Wonderfully Cheesy New Game Show Asks: Who’s the Famous Celeb(’s Cousin)?

Every so often, a genius reality TV show pops out of the woodwork. I’m not talking about series like The Bachelor or Survivor; though I love them, they’re shows with broad concepts that can appeal to many. I’m talking about Love Is Blind, FBoy Island, Is It Cake?—reality shows with laser-focused competition aspects that, somehow, hold our flighty attention longer than TikTok can. These shows are the kinds that can balance fluff and corniness with actual stakes. When you’re watching them, they feel like the greatest TV shows of all time, even if just for a brief moment.

Without further ado, I’m pleased to announce that Claim to Fame, a juicy new competition show airing weekly on ABC, is this summer’s finest entry into that highest of reality TV echelons.

Claim to Fame begins like The Bachelor and Big Brother: A gaggle of strangers bunk together in a hidden camera-ridden mansion. But these aren’t just any strangers. They’re all related to big-name celebrities, from Oscar winners to Olympic gold medal champs. Both the Country Music and Quarterback Halls of Fame are name-dropped. Multiple folks claim to have their family name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You name it.

Some are siblings, some are distant cousins, some look so much like their relative that they’re identified from the start of the show—for example, Simone Biles’ sister Adria is almost like her identical twin. But we only know two people’s true identities going into the competition (Simone Biles’ sister and Whoopi Goldberg’s granddaughter, Amarah Dean), which means we get to play along in the guessing game.

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Is that Forest Whitaker’s nephew? Elvis’ long-lost grandson? Terry Bradshaw’s granddaughter? While one might think Claim to Fame will be a cakewalk to play at home with the internet handy—they don’t have access to phones in the mansion, though this rule is quickly broken—I found it nearly impossible to identify more than two folks on the show. It’s a harder game than you might think, which will surely lead to hordes of folks online speculating as to who is who in the competition.

That’s Claim to Fame’s secret sauce. Like The Masked Singer, we’re left in the dark as to how famous these celeb relatives are, but we’re dying to find out if any A-Listers are hiding in the mix. When one skeezy player claims his relative has to be the most famous of the bunch, everyone quickly moves to expose him as Steven Spielberg’s grandson. (Spoiler alert: He isn’t, and the celebrity isn’t nearly as big as Spielberg.)

The rules and regulation of the competition can get a bit confusing, though, and hosts (and brothers) Kevin and Frankie Jonas are too busy being cutesy to really get down to business. From what I’ve gathered, every week, the contestants all compete against each other in some kind of challenge that might reveal their true identity; the first week, it was a talent show. One winner is safe from the vote, and the two losers go up for elimination. If they can correctly guess the identity of someone else in the house, they’re safe. If not, they’re evicted and must bare their famous last name to all.

The guessing game could get old quick, after everyone finds out the relationships between the contestants and their star family members. But worry not: The drama and gossip will continue. Already, we’ve got a slew of somewhat big-headed folks with egos for all the worst reasons. Will they try to compete based on star status? Will they actually become friends? Will they form alliances by revealing their truths, in order to gain trust? I don’t know, but I’m excited to keep watching and find out.

Finding an enthralling new reality show, especially one full of cheesy goodness, can feel like finding the best new dive bar. A moment of ecstasy arrives the moment you realize, “Wait. This show actually rules.” It’s not pristine, and you’re not exactly proud to be a viewer, but you keep coming back for more. Then, the week-long hangover waiting for new episodes. Getting involved with Claim to Fame will be like this: You will quickly find yourself glued to Instagram and TikTok, scrounging for information on celebrity relatives. You will feel needy for more episodes. You will reverse image search people to find out who the hell they are. (Or maybe I’m just going way too hard here.)

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Throughout July, we’ll be getting new episodes of The Bachelorette, Fboy Island, and now, Claim to Fame. I recommend attaching yourself to at least one—two for prime kookiness, three for an overload—to improve your weekly mood. Claim to Fame must be watched with celebrity-savvy friends, a glass of wine in hand, and a grain of salt. If you can muster up those three items, I can promise a good time awaits.

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