Greg Gutfeld's New Game Show Shakes Up Late Night TV with Surprising Low Stakes and Strong Opinions

Greg Gutfeld certainly sees himself as a comedian, and he is a very successful one, at least in terms of audience numbers. He has a hit talk show, Gutfeld!, which is now on during primetime. He also has a new game show on Fox Nation, the sister streaming service. The idea behind this new game show is interesting, but the prize money is a joke. It makes me think contestants might have been better off just sticking with their everyday jobs.

The new show is called What Did I Miss?. It places five people in complete isolation in upstate New York. They have no contact with the outside world. This means no phones, no internet, no television, and no social media. One of the five dropped out early. After 90 days, from January 20 to April 13 this year, the four remaining contestants are taken to Gutfeld’s Fox News studio. There they play a long game of true or false about events from Donald Trump’s first three months back in the White House. This is actually a funny and surprisingly aware idea, especially considering Trump’s unpredictable nature and the conservative audience Fox News and Fox Nation aim for. The show itself is not always easy to watch, but it makes you think about its budget.

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The basic idea and reward of What Did I Miss? are simple: five contestants, 90 days of no contact, one winner, and a $25,000 prize. Yes, you read that right, we did not forget any zeros. Gutfeld seemed to find out about the prize money during a visit halfway through the contestants' isolation period. He exclaimed that it was "the cheapest game show in modern history!" He joked that for 90 days in a house for $25,000, people could have made more on OnlyFans. This comment alone shows the show knows what it is doing.

To put that prize money in perspective, in the 1970s, which is not considered modern history, the top prize on CBS’ primetime game show Pyramid was up to $25,000. In the 80s, the daytime version matched it, and the syndicated nighttime show went up to $50,000 and then $100,000. Fox’s main broadcast network, part of the same company as Fox News and Fox Nation, currently has game shows with cash prizes like $250,000 for The Floor and $1 million for Beat Shazam. A spokesperson for Fox News Media claimed the contestants were paid daily for their time. That might make the low grand prize a little easier to stomach.

During a visit to the contestants’ secluded farmhouse, Gutfeld went into the control room. It was off-limits to the cast. He tried to get more money for them. He was only partly successful. Lauren Peterson, president of Fox Nation, increased the prize to $30,000. Gutfeld then said he tried, and that he got them an extra $5,000, enough to pay for an Uber home. To be fair, with talks of a recession, maybe any prize money is good money. Back in the studio after the full 90-day isolation, Gutfeld told the contestants some "pretty good news." He reminded them he is "a pretty big deal" around there and sometimes he keeps his word. Not only did they get their prize raised from an insulting $25,000 to $30,000, but after more angry emails and yelling phone calls, he got them a total prize fund of $50,000.

The contestants at their podiums reacted with a collective "well that's something." Gutfeld then joked that it was "pennies" to someone like him. One contestant suggested he "add another zero." That contestant was eliminated first. You probably should not bite the hand that feeds you, especially if it feeds you ramen noodles. The "higher-ups" at Fox added a parting gift: one final question for $1,000. So at least there was that. Ninety days is a bit less than 13 weeks. If you work 40 hours per week at New York state's minimum wage of $15.50 per hour, a full-time worker earns about $8,000 in three months. And that does not even include the other 128 hours each week that these isolated contestants lived out in isolation. It might have been worth it for the person who wins the $50,000 prize, but likely not for the others, especially those with children. Several contestants have kids. The first person to leave the show said in an exit interview that they felt terrible and like they wasted 90 days for no reason. They added that $1,000 in New York could get you a slice of pizza and maybe a Diet Coke. The show certainly knows how to be critical of itself.

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On a Tuesday in February, Hollywood was dealing with issues. An actress's old social media posts, with shocking takes on George Floyd and Islam, were causing problems. But the actress, the first openly trans person nominated for an acting Oscar, was a tricky subject to make fun of. Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and Stephen Colbert did not comment on the issue. The task was left to Greg Gutfeld. His Fox News show made him the most-watched man in late night.

During a taping of his top-rated show, Gutfeld scrolled through the problematic tweets. He then said dramatically, "The more I read of these, the more I’m starting to like this broad." The actress might have taken a hit here, but his real target was Hollywood. He continued that the actress's movie got all those nominations because she "ticked the box." Now those who nominated her are "boxed in themselves." He added that her co-stars were distancing themselves from her. He then said that identity politics forced them to tear her down. He claimed they wanted a trans figurehead and then acted surprised when she turned out to be a complicated person with opinions they disagreed with. He said it must be tiring to navigate the liberal hierarchy of victimhood. He also used the actress’s old name, which is considered offensive. Hollywood might be easy to mock, but this kind of humor would be a national scandal if it were on any other TV channel than Fox News. The audience laughed loudly. It made me realize I was in a completely different world.

