Hi, my name is Sean Evans. I host a show called Hot Ones (the show with hot questions and even hotter wings)! We interview celebrities while making them eat scorching hot chicken wings. You can catch new episodes on Thursdays, 11am ET on YouTube (check out today's episode w Russell Brand!). I'm here to answer YOUR hot questions! I won't be eating wings.

FWF YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHTR-XF6MXU Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanseaevans And if you're into the show, check out this subreddit /r/hotones (s/o to Alex, Matthew and Flizzy!)

Proof: https://twitter.com/seanseaevans/status/837342576466341888

Edit: Guys, I have to run but thank you so much for having me! Reddit has been so supportive of Hot Ones since Day 1 and this was a blast. Thank you for all your awesome questions about the show and my butthole. I'll probably drop by later to answer some more but in the meantime remember to keep it spicy and don't be afraid to dab! Let's do this again sometime. - Sean

Comments: 3687 • Responses: 38  • Date: 

GreenLeavesDryHeaves6119 karma

So Sean, we've got a thing we like to do around here called Explain That 'Gram. We do a deep dive on our guests Instagram and we just want the bigger picture. That sound good to you? Ok, here we go.

Shaq!? Come on Sean, have you been holding out on us?

And what about this guy? You're on Reddit, we're all about cute animals here. Give us the scoop.

And last but not least. 🎺🎺🎺

Thanks for joining us! Love Hot Ones. Keep it up.

EDIT: Hey, what's going on Hot Ones fans? If you liked my comment maybe meet me halfway, throw me an upvote. If you didn't like my comment, I don't want ya, I don't want ya in the thread. But if you did, upvote. Thank you very much. I appreciate you. I love you. More than a friend.

seanseaevans2106 karma

LOL! Love this!

Shaq: So, I interviewed Shaq after some event in which he was a model for an art class full of drunken bros. I stole a horrible painting off one especially drunk dude, gifted it to Shaq during the interview and then he kissed me on the top of my bald head and said "Such a good dude."

That's my friend Sarah's dog Thor! I'd dog sit Thor from time to time back in the Chicago days.

And finally, made healthy deserts with John Cena and Emily Oberg. Just a day in the life. He told me a great story about how his first wrestling persona was a "half man, half machine" thing that he never got off the ground. Trying desperately to get him on Hot Ones.

And the Chrissy Teigen thing is a blur. Just standing there after an interview and getting licked by a supermodel. I think it was my first or second day in NYC.

SmileNSam3722 karma

Hey Sean, it's #15 Ranked UFC Middleweight Sam Alvey. We've spoken on twitter, but I have to ask you here - "WHEN CAN I COME ON YOUR SHOW!?!?!" I have a fight scheduled April 22nd in Nashville, but after that (when I'm done cutting weight) I need to come face punch some hot wings with my tongue fist. Hit me up!

  • Sam :)

seanseaevans2552 karma

Definitely need UFC guys. Hit me up we'll see if we can make something happen!

WildThingsKing2578 karma

I only have one question. What the fuck are you doing with your life?

Also, the TJ Miller made me actually vomit at work from laughing so hard.

seanseaevans3003 karma

TacoGate is out of control. I've been eating tacos like that my whole life. It just makes sense to me. It doesn't get messy. You don't spill shit all over the place. I'm not going to apologize for attacking that thing from the top rope.

And, thank you! the T.J. Miller episode was a game changer for us.

RZOG162576 karma

Sriracha, it's no big deal right?

seanseaevans1328 karma

No. Big. Deal. Padma voice

Bolivia_USA2179 karma

You probably get this a lot, but is there any chance of fan favorites Bill Burr or Gordon Ramsey being on the show?

seanseaevans4190 karma

We have a white board with all of our white-whale guests, and those two are at the top of it. We try to will them into existence. Not enough time to give the whole rundown, but these are some of the names that are always top of mind: The Rock. Joe Rogan. Alexa Chung. Guy Fieri. Chrissy Teigen. Kobe. Aziz. Hannibal. Chelsea Handler.

