Carson Kressley (born November 11, 1969) is an American television personality, actor, and designer. Beginning in 2003, he appeared in the

Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels *Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 *Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing company ...

series ''

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy ''Queer Eye'' is an American reality television series that premiered on the cable television network Bravo in July 2003. Originally ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy'', the title was later shortened to broaden the overall scope. The series was cr ...

''. He was also the motivational host of the TV show ''

How to Look Good Naked ''How to Look Good Naked'' is a television program, first aired on British Channel 4 in 2006, in which fashion stylist Gok Wan encourages women and men who are insecure with their bodies to strip nude for the camera. The programme is unique am ...

'' and

OWN Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different ...

's ''Carson Nation'' and a contestant on season 13 of ''

Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...

''. Since 2015, Kressley has been a judge on ''

RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...

''. Beginning in October 2018, he teamed up with former '' Queer Eye'' colleague

Thom Filicia The surname Thom is of Scottish origin, from the city of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Angus, and is a sept of the Clan MacThomas. Thom is also a first name variant of the abbreviation " Tom" of "Thomas" that holds the "h". People with the surn ...

for a new series called ''Get a Room'' on Bravo. The series follows the two as Thom mentors Carson in the

interior design Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordina ...

business, and features two clients in each episode.

Early life

Kressley was born in

Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The city has a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 United ...

, and raised in nearby

Orefield, Pennsylvania Orefield is a small unincorporated community in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The community is split between North Whitehall and South Whitehall townships. Orefield is part of the Lehigh Valley, which has a population of 861,899 and is the 68th ...

. His family raised

ponies A pony is a type of small horse ('' Equus ferus caballus''). Depending on the context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. Compared ...

. He competed in equestrian events from an early age was a member of the U.S. World Cup Saddle Seat equitation team in 1999. He won a world championship in 2009. He graduated from Northwestern Lehigh High School in

New Tripoli, Pennsylvania New Tripoli ( ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lynn Township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 840. New Tripoli is part of the Lehigh Valley, which had a population of ...

in 1987. Kressley earned a bachelor's degree from

Gettysburg College Gettysburg College is a private liberal arts college in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1832, the campus is adjacent to the Gettysburg Battlefield. Gettysburg College has about 2,600 students, with roughly equal numbers of men and women. ...

in 1991, where he was elected to

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...

and was a member of

Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Phi Omega (), commonly known as APO, but also A-Phi-O and A-Phi-Q, is a coeducational service fraternity. It is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of over 25,0 ...

, a service fraternity.

Television

Kressley began his career as an independent stylist, then worked for

Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren, ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his co ...

from 1994 until 2002, working in menswear and corporate advertising. In 2003, Kressley gained exposure as the fashion savant on '' Queer Eye'' when the show debuted on the Bravo cable television network. Kressley appears on ''

Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...

'', the E! Network, and others. Furthermore, he has critiqued

red carpet fashion Red carpet fashion refers to the outfits worn on the red carpet at high-profile gala celebrity events such as award ceremonies and film premieres. The clothes worn to award events such as the Oscars and the Golden Globes consistently receive inten ...

s at the

Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

and the

Golden Globes The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

. In 2005, he acted as a judge for the

Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by a United States and Thailand based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stre ...

pageant, which aired from

Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

. In 2006, he returned to the Miss Universe pageant as commentator and was a commentator for the 2006

Miss USA Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020, ...

pageant. In February 2007, he was the host of a new Lifetime makeover show, ''

'' (a U.S. version of a British series). The show's premiere episode on January 4, 2008 drew a record 1.6 million viewers, included significant viewership among adults 18-49 and adults 18-34 as well as the network's target demographic of women aged 18-34. In January 2008, the debut episode of ''How to Look Good Naked'' was Lifetime's highest-rated premiere in those three demographics. Kressley appeared as Master of Ceremonies on

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

True Colors Tour 2008 True Colors was an annual music event created by American recording artist Cyndi Lauper. The concerts were headlined by Lauper and featured various music and comedy acts. Beginning in 2007, the trek supported the Human Rights Campaign, PFLAG and ...

. He was a host on the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

series '' True Beauty'', along with

Vanessa Minnillo Vanessa Joy Lachey (née Minnillo; born November 9, 1980) is an American actress, beauty pageant titleholder, fashion model, and television host. She was named Miss Teen USA in 1998. She has been a New York–based correspondent for ''Entertain ...

and

Beth Stern Beth Ostrosky Stern (born July 15, 1972) is an American actress, author, model, and animal-rights activist. Early life Stern was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her mother, Judy (), is a former model and her father, Robert Ostrosky, is a ...

