There’s an artwork to being host, whether or not on a chat present or in your individual residence. For Scott Evans, the power to do each whereas making them look easy is the important thing to his success with “Home Visitor.”
In only one 12 months, his common, Webby Award-winning YouTube present has had lots of the greatest stars, from R&B/pop singer Khalid to Vice President Kamala Harris step throughout its threshold. Whereas it might not be unusual for somebody like Evans, a number for “Entry Hollywood,” to gab with celebrities each day, beginning “Home Visitor” on his personal with the hope of parlaying it into TV success made him very nervous to start with.
“I dreamed of having the ability to do that job, this present, for a community. I wished Jimmy Fallon’s job, I wish to host ‘The Tonight Present,’ ” Evans mentioned throughout a latest interview with The Occasions. “That’s actually why we began ‘Home Visitor’ … for a possibility for me to follow. You possibly can’t simply give me ‘The Tonight Present,’ I gotta show some success.” After making an attempt to pitch the present to varied networks, Evans determined in 2024 to wager on himself and create the at-home present on his personal, together with his first visitor being comic KevOnStage, airing in June 2024.
Since then, Evans’ journey has loved viral success and a focus for the present’s stay viewing occasions, dubbed “Home Events” the place followers are invited to return to observe the episodes collectively as a household. Subsequent 12 months, this ritual will increase right into a multiple-city tour across the nation the place Evans plans to host stay “Home Visitor” tapings, permitting followers of the present to step into his world.
Evans spoke about these plans and different necessary moments in “Home Visitor” historical past, together with snagging an interview with Harris, making a vibe in his present that places his high-profile company comfortable and bridging the hole between conventional TV personalities and content material creators.
Scott Evans at residence throughout a latest taping of “Home Get together,” an growth of the “Home Visitor” model. Evans created the viral YouTube present “Home Visitor” whereas working as a number for “Entry Hollywood.”
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Occasions)
Your present “Home Visitor” has barely been round for a 12 months, but you’ve had so many high-profile company over to your private home, together with Kamala Harris. Does attaining one thing like this with your individual model really feel like a distinct degree of success?
It undoubtedly does really feel totally different. It feels unusual to even contemplate it successful but as a result of it nonetheless feels so new. You realize, it’s prefer it doesn’t really feel grown up but. So it doesn’t essentially really feel like successful. It feels prefer it was one thing that we’re nonetheless constructing. And I believe that’s one of many the reason why I’m so explicit concerning the vitality that goes into it, the those who we’ve got on. Whenever you open your private home as much as somebody, inviting them into your lived-in area, that issues. So we pack each second we are able to with intention. Kamala Harris, or “Pioneer,” as she’s recognized in sure circles … her [Secret Service] code identify is “Pioneer.” Like how wild is that? However to get the decision that she watches the present and wished to do “Home Visitor” and wished it to be her first cease on her e book tour was loopy to me. And if there was something that allow me know the type of success “Home Friends” may turn out to be, would turn out to be, will turn out to be, is turning into, to be sincere, it was that second of getting a name from somebody you’d by no means even assume to attempt to e book was like, “When can we sit down?”
Did you need to prep the neighbors earlier than she arrived?
Not solely did we’ve got to prep the neighbors, however we had a number of safety screenings. They stroll via the home asking us “What’s the path ‘Pioneer’ shall be taking?” I used to be like, that is loopy. However it was additionally affirming in so some ways, to be simply over a 12 months into this means of betting on your self, of taking the possibility and investing all that you’ve in one thing that you just imagine in wholeheartedly, to know that different folks imagine in it too, to see different folks coming to imagine it as effectively, to agree with you as effectively, has been unreal.
Scott Evans mentioned he wished the “Home Visitor” vibe to really feel like “pals catching up.”
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Occasions)
The vibe you create at your home is certainly an enormous a part of the present. You’ve described it as a mixture between [cooking show] “Barefoot Contessa” and “The Arsenio Corridor Present.” How did that develop?
It’s like I’ve obtained Martha Stewart and Ina Garten [“Barefoot Contessa”] in on one aspect, I’ve obtained Arsenio Corridor and Oprah on one other aspect, proper? And they’re serving to inform loads of the id of the present. These are all iconic folks and altered in loads of methods the areas they entered and are nonetheless altering them, to be sincere — that’s the vibe in my home. We have been performing some model of this with family and friends earlier than we began recording it and having a celeb. And it was like, how do you retain that feeling? How do you retain that interplay that looks like two pals catching up? How do you retain that vibe once you make it a present? We determined it was the vibe first, the cameras are secondary.