But, it's not the easiest show to book. Not everyone wants to eat violently hot wings on camera. This is the hole we've dug for ourselves but we're always pitching.

The-Loracks1891 karma

Has the fame gotten you laid?

seanseaevans4893 karma

Fuck yeah it has! throws up a high five

swizzledsz1639 karma

If nothing is off limits...

I think everyone is wondering: how is your butthole?

Do you have a standing appointment with a butthole therapist? Do you have a collection of speciality lotions you keep in rotation?

What's good man? Tell us the truth.

seanseaevans2858 karma

Some rando dude once asked me this question in the middle of a Whole Foods so might as well get out in front of it now. At this point, my biology has more or less adjusted but there were some long, lonely nights in the beginning. There's a reason I told Eric Andre I wouldn't eat a Carolina Reaper again for less than five figures. That said, it's impossible to say no to Chili Klaus.

stebars141586 karma

So I've noticed a little interaction between you and Ethan from h3h3 on Twitter... any chance we get him and/or Hila on Hot Ones soon?

Love the show.

seanseaevans2325 karma

Yeah, just trying to work out scheduling at this point. I love Ethan and Hila.

BadAsMe781339 karma

Is there any possibility you could get Justin Timberlake on your show to interview you?

seanseaevans2615 karma

That would be the greatest thing that's ever happened to me in my pathetic life.

Magmortar1162 karma

What is your favorite place for wings?

seanseaevans4208 karma

Wings have been ruined for me.

D-0-M1094 karma

What was the Chicken Connoisseur like off camera?

seanseaevans1387 karma

Very chill. He's HUGE in London btw! He got mobbed everywhere we went.

AlmostJack959 karma

Hi Sean, first off can I just say how much I appreciate the amount of research you put into your questions. It's something that is so often overlooked but the effort you and your team invest really makes each episode for me.

My question: Given that it seems the rap industry and food are becoming more connected by the day, which rapper would you have cook for you and what would they make?

seanseaevans692 karma

Great question! At First We Feast, we probably think about this more than anyone in the world. Rumor has it Mia X from No Limit is the most underrated hip hop chef of all time and I'm picturing jambalaya and baked macaroni on the table.

tinman888897 karma

Hey Sean, I’m a huge fan of yours! I have two questions for you:

  • What do you do to prepare your body for so much spicy food? I love hot stuff but it wreaks havoc on my system.
  • How do you prepare to ensure the interview is the best it can be? In my opinion you’re one of the greatest interviewers in the business, and it would be cool to know the process.

Also the hot ones sauce is really expensive to ship to Canada, you guys should definitely open up a shop here. We need some heat to warm our cold winter-conditioned bodies.

seanseaevans1052 karma

I used to just go out there and wing it so to speak but now that we're weekly and have published, like, 60 episodes I take care of myself a lot more. I try to stay away from acidic foods and whatnot. The research is just kind of what it looks like... Chris and I read and watch everything that we can, trust our instincts and try not to overthink things. Much love to Canada!

thirstyshrutebaby468 karma

I found this awesome show through TJ Miller. I loved it right away. Before my brother moved away we did Nine of the ten sauces from last season (sans Sriracha) and it was pure agony. Yet, by the time we finished there was a certain euphoria that you and your guests have pointed out. After two weeks I had a crazy urge to repeat the challenge again. So my wife and I have done so about once every two months.

Obviously with the frequency episodes have been coming out you don't wait that long, but I was wondering what the minimal amount of time between shoots you'll allow? Also what your immediate cool down routine is once the cameras turn off... Thanks!

P.S~ picture proof of pain.

http://imgur.com/0MlkUsV

http://imgur.com/kqYDudB

seanseaevans540 karma

I mean, you have to do what you have to do to keep the show going. We've shot three episodes in a week before, which can be pretty brutal. My immediate cool down routine is to go back to my apartment or hotel, throw on some basketball shorts, crank the air conditioning and tell everyone to not bother me for a few hours. I've actually come to kind of look forward to those peaceful, very Zen after hours.

