Back by popular demand ABC sleeper hit game show based on celebrity adjacent anonymity is finally back for season two! “Claim to Fame” hosted by Kevin Jonas, and lesser known brother Franklin Jonas promise to bring more mystery this season!  During an interview courtesy of ABC press site, Kevin and Franklin dropped a major bomb in the game play twist.

Also new this season, a bigger, grander mansion that the contestants will be housed in and it’s also where the game challenges occur.  Kevin stated that the show did well in its first season because people got to play along.  A similar concept can be compared to the success of FOX’s “The Masked Singer” where viewers guess each week which celebrity players are inside of the decadent costumes.  “Claim to Fame” consists of players in a house who are all related to really famous people.  The goal is finding out which celebrity.

Those players who are able to correctly guess who the famous related celebrity is of the contestant that they want to eliminate, are allowed to stay in the game to continue to compete for the grand prize of $100,000.  If the contestant guesses incorrectly, then they are the ones who are eliminated. This unique game play makes for some tricky strategy where housemates/contestants must agree on the two people that they most want to send home.

Pictured (l-r) GABRIEL, COLE, KARSYN, CHRIS, OLIVIA, TRAVIS / Photo:ABC/John Fleenor

Kevin stated that during last season’s reveals, “we didn’t know who they were either. So, going into it, we were completely blind.”  He thinks that the same joy that he and Franklin felt during the reveals, is the same joy audiences experienced.  “It was just a fun show, and by the end of it, it had heart,” stated Franklin.   He also said that they got to learn why the contestants worked so hard to be on the show in their personal backstories. 

Kevin and Franklin got to reap the benefits of being somewhat seasoned hosts after the first season. Kevin stated that going into the show’s second season,  “it’s a lot easier.”  He said he came in “so cold” in the beginning of season one.  It was “a learning curve” to listen to producers in his ear and people standing in front of him at the same time.

MOST MEMORABLE:

The most memorable moment for Franklin in last season of “Claim to Fame” was most likely all viewers’ most memorable moment for the show.  He said it was Amara’s “catch me outside” grand exit.  Amara was revealed to be the granddaughter of “The View” host, and famous actress Whoopi Goldberg.  During her elimination, Amara cursed her fellow contestants for back-stabbing her.  She also praised their cunning strategy!  Franklin reminisced, “there will never be an exit as worthy of live television.”  Kevin reminded him, “you say that now!”  We have to see what’s to come in season two!

Kevin’s favorite moment was every time they got to the “guess-off” and finally had a reveal and got to see if it was right or wrong.  Kevin said he got asked a lot about the incident that occurred with Maxwell (grandson of action star Chuck Norris) in night one where he was busted for having his phone on him and using it to do Google searches on all of the contestants.  He was immediately banished from the game.  Kevin said fans of the show ask him “was it real?”

Kevin said it was a “crazy moment that was real and sadly he got disqualified.”  Kevin said hopefully this season’s contestants watched and learned from that, “or not, and they’ll just be going home early.” 

Updated June 29, 2023:  In the second season premiere of “Claim to Fame,” the first guess-off that led to the elimination of very famous actor Tom Hank’s niece, Carly Reeves, got very messy.  After contestant Hugo guessed accurately that she’s related to Tom Hanks, Carly went into guilt trip mode by reminding Hugo that she helped him numerous times so far in the game.  Then, she caused a big scene by ranting and raving (while hysterically crying) that she felt it was unfair that she was leaving the show so early. WATCH the whole elimination in the ABC video below:

WHAT’S NEW?

Kevin Jonas and Frankie Jonas. / Photo: ABC/Gizelle Hernandez, John Fleenor

Kevin and Franklin confirmed that in season two of “Claim to Fame,” contestants are going to play a lot of the same games and “a lot of different games.”  The biggest change?  WAIT FOR IT… audiences will NOT know who people are before the reveal, at “the guess off.”  Kevin stated, “you won’t know who someone is until that guess off moment.”  This is opposite from last season where viewers got wind of who some of the players were related to through private on-camera interviews that were shown to at-home audiences only. 

We got to know that LC is the sister of actress Keke Palmer, that Brittany is the daughter of Hall of Fame Quarterback Brett Favre, and of course Adria (“Louise”) Biles is the sister of Olympic Gold Medalist Simone Biles.  Those were revealed to us beforehand and it did make it more fun to have that information while watching the players make guesses.  Some of the players made up different names in order to try to throw-off the other players.  

Another change, Franklin stated they’ve got upgraded to a swankier homebase.  Players will be in a “much bigger mansion” than last season.  Franklin said the coolest thing is the chance to host with his brother and have fun while getting paid for it.  Kevin agreed and called it a joy getting to work with his brother. Kevin said he likes the game play of this show.  The misleading nature of the conversations and the false clues. 

Franklin said the stakes are so much bigger for the contestants because “they’ve seen what strategies can do” and they can see how things played out with last season’s finalists – LC, and Logan.  This season, “we’re going to see so much personal dynamics…and see it played more.”

Advice from Kevin is for players to not be so nice.  “Stop giving information away.” He said contestants were talking about things last season.  “Keep it to yourself” because you’re trying to win money.  “Just don’t tell people who you’re related to!”  

“Claim to Fame” season 2 premieres Monday, June 26th at 8 pm ET on ABC.