Guest host

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A guest host is a host, usually of a talk show, that substitutes for the regular host.

This phrase was popularized on The Tonight Show during Johnny Carson's 30-year reign as host from 1962 to 1992. Toward the end of his tenure, Carson was granted more personal time off, and these substitutes would be more seen on the air more often.

At least four of the replacements went on to host talk shows of their own: Jay Leno, who of course was Carson's successor and still hosts The Tonight Show today; Joan Rivers, whose The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers was the first show to ever air on FOX; David Brenner, host of the short-lived Nightlife in the late-1980s; and Richard Belzer, who hosted Hot Properties on the Lifetime network in the mid-1980s.

When Rivers was fired by FOX in 1988, The Late Show adopted a format consisting only of guest hosts. One of them, Arsenio Hall, went on to his own show, which lasted 1989 to 1994. Another, Ross Shafer, hosted Match Game in 1990.

Live with Regis and Kelly has also adopted a guest host format when either Regis Philbin or Kelly Ripa is away. Among those serving in that role have included soap opera star Susan Lucci and NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon.

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