, the producers decided to hire comedian Louie Anderson to host the new show. 

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Richard Dawson Lost Weight To Host Again

After the initial run of Family Feud was canceled, Richard Dawson lived a relatively normal life. However, once he found out the show was getting picked up again, he had a desire to host once more. The new production company had the complete opposite desire – they didn’t want anything to do with him.

Source: Shutterstock

Dawson was persistent though, and eventually, he and the producers struck up a deal. Once he lost 50 pounds, he’d get to host the show once again. 

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Dawson’s Short Reboot

Although Dawson dropped the 50 pounds and regained his job as the host on a newly revived Family Feud, that didn’t mean viewers flocked to watch. Unfortunately, during the years that Ray Combs hosted, the ratings dropped and never seemed to come back up. 

Source: WireImage

The producer who Dawson clashed with many years before agreed to help Richard get comfortable again as host. At first, this worked out well and Family Feud was picked up by 100 stations. After a year, though, Richard Dawson called it quits.

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Ray Combs Gets Fired And Stops Caring

From 1988 to 1994, the comedian Ray Combs hosted Family Feud. During his tenure, the show’s ratings dropped pretty dramatically – audiences just couldn’t get behind him. This caused tension with the producers and a decision was made to fire Combs.

Source: Wiki Project

In a stroke of misjudgment, they told Combs before the season was over. This meant that Combs had very little desire to play a happy-go-lucky host, and some of his later episodes turned out nasty and mean as he made fun of the contestants. 

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Ray Combs’s Awkward Final Episode

Although he knew that his contract wasn’t getting renewed at the end of the season, Ray Combs decided to finish up the season he was currently hosting. However, as alluded to above, he stopped caring. In the final episode, there was one contestant who didn’t earn a single point. 

Source: Getty Images

Ray tore into him by saying “I thought I was a loser until you walked up here.” After the show ended, Ray simply walked off-stage without saying goodbye to either the audience members or the contestants. 

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Losing Family Feud Ruined Ray Combs

After leaving Family Feud, Roy Combs’s life took a turn for the worse. Although he got another job hosting a show called The Love Psychic, it was short-lived. His dreams of success were dashed, and he was heartbroken.

Source: Getty Images

Both his professional life and personal life were going downhill. He invested in a few comedy clubs, but they failed. Around that time, his wife filed for divorce. Both of these caused a decline in his mental health, so he was checked into a facility.

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Ray Combs Ended His Life At 40

The few days before Ray’s death were very chaotic. He was hospitalized for a suicide attempt and, shortly thereafter, he called his wife and threaten to ruin her house – which he did. When the police came and found Ray, he was banging his head on a wall and seemed very unstable.

Source: Everett Collection

They brought him to a medical facility where he was put under close watch. However, the next day in the early morning, he committed suicide. Staff tried to revive him, but it was too late.

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Ray Combs Amassed A Lot Of Debt

Although Ray Combs’s wife knew that his life wasn’t going well after losing Family Feud, she was unaware of just how bad it was. It turns out that Ray was in substantial debt. 

Source: WVXU

Although he had been earning around $1 million a year at the height of his fame, he squandered it after losing his fame. The failed comedy club ventures alone resulted in over $700,000 in debt. His wife eventually sold off treasured assets to pay it off. 

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Dawson Says “No”

Over the years, Family Feud has had a whole bunch of hosts. It began with Richard Dawson in 1976 and continues with Steve Harvey in 2022. However, way back in 1999, the hosting honors went to Louie Anderson.

Comedian Louie Anderson served as host for four seasons (1999 – 2002). In his first year on set, he suggested calling up Richard Dawson to have him come on for a tribute. Dawson was having none of it – he categorically refused when the executive producer gave him a call.

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A Long-Term Dip In Ratings For Family Feud

Family Feud was a big hit when it first came out (which is why Dawson won an Emmy), but over the years it had trouble maintaining high viewership. Other game shows like Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune were doing far better. 

Source: ABC

That began to change, however, in 2010 when the show’s producers decided to hire Steve Harvey as the host. The viewership quickly grew until it reached a sort of apex in October 2016 when it was voted the most-watched show for six months.

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Snoop Dogg’s Unique Answer

Family Feud has inspired quite a few spin-offs that range from international versions (Family Feud Australia, Family Feud Africa, etc.) to Celebrity Family Feud. As you might imagine from the title, the contestants in the latter one are all celebrities.