You’ve gotta neglect that they’re there.
Our crew is small however mighty. Our footprint, so far as what is going on with the content material seize on these days, is small in order that it it doesn’t really feel so like “there are 4 cameras taking a look at me proper now. I gotta watch what I’ll say.” I would like when individuals are watching this to additionally really feel like they’re with us.
You talked about being influenced by Martha Stewart and Oprah — what you’re doing is offering that kind of platform for younger generations. It additionally helps that you just’ve had your foot in each community TV and this unbiased content material creator area. So that you’re relatable on each ends.
I don’t consider it that manner. I’m simply making an attempt to do job. Your saying to me that this present is giving license to different folks to discover a solution to do job, to discover a solution to join with an viewers, is highly effective to me. And I wish to encourage different folks to seek out the factor that they love sufficient to do and be their greatest at it. This occurs to be what I’m greatest at.
On community tv, you didn’t actually see loads of Black, queer leisure present hosts ever. So to be holding that area after which to even be on this creator area that folks respect and exalt in some kind of manner is loopy to me.
“It’s one thing that’s at all times appeared very alluring to me, to have the ability to command an viewers when it’s simply you on the stage,” says Scott Evans.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Occasions)
What are you able to inform us about what you’re planning on doing by taking “Home Visitor” out on tour subsequent 12 months?
Once we did the primary “Home Get together” [a live version of “House Guest” with an audience] folks have been pissed that they weren’t invited. I obtained loads of feedback from pals and folks I by no means met saying, “We wanna come to the home!”
We’re within the planning phases now of one other “Home Get together,” but in addition for a tour. The concept was to carry the vibe to your neighborhood close to you and are available on and are available kick it with us. However, yeah, the thought is that we would like it to be an identical expertise to “Home Visitor” for the viewers. Our first tour we’re gonna announce fairly quickly with dates and places and all of that and and company as effectively. And will probably be a course of that we excellent and that we are going to construct and we’ll develop. That is one thing I don’t wish to simply do a tour. I would like it to really feel like a factor that folks can pull as much as proper and expertise firsthand.
Taking a present in entrance of a stay viewers like this and interacting with a crowd and holding them entertained feels a little bit of like a stand-up act. Have you ever ever been inquisitive about making an attempt to do comedy?
This has all been a farce, hasn’t it? It’s all been some ploy to get me up on stage to do a pair minutes. Individuals discuss concerning the time it takes to develop your first 5 minutes, and I take the craft of stand-up significantly — it’s a talent. In some methods additionally a science, however undoubtedly an artwork. And it’s one thing I’m learning. I’m not the type of dude who believes you simply rise up there and get a microphone and also you’re like “let me let you know one thing, girls be purchasing!” That’s not how I method something in my life. And and I agree with you 100% — that is undoubtedly a possibility for me to follow creating that muscle. It’s one thing that’s at all times appeared very alluring to me, to have the ability to command an viewers when it’s simply you on the stage.
“I wish to encourage different folks to seek out the factor that they love sufficient to do and be their greatest at it,” says Scott Evans.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Occasions)
The place did your love of being in entrance of a crowd begin? I’ve heard it has one thing to do with the track “Weak” by SWV?
OK, so anyone’s carried out their analysis. Yeah, it did truly. I used to be possibly 7 or 8 and obtained up onstage at this large picnic for this group in Indianapolis known as the Indiana Black Expo. I’m standing up on this stage, they performed SWV’s “Weak,” and I broke into efficiency. Like with the mic, however I lip sang. However I carried out it like I used to be the fourth member of SWV, full with the slide throughout the stage and the whole lot. I’ll always remember the sensation of individuals stopping what they have been doing to concentrate to what you have been doing and instantly being amused by it and exhibiting you their appreciation for that. There’s something to that connection, to that energy. And so, yeah, man, I believe that that in all probability launched a bunch of curiosity for me and like, how can I do this extra usually?
What’s one thing that you just’re trying ahead to when it comes to creating your content material and being a voice for people who find themselves taking a look at you now saying,”OK, I can do this”?
I believe the fact is you are able to do it. And that if there’s something to remove from the launch of “Home Visitor” it’s that it might take you a while to determine what your supply is. It could take you a while to determine what topics or issues that you just’re actually truly keen about or inquisitive about or care about. It could take you a while to determine how learn how to join together with your viewers in a manner that feels dynamic or wholly you. However it’s price that point. The advantages of creating a ardour and sharing that in some kind of manner, I can’t discuss it sufficient. It’s modified my life.
