Alfonso Riberio is back for another season of America’s Funniest Home Videos. The show is in its 31st season, and things are different as there are virtual fans in the studio due to the COVID-19 pandemic. PopCulture.com recently caught up with the 49-year old host and revealed that despite not having a live audience, America’s Funniest Home Videos is still the same show.
“It definitely felt a little different,” Ribeiro said in our PopCulture@Home series when talking about the absence of the live audience. “The fact that there’s no one to play off of that’s actually in the room is different. But watching the episode, it absolutely feels the same. Vin Di Bona, our executive producer and director, did a great job of capturing the essence of the show. The energy feels the same.” Ribeiro went on to say he can still play off the virtual fans despite not being in the same room as them. He’s able to hear their audio and get a feel from them. Ribeiro then noted that the show is getting an increase in video submissions with people staying at home.
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“We’re actually getting more videos than ever,” he stated. “The quality of our videos has gone up this season. We’ve already taped eight episodes. We’ve got two more episodes at the end of [October]. It’s very cool that it’s doing well. The videos are great and we’re able to continue to do it safely while still having the fun that our audience desires each week.”
Ribeiro became the host of America’s Funniest Home Videos in 2015, taking over for Tom Bergeron, who was the host from 2001-2014. The show first aired in 1989 with Bob Saget as the host, who held that position until 1997. John Fugelsang and Daisy Fuentes were the hosts from 1998-1999. In 2018, AFHV was renewed for Season 30 and Season 31. As of now, the show hasn’t been renewed for Season 32, but Ribeiro will be ready to go if it happens.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Ribeiro stated. “They have to get rid of me. If they’re gonna make a change, it ain’t going to be me leaving. My goal when I started was to break Tom’s record of 15 years. I’ve got to do 16 seasons before I can even consider going anywhere else.”
