Michael Yo

Michael Yo Simmons is an American actor, stand-up comedian, and television host who co-hosted The Insider on CBS, and currently hosts Yo Show on Yahoo! TV. Yo also appears regularly on the comedy panel of Chelsea Lately, as a guest host for The Talk on CBS, and as pop culture commentator on Showbiz Tonight. Michael played football for the University of Arkansas, but his football career was cut short due to multiple concussions.

Michael Yo
Born	(1974-11-20) November 20, 1974 (age 51) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Actor, comedian, television host
Spouse	Claire Elise
Website	michaelyo.com

His film credits include Losing Control, The Cookout 2, and Sofia Coppola's Bling Ring.

Career

Yo previously worked as a correspondent for E! News, The Daily 10, and Extra. He coached Kourtney and Khloé Kardashian as radio DJs for their show Kourtney & Khloé Take Miami on E!.^{[citation needed]}

In 2001, he appeared in a season one episode of Fear Factor in which contestants had to free fall from a hotel window hundreds of feet high, eat sheep's eyes and hang upside down in a water tank.^{[citation needed]}

Yo started a podcast together with comedian Jo Koy on July 23, 2012, called The Michael Yo and Jo Koy Show.^{[citation needed]}

In November 2018, it was announced that Yo's family comedy (inspired by his own life) was in development at Fox which he would star, co-write and produce.^[1]

On April 9, 2019, February 27, 2020, and May 12, 2020, he appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience.

He appeared on season 15 of America's Got Talent.^[2] Performing stand-up comedy, he received a yes from all 4 judges and advanced to the next round, but was eventually eliminated in the Quarter-Finals.

Since 2021, Yo and news correspondent Nikki Novak have served as the hosts of Nexstar Media Group's annual New Year's Eve special from Las Vegas.^[3][4][5]

In 2022, he appeared on the Netflix baking competition Is It Cake? as a judge.

On September 8, 2025, he began hosting the new game show, Scrambled Up.

Personal life

Yo was born on November 20, 1974 in Houston, Texas to an African-American father and Korean mother.^[6] Yo's parents met while his father, a United States army veteran, was stationed in South Korea.^[6] He currently resides in Los Angeles and has described Miami as being his "second hometown".^[6]

When asked about his mixed Korean and African American ancestry in a 2012 interview with Campus Activities Magazine, Yo stated that being biracial in the United States is "a uniquely relatable and American experience in life".^[7] In that same interview, Yo stated that he views comedy as not just "one-liners and punchlines", but a form of "story telling and [making real connections] with the audience."^[7]