A Beginner's Guide to Every Judge Involved in NBC's Bring the Funny
NBC's new comedy competition series Bring the Funny premieres on Tuesday, July 9 at 10 p.m. ET (right after America's Got Talent.)
The show's judges are Chrissy Teigen, Kenan Thompson, and Jeff Foxworthy, and Amanda Seales is the host.
Here's everything you need to know about the judging panel, and the show's format.
Another day, another new reality show to ruin your social life this summer!
NBC's Bring the Funny is unlike any competition series you've seen before in that it's focused not on singers, dancers or hot singles, but on comedians. The show will follow 40 undiscovered standup and sketch comedians as they perform, either solo or in groups, in front of a live studio audience–and, of course, a panel of judges. The ultimate winner will take home a cash prize of $250,000, and will also get the chance to perform at the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal.
Ahead of the premiere, Chrissy Teigen—just one of three judges—got fans laughing when she accidentally posted the entire first episode of the new series, not just a clip. "GUYSSSSSS! so excited to share a clip of my new show BRING THE FUNNY!! Premieres TOMORROW, 10 PM after AGT on @NBC!!!!," she tweeted.
After realizing her mistake, she hilariously chimed in, "Well it looks like I have been fired for posting the whole thing thank u all for your kind texts and DMs please send job opportunities to same number."
So who are the judges other than Teigen? Here's everything you need to know about the trio who hold these aspiring comedians' fates in their hands.
Chrissy Teigen
You may have heard of her! Teigen really needs no introduction at this point (we're obsessed with her husband John Legend and their two children, too), but she's described in the show's promotional materials as a "top social media personality." Needless to say, she's also one of the funniest voices out there in the public eye, so we're looking forward to hearing what she has to say about the craft of comedy.
Teigen has already opened up to Parade about the extraordinary challenge of trying to pick between such talented contestants. “You would think the answer would be obvious: This person killed. This person didn’t,” she said. “What we’ve found is sometimes it is really tough when they are both great, or they are both just okay. It would be very nice if one person bombed, but they’re not because we picked an amazing crop of people.”
Kenan Thompson
Thompson knows a thing or two about comedy. Having starred on Saturday Night Live since 2003, he's now the longest-running cast member in the iconic show's history. But even prior to that, he was already a legend in the minds of many Americans, thanks to his role in the beloved 1990s sitcom Kenan & Kel, in which he starred alongside Kel Mitchell. In an interview with Vanity Fair last year, Thompson discussed what he wants his SNL legacy to be when he eventually leaves the show.
“Everybody wants to be a solid performer on here, you know?” he said. “I look up to Phil Hartman and Will Ferrell as two of the greatest who have ever done it, as far as reviews are concerned—but we all know certain individuals’ names because of their time there, and when they did it right, they’re the ones that are household names. I want people to say that I did it right.”
And in the meantime, he can definitely help the hopefuls on Bring the Funny learn how to do it right!
Jeff Foxworthy
Foxworthy is a standup comedian from Georgia who's known for his sets about rural life. He's been described as "the king of redneck one-liners," and his own website boasts that he's "given rednecks more jokes than they know what to do with."
He was part of the successful comedy troupe The Blue Collar Comedy Tour alongside Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, and Ron White. He's also a passionate outdoorsman who loves to farm, fish and hunt, which Teigen says is a huge part of his charm. "Our lives couldn't be more different. In commercial breaks, I love hearing him talk about plowing corn, or his life on the farm," she told Good Housekeeping.
Amanda Seales
The host of Bring the Funny will look familiar to fans of Issa Rae's glorious HBO sitcom Insecure, in which she plays the recurring role of Issa's college friend Tiffany DuBois. Seales is also a standup comedian. Her first comedy special, I Be Knowin', debuted on HBO last year, and her Smart, Funny & Black game show is currently touring across the country.
For more stories like this, sign up for our newsletter.