Family Feud, ABC

The rapper Snoop Dogg was on one of the episodes. Host Steve Harvey asked him, “Fill in the blank. Pie in the…” Now, most people would probably say “sky.” However, Snoop Dogg isn’t like most people. Instead, he said “Horse.” His response ended up going viral.

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The First Question on the Show

Each season of Family Feud includes hundreds of different questions. Considering that the show has been around more or less continuously since 1976, the total number of questions is in the thousands. However, there was one original question that started it all. Can you guess?

Wikimedia Commons

It was back in 1976 when Richard Dawson was the host. He came onto the stage and asked, “Name a famous George.” Although it might sound anticlimactic, it was as good as any question. “George Washington” was the most popular answer.

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Steve Harvey’s Strict Rules For Co-Workers

As we’ve seen from the posts above, how things look on the outside are far different from how things are on the inside when it comes to Family Feud. For example, host Steve Harvey has brought the show newfound success, but at the cost of being a very strict host.

Source: Media Punch

He sent out messages and emails to crew members with a dozen or so rules that he’d like them to follow – mostly it’s about not disturbing him in his dressing room. 

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Steve Harvey Has Courted Some Controversy

Over the years, the outspoken host Steve Harvey has made statements and jokes that people find controversial and offensive. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Harvey used to tell jokes about women not wanting to date Asian men. He has also said offensive things towards women and members of the LGBTQ community.

Source: Getty Images

Some comments have flown under the radar, but some have courted controversy – not enough to cause professional trouble, though. These jokes mixed with his strict rules show that Steve’s not always a happy-go-lucky guy.

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The Sudden Death Round

In 2003, with Richard Karn at the helm, Family Feud unleashed the “Sudden Death” question to spice things up a bit. If neither team reached 300 points by the end of the game, then the “Sudden Death” question offered a last-ditch effort to win or lose.

Kevin Winter/ImageDirect/Getty Images

This dramatic question allows one team of contestants to jump from low score to high score within seconds. However, it also allows a team with a high score to lose it all with a bad answer.

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Will Steve Harvey Continue to Host Family Feud?

There were multiple occasions when speculation was high as to whether or not Steve Harvey would return to host Family Feud. When he took over as the host in 2010, he began with a five year contract which was renewed for another 5 years in 2015. In 2020, it was unclear if the TV personality would return, as keep in mind he had many other ventures as well.

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Steve Harvey was working on Little Big Shots, Steve Harvey’s Funderdome, as well as talk shows such as Steve and Steve on Watch. In launching his very own enterprise, Steve Harvey Global (SHG), would there be time for Family Feud?

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FCC Complaints

Ultimately, the main concern for whether Harvey would return or whether Family Feud as a whole would get cancelled or not was based around several FCC complaints. The Federal Communications Commission is the federal US agency responsible for regulating media such as network television.

In recent years, there have been complaints about Steve Harvey’s suggestive jokes. Part of Family Feud’s main form of humor comes from the hilarious, off the cuff, and suggestive guesses contestants make. While some innuendos may be over the top and cause fleeting complaints, is the show truly in danger of FCC regulation?

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Harvey’s Future With Family Feud

Luckily, for Steve Harvey fans, the game show host has only increased the show’s viewership since he began hosting in 2010. As far as the history of Family Feud is concerned, Harvey is now the show’s longest consecutive host. His humor and style offers a refreshing take.

Hollywoodlife.com

Harvey has helped expand the success of Family Feud by serving as the host of the celebrity version and also launching an African version of the show in 2020 under Steve Harvey Global. At least for the foreseeable future, it would appear that Harvey is here to stay. And the busy TV personality continues to expand his impressive resume with the launch of his new 2022 show, Judge Steve Harvey.

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Louie Anderson’s “Pilot”

Family Feud took a break after Richard Dawson came back for one season in 1995. By 1998, however, things were looking up and the television execs were searching for a new host. They settled on comedian Louie Anderson and asked him to shoot a pilot.

Getty Images

Anderson chose not to shoot a pilot. Instead, he recreated the game show in his own home. The execs loved it, offered him the hosting gig, and paid him a salary of $1.5 million.

