Reality

‘Claim to Fame’: Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s Son Reveals His Famous Father’s Reaction to the Reality Show (Exclusive)

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CLAIM TO FAME – "Don't Get Chummy, You Dummy!" – The remaining 11 contestants step into the limelight in a Hollywood challenge to prove they have what it takes to make it in Tinseltown. After a series of races, only one lands atop the leaderboard, receiving immunity and a housemate's coveted clue. MONDAY, JULY 3 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC. (ABC/John Fleenor) TRAVIS

Travis Tyson had father Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s full support when it came to joining Claim to Fame – the ultimate test of celebrity family members, who attempt to keep their own famous relations a secret while putting together clues about their competitors. After Travis’ true identity was revealed and the son of the famed astrophysicist was eliminated, he opened up to PopCulture.com about his family’s reaction to his appearance on the show โ€“ and his feelings for the competitors who sent him packing.

Travis first heard from Claim to Fame casting on Facebook, and he admits it was “too unique an experience for me to pass up.” His father was “excited” that Travis would have the opportunity to be on the show. “I brainstormed strategy with my family before coming on the show,” Travis told PopCulture, admitting that it was actually sister Miranda Tyson who offered up the best advice during the planning session.

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As for the Cosmos presenter’s reaction to Travis’ gameplay? “He told me, ‘Good job!’ after watching episode one,” Travis shared, noting that he hadn’t gotten more in-depth feedback on the rest of his game yet, as his father is “a busy man.” Travis’ gameplay might have been short-lived, but he’s not taking the betrayal of his allies too hard. “It feels awful to be betrayed, but at the end of the day I understand this is a competition that encourages lying and deceit,” he told PopCulture. “So I choose not to take it personally.”

“After you’re eliminated it’s natural to think about all your past actions and what you could have done differently,” he continued. “Looking back I wish I stayed a little more low-key and talked about myself less. I didn’t think my [mannerisms] would be as big a giveaway as they were.”ย 

When it comes to which of his competitors he sees as the biggest threat at this point in the game, Travis singled out Monay, who has fans as well as her competitors scrambling to figure out her famous family member. While Steve Harvey’s name is being thrown out as a guess on Twitter by viewers, Travis pointed out that nobody in the game “has any definitive leads on her so far,” and with “a lot of allies” and a challenge win under her belt, she could be tough to beat moving forward.ย Claim to Fameย (produced by Kinetic Content) airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.