Much like the rest of the world, Hot Ones has had to adapt over the past year due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and the YouTube show has done that with its socially distanced episodes. Instead of having guests in the studio with Sean Evans, they now sit at home and join via video call, and while it certainly changes the dynamic, the show has still been a lot of fun.
The wings are still hot, the reactions are still hilarious, and the conversation remains engaging, funny, and interesting. There's been plenty of socially distanced episodes shot for the show now, and some amazing episodes have come from this format, including these 10.
Adam Richman
This wasn't the first time that Adam Richman graced Hot Ones, and because of that, he was well aware of what he was getting himself in for. Seeing Adam tackle the wings isn't really what people are looking for here, as he's made a career out of eating crazy food, however, he does struggle with the heat, which makes for some funny moments.
However, the interview itself is incredibly engaging, with Adam giving impressions of Noel Gallagher and telling fun stories about working with Jeff Goldblum. This interview has it all, and because the two men are friends already, it really helps take away any of the potential awkwardness that the video call setup can provide.
Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey came in and she absolutely destroyed the chicken wings with a fantastic set which she had made to look exactly like the Hot Ones studio. It was a nice touch and set the interview off to a great start, with the former UFC and WWE star having a really fun conversation.
She talked about her doomsday preparation and the way she lives her life to how she'd celebrate her MMA victories with chicken wings. It was a great conversation that felt very natural, and it showed a different side of Rousey from the dominant fight mode that is normally highlighted, which is what Hot Ones does such a good job with.
Daniel Radcliffe
When people think of Daniel Radcliffe, the first thought is normally all about Harry Potter. However, what Hot Ones always does a brilliant job at is covering more than just the obvious topic and that was the case with this interview, which discussed so much more about Radcliffe's career.
The British actor was really engaging and exciting throughout the interview, bringing a fantastic energy throughout as he passionately spoke about a range of topics. He was incredibly funny in this interview, and it certainly made for one of the more memorable socially distanced episodes.
Thundercat
Thundercat was openly very excited to be part of the show, and when that happens with the guests it always sets things up for a fun interview. Thundercat was full of energy within this interview, dealing with the heat and having a really interesting conversation with Sean Evans.
He spoke about a range of topics from his love of anime and video game music to his passion for the MCU. But one thing that is very clear about Thundercat is how intelligent and analytical he is, which made this interview so interesting. Plus, the story about him using the Hot Ones sauces to pre-game was one of the funniest in the show's history.
Drew Barrymore
Interviews with Drew Barrymore are always a lot of fun because she is so genuine and that was clear to see during this episode. It was obvious that Drew was a genuine fan of the show, and because of that, she was excited to be a guest, which led to a really fun atmosphere throughout.
She spoke about random things such as her favorite type of catering, to engaging topics like what it's like to work with Steven Spielberg and it made for a really interesting conversation. It was also clear the two of them had a great friendship as well, with this just feeling like an open chat between friends, which is a huge compliment.
Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey was the personification of cool throughout his episode. From the outdoor setting of his interview to the manner in which he handled the heat, the legendary actor brought his own distinct style to the conversation. He brought plenty of excitement within his answers, and while the heat didn't seem to damage him too badly, that didn't stop it from being a fun conversation.
The actor was great in this interview and t really felt like he was enjoying himself, which made the whole interview flow nicely. Hearing him describe his writing process was also very interesting, giving some real insight into how seriously he takes things.
The Undertaker
Hot Ones has a history of bringing on professional wrestlers, but The Undertaker is someone that nobody expected to see on this show. Because he's a wrestler who has kept his career so close to his chest, simply seeing him reveal all on a show that is so heavy on the conversation element was truly incredible.
The Undertaker didn't hold back in this episode either. He was incredibly interesting and funny, telling some great stories about his career with WWE. He handled the heat like a true champion, and the two men just seemed to click really nicely, creating a fun atmosphere throughout the interview.
Brie Larson
Out of all of the socially distanced guests, Brie Larson is the one who brought the most relaxed vibe, which really led to a great episode. While she was certainly struggling with the heat, that didn't stop her from being incredibly engaging with the questions throughout the show.
Seeing Brie struggle was obviously a big part of the fun, as she certainly felt the burn. However, it was her endearing personality that made this episode so much fun, from seeing her geek out about video games to discussing her photobombing the Kardashians at the Met Gala, this was just such a great interview.
Jessica Alba
When it comes to reacting to the hot sauces themselves, Jessica Alba was easily the funniest socially distanced episode to date. Not since the epic, Gordon Ramsay episode has someone brought such an array of things to try and battle against the heat, which made this really funny to watch.
Jessica Alba held nothing back in this interview though, having natural charisma with Sean Evans, they went back and forth with a really fun and interesting conversation. It's Hot Ones at its best as they take a deep dive into Alba's amazing career as she battles the comedy of the situation which made an amazing interview.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
So far, Joseph Gordon-Levitt certainly takes the top prize for having the greatest socially distanced episode. He brought so much energy and enthusiasm to the interview that things just clicked. Seeing him talk about Star Wars, not caring about the sauce all around his face was exactly what people wanted to see.
He certainly struggled with the heat towards the end of the episode, as he frantically downed milk, which made things even funnier. Plus, the fact he was going from that interview to be part of The Late, Late Show, With James Corden straight after was hilarious.