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Adam Montgomery Richman is an American actor and television host. He has hosted various dining and eating-challenge programs on the Travel Channel, History Channel, and Discovery+.

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Early life and education

Richman, an only child, was born into a Jewish family in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, and raised in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood.23 He attended "a Solomon Schechter school through eighth grade and then a Talmud Torah high school",4 ultimately graduating from Midwood High School.5 He completed his undergraduate degree in international studies at Emory University,6 and earned a master's degree from the Yale School of Drama.7 While attending Emory, Richman was a member of Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity.8

Career

Early acting career

Richman's acting career has included guest roles on Guiding Light, All My Children, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, and he portrayed God as a butcher on Joan of Arcadia in 2004. In addition to appearing in regional theater productions throughout the United States, he was also seen in several national television commercials.

Food expertise and travel journal

As a self-educated food expert and trained sushi chef,9 Richman has kept a travel journal that includes every restaurant he has visited since 1995.

Man v. Food (2008–2012)

Richman began as a TV host in 2008, with the Travel Channel show Man v. Food, which shows Richman visiting various cities and taking part in eating challenges there. Richman's tenure on the show lasted for four seasons, until 2012. (It was revived in 2017 with a new host, Casey Webb.) To maintain his health while taping the show, Richman would exercise twice a day.1011 When the schedule permitted, he would not eat the day before a challenge. He also tried to stay hydrated by drinking a lot of water or club soda and forgoing coffee and soft drinks.12 For the show's fourth season, it was re-titled Man v. Food Nation, and Richman did not engage in the eating challenges himself, but rather coached others to do so. He stated at the time that this change was not done because he wanted to avoid eating large amounts of food, but rather in order to keep the show interesting.13

Richman wrote the book America the Edible: A Hungry History from Sea to Dining Sea, which was released on November 9, 2010, by Rodale Publishing.

On January 23, 2011, Richman appeared on Food Network's Iron Chef America as a judge for a battle with Gruyère as the theme ingredient.

Richman hosted Travel Channel's The Traveler's Guide to Life, which debuted on January 26, 2011, and Amazing Eats, a spin-off of his popular series Man v. Food and Man v. Food Nation, which premiered on January 11, 2012.

Post Man v. Food (2012–2014)

During his time as a competitive eater, Richman gained a considerable amount of weight and became depressed. After retiring from competitive eating, he lost 60 pounds (27 kg).14 Richman was a paid spokesman for Zantac during Season 3 of Man v. Food.15

Adam Richman's Best Sandwich in America (2012)

Richman also hosted the TV series Adam Richman's Best Sandwich in America which premiered June 6, 2012. This 11-episode weekly series documented Richman's "nationwide quest to find the best thing since sliced bread 'on' sliced bread."16 He ultimately declared the roast-pork sandwich from Tommy DiNic's in Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market his "Best Sandwich in America".

Fandemonium and Food Fighters (2013–2015)

Richman hosted the Travel Channel's Adam Richman's Fandemonium, which ran for one season in 2013; the series showed him taking part in various fan events around the United States, such as sporting competitions.17 He hosted the NBC cooking competition show Food Fighters, which ran for two seasons from 2014 to 2015.1819

Instagram controversy and vegan diet (2014–2015)

In June 2014, Richman posted a photo of his newly svelte physique on Instagram and boasted about his 70-pound weight loss, adding the hashtag "#thinspiration". The post caused controversy because this hashtag was said to be linked to eating disorders.20 Some Instagram users responded with criticism of the hashtag, and Richman responded to some of them with insults, referring to them as "haters" and telling one to "grab a razor blade & draw a bath".21 He later apologized, but the Travel Channel postponed Richman's series Man Finds Food, which was meant to begin airing in July 2014, until April 2015.22 In 2015, Richman told The Independent that he eats a vegan diet when training for soccer.23 Also in 2015, Richman was a judge on the British television series BBQ Champ, hosted by Myleene Klass and broadcast on ITV.

