When Sean Evans and Chris Schonberger created “Hot Ones,” they understood that watching celebrities struggle through increasingly spicy wings would reel viewers in. However, they also realized the secret ingredient — or sauce, if you will — was how well they knew their guests. Since launching in 2015, the show has featured a who’s who of sports, rap, and Hollywood, which covers a lot of ground.
To narrow things down, we stuck to episodes where the format truly brought something out of the person across from Sean Evans (sorry, "Hot Ones Versus" fans). Whether it was Shaquille O’Neal nearly crying over Da Bomb, Cardi B ranting about aliens, or DJ Khaled tapping out early, each guest gave us something entertaining in return.
Ahead, REVOLT rounded up 13 of the best “Hot Ones” episodes. They’re proof that sometimes the best way to get to the truth is with a plate of wings. Take a look at our picks below.
1. Shaquille O’Neal
We’re starting off strong with Shaq, aka “Snotty Pippen,” who was brought to tears by the end of his sit-down with Evans. About halfway through the episode, the NBA legend took on Da Bomb, thinking it wouldn't be all that hot. “Kansas don’t know how to do no hot wings,” he joked. A few seconds later, he walked that statement back, then reached for a gallon of milk.
2. Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart is a “Hot Ones” Hall of Famer, enough that the comedian sat down with Evans almost 10 years after their first interview. In 2016, he spoke about being scouted by Dame Dash for Paper Soldiers, his run as Chocolate Droppa, and the stories behind some of his most iconic moments throughout the sit-down. Hart is naturally very talkative, which makes him exactly the kind of guest most hosts can hope for.
3. Terry Crews
Nothing could prepare us for how much screaming Terry Crews does in his “Hot Ones” interview. He’s easily one of the best guests to ever appear on the show, thanks in large part to his wildly varied career. “Dude, I’m lightheaded. I don’t know how you walk out of here,” Crews joked. Things only got funnier (and perhaps worse) by the time he reached The Last Dab XXX: “Why did I sign up for this, man? What the hell?”
4. Idris Elba
Hot wings have a way of making people question their life choices. For Idris Elba, that meant wondering whose ridiculously stupid (or brilliant) idea it was to have celebrities answer questions while eating, well, wings. Evans gladly pointed to his producer, Chris Schonberger, followed by Elba hilariously asking, "Can you fight, Chris?" Plus, we’ve all seen the now-iconic meme of him choking on Da Bomb Beyond Insanity.
5. DJ Khaled
“How am I supposed to talk to anybody after this?” DJ Khaled asked, and after tapping out by wing three, talking wasn't much of a concern. Even though he didn’t last nearly as long as most other guests featured here, respect to him for sticking around and answering questions for another nine minutes or so.
6. Neil deGrasse Tyson
Whoever decided to bring everyone’s favorite astrophysicist on “Hot Ones” deserves a raise. In between wings, Neil deGrasse Tyson critiqued rap lyrics about the universe, told the story behind his viral selfie with Barack Obama, and geeked out over how the “liquid rage” helped clear up his sinuses. Now all we need is Bill Nye!
7. Megan Thee Stallion
“I like hot sauce, so let’s see if this is really a challenge,” Megan Thee Stallion teased at the start of her “Hot Ones” episodes. Surprisingly, she wasn’t bluffing. The Houston rapper’s sit-down was extra special because instead of wings, they were eating Popeyes nuggets to promote her Hottie Sauce.
8. Vince Staples
When he’s not busy rapping, Vince Staples might as well be doing stand-up. Coming off the heels of Big Fish Theory, the Long Beach native sat down with Evans to talk about music, his legendary Yelp reviews, and plenty more. Arguably, the best part of their conversation was Staples’ hot takes on deep-dish pizza and authentic Mexican food because, as he put it, “Chipotle is gentrification and they’re killing people.” Also noteworthy: He might be the first guest ever to bring his own ranch dressing.
9. Kai Cenat
Everything that makes Kai Cenat magnetic on livestreams, he brought to “Hot Ones.” The internet personality shared advice for aspiring creators, talked about his friendship with Kevin Hart, and gave his take on sports, or more specifically, why LeBron James is the undisputed GOAT.
10. Doja Cat
Doja Cat went from saying the wings tasted like a “delicious foot” in one round to, “OK, I get it,” the next. The “Say So” artist is always entertaining to watch, and while promoting her rap-forward album Scarlet, she dropped some Hip Hop knowledge about Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott. The Grammy winner also revealed her favorite video game soundtrack, plus how the memory of her wig sliding back during performances still haunts her.
11. YG
Nothing — not even hot wings — can make YG lose his cool. The “Who Do You Love?” hitmaker cruised to the final round, in which he hilariously claimed Blair’s Mega Death Sauce wasn’t even all that hot. “I do this type of s**t. Alcohol, hot sauce, all the s**t that’s bad for you, I f**k with it the most,” he told Evans. Side note: the Compton rapper is a boneless kind of guy.
12. Cardi B
There’s still a lot we don’t know about Cardi B, like the fact that she believes in aliens and is “obsessed” with World War II. Both came up during her “Hot Ones” episode, where she also voiced her frustration with making “Bongos” radio-friendly, opened up about Rihanna being her idol, and addressed the long wait for her sophomore album, which had been nearly five years in the making at that point.
13. SZA
Before you ask, yes, SZA’s reason for wearing bug prosthetics was simply that “being a person is so daunting,” and she was tired of not being a bug. “Wouldn’t you want to be a bug if you could be anything else?” the Grammy-winning singer asked. With two big antennas poking out of her hair, she and Evans got into zodiac signs, relationships, and, as she hinted, how exhausting celebrity life can sometimes be.