Late night talk show hosts can crack a joke and carry a skit, but can they run a few miles without getting out of breath? The nightly format of most of these shows means that these hosts are in our living rooms and on our Twitter feeds every day. They should use their large platform and extensive followings to rally people around healthy lifestyle.
At the HFR institue, we’ve emphasized the connection between entertainment and fitness since 2013. Our innovative lists of fittest celebrities hit all categories of entertainers, from comedians to rock stars. This is our third annual fittest talk show host list, with previous research ranking the fittest late night talk show hosts and daytime hosts. We used Samir Becic’s knowledge of over 33 years in athletics coupled with his experience as 4 times Number 1 Fitness Trainer in the World to scour all available information on the late night hosts to find the fittest of the bunch.
Samir Becic, author of ReSYNC Your Life, says of these late night mavens “Late night talk show hosts have a specific role in American society because of the tens of millions of viewers and followers on social media. They can be among the most influential trendsetters and can inspire millions of Americans to embrace a healthier lifestyle.”
We used a combination of internet research and interviews to create this list:
Andy Cohen – Watch What Happens Live
- Scuba dives.
- Enjoys fly-fishing.
- Rides horses- can even be seen herding cattle in Montana on his Instagram page.
- Has said his rescue dog Wacha, has made him more of a morning person, and he regularly walks him.
- Works out daily with a trainer for an hour.
- Although he is up late for his live late night talk show, he always makes time in the morning to workout, something he enjoys.
- Cohen eats a healthy diet and is big on healthy eating. He often eats toast and tea for breakfast, quinoa for lunch, and religiously eats the same meal every night of grilled chicken fajita meat when working.
Trevor Noah – The Daily Show
- He’s well-aware of the prevalence of heart disease so Noah likes to stay moving when he’s at the office. He does so by spontaneously completing a set of moves with a colleague throughout the day. This can include 10 reps of lunges or squats per person.
- Noah finds no excuse to be physically inactive and discourages chronic sitting. He’ll squeeze in some pull-ups, squats, etc. when he’s preparing for The Daily Show.
- He believes jumping is a wonderful and easy way to spruce up your monotonous daily actions.
- Was runner-up in a reality dance TV Show in South Africa called Strictly Come Dancing, where he trained 14-16 hours daily.
- For Noah, it’s not just about being active, it’s also about being proactive in finding ways to include some sort of mini-workout despite your busy schedule.
- He is a conscious eater when it comes to processed foods. In a GQ interview, Noah comments that American food “has too much added to it” compared what he ate in his native country, South Africa. To accommodate for these differences, Noah omits excess sugar from his diet and sometimes he’ll even avoid refined carbs for multiple weeks.
Stephen Colbert – The Late Show
- A NASA treadmill for astronauts, Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill (COLBERT), was named in honor of Stephen Colbert.
- NASA named the space station treadmill after him- Jokes that his daily routine involves:
- a protein shake thrown in the face of a jaguar
- Crab walks for 25 miles and stabs a mountain
- Finishes up with self flagellation and some catapult work
- Attended the 2014 Shape & Men’s Fitness Super Bowl Party
- In the 2010 Winter Olympics, the “Colbert Report” financially supported the US Speedskating unit as they competed in Vancouver
- He used his power as TV show host to promote a fundraiser for the US Speedskating team after their sponsor collapsed during the financial meltdown. His efforts totaled to $300,000 that were used to cheer on the team on the less popular Winter Olympic Games.
- He is a yogi in training.
- In 2009, Colbert and Matthew McConaughey were ranked the same position for the sexiest Yoga Dork’s male celebrity yogi
Carson Daly – Last Call
- In 2015, his goal was to lose weight, Daly shed off 30 pounds through dedication and hard work and he continues to maintain his healthier weight.
- Upon approaching his 30s, he reveals his growing desire to “eat healthy and be healthy”
- Changing his dietary and fitness habits helps him concentrate on the important things of life and work.