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Outrageous Questions Bring In Viewership

Family Feud has relied on a variety of methods for gaining viewership over the years. One of the main ones is hiring a captivating host that people want to watch – Richard Dawson was the first, and Steve Harvey is the latest. 

Source: ABC

A more recent one is to add in some questions deliberately designed to make people laugh or, in certain cases, to feel uncomfortable. This tactic has boosted ratings but called into question how far this family-friendly show is willing to go. 

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Winning Five Times in a Row

The possibility of one family winning over and over again led the producers to institute a limit on how many wins were allowed. During the early days, this limit was set at five. This limit was briefly disregarded for the 1992 to 1995 seasons, then brought back in 2002.

Family Feud, ABC

In 2009, the rules changed once again. With Steve Harvey as host, the ratings went up, and a new rule emerged. If a family won five games in a row, then they won a brand new car.

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Steve Harvey Isn’t Happy With All The Questions

As host of Family Feud, Steve Harvey is game for most of what goes on. However, every once in a while, a question nudges him the wrong way – usually one of the absurd or hilarious ones that producers put in there to provoke a reaction. 

Source: ABC

On one show, the sentence was “All men are dogs that need to be -.” Harvey didn’t like the question, so after the contestant correctly answered “neutered”, Harvey chimed in by saying “All men are dogs. That’s not true.”

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The Feud on SNL

Saturday Night Live, like Family Feud, has been around since the 1970s. Since that time, they’ve poked fun at nearly every pop culture trend in America – so it should come as no surprise that they’ve had a few Family Feud skits.

SNL, NBC

The first was in 1978 when Bill Murray played the role of host Richard Dawson. Then, in 1991, Dana Carvey portrayed Ray Combs. Finally, in 2016, Kenan Thompson dressed up like Steve Harvey for a spoofy “political edition” of the show.

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Steve Harvey Has Heard Some Odd Answers

Over the course of 10 or so years, host Steve Harvey has heard a lot of odd answers from contestants on Family Feud. Fans are always interested in learning what weird ones stick in his brain. 

Source: ABC

Luckily, an interview of Late Night With Seth Myers shed light on that a bit. Harvey said a contestant answered “grandma in a birthday suit” when asked about the last thing a robber might expect. When asked about a word beginning with pork, one contestant answered “pork-cupine.”

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Richard Dawson’s Way Of Dealing With Weird Answers

Each host of Family Feud has dealt with outrageous (or at least hard to understand) answers in their own unique ways. Modern-day fans of the show might be familiar with the “Steve Harvey Pause” – that moment of silence he gives when trying to figure out if a contestant is serious or not. 

Source: The Mama’s Family Wiki

Richard Dawson had another way of dealing with outrageous answers. He would either say “good reply” with a sarcastic grin or pretend that a wild answer made perfect sense. 

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If No Answer, Then No Edited Scene

Not everything filmed for Family Feud gets shown on Family Feud. There are quite a few segments that are left off entirely. For example, if a question is up on the board but no one can answer it, then the question gets tossed.

Family Feud, ABC

In fact, the entire segment gets tossed. Rather than airing the mishap, a new question is put on the board and the round begins again. The contestants (and everyone else) pretend that the no-answer segment didn’t exist.

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After Family Feud, Richard Dawson Struggled Professionally

Family Feud brought an enormous amount of fortune and fame to Richard Dawson’s life. For quite a while, he was the talk of the town as the Emmy-award-winning host of one of the most popular game shows on TV.

Source: Associated Press

When the show stopped, however, things changed. Due to his difficult-to-work-with reputation, very few producers were eager to hire him once Family Feud ended. He still managed to live a decent personal life, but his professional career was pretty much over. 

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Splitting a Car Five Ways

To avoid any family drama on Family Feud, all the money that a team wins is automatically split up into five equal portions. However, as we saw from above, sometimes families win a new car.

Family Feud, ABC

How do you split up a car into five pieces? Luckily, they don’t try. Instead, the car is gifted (as a whole) to the family and they decide on driving privileges. Or the cash value of the car is split up among the family members.

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Racial Diversity

If you’ve watched a few seasons of Family Feud, then you probably noticed that the two teams competing for the prize money are racially different. That is, if one team is White, then the other is probably Black, Hispanic, or Asian.

