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Jeff Houghton

New York City, NY

$3,000-15,000

Travels nationwide

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Updated Hosting Reel 2024

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Live Hosting Reel--Extended Cut

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Live Hosting Reel

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Instagram Husband

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The Mystery Hour Tour Reel

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Commercial Reel

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Recent Commercial Work

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Walmart Quote

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Brands Jeff has loved working with

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Media outlets Jeff has been featured in

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Enactus Quote

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Hosting an event

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A line to get into The Mystery Hour

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Jeff at his desk

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Overview

Jeff Houghton is a 4 time Emmy award winning emcee, speaker, & comedian. He has partnered with everyone from Fortune 100 brands, to high capacity fundraisers raising more $100 million dollars, to varied conferences and conventions. Jeff hosted the late night talk show, The Mystery Hour, on FOX, NBC, & ABC affiliates around the country.

Jeff is known for a quick wit, an uncanny ability to read the room, and has collaborated with brands like Walmart, Boeing, Aflac, H&R Block, 7-Eleven, & more. Jeff worked at the Late Show with David Letterman, and has nearly 20 years experience in improv comedy. Many recognize Jeff from the viral hit, Instagram Husband, with more than 60 million views.


Reviews

6 reviews

Small thumbnail image for reviewer Tiina F.

Tiina F.

May 11, 2026
Verified review

Excellent Emcee with a Relaxed, Engaging Stage Presence

Jeff Houghton did a wonderful job as the event emcee for our 2026 Wall and Ceiling Conference, held April 30–May 2 in Las Vegas. Our program included awards, keynote sessions, breakout sessions, and a banquet, and Jeff brought professionalism, warmth, and confidence to each part of the event.

He was easy to work with throughout the planning and onsite process, and his easygoing, relaxed stage presence helped create an engaging and welcoming atmosphere for attendees. Jeff handled transitions smoothly, kept the program moving, and made each portion of the conference feel polished and comfortable.

We appreciated his flexibility, preparation, and positive attitude, and would gladly recommend him to any organization looking for a talented and dependable emcee.

Hired as: Emcee


Small thumbnail image for reviewer Linda R.

Linda R.

January 10, 2025

Nothing short of spectacular!

We had the absolute pleasure of working with Jeff Houghton for a retirement roast honoring a beloved physician, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with how the event turned out! From start to finish, Jeff was the epitome of professionalism—attentive, organized, and dedicated to making the event a success.

The roast itself was nothing short of spectacular! The audience was in stitches the entire night, thanks to Jeff's perfect balance of humor and class. He kept the energy high, the jokes tasteful yet hilarious, and made sure everyone, including the guest of honor, felt celebrated.

It was an incredible experience collaborating with him, and we would highly recommend Jeff to anyone looking to elevate their event with unforgettable entertainment. Five stars all around!

Hired as: Comedy Improv Show, Corporate Comedian, Corporate Entertainment, Emcee


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John F.

February 29, 2024
Verified review

Great job!

Jeff did an excellent job of entertaining our donors and inspiring them at the same time. Our fundraising event went great and those present commented on how much they enjoyed his presentation. He did a great job of tying his personal story to how supporters of Scouting make a difference in the lives of Scouts.

Hired as: Leadership/Success Speaker, Motivational Speaker


Small thumbnail image for reviewer Cassie H.

Cassie H.

April 27, 2023
Verified review

Excellent Emcee 10/10 Recommend

We hired Jeff to Emcee 3 days of our National Sales Meeting and he did an excellent job. These conferences can be quite dull at times, but Jeff kept it lively and fun. He had great interaction with our audience and made transitions a blast. He was incredibly easy to work with and did a great job adjusting to changes in the schedule. Can't wait to work with him again!

Hired as: Corporate Entertainment


Small thumbnail image for reviewer Kourtney M.

Kourtney M.

February 21, 2022
Verified review

Gung Ho! to Jeff

I was really skeptical of having an MC at our event, did not think it would make much of a difference. I was wrong Jeff helped us make this one of the best employee events we have held yet. I look forward to having Jeff host Century's future events.

Gung Ho! Jeff

Hired as: Business Motivational Speaker

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Booking information

Price range: $3,000-15,000

Languages: English

Gig length: 30 - 120 minutes

What to expect

Jeff will happily work with you to make your event great. He'd be happy to listen, collaborate, and come up with a plan specifically for what you need. If you don't have a full plan yourself, Jeff can also come in and bring the funny no matter the circumstances. His goal is to help make an event fun, funny, and do it in such a way that everyone feels a part of it, and you feel comfortable that everyone can feel comfortable with the performance.

About

👉 Psst--***I mostly book through other means, so I don't have that many reviews on here, but I'm also totally happy to book on here as well...***👈

🗓️ Recent & Upcoming Work:
-Las Vegas | Hosting Awards
-Rockport, Texas | Custom Late Night Talk Show (Late Night Live)
-Phoenix, AZ | Hosting Awards
-Kansas City, MO | Hosting Awards
-Springfield, MO | Late Night Talk Show

🎤 Bio:
Jeff Houghton is a professional emcee, TV host, and comedian. He is a 4 time Emmy award winning host of the syndicated late night talk show, The Mystery Hour with Jeff Houghton, which aired on FOX, NBC, ABC, & CW affiliates around the country. Jeff and his work have also appeared on CNN, BBC, NPR, Time, Today, and more.