Gutfeld might seem new to some. But to a growing part of the Fox News audience, he is the most important person right now. Just as Megyn Kelly defined the network in the Obama era, and Bill O’Reilly was prominent during the Bush-Cheney years, Gutfeld has become the latest big star. His role as Fox’s leading joker was confirmed when he interviewed Trump in front of a live studio audience on his show during the 2024 presidential campaign. His sarcastic, direct criticisms have taken him far. It is easy to forget that Fox News usually did well by being against those in power. Now, Gutfeld moves from late night to daytime as a co-host of The Five with great ease.

Days before that live taping, he sat down and talked about the actress’s situation. To a comedian who makes fun of liberal hypocrisy, this was an easy target. He said it had "every ingredient." He asked if you cancel this person because she is at the top of the "identity pyramid." He claimed that "cannibalism happens" and that "inevitably, you’re going to eat your own." He also said that Hollywood, which pushed virtue signaling and "woke-ism," is now seeing it turn against itself. Gutfeld has often spoken out about transgender women and girls in sports and gender-affirming care for minors. But when it came to the actress, he was, unexpectedly, a defender. Maybe he enjoys playing the opposing side. He took a long puff from his small vape and called her views on Floyd "a nuanced take." He pointed out that she also said there was an "idiot police officer who was uncontrolled." He thought both statements could be true. It seems Gutfeld enjoys stirring things up.

Working on cable news, hosting a show without celebrities that talks about hot-button issues, and making jokes with biting sarcasm where his competitors are cheerful or silly, Gutfeld is an unlikely king of late night. His show uses a panel format instead of one-on-one interviews. It features a mix of regular guests who used to be everywhere until they leaned right, like comedian Rob Schneider and Vincent Gallo. He believes his competitors are losing viewers because they follow "a very narrow, agreed-upon groupthink" and cannot be funny. Despite being 60 years old and a Trump supporter, he draws a younger and more politically varied audience than his rivals. In fact, his show is beating The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night With Seth Meyers, Real Time With Bill Maher, and The Daily Show in every measure. He seems ready to ride the Trump 2.0 wave.

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To Gutfeld, the actress's film is not just a popular topic; it is something deeply ingrained in our culture. He believes that the risk of virtue signaling and cancel culture together is that people will simply say, "I'm good." Then they vote for Trump. He paused and then talked about a different election, one even more appealing to a host who, politics aside, finds fame interesting. He said people might vote for Demi Moore or the actress in Anora. This situation, of outrage fatigue, might explain Gutfeld's rise. He freely walks the tightropes on his show and on The Five. His fans see him as a modern Tom Wolfe; his critics think he uses humor to make fascism seem less harsh. What is clear is his power to draw viewers. The former print journalist, who proudly got fired from three magazines in the 90s and early 2000s, leads the only late-night program that gets more than 3 million viewers on average. His rivals on broadcast and cable usually do not even reach 2 million.

Surprisingly, Gutfeld!, which started just four years ago at the urging of Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott, is number one in the adults 25-54 and adults 18-49 groups. These are not usually strong points for a network known for its older fans. It also brings in more Democrats and independents than the competition. His critics say his numbers are inflated because he benefits from an earlier start time of 10 PM. It airs even earlier on the West Coast. But in August 2022, he became the first late-night host to beat Colbert in the ratings since 2017. He did this when Gutfeld! aired at 11 PM. Like it or not, the talkative, trouble-making host who sees no topic as off-limits is leading the pack and growing his audience.

Dr. Drew Pinsky, a regular guest on Gutfeld!, stated that Gutfeld connects with people because they are tired of taking themselves too seriously. They are tired of being lectured. They want to make fun of things again as they always did. Pinsky added that much of what goes on in late night is old and tired. He noted that other hosts have many writers, which Gutfeld does not. Gutfeld's show has five to seven writers per episode, but each staff member also does other jobs on and off camera. Gutfeld's tone is very different from others. After Fallon expressed regret for having Donald Trump as a guest in 2016, he now mostly avoids the divisive president in his monologues. Colbert and Meyers have fully embraced humor against Trump. Most hosts stick to the traditional celebrity interview format. Gutfeld! is more like Bill Maher’s old show Politically Incorrect. It features co-hosts Kat Timpf and Tyrus helping to lead conversations that often mock various groups and other TV hosts. Writer Gene Nelson embraces the show's willingness to go there. He once told a crowd before taping that he could make fun of fat people because his best friend is gay and Jewish. His long, theatrical pauses made the statement a joke. The joke did not make sense, but it still worked for his audience.

The paychecks in late night are also different. Gutfeld might be the best deal in showbiz. He earns about $9 million a year. This is roughly half of what Fallon, Kimmel, and Colbert earn. Gutfeld thinks that other hosts are afraid to joke about "sacred subjects" because they fear losing their status. He feels he is "already cast aside" and therefore "free." The man does not seem worried about how people see him. He wears a knit pullover sweater, rumpled khakis, and sneakers. He looks less like a polished TV reader and more like the new father he is. The only status symbol is a Speake Marin watch, which sells for about $36,000. But even the watch signals a relaxed attitude. Its hands were frozen during one interview because Gutfeld forgot to wind it. He blamed his forgetfulness on "baby brain." His wife of 20 years, Russian fashion designer Elena Moussa, is home with their 2-month-old daughter and their French bulldog, Gus. He said he vapes when he can because his wife does not let him vape in the apartment, especially with the baby. He calls it his "only vice."

