Carson Kressley | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kressley in 2024 | |
| Born | (1969-11-11)November 11, 1969 (age 56) Allentown,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Gettysburg College |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1994−present |
| Height | 177 cm (5 ft 10 in) |
| Board member of | The True Colors Fund The American Saddlebred Museum Thomas Jefferson University |
| Awards | Outstanding Reality Program (Primetime Emmy - 2004) forQueer Eye for the Straight Guy |
Carson Kressley (born November 11, 1969)[1] is an American television personality, actor, and designer. Beginning in 2003, he appeared in theBravo seriesQueer Eye for the Straight Guy. He was also the motivational host of the TV showHow to Look Good Naked andOWN'sCarson Nation and a contestant onseason 13 ofDancing with the Stars.
Since 2015, Kressley has been a judge onRuPaul's Drag Race. Beginning in October 2018, he teamed up with formerQueer Eye colleagueThom Filicia for a new series calledGet a Room with Carson & Thom on Bravo. The series followed the two as Thom mentored Carson in theinterior design business, and featured two clients in each episode. The show lasted one ten-episode season on Bravo, with the final episode broadcast on December 22, 2018.[2]
Kressley was born inAllentown, Pennsylvania,[1] and raised in nearbyOrefield, Pennsylvania.[3] His family raisedponies. He competed inequestrian events from an early age and was a member of the U.S. World Cup Saddle Seatequitation team in 1999. One of his horses won a World Championship in 2009.[4]
He graduated fromNorthwestern Lehigh High School inNew Tripoli, Pennsylvania, in 1987. In 1991, he earned a bachelor's degree fromGettysburg College, where he was elected toPhi Beta Kappa and was a member ofAlpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity.[3]
Kressley began his career as an independentstylist, then worked forRalph Lauren from 1994 until 2002, working in menswear and corporate advertising. In 2003, Kressley gained exposure as the fashion savant onQueer Eye when the show debuted on theBravo cable television network. Kressley appears onGood Morning America, theE! Network, and others. Furthermore, he has critiquedred carpet fashions at theOscars and theGolden Globes. In 2005, he acted as a judge for theMiss Universe pageant, which aired fromBangkok, Thailand. In 2006, he returned to the Miss Universe pageant as commentator and was a commentator for the 2006Miss USA pageant.
In February 2007, he was the host of a newLifetime makeover show,How to Look Good Naked, a U.S. version of a British series.[5] 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 ofHow to Look Good Naked was Lifetime's highest-rated premiere in those three demographics.[6]
Kressley appeared as Master of Ceremonies onCyndi Lauper'sTrue Colors tour in 2008. He was a host on theABC seriesTrue Beauty, along withVanessa Minnillo andBeth Stern. In 2011, Kressley began a show,Carson Nation, on theOprah Winfrey Network.[7]
In 2018, Kressley joined with his formerQueer Eye teammate Thom Filicia forGet a Room with Carson & Thom on Bravo. The program lasted one season, covering ten episodes that were broadcast from October through December 2018.
In 2005, Kressley made his film debut inThe Perfect Man starringHeather Locklear andHilary Duff, playing Lance, a bartender. He starred inThe Year Without a Santa Claus withJohn Goodman as Santa, which aired December 11, 2006, onNBC. He had a cameo role in his third movie, the independent comedy16 to Life. The feature filmIt's Christmas, Carol! premiered December 2012. In 2021, he had a supporting role inThe Bitch Who Stole Christmas, which aired onVH1.[19]
In November 2006, Kressley debutedPerfect, his clothing for men and women, onQVC.[20] He cites his experience as a stylist with Ralph Lauren and onQueer 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.'"[21] 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.[22]
In April 2006, Kressley became ordained over theInternet as a minister of theUniversal Life Church, in order to be able to perform a wedding ceremony during an episode ofQueer Eye.[24]
Kressley is also an owner ofAmerican Saddlebred horses and ishorse show exhibitor.[25] He won a world title in 2009.[4] 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 cartoonistJared Lee.
Kressley was an ambassador for theMelbourne Cup in 2007, playing a part in the "Fashion On The Field".[26]
| Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Outstanding Reality Program | Queer Eye | Won | [27] |
| 2005 | Nominated | |||
| 2023 | Outstanding Reality Competition Program | RuPaul's Drag Race | Won | |
| 2024 | Nominated | |||
| 2025 | Nominated |
| Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Outstanding Producer of Game & Competition Television | RuPaul's Drag Race | Won | |
| 2023 | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars | Nominated | ||
| 2024 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Won | ||
| 2025 | Nominated |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-2007 | Queer Eye | Himself | 100 episodes |
| 2004-2021 | Live with Kelly and Ryan | Himself | Guest (36 episodes) |
| 2005-2021 | Good Morning America | Himself | Guest (10 episodes) |
| 2006 | Jeopardy! | Contestant | 2nd place (1 episode) |
| 2007-2008 | Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants | Judge | 8 episodes |
| 2008-2021 | The Wendy Williams Show | Himself | Guest (13 episodes) |
| 2008 | Big Brother Australia | Himself | Season 8, Guest, (1 episode)[28] |
| Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List | Himself | "Fly the Super Gay Skies" | |
| 2011-2022 | Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen | Himself | Guest (7 episodes) |
| 2011 | Dancing with the Stars | Contestant | Season 13; Eliminated, 8th place (13 episodes) |
| 2012 | It's Christmas, Carol! | ||
| 2015-present | RuPaul's Drag Race | Judge | Season 7 - present |
| 2016–present | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars | Judge | Season 2 - present |
| 2017 | The New Celebrity Apprentice | Contestant | Season 15; Eliminated, 5th place (5 episodes) |
| Worst Cooks in America | Contestant | Season 11: Celebrity Edition 3; Eliminated, 7th place (3 episodes) | |
| 2018 | Get a Room with Carson & Thom | Himself | 10 episodes |
| Real Housewives of Potomac | Himself | Guest (Season 3, Episode 11) | |
| 2019 | Wrap Battle | Judge | Season 1 (6 episodes) |
| 2020–present | RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race | Judge | Season 1 - present |
| 2021 | BBQ Brawl | Judge | Season 2 (10 episodes) |
| 2022 | Celebrity Big Brother | Contestant | Season 3; Eliminated, 6th place & America's Favorite HouseGuest (13 episodes) |
| Beat Bobby Flay | Himself | Guest host (1 episode) | |
| 2023 | 25 Words or Less (game show) | Contestant | Celebrity contestant |
| Celebrity Name That Tune | Contestant | Season 3, Episode 6 | |
| 2024 | RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars | Judge | Season 1, Episode 5 |
| 2025-present | Canada's Drag Race | Judge | Season 6-present |
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| National | |
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| People | |
