Steve Harvey: Sleep tied to poverty
'Family Feud' host Steve Harvey unveils new celebrity edition, says he'll sleep when he's dead
LOS ANGELES – Steve Harvey must be one of those people who believe that they'll sleep when they're dead, because in addition to his morning radio show, his syndicated talk show, and hosting "Family Feud," he is adding to his already busy schedule by filming a special edition of the game show this summer with celebrity contestants.
The first round of "Celebrity Family Feud," airing Sunday, June 21, will feature "black-ish" star Anthony Anderson's family against seven-time Grammy Award winner Toni Braxton and her sisters. Then, in a separate game, family members of celebrity chef Curtis Stone and "Parenthoood" star Monica Potter will face off to win $25,000 for a charity of their choice.
Harvey tells FOX411 that he can't wait to take on Anderson, and later in the season, Dr. Phil, because "you're not going to believe the ridiculousness that can come from a mind that you think is supposed to be, for some reason, sharper, and it ain't. That's the funny part of it."
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As you probably know, contestants on "Family Feud" have to guess the answers given by 100 people who were randomly surveyed and asked questions, such as: What would you change about your spouse? Or, name a word that people yell at their dogs. Or, name something that costs more if you have a daughter than a son.
"[People] are being asked questions that they've never really given too much thought to before," Harvey says. "I've turned it into more of an interactive talk with people instead of just being a game show host, which is a traffic cop. I don't do that. I take the answer and find out why they said it. You know, 'What made you go there?'"
One perfect example is the woman who answered "penis" when asked what she would change about her spouse. It was an answer that was definitely not on the board.
"When the lady said that about her husband, I was just like, 'Wow! How did this guy feel?' Her husband was standing there," Harvey says. But Harvey also makes it clear that getting funny guests is the luck of the draw. "You've got to understand, they comin' anyway. We have no way of knowing if we have a guest who will say anything. They don't even know who they are. But here's the deal: You have 3 seconds to answer the question. You're under pressure. It's better to say something than nothing."
Harvey is credited with saving the creaky "Family Feud" from cancelation. (The show has been on and off the air with different hosts and on different networks since 1976.) A big part of why he was able to get the numbers up is his relatability -- his understanding of what the people at home want to know.
"If someone said an answer that was so ridiculous, I knew that the people at home behind the camera had to be going, 'What did they just say?' … They gave this answer that doesn't have a shot in hell of being up there. The fact that I recognize that, that's comedic genius to me. I think that's [made] the difference."
And, as for the question of sleep, Harvey tells FOX411, "I don't need sleep. I am 58. People sleep a lot who don't have money. Loving sleep is tied directly to poverty I found out."
"Celebrity Family Feud" will premiere the first of six episodes on Sunday, June 21 on ABC.
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