Jeff is known for a quick wit, an uncanny ability to read the room, make cohesive transitions, and create a “you had to be there” experience. Jeff knows both how to add the right amount of humor to a moment, and when to employ a softer touch.

Jeff travels nationally and internationally and has worked with brands like Walmart, Boeing, Aflac, H&R Block, Virgin Mobile, 7-Eleven, Fossil, Canada Goose, & Enactus in various capacities. He has also hosted high end fundraisers that have raised more than $100 million.

Jeff worked at the Late Show with David Letterman, and has more than 17 years experience in improv comedy. Many people recognize Jeff from the viral hit, Instagram Husband, which accumulated more than 60 million views, and coined a worldwide term.

Jeff loves to really dig in and get to know an event ahead of time, in order to be less of a hired gun, and more of an invested, personalized part of the event. He will care about your event as much as you do.

Originally from Iowa City, IA, Jeff has lived in New York City, Los Angeles, and Springfield, Missouri, where he is based now.

📺 Hosting
Jeff hosts The Mystery Hour, a syndicated late night talk show that appears on FOX, ABC, NBC and CW stations. It began as a live show that became an underground phenomenon before a wildly successful run on television show for 10 seasons. He gained experience in the industry working for the Late Show with David Letterman, appearing in nationally televised sketches.

One of Jeff's favorite things is to customize The Mystery Hour for a particular audience. He has done this for events ranging from corporate events, to company holiday parties, to large fundraisers. He can interview who you choose, have a musician from your area perform, and create humor around your company/city/loved ones. A real late night talk show just for your event??? For real. Believe it.

Jeff has hosted countless events large and small across the country in the role of emcee, and is skilled at listening to your needs and integrating his talent into what you want.

🙋‍♂️ Speaking
Jeff has incredible story of innovation and collaborative perseverance that he loves to share with groups with a funny, inspiring, and touching keynote. He created The Mystery Hour in the unlikely place of Springfield, Missouri and grew it into a syndicated show across the country, all while remaining in Springfield. It's an inspiring story of making something where you are, against the odds in an industry that's never heard a show coming out of the Midwest, let alone a not-big-city. Jeff loves to inspire people to chase dreams and overcome obstacles, whether external or internal.

🤣 Improv
Jeff began performing improv with The Skinny Improv in 2004, performing to great crowds every Friday and Saturday night for several years. He has been trained by iO out of Chicago and Upright Citizens Brigade out of Los Angeles. He has performed hundreds of shows and often involves other talented improvisers picked for your event. A veteran of hundreds of improv shows across the country, Jeff is used to thinking on his feet and working with the changing needs of any event. He can work in any situation and make it shine.

🎥 TV/Videos/Social Media
Jeff created and starred in the viral hit, Instagram Husband, which has 60 million views and has been featured in media around the world from TIME, New York Times, CNN, BBC, Refinery 29, AdWeek, Vanity Fair, NPR, Chicago Tribune, as well as outlets in China, Australia, Italy, Germany, South Korea among many others.

Jeff has created videos with 7 Eleven, H&R Block, Fossil, Hallmark, Hershey's, Virgin Mobile, Hellman's Mayonnaise, American National Insurance, Brawl Soap, among many more. If you want a video to accompany your event, Jeff would be a perfect choice for it.

✈️ Additionally
Jeff was named 417 Magazine's entertainer of the year, has performed stand up at the legendary Comedy Store, and worked closely with actors from Westworld, Parks n Rec, Mad Men, Sportscenter, Modern Family, 30 Rock, Seinfeld, Workaholics, among others. Jeff has also been hired as a keynote speaker for a number of events from packed arenas as a commencement speaker, to convocation speaking, to conferences. Jeff is happy to travel wherever needed for your event.

🎉 Do we want to book Jeff? Heck yes, we want to book Jeff!
Jeff would be perfect for your event, whether for hosting, stand up, improv, or any combination you can dream up. Jeff is hilariously funny, while remaining friendly for all audiences

Additional booking notes

This can be worked on an event by event basis, ask away!

Past booked events

April 2026

30

Thursday

Convention/Trade Show

3:00pm - 6:00pm

Henderson, NV

December 2025

04

Thursday

Christmas Party

6:30pm - 8:00pm

Bentonville, AR

December 2024

07

Saturday

Corporate Event

8:00pm - 9:30pm

Republic, MO

February 2024

28

Wednesday

Fundraiser

12:00pm - 12:15pm

Springfield, MO

April 2023

04

Tuesday

Corporate Event

3:00pm - 5:00pm

Addison, TX

February 2022

21

Monday

Corporate Event

9:30am - 11:30am

Springfield, MO

19

Saturday

Corporate Event

3:00pm - 8:00pm

Dallas, TX

January 2020

23

Thursday

Corporate Event

6:00pm - 9:00pm

Naperville, IL

August 2019

28

Wednesday

Corporate Event

12:00pm - 6:00pm

Rogers, AR

September 2018

09

Sunday

Corporate Event

6:00pm - 8:30pm

Chicago, IL

April 2016

25

Monday

Corporate Event

8:00am - 10:00am

Fair Grove, MO

Set list

To be determined by your needs.

Influences and inspiration

David Letterman, Johnny Carson, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon

Setup requirements

To be determined by the event...