Zuri Hall Dishes on ‘American Ninja Warrior’ Drama & Reflects on ‘Access Hollywood’

Zuri Hall’s versatility shone through as she flawlessly transitioned from a celebrity red carpet teeming with stars to the American Ninja Warrior course. She joined the world of ANW in 2019 as sideline reporter alongside hosts Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila. 

When getting the genuine reactions of the athletes competing, she has pulled from her experiences working for entertainment programs like Access Hollywood and Live From E! red carpets. Regardless of the environment, the job remains the same: building that connection.

The longtime NBC staple, who has hosted everything from beauty pageants to The Challenge shows, remains especially grateful to have come back every year for ANW.  She has just kicked off Season 18 with the Western Regional qualifiers. Here Hall breaks down the action and opens up about her time on the hit show. Plus, the TV personality looks back at pivotal interview moments as Access Hollywood gets ready to wrap after three decades. 

You’re coming off winning the fastest pick of the night during the June 15 episode thanks to Kai. What are your early thoughts on the season so far? 

Zuri Hall: What we’ll see the entire season is this multi-generational aspect. The Beckstrand, we call them the first family of Ninja. It has been so awesome to see more folks in the fold. You have Baylee Beckstrand now joining this season. It has been awesome to see her, her father, the boys. It’s really special. Kai is an easy pick. It’s almost too easy to assume he would get the job done. I can’t say it takes a ton of thought to put your money on someone as talented as him when it comes to his athleticism. It’s pretty obvious. I’m always excited to see him do well on the course. His family members also.

From these first two episodes, what really stood out is something that has become the theme with every passing year, but this one especially. It’s the rookies, the young guns, they really are giving the vets a run for their money. It’s interesting. It’s fun to watch. It’s really cool when the family dynamic comes into play too. Then it also speaks to the nature of the show. You have the multi-generational experiences happening on the course and at home when we’re watching from our couches with our parents, grandparents, children, nieces, and nephews. That has been my biggest take away this season and what I’m most excited to see more of as the season progresses. 

The ladies have been showing up and showing out early in the competition. Jessie Graff hitting a buzzer in heels. She may have an endorsement deal on her hands. And then adding in the Women’s Bonus Tournament with $50,000 on the line and title of 2026 Women’s Champion. 

Jessie obviously is one of our super heroes. She is our Wonder Woman. I actually tried on the heels. They are very comfortable and squishy. It was funny we were talking after she ran. Her commitment to excellence transcends past one sport. It’s in all things…My head is spinning thinking, “Girl, you just executed this incredible run and already thinking about what you can do next time to better.” I think we are manifesting a shoe deal in her future. I can see it. I’d buy a pair no doubt. When it comes to the women this season in general, they are always upping the ante.

The tournament will be fun to watch. Our women’s champions shine every season. That’s a highlight for me, seeing the women do their thing in a way that celebrates them fully and entirely. What I really love about the sport, especially watching these women compete is they are doing everything the guys are doing. A lot of times they are doing it better, so to give them a moment to celebrate with each other, compete with one another, and crown a champion for the next season is always special. It’s one of my favorite competitions to host. I love the ladies and having them represent. 

Tell me about the Tripleheader. What can we expect? 

The Regionals are bringing us to Tripleheader, which is next level. I remember the first time I got up on the course and went to the starting line, smart enough not to attempt a run, but to take it all in, you just to see how intimidating and awe-inspiring the setup is. We have Ninjas running head-to-head-to head. That is what is so exciting about the sport is they are always finding ways to raise the stakes. Our Ninjas are so impressive that they are finding ways to meet the challenge every season. They are always going back to the drawing board thinking about how to make things harder and push them to be stronger and faster. That’s going to be the big thing this year.

We’re seeing these Ninjas go faster than ever. We know how capable they are and the skillset required to navigate the course, but can you do that when you have someone to your left and your right? Then it becomes much more of a mental game because it’s not just about running your own race, it is making sure the racing from the left and right of you aren’t throwing you off your game. It’s a lot of fun to watch. You see some folks go down who we wouldn’t expect to necessarily go down. You see some finishes that are thrilling because someone may come out who may not have had your money on, which makes it that more special when they hit their buzzer first. When you add on that component of speed, some people rise to the challenge and some people quite literally fall. It’s a lot of fun to watch. The Ninjas have enjoyed that added level of competition too. Y’all are going to love that for sure. 