Recent work (2019–present)

Richman is a leading contributor on the History network's The Food That Built America, which began airing in 2019. In February 2021, he began hosting the History series Modern Marvels24 and the next year began hosting Adam Eats the 80s.25

In March 2024, Adam Richman Eats Britain premiered on Discovery+ in the UK.26

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2004Joan of ArcadiaButcher GodCBS (USA)
All My ChildrenAndyABC (USA)
2006My Ex LifeCafe Patronuncredited
Law & Order: Trial by JuryOfficer Marty CataldoNBC (USA)
Guiding LightLurkerCBS (USA)
2008–2012Man v. FoodHimself/hostTravel Channel (USA)
2009The Tonight Show with Conan O'BrienHimselfNBC (USA)
2011Iron Chef AmericaHimself/ICA JudgeFood Network (USA)
The Traveler's Guide to LifeHimself/hostTravel Channel (USA)
Man v. Food NationTravel Channel (USA)
2012Amazing EatsTravel Channel (USA)
Adam Richman's Best Sandwich in AmericaTravel Channel (USA)
2013Epic Meal TimeHimself/guestYouTube
Adam Richman's FandemoniumHimself/hostTravel Channel (USA)
Last Call with Carson DalyHimselfNBC (USA)
2014The Trip: 2014Himself/hostTravel Channel (USA)
Sunday BrunchHimself/guestChannel 4 (UK)
2014–2015Food FightersHimself/hostNBC (USA)
2014–2017Man Finds FoodTravel Channel (USA)
2015BBQ ChampHimself/judgeITV (UK)
Celebrity JuiceHimself/guestITV (UK)
2020–2023The Food That Built AmericaHistory Channel (USA)
2021-2023The Toys That Built AmericaHimselfHistory Channel (USA)
2021Modern MarvelsHimself/hostHistory Channel (USA)
2022Adam Eats the 80sHistory Channel (USA)
2023-2024The Mega-Brands That Built AmericaHistory Channel (USA)
2024–presentAdam Richman Eats BritainDiscovery+ (UK)
2024James Martin's Saturday MorningHimself/guest1 episode, ITV (UK)
Adam Richman Eats FootballHimself/hostDiscovery+ (UK)

Personal life

Richman is a fan of the baseball team New York Yankees, soccer teams Tottenham Hotspur27 and Grimsby Town,28 and American football team Miami Dolphins (especially its Hall of Fame quarterback, Dan Marino).29

On June 8, 2014, Richman represented the "Rest of the World" team in the annual Soccer Aid match against England at Old Trafford, Manchester, in a game that combined former professional players and celebrities. Richman was quoted as saying that he lost 30 kilograms (66 lb) for the game, and cried when he was asked to take part.30

Ties to United Kingdom

Richman has a large fan base in the UK and has been appearing on shows in the region for the past 10 years. In 2024, he remarked: "I think globally British food is largely misunderstood and maybe unfairly maligned… We acknowledge Spain's impact on food, Japan's impact on food, Italy's impact on food – all of which are profound – but people slag off Britain. Then you stop and you go, the sandwich has roots here, Cheddar has roots here, Angus beef has roots in Britain."31

English football

In June 2020 Richman became a shareholder in English football club Grimsby Town; he had also previously put money into the club via a fan fundraising scheme called "Operation Promotion".32

Theft

On October 23, 2024, while filming the second series of Adam Richman Eats Britain for Discovery+, Adam Richman's belongings were stolen from a vehicle at the London Gateway Services on the M1 in Barnet. After wrapping up filming on November 14 in Tottenham, North London, Richman received a notification via the tile tracker app that his keys were nearby, around Muswell Hill Playing Fields. After three hours, with the help of a bodyguard, they were able to recover the items Richman valued most, including a book from his mother and a birthday card from his deceased father. Richman commented on the incident, noting the presence of both negative and positive elements in the situation.33

  • Media related to Adam Richman (actor) at Wikimedia Commons
  • Adam Richman at IMDb

References

  1. "Adam Richman on Twitter". Twitter. Archived from the original on August 24, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2021. https://mobile.twitter.com/adamrichman/status/456535616641961984 ↩

