'The Mole': Host of Netflix's Reboot Revealed
The Mole is returning to Netflix later this fall, and will once again be hosted by a journalist. MSNBC anchor Alex Wagner will host the revival of the ABC reality competition series. (A pre-fame Anderson Cooper hosted the show when it began in 2001.) Netflix has not announced a premiere date for the show.
Netflix has not officially announced Wagner as the host, but production sources told Reality Blurred she has the job. Wagner may have hinted at the job last year when she posted a pair of photos on Instagram during a trip overseas. Reality Blurred previously reported that The Mole was filmed under the codename The Insider in Australia last year.
On June 20, 2021, Wagner shared a photo of herself singing. Almost a month later, she published a photo of herself hanging onto a truck. One fan asked her if the photos were taken in New Zealand, but all she could say was that they were not taken in North America. "Guys I'm back from being really far away for a really long time," Wagner wrote. "There will be more explanations later, but let's pretend that I'll be better about social media now that I'm back in North America."
After Wagner returned to the U.S., she returned to MSNBC in February. She was one of the anchors who filled in for Rachel Maddow during her long break from February to April. In late June, MSNBC announced the launch of Alex Wagner Tonight, which will replace The Rachel Maddow Show four nights a week.
Although Netflix's The Mole reboot was filmed over a year ago, Netflix did not announce the project until last month. The new season will run 10 episodes and is expected to share the same format as the original series. Each season featured a group of contestants who work together to grow a money pot that only one can win. One of the contestants is a "mole" trying to sabotage their efforts. At the end of each episode, the contestant who knew the least about the mole is eliminated. The last contestant standing wins the big pot.
The Mole was inspired by a Belgian reality seires created by Bart De Pauw, Michel Vanhove, Michiel Devlieger, and Tom Lenaerts. The ABC version debuted in 2001, with Cooper as host. He also hosted the second season before joining CNN. Former NFL player Ahmad Rashad hosted Seasons 3 and 4. ABC canceled the series in 2004, only to revive it for one season in 2008, with sports journalist Jon Kelley as host.
Cooper has never had fond memories of his time hosting The Mole, looking back on that period of his career with embarrassment. In 2018, he joked about the series, telling Andy Cohen he thought it was "too confusing." It's not surprising that CNN's biggest star wouldn't return for The Mole's revival.