- Daly credits the blissful California weather for encouraging him to workout.
- He’s been recognized as a Health Hero by WebMD in 2014 for his efforts to promote sustainable fresh foods by building gardens for children in Brooklyn.
- He enjoys SoulCycle- a high-intensity spinning class
- Daly enjoys going on bike rides to explore Santa Monica.
Jimmy Fallon – The Tonight Show
- He once had a fitness face-off with First aLdy, Michelle Obama, on his show and lost.
- Jimmy is motivated to live a healthy lifestyle so he can stay ahead of his busy schedule.
- His green juices contain spinach, parsley, and “God knows what else is in it,” Jimmy joked.
- He likes a hearty bowl of salad and getting his omega fats from fish oil supplements.
- Jimmy likes golfing.
- He often hits the gym with a trainer.
- After being the host of the Tonight’s show, he perceives his responsibilities like a boxer on a streak and going on multiple rounds.
- Jimmy had to adjust his lifestyle to keep up with the demands of his show. Nowadays, he prioritizes self-care by swapping his night outs for more rest time.
Chris Hardwick – Midnight
- He continues to practice abstinence ever since he stopped drinking in 2013.
- Hardwick has shed an incredible 40 lbs since his commitment to giving up alcohol.
- Being physically active and improving his diet has helped reset his mindset after going through a bump in his life. He no longer tries to make excuses for not being active.
- “I humbly place my low point at your feet and tell you that if you’re thinking about making improvements in your life, TODAY IS THE DAY TO START. Quitting drinking, starting exercising, eating better, pursuing your passion, hugging more puppies–whatever it is. Don’t think about it. Just do it. Over-thinking the “hows” and “why comes” will put you in a neverending loop of inactivity. You have the power and ability to change the future with a simple “pro-you” decision” he has said.
Jimmy Kimmel – Jimmy Kimmel Live!
- Enjoys sport fishing
- He multitasks by utilizing his treadmill desk at work ever since 2012.
- His decision to get a treadmill desk came after he “read somewhere that sitting all day can cut 15 or 20 years off your life… [which is] worse than smoking.” He believes that “we weren’t meant to sit this much” so he decided to change this by upgrading his office.
- Kimmel commonly critiques fad diets and workouts. He doesn’t take them seriously and promotes more sustainable approaches that place a priority on being healthy rather than solely losing weight.
Conan O’Brien – Conan
- In a humorous segment, he did a workout session with fellow actor Kevin Hart and trainer Jen Widerstrom this year. Although he was not as fit as Hart, O’Brien demonstrated his impressive stamina at 53 years old.
- He has a love for bikes and biking. In fact, O’Brien supported The Challenged Athlete Foundation and The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation by participating in an online bike auction. These organizations were both cherished by O’Brien’s late friend, Robin Williams, who also gifted him a Colnago bike worth at least $2,000.
- Good music keeps him going. You can find his workout playlist is available on the Rdio app.
Seth Meyers – Late Night: Seth Meyers
- He sticks to a consistent routine of running an average of 4 days a week.
- Meyers sets aside 3 days each week to weight train.
- He likes to start his day with a refreshing glass/bottle of juice.
- Instead of restrictive dieting, Meyers prefers to manage his weight and health by eating once every 4 hours.
- Meyers participated in the 2012 Cycle For Survival to raise funds supporting rare cancer research.
- He is a firm believer of hopeful perseverance after meeting many inspiring cancer survivors.
John Oliver – Last Week Tonight
- Oliver has a soft spot for soccer and admits in a Rolling Stone interview that he still dreams of being a soccer player.
- Oliver shuns the sugar industry and its unsustainable tactics that are detrimental to health.
- In 2016, he bought and forgave $15 million of medical debt.
- Despite the limited information currently available on his personal health regime, Oliver has a pivotal role in putting the spotlight on health. He has spoken on nutritional topics such as the chicken industry standards, Dr. Oz’s show, etc.
