Burlington County family lands on 'Family Feud'. How did they do?
COLUMBUS – Sean P. Hoggs was going through his email back in the fall of 2021 when something caught his attention: An invitation to appear on the game show “Family Feud.”
The retired U.S. Air Force major, currently a senior aerospace instructor at Northern Burlington High School, was very familiar with “Family Feud” and host Steve Harvey.
Hoggs, a Columbus, Burlington County, resident, filled out the initial questionnaire and answered some screening questions. He eventually got the news that his family had been selected. The Hoggs family made the trip to Atlanta in May 2022, about seven months later, to tape the show.
He appeared on the show with daughters Tyneshia, 36, Seantia, 32, Tizana, 28, and son Sean, II, 25.
“I said, ‘you only live once, let’s take a chance,'” said Hoggs, whose wife Tonya opted not to appear on the show. “And I wanted to actually present it as a Christmas gift if it all unfolded. So I applied and they responded ...Through that process, we ended up on the show.”
Spoiler alert: How the South Jersey family did on 'Family Feud'
They lost in their initial appearance but quickly got called back. This time, his family won the ultimate prize: a new Jeep Liberty. They also won $40,000.
The encore presentation of their second appearance (when they won it all) will air March 23 on the CW (Philly 57) at 7 p.m. It originally aired in January.
A second chance with Steve Harvey
In “Family Feud”, families guess the most popular answers to national survey questions.
“At home, we were all Fast Money champs and we had all the right answers, but when you get to the show, when the lights actually hit you, the show is a lot faster in person,” said Sean Hoggs I, originally from Plainfield, Union County. “Before you know it, it seemed like it was always your turn and you didn’t want to be that one that didn’t get the answer. Overall, it was a great experience. Steve Harvey, given the stature of who he is and his body of work, he’s a very humble man. He was very inviting to us as a family.
“They aired an episode in November (18). If it was a boxing match, we took a standing eight count on that show. We lost that show. They brought us back the next day. We were at the departing gate and the producer called and said ‘we’d like to bring you guys right back’. We got our luggage and we said of course we’ll do the next series of shows. They VIP’d us and we won our next (five) shows and ended up winning the car.”
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After getting the call to return, they had a family meeting and “adjusted our tactics a bit,” he added. “It paid off in the end.”
Superman, Batman and Robin
A win over the Logan family gave them the car. The clinching question was “name a superhero that’s been around so long, it’s time to hang up their tights.” The Logans guessed wrong with The Hulk, so the win went to the Hoggs. Superman, Batman and Spiderman were already on the board. The answer was Robin.
Seantia, a Chesterfield resident who works in human resources, was the team captain. She called winning “electrifying. To actually be there and to see behind the cameras. It’s like wow. How much it takes to put this show on for a 30-minute show and to see the outcome. It was like, we really just did this. It was definitely a shocking moment.
“It was definitely a joy. It’s an experience that not many get to have, especially with your family … When we won, we were just standing there screaming and jumping in a circle. It was an unforgettable time.”
Tyneshia is a hairstylist in Willingboro, Tizana works in the area of policy and procedure and Sean II graduates in May from Rutgers University-New Brunswick.
The Hoggs' TV appearances have made some people take notice.
“A lady stopped me at the local Wawa and said ‘weren’t you on ‘Family Feud?’ I saw the show,’" their father explained. "I said 'thank you'. She said ‘you’re really from Columbus?’ I said, ‘yes we are’.”
Celeste E. Whittaker is a news features reporter for the Courier Post, Daily Journal and Burlington County Times. The South Jersey native started at the CP in 1998 and has won numerous awards. Reach her at cwhittaker@gannettnj.com. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Family Feud welcomes Burlington County NJ family to battle it out
