"The death of the show starts now": Fans react to George Soros' involvement as Hot Ones is officially sold for $82.5 million

Hot Ones the chicken wings-eating talk show is being taken over by a group of investors who funded a $82.5 million deal to buy the studio behind the show. The studio, First We Feast, was bought by BuzzFeed in 2021 and has seen a wide array of celebrity guests make an appearance. However, due to the company having a debt issue, First We Feast has been handed over to a group of investors.

BuzzFeed revealed the news in a press release on Thursday, December 12, 2024. The company's CEO, Johan Peretti said that the sale of the studio marked an "important step" in BuzzFeed's "strategic transformation into a media company."

"The sale of First We Feast and continued reduction of our convertible debt marks an important step in BuzzFeed, Inc.’s strategic transformation into a media company positioned to fully benefit from the ongoing AI revolution," Peretti added.

The investors include Hot Ones host Sean Evans, First We Feast's founder, Christopher Schonberger, and Rhett & Link's Mythical Entertainment. The other investors are Crooked Media, and Soros Fund Management founded by billionaire investor George Soros.

When netizens discovered the news of the takeover, they took to social media to express their opinions about the same. Many X users said that the show's quality would decline with the new owners as others claimed that they hoped the new owners wouldn't change the show's format.

"The death of the show starts now", one X user wrote.

"Calling it now this show declines in quality and becomes bland and boring", another chimed in.

"It's profitable to sell out. I hope they won't change the format. But I assume they're going to use it to promote specific people", one X user commented.

"They found their Joe Rogan (bald guy)", said another.

Some seemingly right-leaning people were displeased with the deal, supposedly due to First We Feast's new link with George Soros. The businessman is reportedly known for his liberal and progressive views.

"Seldom I watched but I definitely won’t now", said one person.

"UH-OOOHHHH! Propaganda machineee", wrote another.

"I don’t know how to feel about this one, I like Rhett and Link but hate George Soros", voiced one more.

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Hot Ones host Sean Evans to become the new chief creative officer of First We Feast

As First We Feast now becomes an independent company, founder Chris Schonberger will assume the role of the chief executive officer. Meanwhile, Hot Ones host Sean Evans will be appointed as the chief creative officer.

Though Sean will continue to host the talk show and its format will likely remain the same, Schonberger said some additions will be made. He added that they are "poised to expand into exciting new areas."

"With new investment, we’re poised to expand into exciting new areas — including new platforms, live events, and talent acquisition — cementing First We Feast as the ultimate destination for pop-culture-obsessed audiences," the founder said.

Sean Evans also expressed his excitement for the show's "spicy" future, as he claims to bring "hot questions, and even hotter wings’ for years to come."

Hot Ones debuted as a food blog on YouTube in 2015 and follows the host and guests having an interactive session while eating chicken wings. However, the catch is that the wings come with ten different sauces.

The spice level of the condiments increases as the show progresses, leaving the majority of the guests in tears. Some manage to conquer the spice and finish the interview unscathed.

Over the years, Hot Ones has had a star-studded presence with guests like Jennifer Lawrence, Jenna Ortega, Sabrina Carpenter, and Megan Thee Stallion. The show has also seen guests like Millie Bobby Brown, Zayn Malik, Aubrey Plaza, Tom Holland, Paul Rudd, Pedro Pascal, and Padma Lakshmi. Other notable names who have appeared on the show include John Boyega, Charlize Theron, Keke Palmer, and many others.

Hot Ones is running to make it to its 10th anniversary next year. Its new season starts on January 26, 2024.