  2. "Get to Know Adam Richman". Food Fighters (official site) / NBC. Retrieved July 15, 2014. http://www.nbc.com/food-fighters/photos/get-to-know-food-fighters-host-adam-richman/1652551 ↩

  3. Simpson, Willie (September 30, 2013). "TV Food Star Adam Richman Remembers His Sheepshead Roots". SheepsheadBites.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2014. Retrieved July 15, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140727122657/http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/2013/09/tv-food-star-adam-richman-remembers-his-sheepshead-roots/ ↩

  4. Moses, Jeremy (August 28, 2009). "Interview: Man v. Food v. Jeremy " Mixed Multitudes – My Jewish Learning: Exploring Judaism & Jewish Life". Myjewishlearning.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20091107200056/http://www.myjewishlearning.com/blog/culture/interview-man-v-food-v-jeremy ↩

  5. Simpson, Willie (September 30, 2013). "TV Food Star Adam Richman Remembers His Sheepshead Roots". SheepsheadBites.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2014. Retrieved July 15, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140727122657/http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/2013/09/tv-food-star-adam-richman-remembers-his-sheepshead-roots/ ↩

  6. "Get to Know Adam Richman". Food Fighters (official site) / NBC. Retrieved July 15, 2014. http://www.nbc.com/food-fighters/photos/get-to-know-food-fighters-host-adam-richman/1652551 ↩

  7. Friedlander, Whitney (January 27, 2009). "Travel Channel's Adam Richman digs into 'Man v. Food'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 24, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090124004503/http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/man-v-food-travel-ch-3872 ↩

  8. "Adam Richman of Man v. Food Chats with Heeb". HeebMagazine.com. March 29, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2012. http://www.heebmagazine.com/adam-richman-of-man-v-food-chats-with-heeb/24663 ↩

  9. Keller, Joel (June 23, 2009). "Adam Richman Hunkers Down to a Third Season of 'Man v. Food'". TV Squad. http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/06/23/adam-richman-hunkers-down-to-a-third-season-of-man-v-food/ ↩

  10. Friedlander, Whitney (January 27, 2009). "Travel Channel's Adam Richman digs into 'Man v. Food'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 24, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090124004503/http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/man-v-food-travel-ch-3872 ↩

  11. Aromin, Joshua (February 5, 2009). "Travel Channel's 'Man vs. Food' a worthy contender". The Good 5¢ Cigar. The University of Rhode Island. Archived from the original on August 19, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090819113251/http://media.www.ramcigar.com/media/storage/paper366/news/2009/02/05/Entertainment/Travel.Channels.man.Vs.Food.A.Worthy.Contender-3614655.shtml ↩

  12. Norton, Al (February 11, 2009). "411mania Interviews Man v. Food's Adam Richman". 411mania. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20120914163725/http://www.411mania.com/movies/columns/96638/411mania-Interviews-Man-v.-Food////s-Adam-Richman.htm ↩

  13. "So why Man v. Food Nation? « Man v. Food Nation Blog". Travel Channel. April 22, 2011. Archived from the original on April 25, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20110425015438/http://blog.travelchannel.com/man-vs-food-nation/2011/04/22/so-why-man-v-food-nation/ ↩

  14. Arnold, Ben (September 19, 2013). "Man Vs Food star loses four stone after quitting show". yahoo.com. Retrieved September 20, 2013. http://uk.tv.yahoo.com/man-vs-food-star-loses-four-stone-after-quitting-show-%E2%80%93-daily-tv-round-up-103804793.html ↩

  15. "Zantac Teams with Travel Channel for "Beat the Heat" Tour". Taste Of Buffalo. May 14, 2010. Archived from the original on January 5, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110105215126/http://www.tasteofbuffalo.com/news/article/current/2010/05/14/100042/zantac-teams-with-travel-channel-for-beat-the-heat-tour ↩

  16. "Scripps Networks Newsroom: "Adam Richman's Best Sandwich in America" Embarks on the Ultimate National Competition for the Title of Tastiest". Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2012. https://archive.today/20120712144038/http://newsroom.scrippsnetworks.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=5150 ↩