. In 2011, Kressley began a show on the

Oprah Winfrey Network Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) is an American multinational basic cable channel jointly owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and Harpo Studios that launched on January 1, 2011, replacing the Discovery Health Channel. The network is led by talk show h ...

titled ''Carson Nation''.

Contestant

* In November 2006, Kressley competed on a celebrity edition of ''

Jeopardy ''Jeopardy!'' is an American game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead given genera ...

'' against

Regis Philbin Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine was an American television presenter, talk show host, game show host, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest working ma ...

and

Nancy Grace Nancy Ann Grace (born October 23, 1959) is an American legal commentator and television journalist. She hosted ''Nancy Grace'', a nightly celebrity news and current affairs show on HLN, from 2005 to 2016, and Court TV's ''Closing Arguments' ...

. Carson took second place, losing by one dollar. * In September 2011, Kressley was a participant on the 13th season of ''

'', partnered with professional dancer

Anna Trebunskaya Anna Trebunskaya (russian: Анна Требунская; born 28 December 1980) is a Russian born American professional ballroom and Latin dancer, known for her appearances on ''Dancing with the Stars''. She now lives in Los Angeles and dances ...

. Kressley proved to be a fan favorite but was voted off week five of the competition. * In August 2016, Kressley appeared on ''Celebrity Family Feud'' with members of his family. * In January 2017, Kressley appeared as a contestant on ''

The New Celebrity Apprentice ''The New Celebrity Apprentice'' (also known simply as ''The Apprentice'') was the eighth and final installment of the reality game show ''The Celebrity Apprentice'', thus making it the fifteenth and final installment of ''The Apprentice'' as a w ...

''. * In February 2017, Kressley became a celebrity contestant on the Australian version of '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!''. * In August 2017, Carson Kressley started as a contestant on season 11 of ''

Worst Cooks in America ''Worst Cooks in America'' is an American reality television series that premiered on January3, 2010, on Food Network. The show takes 12 to 16 contestants (referred to as "recruits") with very poor cooking skills through a culinary boot camp, t ...

''. * In December 2017, Kressley appeared as a contestant on '' The Chase''. * In February 2022, Kressley appeared as a HouseGuest on the third season of ''

Celebrity Big Brother ''Big Brother VIP'', is an adaptation of the '' Big Brother'' reality television series. It is the celebrity version of its parent franchise ''Big Brother'', the celebrity version airs in several countries, however, the housemates or houseguest ...

''.

Judge

* In May 2005, he was one of the judge for

Miss Universe 2005 Miss Universe 2005 was the 54th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Impact Arena in Nonthaburi Province, Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Thailand on May 31, 2005,. At the end of the event, Jennifer Hawkins of Australia crowned Natalie Glebova of ...

in Bangkok, Thailand. * In May 2007, he acted as a judge on reality series '' Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants'' where mother and daughter teams compete in a beauty pageant. * In 2015, Kressley and

Ross Mathews Ross Mathews (born September 24, 1979) is an American television host and personality. He first rose to fame as an intern and a correspondent for ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno''; he was known as "Ross the Intern" on air. Mathews has appeared ...

were named as new regular judges for the seventh season of ''

''. In 2016 he also became a regular judge on the spin-off ''

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars ''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'' is an American reality competition spin off edition of the original ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', which is produced by World of Wonder, for Logo TV and later VH1. The show premiered on October 22, 2012, on Logo TV, b ...

'' from its second season onwards and in 2020 judged ''

RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race ''RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race'' is an American reality competition series that premiered April 24, 2020 on VH1. A spin-off of ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', the series features celebrities competing for charity, mentored by alumni of the ''Drag ...

''. * In December 2019, he appeared as a judge on the Freeform gift wrap competition, Wrap Battle. * In June 2021, he appeared as a judge on the

Food Network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (which holds a 69% ownership stake of the network) and Nexstar Media Group ...

BBQ competition series, BBQ Brawl.

Commentator

* In July 2006, Kressley was the commentator alongside with former

Shandi Finnessey Shandi Ren Finnessey (born June 9, 1978) is an American actress, model, TV host and beauty queen. She is best known for winning the Miss USA title, as Miss Missouri USA. She previously held the title of Miss Missouri 2002 and competed in Miss Am ...

