Last week I had the chance to sit down and talk with Mike Richard, host of The CW's Beauty And The Geek. Mike discussed his background, how he started his television hosting career and gave us some Beauty And The Geek season 4 teasers. Beauty And The Geek season 4 starts Sept 18th on The CW.


Q. Mark RealityWanted.com: How did you get your start in Television and how did it lead to production?


A. Mike Richards: I have always hosted talent shows and felt comfortable in front of large groups. I hosted my first talent show in the 3rd grade


In college I majored in communications. While there I hosted a late night cable access talk show and I also wrote, hosted and produced my own show. I then ended up with a five minute demo reel that sent to an agent.


At age 23, I produced my first series for USA Networks called "Friends or Lovers". I love working in the industry, I eat and pay bills by hosting, writing and producing. When I was a senior in college Anson Williams, who played Potsy on Happy Days, told me if you write and produce your own work you will never be out of a job.


Q. Mark RealityWanted.com: What was your first television hosting spot?


A. Mike Richards: My first on camera hosting job was a pilot I did for Nickelodeon and I did a number of other pilots along the way. The actual first aired hosting spot was for a show called "High School Reunion". "High School Reunion" was produced by Mike Fliess who also did The Bachelor.


Q. Mark RealityWanted.com: Our website has Reality TV news and casting call. Many people would like to get into hosting and don't know how. Do you have any tips for our would be hosts?


A. Mike Richards: I think it's such unique work and hard to get into, but anything in television is hard to break into. Practice is probably the best advice I can give to any would be show hosts.


Q. Mark RealityWanted.com: What can someone do to practice and are there host workshops available?


A. Mike Richards: Early on I would grab a show script, go into a room and practice delivering lines as if I was the show host. Then I would grab a video camera, record myself and review it later. Host workshops are also a good source, but much of this can be done alone practicing, taking videos and analyzing them.


Q. Mark RealityWanted.com: What are some of the most common mistakes people make when they are attempting to get into hosting?


A. Mike Richards: Most people don't think there is an actual skill set to hosting. As I've mentioned in this interview, it is absolutely essential that you be comfortable in front of others. You should know how to read body language, ad lib and be able to react without a moment's hesitation. Most people think that if they have simply interviewed a celebrity they can host a show, this is just not true. Many people who can act also assume they have the background to be a host, this isn't true either. Actors are trained to get into character and ignore the cameras. As a host you need to be aware of what is going on around you and as a producer I have watched a great deal of very strong actors struggle in the hosting role.


Q. Mark RealityWanted.com: Are there any television hosts that inspire you?


A. Mike Richards: Tom Bergeron is one of the best hosts on television. He currently hosts "Dancing With The Stars" and "America's Funniest Home Videos." He is great when he is short on time and ad libbing seems to be a strong point for him. He is one of those guys on the top of the heap.


Q. Mark RealityWanted.com: Thanks for the insight on hosting and how to break into it. Lets talk about Beauty and The Geek season4. What can fans expect out of this new season of Beauty and The Geek?


A. Mike Richards: This season is unlike any other prior Beauty and The Geek season. We have 13 episodes as opposed to 8. We also start out the season with the nationwide casting search. We traveled to IL, DC, TX, and more. There are also 10 teams vs. 8.


Q. Mark RealityWanted.com: Any new twists/changes you can discuss?


A. Mike Richards: The biggest twist this season will be our male beauty and female geek team. We were unsure how this twist would go. We were uncertain if it would be good or bad for the show and if it would throw the show dynamics off. We were pleasantly surprised, the cast loved him and he got along great with everyone.


Q. Mark RealityWanted.com: Any memorable moments that stands out from past seasons?


A. Mike Richards: Last season Sanjay and Tori were the first eliminated. They had a conversation about rap songs and the word "booty". Sanjay asked what booty meant and was under the impression that it referred to a pirates booty. Once Tori explained what booty meant in rap songs, Sanjay said, oh rap songs make so much more sense now!


Q. Mark RealityWanted.com: I know you told us a bit about the larger teams and the new twist. What else can fans/viewers expect to see this season?


A. Mike Richards: The challenges are bigger and we push the teams to evolve greater this season. To win this season you will have to not only change yourself, but really help and change others. Keep your eye on Joshua and Shlandra


Q. Mark RealityWanted.com: Mike, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us about your past. I know our readers are going to be grateful for the tips on how one can learn to host, and we are all anxious now that you have given us a teaser on what to expect next season. If fans wanted to reach out to you on myspace how can they find you?


A. Mike Richard: I would love to hear from fans of the show. People can find me on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/mrichards23 I look forward to hearing from your readers.