American Ninja Warrior

AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR — Season 18 — Pictured: (l-r) Matt Iseman, Zuri Hall, Akbar Gbajabiamila — (Photo by: Scott Everett White/NBC)

Starting on Ninja in 2019, how has it been getting to know Akbar and Matt and building that dynamic as the sister in the group? 

It has been so special. It still blows my mind that I’m not a rookie anymore. I still remember my rookie season like it was yesterday, walking out to that course after sunset and being blown away by how massive it was and being excited and a little nervous. It was the biggest show I had ever hosted up to that point. I was so grateful for the opportunity. It made all the more smooth because Matt and Akbar were so welcoming. It was from Day 1 telling me, “Anything you need, let us be a resource. Feel free to reach out.” They were always checking on me. Those nights are long, so that was an adjustment. Filming from sundown to sun up in the desert. 

It has been fun to get to know them. I do look at them as big brothers. Akbar and I are especially close. I’ve had him on my podcast Not About Sports. He did an appearance and was actually my first guest. It was so special because I saw different sides of him. We’re always working together, and he is so thoughtful in the conversations we have about life, our families. It’s just so beautiful to see him be this incredible husband and father to his beautiful children. The world should see more of this stuff. Through Not About Sports, I was able to dive into that with him and lean into the human interest angle of who are you outside of the sport we’ve known you for and the sports media landscape of which you now exist. It was really special because i was glad to share with my audience and fan base and supporters a little bit more of who Ak is.

They are really great guys. Over the years it has been a real honor working alongside them and getting to know them. Matt is a dad now. He is happily married with a beautiful newborn. It’s wild to think how some things stay the same in the best way. Our dynamic is stronger together, the chemistry is there, the Ninjas. Then some things are completely different. Time is definitely flying by, but I’m honored to know six, seven, eight years…it is still a big part of my life. I feel so much a part of the community and Ninja family. They have really welcomed me with open arms. I feel very grateful to know that we’re all still going strong. Here is to manifest more seasons. 

Any bucket list guest you want to have on your Not About Sports show? 

We just had a really great episode with Allyson Felix. I think the most decorated track and field female Olympian of all-time. She has so many stats it’s hard to recall them all. She is incredible. She is an all-star athlete, a wife, mother, business owner and a baker apparently. So, we’re baking a pound cake while we talk about her being attacked by bees in Africa and her crusade and advocacy for maternal health, what it’s like being a mother while also juggling her businesses, marriage, and her new pursuit. She is coming back and hoping to get to LA in 2028, which is exciting. Being able to deep dive with her was really special. If it was bucket list, there are so many. Serena Williams is the GOAT. I would love to have her on an episode of Not About Sports for sure. Any woman in the world of sports and athletics is someone I’m especially passionate about. Simone Biles is another one. I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing her and Serena through the years at Access Hollywood, but to be able to sit down with them one-on-one specifically. I’m so curious to know how that commitment to excellence shows up in other areas of their lives, the more intimate areas of their life, their personal endeavors and relationships. Right now, Simone and Serena are two I have my fingers crossed for sure. 

Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen – Season 23

WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE WITH ANDY COHEN — Episode 23099 — Pictured: Zuri Hall — (Photo by: Charles Sykes/Bravo)

When it comes to Access Hollywood, what are you going to remember most about that experience as the show ends after 30 seasons? 

It’s the end of an era. What I’ll remember most is that feeling of family. That sounds a little bit corny, but it’s true. It’s a blessing to be able to wake up and look forward to seeing the people you work with, looking forward to hanging out, laughing with your co-hosts who you genuinely care about and consider friends. That’s not always the case in this industry. So to be able to say I genuinely made friends with people who I admire, respect, and look forward to continuing friendships with after the show goes away, that really means something. I am especially proud of the work we did, especially in the earlier years at Access Hollywood when I was also the host of our companion show All Access. The partnership we had with the Black and Missing Foundation was something I’ll remember. We were spotlighting cold cases to shine a light on the cases of missing people of color. Sometimes people may have been like, “How did this fit into the Access Hollywood world or bubble?” I thought it was so incredible that they made it work and found it made sense. 