Carljul453 karma

Exactly how much research is done before shows? Its seems like you know every details about the person you're interviewing.

Who do you want to see most on the show?

seanseaevans858 karma

Chris and I do a ton of research, and honestly it’s one of the most fun parts. I usually spend at least 12 hours (sometimes a lot more) just watching every interview and reading everything I can find. Chris does his own research, then we kind of bring it all together and match the questions with the right wings so there’s a good flow—I also have to think about how I’m going to be dying on Mad Dog and Blair’s! Our main goal with Hot Ones is for the guest to have fun and feel like they can be free and loose, so it’s important to me for them to know that we went the extra mile to understand what they’re all about, and ask about the shit that other people might leave on the cutting room floor. It’s an honor that people even bring up Nardwuar—he’s a legend!

Cmalt434 karma

You have your own hot sauce, and a sandwich named after you, what's next? A "No big deal" Sriracha? "Don't touch your (eye)balls" wet naps?

Also can we get /r/MMA fighter /u/SmileNSam on the show?

seanseaevans1251 karma

Mad Dog 357 vaping e-liquid would be a dream.

FearedGinger434 karma

What is the process for choosing the guests? Has Hot Ones gained enough traction and word of mouth that people are excited for it/it has street cred? Or is it almost always you/PR person having to explain the concept over and over again? (Your PR person deserves a metal btw for convincing all these celebrities to participate and even finding ways to contact them.) My only other question(s) would be in regards to the lack of women guests; do you find they are less interested in participating? Or have the male guests just been easier to coordinate/book? Not a question, but I would love to see a duo of women (Key and Peele played off each other so well that was one of my favorite episodes)- maybe Tina Fey and Amy Pohler or Abbi and Ilana from Broad City. Thanks! P.s. as a vegetarian, 1. I still am obsessed with your show and 2. respect for making veggie wings for Ricky and others.

seanseaevans671 karma

The unsung hero of this whole thing is our amazing (and persuasive) talent booker Brandon Thomas. At first, we'd have to more or less con people into doing the show. Now, I'd say half our guests are familiar with Hot Ones and some are big fans. We've also had past guests lead to future ones (Tom leads to Padma, Bert leads to Coco, etc). Also, we need to s/o Sarah Honda for doing a little bit of everything. We wouldn't be able to do Hot Ones without her.

We haven't done a good enough job of booking women. In our experience, it's just been a tougher sell but it's something we think about/discuss all the time.

And definitely! Much love and respect to our vegetarian/vegan fans. Those vegan wings w Ricky are some of the best wings I've ever had in my life.

Iamabioticgod411 karma

Can you get Barack on?

seanseaevans584 karma

Fingers crossed someday.

codesForLiving401 karma

Has anyone got sick during/after the show?

seanseaevans740 karma

LMFAO! Yes. S/o Martin Garrix, Eddie Huang, Coolio and RiFF RAFF. I'm sure there are countless others.

handeythoughts465 karma

I expect Bobby Lee shitting his pants qualifies

seanseaevans513 karma

Oh yeah, forgot about that one lol. We've had some doozies.

JFAMPO346 karma

Hey Sean, love watching your show every Thursday, with Mac Demarco on the show recently, do you plan on having any more indie rock kind of guest on soon?

seanseaevans391 karma

Yeah for sure. We’re always trying to find new genres to dig into to get more fans in the tent and just to keep the show as unpredictable and diverse as possible. Some of the big targets right now are WWE/MMA people, porn stars, and more celebrity chefs.

ChokeArtist50277 karma

Hey Sean, big fan of the show!

Have you ever considered doing hot sauce reviews on First We Feast?

