The wait is over! After a year-long hiatus, Netflix has finally confirmed Season 2 of The Mole. Technically, this is the show’s seventh season, but Season 2 if you’re only counting the Netflix version. Not only are we getting an all-new season, but we’re also getting an all-new host, Ari Shapiro!
New season, new host
For those of us who spend way too much time in the car listening to NPR, you’ll recognize Ari’s name but probably not his face. He’s one of the hosts of the NPR show All Things Considered, but this is his first time stepping into the reality TV world. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he spoke about what fans can expect from Season 7 of The Mole and his surprising history with the show.
Ari is continuing in the tradition of The Mole by bringing a celebrated journalist into the host spot, but he’s also a superfan of the show. He highlighted the teamwork, puzzles, and the fact that the show isn’t “unnecessarily cruel” to its competitors. Back in the early 2000s, he actually auditioned to be a part of The Mole Season 2 when it was on ABC and hosted by Anderson Cooper.
Sadly, Ari didn’t get a callback when he auditioned to be a contestant all of those years ago. But, fast forward two decades later, and he’s hosting the whole damn thing for Netflix. That’s pretty iconic.
When teasing what to expect from Season 2, Ari said that each episode felt like a “blockbuster movie,” with a tremendous amount of thought put into each mission. Plus, he described the 12-person cast as incredibly diverse with a range of “ages, body types, backgrounds.” He also teased that there was a familiar face in the cast.
“I was excited to see one member of the group who I recognized, and I’m not going to say anything more than that, but that was thrilling to have that person there,” Ari revealed.
Who could it be? Clearly, Ari has mastered the art of the tease because that little tidbit has the mind racing. We’ll stay tuned for updates as Netflix continues to gear up for the premiere.
Season 2 of The Mole premieres on Netflix on June 28.
TELL US – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON ARI SHAPIRO AS THE NEW HOST OF THE MOLE? DO YOU HAVE ANY THEORIES ON WHO THE RECOGNIZABLE CONTESTANT COULD BE?
