EXCLUSIVE: Iliza Shlesinger On Co-Hosting Separation Anxiety On TBS
Since becoming the first female and youngest contestant to win Last Comic Standing in 2008, Iliza Shlesinger has been one busy lady, starring in a comedy special, narrating documentaries, releasing comedy albums, hosting a dating show, and launching her own podcast. If all that weren’t enough, Iliza is also the co-host of the new TBS game show, Separation Anxiety.
Tell me about your new show on TBS Separation Anxiety.
Separation Anxiety is the number one new show on TBS, so people love it. It’s a show where we take two people who know each other really well and split them up. We tell one person they’re playing for $2,500 but the truth is they are playing for $250,000 and we watch how they each play the game separately. It sounds convoluted but people love it and the contestants are amazing; me and the co-host, Adam [Ray], have so much fun. It’s a really funny show.
So, you enjoy your new gig?
I do.
Are there ever moments where you’re cringing, knowing what the contestant is playing for?
No, I mean, just hosting it, I watched everything but I do get frustrated because I want these people to win. We great stories out of these people, you want them to win the money. They don’t want to win money to take a dumb vacation, they need it for, like, their house and their family. It’s a real American reality show and you get really invested in [the contestants]. There are moments where I’ll know the answer because I just know it and it’s killing me that I can’t help them.
You find yourself invested in the people.
Yeah, absolutely.