Also, what are your top 3 favorite tasting hot sauces for wings?

seanseaevans405 karma

Big fan of anything in the El Yucateco family, love Texas Pete's, Valentina and (I'm not just saying this) I reach for Hot Ones and Homeboy's sauces more than anything. Pickapeppa hot pepper sauce is amazing too.

matt8858239 karma

Hey /u/Seanseaevans! Let me just start with a huge thank you for all the support for r/Hotones. /u/Alexrock88, /u/PrettyBoyFlizzy, and I have had a blast building this Reddit community around your fantastic show and the general user base you generate is much friendlier than that of other internet hosts so kudos! I've got a three parter for you if you don't mind.

1) What is the one event you would attribute the most to "getting your foot in the door" to the career you are currently on?

2) What ever happened with the Aussie knockoff that you spoke to Bert about?

3) Are there any plans to either be on Joe Rogan's Podcast or have him on your show in the future?

~~ /r/HotOnes CSS Mod ~~

/u/Matt8858

seanseaevans296 karma

Whadddup Matt! As far as getting my foot in the door, it's really about taking advantage of opportunities. Long story short... I was working a copywriter job in a cubicle in Chicago but I'd freelance on the side for some extra money and because I needed a creative outlet. That led to freelancing for Complex, which led to meeting Chris Schonberger (EIC at First We Feast), which led to this ridiculous show, which led to me answering your question here.

As far as I can tell, Fox Sports Australia washed "Burning Questions" from the world. Maybe those ding dongs are still doing it but they've definitely stopped putting it on YouTube. S/o Bert Kreischer btw!

I've never spoken to Joe. I don't get the impression that he does much press and he told Bert he wouldn't do Hot Ones on the JRE. But we'd kill to have him on the show if he changed his mind. Obviously, if he ever invited me to JRE I'd be there w my sauces ready to get weird.

Heli023207 karma

If you could pick any 1 porn star to appear on Hot Ones, who would you pick and why?

seanseaevans402 karma

We've talked about this quite a bit. Top of the list is Teanna Trump but maybe you guys can help us out??? Who do you want to see? Feel like the Reddit community could have some valuable input here lol.

IIIlIIlIIlllIIlIl173 karma

Not many people here know that you also are also a journalist for Complex. How did you get involved with that? What does Jinx smell like?

Also, how does it feel to never age?

seanseaevans272 karma

I used to freelance for Complex while I was living in Chicago. At pretty much the exact moment Complex launched its video operation, I was in New Orleans interviewing a bunch of people for print pieces. They asked me if they could put the interviews on camera to help get the YouTube page off the ground and I was hyped as fuck because my life was extremely boring at the time. I remember studying note cards and being nervous as hell for, like, a five minute video interview with 2 Chainz lol. Anyway, to get back on track... Complex liked the video pieces enough to offer me a full time job so I quit my gig in Chicago, sold my shit and moved to NYC 30 days later.

Jinx smells like cigar guts and Old Spice.

And, it took some digging but here's my first ever video interview! Peep the beautiful head of hair LMFAO! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoiPLM1oVvk

FriendlyJiggaMan164 karma

Hey Sean! You've eaten the Carolina Reaper twice and I wanna know which time was it the most painful? Also, what was your bowel movement like after eating it?

Thank you

seanseaevans487 karma

The second time was 100x worse. Feel like my entire body was like, "You. Dumbass." and completely shut down. Afterwards I was in the fetal position on my bathroom floor for at least an hour thinking about my lot in life in a very existential way. Now if I even smell a Carolina Reaper my cheeks water up. I'd say never again if it weren't for that charming motherfucker Chili Klaus.

Ben_Hamish161 karma

Did the dj khaled episode lower your opinion of him?

seanseaevans381 karma

From my heart, I honestly think the DJ Khaled Hot Ones episode is the greatest in series history. I think it will live on long after we're all buried under rocks and dust. It's been amazing to see him go from "put the hinges in the fuccbois hands" to doing Ellen and more TV commercials than Peyton Manning. Truly a national treasure and my proudest work at First We Feast.

youthcanoe150 karma

Sean, when are you going to come on down to Nashville & do a Nashville Hot Chicken special?

seanseaevans224 karma

Check out this vid I did w Redban: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f0pxdL1vsE

I'd love to go to Nashville and get some Hattie B's or Prince's straight from the source. Hopefully we can make that happen soon.