Family Feud, ABC

This was a strategic decision made by the producers. As a primetime TV show, it makes sense for Family Feud to try to appeal to as many viewers as possible. One way to do this is to have those playing the game reflect those who’re watching it at home.

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Anderson’s Failed Prediction

Since its first season in 1976, Family Feud has had a total of six hosts. Some, like the original host Richard Dawson, had a long career (1976 – 1985). Others, like Louie Anderson, didn’t (1999 to 2002).

Getty Images

Although Anderson made a good impression on the TV execs who hired him, he wasn’t a big hit with the audiences at home. Anderson thought (and publicly said) the show was doomed way back in the early 2000s. That prediction turned out wrong – it has been 20 years and the show is still running strong.

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An Adult-Themed Answer

A few years ago, host Steve Harvey asked one of the contestants, “Name the last thing you stuck your finger in.” After a brief pause, the contestant gave his answer. “My wife, Steve,” he said.

Family Feud, ABC

Both Steve Harvey and the audience burst out in laughter. The adult-themed answer was enough to entertain those at the live event, but it wasn’t enough to score his team points. When the famous “survey says!” catchphrase was uttered, “my wife” didn’t appear on the board.

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Unscripted Jokes

In the age of reality TV and game shows, people are understandably skeptical when producers and hosts claim a show is “unscripted.” However, in the case of Family Feud, it’s surprisingly accurate.

Family Feud, ABC

It’s true that the show is briefly rehearsed before the live event, but that’s mostly to ensure that the contestants are comfortable with all the cameras. All Steve Harvey’s jokes and asides are unscripted. Considering he was a comedian long before a game show host, the humor comes naturally.

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International Versions

The American version of Family Feud first aired in 1976. The idea behind it, however, was simple and highly adaptable, so other countries began developing their own versions. It started in 1980 with Britain’s Family Fortunes. Since then, there have been nearly 70 different versions.

Televisa

These include Family Feud Africa (hosted by Steve Harvey), Family Feud Australia (which began in the late 70s), and 100 Mexicanos Dijeron (translated as 100 Mexicans Said”). The Russian version allows friends, bands, and co-workers to compete against each other as well as the traditional family contestants.

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A Rough Disappointment

When you get to the final round, the pressure mounts to a staggering level. A lot of money is on the line and winning depends on getting a few more points. If you land a popular answer, then your family and the audience erupt in cheers.

Family Feud, ABC

If you don’t, then it’s incredibly disheartening. Contestant Anna Sass found this out the hard way on a 2014 episode. Sass needed 18 points (or, one mildly popular answer) to win $20,000. Instead, she didn’t get a single point.

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Raunchy Comments

Although the name “Family Feud” might signal to viewers that it’s a family-friendly show, that isn’t always the case. It’s true that most answers can be understood and correctly guessed by young ones, but some of the answers are deliberately made to make adults smirk.

Family Feud, ABC

Also, the questions are designed to make host Steve Harvey give a noteworthy reaction – usually dropping his head in disbelief. Another benefit of the raunchier comments is that many of them go viral on YouTube and other social media networks.

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All About Steve Harvey

Steve Harvey is the host of shows such as The Steve Harvey Morning Show, Family Feud, Celebrity Family Feud, the Miss Universe  competition, Family Feud Africa, and Judge Steve Harvey.

Variety

He began his career as a comedian in the early 1980s. He performed stand-up comedy and hosted Showtime at the Apollo and The Steve Harvey Show. Harvey has brought on his own controversy outside the show…

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Steve Harvey Had a PR Disaster

During the 2015 Miss Universe pageant, Steve announced the wrong woman as winner on live television. Steve apologized profusely and blamed the incident on poor communication.

It was reported however that Steve was seen drinking profusely and enjoying himself around the roulette tables. It was a pretty devastating moment for the woman who thought she had won and had to be de-crowned.

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Steve Harvey Made Offensive Jokes About Asian Men

Members of the Asian community were offended with a cringe-worthy segment that aired on Steve Harvey’s talk show in January 2017. During the segment, he began to make jokes at the book How to Date a White Woman: A Practical Guide for Asian Men

Steve Harvey said:  “You like Asian men?…I don’t even like Chinese food, boy,” Harvey quips to the audience (via Variety). “It don’t stay with you no time. I don’t eat what I can’t pronounce.” Yikes.