. * In May 2016, Kressley was announced as a commentator with

Michelle Collins Michelle Danielle Collins (born 28 May 1962) is an English actress and TV presenter, best known for her roles in the British soap operas ''EastEnders'' and ''Coronation Street''. Collins played Cindy Beale in the BBC soap ''EastEnders'' from ...

for the

Eurovision Song Contest 2016 The Eurovision Song Contest 2016 was the 61st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Stockholm, Sweden, following the country's victory at the with the song "Heroes" by Måns Zelmerlöw. Organised by the European Broadcasting ...

Logo TV Logo TV (often shortened to Logo, and stylized as Logo.) is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. Launched in 2005, Logo was originally dedicated to lifestyle and entertainment progra ...

; the first time the United States has broadcast the competition live. * In November 2017, Kressley appeared as a commentator alongside Lu Sierra for

Miss Universe 2017 Miss Universe 2017 was the 66th Miss Universe pageant, held at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on November 26, 2017. At the end of the event, Iris Mittenaere of France crowned Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Af ...

. * The pair also commentated in May 2018, the

Miss USA 2018 Miss USA 2018 was the 67th Miss USA pageant. It was held on May 21, 2018 at the Hirsch Memorial Coliseum in Shreveport, Louisiana. Nick Lachey and Vanessa Lachey hosted for the first time, while Carson Kressley and Lu Sierra served as commentat ...

. * Kressley and Sierra were slated to return at the

Miss Universe 2018 Miss Universe 2018 was the 67th Miss Universe pageant, held at the IMPACT Arena, Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi Province, Thailand on December 17, 2018. At the end of the event, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa crowned Catriona Gray of t ...

. * In December 2021, Kressley along with reigning Miss Universe

Andrea Meza Alma Andrea Meza Carmona (born 13 August 1994) is a Mexican model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe 2020. Since winning the title, she became the third Mexican woman to be crowned Miss Universe. Meza holds the record ...

hosted the

Miss Universe 2021 Miss Universe 2021 was the 70th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Universe Dome in Eilat, Israel on December 13, 2021. At the end of the event, Andrea Meza of Mexico crowned Harnaaz Sandhu of India as Miss Universe 2021. It is India's firs ...

preliminary competition. He also served as commentator for the finals along with

Miss USA 2019 Miss USA 2019 was the 68th Miss USA pageant. It was held at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, on May 2, 2019. Nick Lachey and Vanessa Lachey served as hosts, while Lu Sierra served as commentator, all for the second consecutive time and w ...

Cheslie Kryst Cheslie Corrinne Kryst (; April 28, 1991 – January 30, 2022) was an American television correspondent, model, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2019. Kryst was also an attorney and had served as a correspondent for ''Ex ...

Acting

In 2005, Kressley made his film debut in '' The Perfect Man'' starring

Heather Locklear Heather Deen Locklear (born September 25, 1961) is an American actress famous for her role as Amanda Woodward on ''Melrose Place'' (1993–1999), for which she received four consecutive Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress – Television ...

and

Hilary Duff Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress and singer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including seven Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, four Teen Choice Awards and two Young Artist Awards. She began her act ...

, playing Lance, a bartender. He starred in ''The Year Without a Santa Claus'' with

John Goodman John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He gained national fame for his role as the family patriarch Dan Conner in the ABC comedy series '' Roseanne'' (1988–1997; 2018), for which he received a Golden Globe Award, an ...

as Santa, which aired December 11, 2006, on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

. He had a cameo role in his third movie, the independent comedy '' 16 to Life''. The feature film ''

It's Christmas, Carol! ''It's Christmas, Carol!'', a 2012 adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella '' A Christmas Carol'', premiered on the Hallmark Channel on November 18, 2012. The film stars Norman Smiley, Vampiro, and Scott Steiner. Plot Carol, a bitter workahol ...

'' premiered December 2012. In 2021, he had a supporting role in holiday film ''

The Bitch Who Stole Christmas ''The Bitch Who Stole Christmas'' is a 2021 Christmas comedy film featuring RuPaul and twenty ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' contestants, among other celebrities. The film, which aired on VH1 on December 2, 2021, is produced by MTV Entertainment Studio ...

'', which aired on VH1.

Fashion design

In November 2006, Kressley debuted ''Perfect'', his clothing for men and women, on

QVC QVC (short for "Quality Value Convenience") is an American free-to-air television network, and flagship shopping channel specializing in televised home shopping, owned by Qurate Retail Group. Founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel in West Chester, Pen ...