Kxfi144 karma

Big fan of the show, keep up the good work Sean!

If you could have anyone on the show, dead or alive, who'd it be?

seanseaevans347 karma

I'd say Andy Kaufman, The Ultimate Warrior and William Shakespeare to have him answer for the ghostwriting accusations on Death Sauce.

LocalDarkHorse129 karma

How do you guys decide on a new sauce within the lineup?

seanseaevans216 karma

At the end of the day, we probably put WAY too much thought into the sauces but it’s part of the fun, and it’s been cool to meet more people in the hot sauce game. We pick certain types in the hopes that they hit our guests differently throughout the interview. I’m pretty sure Chris has had sleepless nights thinking about Bravado Ghost Pepper & Blueberry sauce. We talk about things to swap in and out all the time. We’ll probably switch it up again soon!

AflatNote95 karma

Eating hot foods has never been the problem for me, that comes later. How does your butthole hold up to this sort of punishment week after week? Is it like building a callus where it eventually isn't a problem anymore?

seanseaevans315 karma

I already answered a question about my butthole. NO MORE BUTTHOLE QUESTIONS! Sean Spicer voice

PM-ME-YOUR-LAZYCORE94 karma

Sean, you said during the Gaffigan episode that you went to U of I. What was your major? And how the hell did you get from here to doing the best interview show in the world?

seanseaevans145 karma

I was a broadcast journalism major at University of Illinois. S/o to Prof. John Paul. If the ball bounced differently in life, I think I would've been the weatherman at WCIA-TV. And who knows maybe someday I will be.

Capetownkg85 karma

Sean what toilet paper do you recommend to cool the burning sensation your ass experiences following your show??

seanseaevans182 karma

Charmin Ultra Soft

MagnefloriousBanana654 karma

I love you. Do you think Gordon Ramsey will ever agree to coming onto the show?

seanseaevans97 karma

I hope so. Feel like YouTube commenters are just going to keep coming at our necks every week 'til it happens.

hotdogisnotasandwich54 karma

Did Bobby Lee really poop himself! If so, how bad did it smell?

seanseaevans131 karma

We did not cotton swab test his underpants or anything so there's no way to know for sure but it did seem like a serious situation in real time.

SombreroSLAM52 karma

Who was your favourite interview so far? And also who is the number 1 person you want on the show that haven't been on yet?

seanseaevans133 karma

The interviews that felt the best while they were happening were Joe Budden, Russell Brand, NORE (obviously), Jay Pharoah, T.J. Miller, T-Pain (and many others). I think the best pound for pound interview was probably Ricky Gervais? Then there's a whole other category of episodes I appreciate because of the ground they cover.

But, my favorite thing about Hot Ones is that it seems like the fans all have their own favorites, for their own reasons. My favorite episodes are the ones no on can agree on, where one comment is "Worst guest ever!" and the next is "GOAT episode!" That's how I know we've hit the right Hot Ones notes.

odhere50 karma

How far in advance in the guest list booked? Secondly, when you reach out to someone who has never heard of the show before, how do you guys pitch this interview?

seanseaevans82 karma

We're pretty run and gun. Sometimes it's feels like a professional organization where we have a shoot scheduled two weeks in advance and a peg/launch date. Other times we just hop on a plane or pop up shop our show with, like, 48 hours notice (sometimes less).

honestlytbh32 karma

  1. Who're some of your favorite artists?

  2. You probably get a lot of the same requests for certain guests, but who's someone that you'd like to interview (or have interviewed) that doesn't come up too often?

seanseaevans69 karma

Too many to name but The Weeknd is killing shit right now. Over the course of my life tho Biggie, DMX and Kanye are probably the artists with the most mileage in my headphones. Sort of an under the radar white whale for me is Adam Carolla because he's my hero and won't fuck with Hot Ones at all which make me want him even more.