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He Doubled Down on the Controversy

In response to the controversy, Fresh Off the Boat author Eddie Huang wrote an op-ed for The New York Times called, “Hey, Steve Harvey, Who Says I Might Not Steal Your Girl?” 

GETTY IMAGES

The show issued a statement on the matter, but Steve acted confused saying “I ain’t been laughing that much over the past few days. They’re kinda beating me up on the internet right now for no reason. But, you know, that’s life, ain’t it?”

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He Finally Apologized

Finally, he tweeted an apology: “I offer the humblest apology for offending anyone, particularly those in the Asian community, last week.”

He continued: “It was not my intention and the humor was not meant with any malice or disrespect whatsoever.”

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He Is Still Friends with Bill Cosby

Bill Cosby was an American actor and comedian who was seen as “America’s dad.” However, reports came out that he had assaulted over 60 women, the star quickly fell from grace.

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation

Many chose to distance themselves from him, but Steve Harvey did not feel the need to do so, much to people’s surprise, saying “When I’m your friend, I’m your friend.”

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“That’s An Amazing Thing for a Guy to Say”

In regard to Cosby, Steve Harvey said, “When I heard all the trouble he was in, I called and asked him how he was doing. You know what he says to me? ‘Hey man, I appreciate you calling, but just stay away from me right now.”

He continued, “You don’t need none of this on you. You’re doing good. Whatever happens to me, happens to me, but don’t you get none of this on you.’ That’s an amazing thing for a guy to say.”

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Steve Harvey Has Been Married Three Times

Third time’s the charm for Steve! He has been married three times and is still with this current wife, Marjorie Elaine Harvey who he married in 2007.

Instagram/ @marjorie_harvey

His first wife was a woman named Marcia Harvey, who he was married to from 1981 to 1994. His second wife was to a woman named Mary Lee Harvey, who he was married to from 1996 to 2005.

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He Has a Lot of Children

Steve is lucky enough to have a lot of children from the three of his marriages. He has a total of seven children!

GETTY IMAGES

Their names are Lori Harvey, Wynton Harvey, Jason Harvey, Morgan Harvey, Brandi Harvey, Karli Harvey, Broderick Harvey Jr.

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Steve Harvey Has a Lot of Grandchildren

Just as Steve Harvey has a lot of children, it should come as no surprise that he also has a lot of grandchildren! He has a whopping seven.

@MARJORIEHARVEY

His grandchildren include Joey, Rose, Ezra, Noah, Elle, Marley, and Benjamin “BJ.” What a brood!

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His Daughter is a Big Name In Her Own Right

Steve Harvey’s daughter, Lori Harvey, is a famous celebrity in her own right. Lori is an American model, entrepreneur, and socialite. She is Steve’s adoptive daughter and the daughter of Steve’s current wife, Marjorie.

Getty Images/John Shearer

She is dating actor Michael B. Jordan, and works for LA Model Management.

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Celebrity Family Feud

A fun twist on Family Feud is the show Celebrity Family Feud which pits fan-favorite celebrities against their family members. The show is in its eighth season, and is very well received.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC.

Steve Harvey is also the host for Celebrity Family Feud. Some of the biggest stars in Hollywood have been on the show such as Kim Kardashian, Fran Drescher, and JoJo Siwa.

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Steve Harvey is Worth a Lot

Steve Harvey is worth a ton of my money, which seems obvious given the large amount of the business ventures that he’s in.

Steve Harvey is worth a whopping 200 million dollars. He’s amassed this insane amount through working as a comedian and actor.

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Steve Harvey Won a Humanitarian Award

Steve Harvey accepted a Humanitarian Award at the 2011 BET Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on June 26, 2011.

Steve Harvey began his philanthropic work in the year 2000, putting together book drives and technology upgrades in LA area schools.

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He Has Made Large Contributions

According to the BET website, Harvey has done a lot for the underprivileged.

Paper Magazine

According to BET: “Steve Harvey began his philanthropic work in the year 2000, putting together book drives and technology upgrades in LA area schools.”

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He Has a Star

Steve Harvey has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was given the star in 2013. His star resides on the radio section of the legendary boulevard.

Robyn Beck, AFP/ Getty Images

He was in the business for decades prior to receiving the high honor of gaining a star. Today, more than 2,700 stars exist along the walkway.

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