Ben Bailey

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For the American astronaut, see Ben Bailey (astronaut).
Ben Bailey
Bailey at the 2012 premiere of Bad Parents
Born
Benjamin Ray Bailey

(1970-10-30) October 30, 1970 (age 55)[1]
Bowling Green, Kentucky, U.S.
Notable workHost and executive producer of Cash Cab
Comedy career
Years active1993–present
MediumTelevision, stand-up
GenresObservational comedy, satire
SubjectsEveryday life, self-deprecation, marriage, pop culture

Benjamin Ray Bailey (born October 30, 1970) is an American comedian best known as the host of the game show Cash Cab.[2] He also does stand-up comedy, and as an actor has appeared in some films and television shows.

Early life

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Bailey was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and raised in Chatham Borough, New Jersey.[3] During his youth Bailey was a member of his local Fish & Game Club, where he was a county champion swimmer and diver.[4] In interviews he has stated that he was often the "comic relief" in his family, especially as a kid, helping ease tension.[5] He graduated in 1988 from Chatham Borough High School.[6]

Bailey attended Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, where he majored in "liberal arts" however he left a semester before graduation, to move to Los Angeles in 1993.[7][8]

Career

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Stand-up career

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According to Bailey, he was telling stories with some comedians after hours at The Comedy Store (where he worked as a bartender and bouncer)[9] when Skip E. Lowe, who was emceeing at the club, found his stories humorous and offered him an opportunity to perform stand-up.[10] Bailey soon returned to the East Coast, where he gained popularity at comedy clubs in New York City. He has since performed at major festivals such as Just For Laughs and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. As of 2019, he toured as a headliner.[11]

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Bailey streamed his comedy show Work from Home to YouTube, with his girlfriend as co-host and producer. He filmed the show in his basement.[12]

Bailey performing a comedy show at Schriever Air Force Base

In 2006, he starred in his first special on Comedy Central, Comedy Central Presents Ben Bailey.[13] In 2011, he released a two-part special, Road Rage and Accidental Ornithology.[14][15] In 2016, he released Ben Bailey Live & Uncensored and in 2024, he released the Please Tell Me What I Said special on his YouTube channel.[16][17]

Cash Cab and other endeavors

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Bailey was the host and producer of the American version of Cash Cab, a TV game show played in a taxicab that Bailey drives around New York City, broadcast on the Discovery Channel and Bravo. He hosted the show for all of its 14 seasons, including its initial run from 2005 to 2012, as well as its return from 2017 to 2020. He also hosted the short-lived 2007 spin off Cash Cab After Dark.

Bailey also appeared on the new Shovio.com's TalkBackTV. He narrated the Discovery Channel's series Smash Lab.[18][unreliable source?][better source needed][19][unreliable source?][better source needed] From 2011 to 2012, he was the host of Who's Still Standing? on NBC;[20] the show was not renewed for a second season due to high production costs.

He has also appeared in ABC's The Knights of Prosperity, Hope & Faith, NBC's Law and Order SVU, and Fox's Mad TV, and has also appeared in Blue Bloods, 30 Rock, with a recurring role on One Life to Live.[13] In 2019 he made a cameo appearance as himself in the seventh episode of the show Perpetual Grace, LTD where drives the cash cab.[21]

He has appeared on talk shows such as The Tonight Show, The Today Show, Oprah, Rachel Ray, Good Day New York, and numerous morning/radio shows nationwide.[16]

Bailey has had several film appearances, most notably in Bad Parents. He was also set to appear in Spider-Man 2012, but his scene was cut from the final film.[22]

He has done television commercials for Michigan electric/natural gas company DTE Energy and ALDI.[23]

From 2022 to 2023 Bailey hosted Money Grab in the Cab, a show very similar to Cash Cab, in which he drove around giving farmers 10 minutes to answer as many questions as they could in order to earn money for their local FFA chapter.[24][unreliable source?][25]

In 2023 Bailey appeared in The Game Show Show, a documentary about the history of game shows.[citation needed]

In 2025 Bailey partnered with the Kansas City Chiefs to create a video special titled "The Chiefs Cab" which was inspired by Cash Cab. In the special Bailey Drives around members of the Chiefs organization and asks them questions.[26]

Personal life

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Bailey lives in Morristown, New Jersey.[27] He met his ex-wife, Laurence, in a pub in Morristown in the 1990s.[28] The couple married in 1997 and divorced in 2012.[28] They have two children.[29]

Bailey is a licensed taxi driver in New York City.[30]

Awards

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As the host of Cash Cab, Ben received Daytime Emmy nominations in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 for "Outstanding Game Show Host", winning in 2010, 2011, and 2013.[31]

Cash Cab won the Daytime Emmy award for Best Game Show in 2008, 2009, and 2010, and won Most Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show in 2010.

Filmography

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Television
Year Title Role Info
2002 MadTV Security guard
2002 Late Friday Guest appearance
2002 Platinum Blend Guest appearance
2003 Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn Guest appearance
2003 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Transit Sergeant Ambrose
2004 Hope and Faith Eddie Vanderbeek
2004 Last Call with Carson Daly Guest appearance
2005-2020 Cash Cab Host and executive producer (458 episodes)
2005 One Life to Live Haskell (4 episodes)
2006 Comedy Central Presents Himself TV special
2007 Cash Cab After Dark Host (13 episodes)
2007 The Knights of Prosperity Ralph Carnucci
2007 The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch Guest appearance
2008 Smash Lab Narrator
2009 After the Catch Host (5 episodes)
2010 The Oprah Winfrey Show Guest appearance
2010 30 Rock Himself
2011 Ben Bailey Road Rage Himself TV special
2011 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Guest appearance (2 episodes)
2011 Best in the Business Host TV miniseries
2011-2012 Who's Still Standing Host (6 episodes)
2012 Big Morning Buzz Live Guest panelist
2014-2015 Brain Games Self (2 episodes)
2016 Deadliest Catch The Bait Self
2016 Unforgettable Lorenzo Abrelli
2016 The Other F Word Brian
2012-2017 Racheal Ray Guest appearance (2 episodes)
2018 Caroline & Friends Guest appearance
2018 Kill Tony Guest host
2019 Perpetual Grace, LTD Himself
2021 Blue Bloods Emmet Fells
2022-2023 Money Grab in a Cab Host (15 episodes)
2023 The Game Show Show Self (2 episodes)
2024 Sherri Guest appearance
Film
Year Title Role Info
2004 Bad Meat Agent 1
2007 Don't Shoot The Pharmacist Zach Wright
2012 Bad Parents Graham
2013 Delivery Man Himself Uncredited

References

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  3. ^ Kuperinsky, Amy. "Cash Cab is back with N.J.'s Ben Bailey on a new network. Here's a preview.", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, October 6, 2019. Accessed October 6, 2019. "Bailey, 48, a stand-up comedian and actor (and yes, a former driver ... of limousines), lives in Morristown and grew up in Chatham (borough). He won three Daytime Emmys for hosting Cash Cab."
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  6. ^ "Chatham Borough has final graduation", Daily Record, June 30, 1988. Accessed January 27, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The borough's 76th class was the last to graduate Chatham High School.... Members of the graduating Class of 1988 are: Denise Marie Adams, Daniel Ralph Agostinelli, David Michael Allan, Troy T. Atterberry, Benjamin Ray Bailey..."
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  20. ^ Ben Bailey biodata, Nbc.com; accessed November 11, 2015.
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  23. ^ Ben Bailey crashes ALDI and gets shoppers to say what they love about it, Adweek.com; accessed April 5, 2016.
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