Catfish: The TV Show

Did You Know?

• In early January 2024, the show was renewed for a ninth season, which premiered on April 30, 2024, and Max Joseph returned to host an episode.
• Executive producer Tom Forman stated the show includes love stories where people are exactly who they say they are, not just tales of deception.

Premise

Each episode follows a "hopeful" who seeks to uncover the true identity of an online romantic partner, often called a "catfish. The term originated from the 2010 documentary Catfish, where filmmaker Schulman discovered his online love interest had misrepresented herself; it now refers to someone who uses another person's photos and false details to deceive others online. They travel to the hopeful's home, conduct online research, and arrange a meeting with the other party, whether legitimate or a catfish. During the COVID-19 pandemic, meetings occurred via Zoom. Some couples have communicated for months, others for years. Schulman has stated the show is not solely about exposing deception. According to 2014 reports, the catfish typically contacts MTV first; producers then gather information and contact the hopeful. All participants sign contracts agreeing to appear on camera. In one episode, the catfish changed their mind and appeared only via Skype. The hosts receive no information about the catfish beforehand, and while the catfish agrees to appear, they do not know when or how the hosts will search for them.

Presenters

For the first seven seasons, Nev Schulman and Max Joseph hosted the series. Joseph left in 2018 to pursue directing, and his final episode aired on August 22, 2018. For the remaining seventh-season episodes in 2019, guest hosts included Elle King, Selita Ebanks, Nick Young, Kimiko Glenn, Slick Woods, Tallulah Willis, Machine Gun Kelly, and Kamie Crawford. Crawford later became the permanent co-host alongside Schulman for season eight.

Series overview

Two spin-offs have been produced. Catfish: Trolls, hosted by Charlamagne tha God, aired three episodes in 2018, featuring online personalities confronting their harassers. Ghosted: Love Gone Missing, hosted by Rachel Lindsay and Travis Mills, focuses on people seeking former friends or partners after being ghosted. In 2020, MTV and Wondery launched Catfish: The Podcast, with its first episode released on November 26, 2020.

International versions

In January 2016, MTV cast for a British version through ads targeting catfish, but the project was cancelled; Schulman expressed interest in a pan-European version. Network 10 cancelled its Australian version in August 2019, which was to be hosted by Casey Donovan. In January 2024, Catfish UK host Oobah Butler announced the show was not renewed for a fourth season.