. He cites his experience as a stylist with Ralph Lauren and on Queer Eye as inspiration for the line, saying he "...realized a lot of people are missing great basics in their wardrobe. I consider my perfect collection for QVC to be 'basics with a twist.'" He debuted a new women's collection for Shop NBC in April 2012. The collection, called "Love, Carson", is built on transformative pieces that provide women with affordable glamour.

Books

* Author of the 2004 book ''Off The Cuff: The essential style guide for men and the women who love them'' (). * Author of '' You're Different and That's Super'', a 2005 children's story deriving inspiration from the classic tale "

The Ugly Duckling "The Ugly Duckling" ( da, Den grimme ælling) is a Danish literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875). It was first published on 11 November 1843 in ''New Fairy Tales. First Volume#New Fairy Tales. Fir ...

," featuring a

unicorn The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead. In European literature and art, the unicorn has for the last thousand years o ...

who grows up among a herd of

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...

s from

foal A foal is an equine up to one year old; this term is used mainly for horses, but can be used for donkeys. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, and are used until the horse is three or four. When the foal i ...

hood to maturity. * Co-author, ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy: The Fab Five's Guide to Looking Better, Cooking Better, Dressing Better, Behaving Better, and Living Better'' (Clarkson Potter, 2004), with the four other cast members. * Author (with Riann Smith) of the 2016 book ''Does This Book Make My Butt Look Big?: A Cheeky Guide to Feeling Sexier in Your Own Skin and Unleashing Your Personal Style''.

Other activities

In April 2006, Kressley became ordained over the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

as a minister of the

Universal Life Church The Universal Life Church (ULC) is a non-denominational religious organization founded in 1962 by Kirby J. Hensley,James R. Lewis, The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions' (2001), p. 769-70.U.S. Department of the Army, ''Religious R ...

, in order to be able to perform a wedding ceremony during an episode of ''Queer Eye''. Kressley is also an owner of American Saddlebred horses and is

horse show A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer fo ...

exhibitor. He won a world title in 2009. Kressley's interest in horses combined with his interest in promoting respect for diversity resulted in his authorship of 'You're Different and That's Super!', illustrated by cartoonist

Jared Lee Jared D. Lee (born August 19, 1943) is an artist and humorous illustrator. Biography Jared Devon Lee was born in Van Buren, Indiana on August 19, 1943. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1966 from The John Herron Art Institute locat ...

. Kressley was an ambassador for the

Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melbou ...

in 2007, playing a part in the "Fashion On The Field".

Honors, awards, distinctions

*In 2004 ''Queer Eye'' won an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for "Outstanding Reality Program". It was nominated again for that category in 2005. *After interviewing him on

WMAL-FM WMAL-FM (105.9 MHz) – branded 105.9 FM WMAL – is a radio station licensed to Woodbridge, Virginia, serving the Washington, D.C. Metro area. WMAL-FM airs a talk radio format and is owned and operated by Cumulus Media. The station's st ...

's "Mornings on the Mall", co-host

Mary Walter Mary Walter (September 10, 1912 – February 25, 1993) was a Filipina actress whose eight decade-long film acting career saw her transformation from a romantic lead in the silent film era into a wizened fixture in horror movies in the late 1 ...

was "shocked to find out that Carson is crazy smart — I'm talking Mensa smart!"

Filmography

Television

References

External links

* * *
Carson Kressley interview
with ''

Portland Magazine ''Portland Magazine'', also known as ''Portland Monthly'' since its inception, is a monthly magazine based in Maine. Founded in October 1985 by Colin Sargent and Nancy Sargent of Sargent Publishing, Inc., it has featured notable writers such as ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Kressley, Carson 1969 births Living people 21st-century LGBT people American fashion designers American male television actors American male film actors American gay actors American male writers Emmy Award winners Fashion stylists Gettysburg College alumni I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (Australian TV series) participants LGBT broadcasters from the United States LGBT people from Pennsylvania Male actors from Pennsylvania Northwestern Lehigh School District alumni Participants in American reality television series People from Lehigh County, Pennsylvania The Apprentice (franchise) contestants Judges in American reality television series

Early life

Television

Contestant

Judge

Commentator

Acting

Fashion design

Books

Other activities

Honors, awards, distinctions

Filmography

Television

See also

References

External links