When Gutfeld looks at other comedy, he is not impressed. He struggles to name a host he finds funny besides Maher and Joe Rogan. He then remembered Tim Dillon, a stand-up comic and podcaster who is a self-proclaimed conservative and openly gay. Dillon, who had a small role in Joker: Folie à Deux, broke an unwritten Hollywood rule by criticizing the film during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience. He said it was the worst movie he ever made and that everyone on set knew it was terrible. Gutfeld thinks Dillon shows he does not care about status. He also mentioned Andrew Schulz and Theo Von finding success by being honest and not caring. He then contrasted them with other guys who have "toed the line" and wonder if they are still important. The election showed that some of those "other guys" are no longer influential. Kamala Harris chose to talk with Howard Stern, thinking his audience could help her win. But Stern was more popular when he focused on controversial topics. Gutfeld thinks that when people in late-night comedy have a lot to lose, they take fewer risks.

Gutfeld claimed that he did not vote for Trump in 2016. He did so reluctantly in 2020 and enthusiastically in 2024. He said he went in person "like the day the freaking place opened" and was there at 9 AM in the Village. He could not wait. Still, he will sometimes criticize Trump. After a presidential debate, Gutfeld mocked Trump as the "pumpkin painted pet protector" for some of his claims. During the 2016 election, Trump appeared on Fallon and Colbert's shows. He even hosted Saturday Night Live. This time, he skipped those shows, likely a shared decision. But he visited Gutfeld! two months after an assassination attempt. The ratings soared, with 4.9 million people tuning in. Gutfeld’s co-host Tyrus joked about how many "brothers" were supporting Trump. Walter Kirn, an author and frequent guest, said that by being different ideologically, Gutfeld has "half the country to himself." The others "are fighting over the other half."

Gutfeld’s background does not automatically suggest he would be a Fox News star. He grew up outside San Francisco, a liberal area. His high school classmates included future Giants slugger Barry Bonds. Dana Perino joked that Bonds used to copy Gutfeld's homework. In 1987, Gutfeld graduated from Berkeley, a place known for its liberal views. He said Berkeley was true to its stereotype. He found it easy to get good grades there because if you knew the formula, you could make anything work. While others might have been writing fan letters to Oliver North, Gutfeld was interning on Blue Velvet, David Lynch’s intense film. He worked with the film’s promotions team. He also shared that he was an altar boy. His mom was Catholic. When asked if he was Jewish, he seemed uneasy. He said his dad was an atheist, perhaps because of the Holocaust. He said he did not talk about it because he did not know the details of his relatives either escaping or being in the Holocaust. The comedian, who usually says anything, had finally found a topic he wanted to avoid.

He enjoys pop culture as much as political discussions, sometimes mixing them. He even criticizes people close to Trump. He disliked RFK Jr. 20 years ago when he wrote for The Huffington Post, finding his comments on autism disturbing. His unconventional career path prepared him for Fox News. When Gutfeld wrote for The Huffington Post starting in 2005, he often criticized Arianna Huffington herself. That bold attitude made him perfect for a late-night host job at Fox News in 2007. The show was called Red Eye and aired at 3 AM. He got Red Eye because of his unusual blogging. The show was on so late that "the adults weren't watching." He got to do a thousand episodes. This meant he went from being bad to not bad all the time to being 50/50. He called it the "best training ground." Kat Timpf, a sexually fluid libertarian who did not vote for Trump or Harris, worked at a Boston Market when she decided she wanted to work with Gutfeld. They have been working together since. Even though they do not always agree, Timpf said Gutfeld respects her as a friend and person. Gutfeld is a movie fan. He liked Challengers from 2024, praising Zendaya and the soundtrack. He also called Sean Baker’s drama Anora, about a sex worker, "super provocative." He defends celebrities who face public criticism. He thought the effort to "cancel" Sydney Sweeney because a relative wore a "Blue Lives Matter" shirt was silly. He said it happens when people run out of targets and get addicted to canceling others. He thinks it is a waste to go after people loosely connected to fame. He stated that the answer to those doing the canceling should be "Well, you're a fucking loser!"

He does not bring A-listers on his show as guests. He believes celebrities have "too much to lose" to let their guard down on his show. He does not think someone like Ryan Reynolds would talk freely about sensitive topics. Gutfeld stated, "I don’t need it. Kimmel could have Kevin Costner on, I’d still beat him. I’d still double his ratings." Suddenly, he sounds a lot like a certain president, confident in his audience numbers. Gutfeld does not follow the usual rules of TV. He is a star he made himself. He laughs and shrugs, "What do I care?"