Nickelodeon Hosts Mike O'Malley and Kirk Fogg Confirm They Completed the Challenges on Their Shows

Mar. 15, 2025

Mike O’Malley and Kirk Fogg.Photo:Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon hostsMike O’MalleyandKirk Foggwere masters at their own games — with slight advantages.Speaking about their respective throwback gameshowsNickelodeon GutsandLegends of the Hidden Templeat 90s Con in Daytona Beach, Fla, on Friday, Sept. 13, O’Malley and Fogg both said they personally took on the climactic challenges that the tween-aged contestants famously faced at the end of each competition episode.For O’Malley, 57, that came in the form of climbingGuts' mountain Aggro Crag. Contestants had to complete the challenge largely in the dark as different elements were thrown at them on their way to the top.“That being said, I did not go through it with all of the effects,” said theEmmynominee. “The kids had the goggles on … and [the effects] guys were jokers, chucking Styrofoam boulders.““They had to perform with nuclear flying crystals - you can only imagine how toxic that was,” O’Malley joked. “For the kids in the dark, with googles on, mist, smoke, confetti. I didn’t do it like that. … We did ask a lot of [the contestants]. You can imagine how much, as an adult, you lose your focus.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.Nickelodeon Guts(L);Legend of the Hidden Temple.NickelodeonIn Fogg’s case, he had to run the entire temple that kids had to complete in 3 minutes or less to win the grand prize, facing dead ends, locked guards, dreaded temple guards and more.The host, 64, did a run-through of his own during the show’s first season in 1993, however, “all the doors were open,” Fogg admitted.“You had to watch your head,” he continued, pointing out he was a bit taller than the average 12-year-old. “I did wear a helmet. I wanted to make sure every season I could get in and out in 3 minutes, and I did.“The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!Mike O’Malley and Kirk Fogg at 90s Con in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Sept. 13, 2024.Jen Juneau HauptDiscussing their own series and other similar Nickelodeon competition-show programming likeNick Arcade, Get the PictureandDouble Dare, O’Malley said kids of the ’90s were “watching because they imagined themselves” in the shoes of the contestants.“The whole thing aboutGutswas like, ‘What would it be like if I could dunk a basketball?’, when you’re a kid [and] you’re pretending to be [Michael Jordan]. So that’s what the show was about.“Continued theGleealum, “Kids have a different experience laughing and having fun when their parents aren’t around. It’s just facts. It’s just very hard as a parent not to be parenting them at every moment.“90s Con Florida is occurring through Sunday, Sept. 15, at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Nickelodeon hostsMike O’MalleyandKirk Foggwere masters at their own games — with slight advantages.

Speaking about their respective throwback gameshowsNickelodeon GutsandLegends of the Hidden Templeat 90s Con in Daytona Beach, Fla, on Friday, Sept. 13, O’Malley and Fogg both said they personally took on the climactic challenges that the tween-aged contestants famously faced at the end of each competition episode.

For O’Malley, 57, that came in the form of climbingGuts' mountain Aggro Crag. Contestants had to complete the challenge largely in the dark as different elements were thrown at them on their way to the top.

“That being said, I did not go through it with all of the effects,” said theEmmynominee. “The kids had the goggles on … and [the effects] guys were jokers, chucking Styrofoam boulders.”

“They had to perform with nuclear flying crystals - you can only imagine how toxic that was,” O’Malley joked. “For the kids in the dark, with googles on, mist, smoke, confetti. I didn’t do it like that. … We did ask a lot of [the contestants]. You can imagine how much, as an adult, you lose your focus.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

Nickelodeon Guts(L);Legend of the Hidden Temple.Nickelodeon

In Fogg’s case, he had to run the entire temple that kids had to complete in 3 minutes or less to win the grand prize, facing dead ends, locked guards, dreaded temple guards and more.

The host, 64, did a run-through of his own during the show’s first season in 1993, however, “all the doors were open,” Fogg admitted.

“You had to watch your head,” he continued, pointing out he was a bit taller than the average 12-year-old. “I did wear a helmet. I wanted to make sure every season I could get in and out in 3 minutes, and I did.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Mike O’Malley and Kirk Fogg at 90s Con in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Sept. 13, 2024.Jen Juneau Haupt

Jen Juneau Haupt

Discussing their own series and other similar Nickelodeon competition-show programming likeNick Arcade, Get the PictureandDouble Dare, O’Malley said kids of the ’90s were “watching because they imagined themselves” in the shoes of the contestants.

“The whole thing aboutGutswas like, ‘What would it be like if I could dunk a basketball?’, when you’re a kid [and] you’re pretending to be [Michael Jordan]. So that’s what the show was about.”

Continued theGleealum, “Kids have a different experience laughing and having fun when their parents aren’t around. It’s just facts. It’s just very hard as a parent not to be parenting them at every moment.”

90s Con Florida is occurring through Sunday, Sept. 15, at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Fla.

source: people.com