What the Black and Missing Foundation has been doing is so important so that is a career highlight for me when it comes to Access Hollywood and what I’ll always cherish. Overall, it’s just I’ll look fondly on this chapter of legacy media and entertainment news and the genre as we’ve known it for the last 25 to 30 years. We know the world around us is changing. We know the media is changing. I am embracing the changes. Things like Not About Sports is part of embracing, diving head first into the now. I’ll always cherish having been a part of a legacy media entity that so many people relied on, took joy in, and watched for three decades to get their entertainment news fix, pop culture fix, to learn about what was going on in the world of celebrity. It has been an honor of my career and certainly bittersweet.. I’ll be sad to see it go, but I’m thankful we went this long because not everyone can say that. It has been a good run. 

Access Hollywood – Season 30

ACCESS HOLLYWOOD — Season 30 — Pictured: Zuri Hall — (Photo by: Matt Sayles/NBC)

Who is your peak celebrity interview? 

I always love the live from E! red carpet specials. I look forward to those and hopefully more to come. I would say the really special ones I will always cherish tend to be the earlier years when everything was so new. When it was the first time I was interviewing Leonardo DiCaprio, and by the way I had food poisoning that day, and I was really hoping I didn’t throw up in his face. He was doing promo for The Revenant actually and ended up winning the Oscar. The first time I interviewed Oprah Winfrey. I was maybe 28 at best, newly in LA, and she was the OG. She was the queen. She was someone I have admired and continue to admire for everything she has built. Not just in daytime talk, but the empire and the way she shows up and leads with empathy, curiosity and presence in her interviews. It was like, “Oh my gosh, I’m about to interview the queen of the interview.” You don’t want to get it wrong. She couldn’t have been more gracious or more kind. I look back on that fondly. It takes me back to a time when I was a little more green, junior. I appreciate those feelings and newness. 

There was a junket with Denzel Washington and we teared up together sharing our love for our fathers. That was a moment I cherished. It was also a moment that reminded me of what I always try to remember. It was an example of the humanity of the people we are interviewing. It’s so easy to be like they are celebrities and stars and put them on a pedestal. Or sometimes the world puts them in a box or puts too much on them and expects too much from them. Then you have a heart to heart with a guy where it’s not Denzel Washington the superstar. It’s a guy who loves his dad and tears up with fondness from memories and thoughts of him. I’m right there as a girl who loves her dad with appreciation for the fact that I still have him in my life. We’re just bonding over real and human things. This job has given me the gift of really human moments with some of the greatest creatives of our time. I cherish those moments. 

Matt Iseman & Akbar Gbajabiamila on ‘American Ninja Warrior’ Season 18 Changes

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Matt Iseman & Akbar Gbajabiamila on ‘American Ninja Warrior’ Season 18 Changes

You have turned heads yourself at the Met Gala and Golden Globes for example. What’s it like for you to also be recognized for your own fashion and looks as much as the celebrities you’re interviewing on the red carpet?

I love fashion. My stylist Roberto [Cardenaz] is incredible. We have been working together for years creating these looks and figuring out ways to push the envelope in a way that is true to my style, but also giving people something that is a little bit unexpected for me. Basically, being different from the last thing people saw. It is one of my favorite parts of those big award shows. We put so much work on the production, the pre-production, the questions, hours and hours of research and prep, meetings with producers. So, the fashion and glam is really the fun icing on top. I have a lot of fun with it. I enjoy it. I remember the one time I ended up in the hero shot for Vanity Fair for an award show, I think the Golden Globes. I about passed out. Like how did I end up in the hero shot with the nominees? This is a win for me. I’ll take it. Those things still excite me. I still get giddy. I still can’t believe I walked the Oscars red carpet, let alone anyone cared enough to post a photo of me or add me to a fashion rundown. I love it. There is apart of me that really enjoys the glam and being a girl and playing dress up at the intersection of a job I take very seriously. 

Plus, Akbar and Matt have to step up their fashion because of you. 

I know! They have to bring their A game with fashion because I will lovingly troll them with no shame if they let me down in the fashion department. They’ve been stepping it up. Akbar’s personal style has evolved over the years. We just did our press run in New York and he was the breakout star with the fashion game on the Today show. I’m very impressed with the style game the fellas are bringing. 

American Ninja Warrior, Mondays, 9/8c, NBC

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