  17. "About The Show". Travel Channel. Retrieved September 20, 2013. http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/adam-richmans-fandemonium/articles/adam-richmans-fandemonium ↩

  18. Andreeva, Nellie (March 12, 2013). "NBC Picks Up Culinary Game Show Hosted By Adam Richman & Produced By Electus". Deadline. Retrieved July 9, 2013. https://deadline.com/2013/03/nbc-picks-up-culinary-game-show-hosted-by-adam-richman-produced-by-electus-451798/ ↩

  19. "Get to Know Adam Richman". Food Fighters (official site) / NBC. Retrieved July 15, 2014. http://www.nbc.com/food-fighters/photos/get-to-know-food-fighters-host-adam-richman/1652551 ↩

  20. Dockterman, Alan, "Man v. Food's Adam Richman Begs Forgiveness After '#Thinspiration' Controversy", Time, July 2, 2014. https://time.com/2949560/adam-richman-man-v-food-thinspiration/ ↩

  21. Yahr, Emily (June 30, 2014). "Adam Richman's new show pulled from Travel Channel in wake of crude Instagram rant". Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2014/06/30/adam-richmans-new-show-pulled-from-travel-channel-in-wake-of-crude-instagram-rant/ ↩

  22. "Adam Richman's new show pulled from Travel Channel in wake of crude Instagram rant". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 1, 2014. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2014/06/30/adam-richmans-new-show-pulled-from-travel-channel-in-wake-of-crude-instagram-rant/ ↩

  23. Jenn Selby, "Man v. Food's Adam Richman: 'I've been vegan for three months'" The Independent, April 8, 2015. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/man-v-foods-adam-richman-ive-been-vegan-for-three-months-10160279.html# ↩

  24. "The History Channel to Premiere Season 2 of the Food That Built America". BroadwayWorld. Wisdom Digital Media. Retrieved January 26, 2021. https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/The-HISTORY-Channel-To-Premiere-Season-2-of-THE-FOOD-THAT-BUILT-AMERICA-20210114 ↩

  25. Major, Michael (January 31, 2022). "History Channel Sets ADAM EATS THE 80s Series Premiere". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved February 25, 2022. https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/History-Channel-Sets-ADAM-EATS-THE-80s-Series-Premiere-20220131 ↩

  26. "Adam Richman Eats Britain". discovery+. Retrieved November 15, 2024. https://www.discoveryplus.com/gb/show/adam-richman-eats-britain ↩

  27. "Man vs. Food star's emotional visit to Tottenham stadium". amp.usatoday.com. https://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2012/12/04/adam-richman-man-vs-food-tottenham-hotspur-white-hart-lane/1746107/ ↩

  28. "Man Vs Food star Adam Richman buys Grimsby Town shares". Grimsbylive. June 19, 2020. https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/man-vs-food-star-adam-4242973 ↩

  29. "Famous Fin Fan: Adam Richman". miamidolphins.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121024063548/http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/article-1/Famous-Fin-Fan-Adam-Richman/0d644d63-03ba-478c-ae8d-6dc1eb984e5a ↩

  30. Ella Alexander (June 9, 2014). "Adam Richman loses Man vs Food weight and makes Soccer Aid debut". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 15, 2014. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/adam-richman-loses-man-vs-food-weight-and-makes-soccer-aid-debut-9514190.html ↩

  31. "Man v Food star Adam Richman says 'people slag off' British food around the world". The Irish News. March 11, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2025. https://www.irishnews.com/life/food-drink/man-v-food-star-adam-richman-says-people-slag-off-british-food-around-the-world-GAHU4RQCURLEVFIX6PNJBXEX34/ ↩

  32. "Man Vs Food star Adam Richman buys Grimsby Town shares". Grimsbylive. June 19, 2020. https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/man-vs-food-star-adam-4242973 ↩

  33. Demetriades, Olivia (November 14, 2024). "Adam Richman Man V Food star finds possessions in north London". BBC News. Retrieved November 14, 2024. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gxlj3mn86o ↩