Eyal Booker, British media personality, host, and reality TV alum (“Love Island”), chatted about his latest endeavors, which including hosting “Hot Goss” on E! with Lonnie Marts.
The late but great western actor John Wayne once said: “Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday.” This quote applies to Eyal Booker, a native of London.
“I was born and raised in London, I grew up there and I built my career there, but I started coming to Los Angeles in 2018, and then I moved there in 2021,” he said.
Experience hosting ‘Hot Goss’
On his experience hosting the show ‘Hot Goss,” Booker remarked, “It has been great. It has been such a cool evolution of the show. Ever since we started, it has become a really cool journey.”
“Originally, it was Lonnie Marts and myself just in the sauna, chatting it up as two guys, trying to understand the world of entertainment, reality, and gossip,” he noted.
“It has been such a cool evolution by having all these guests on that are really keen to be interviewed by us where they talk about their experiences, either on the projects that they’re working on or what has happened in their lives,” he elaborated.
“So, to see the show evolve and to see our sauna get bigger has been really cool,” he added.
Lessons learned from this show
On the lessons learned from hosting this show, Booker reflected, “I think it taught me that I can retain a lot of short-term information.”
“Typically, I’m learning a lot about other people,” he admitted. “I think that when you bring people into a fun environment, where they feel like they’re able to be themselves, you are really able to get the best out of these people.”
“Although the show is really lighthearted, there are some really beautiful and raw moments of vulnerability and truth that allow people to really start to understand what it’s like to live a life in entertainment,” he explained.
“Also, the show explores the journey within that and what all these different projects that people work on… how nuanced they are and all the things that they come with,” they added.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, he stated, “It feels great! I am 30 and I grew up in the not-so-digital age. For the whole of my adult life, the digital age has been quite prominent, ever-growing, expanding, and building.”
“I think to be at the forefront of that with E!, which is a network that I grew up watching, and now to be a part of the E! brand and to represent them is really cool,” he noted.
“To do it online and in the digital age just means we have more people that have the potential to see what we’re putting out, and it generates more traffic and there’s more discussions around it online,” he elaborated.
“I think when the digital age is used correctly, it’s really powerful to access more people,” he added.
Plans for the future
Regarding his future plans, he shared, “To continue to evolve in the entertainment world. Hosting is really something I love, and I want to continue to build the ‘Hot Goss’ show.”
“A goal of mine is to become the first male host of ‘Love Island USA’ in some capacity. I come from that world, and that gave me such a start in my career,” he attested.
“That to be able to go back ten years and be a part of the franchise as a host that can bring so much experience from my contester days. That would be really cool,” he admitted.
Branching out in the lifestyle digital space
Booker wants to branch out more in the lifestyle digital space. “I have a hair care brand called Wavy, and the goal is to really continue to build that and to grow it in the United States,” he said.
“We’re a men’s textured hair care brand, and we try to help guys stay true to their texture and really step into their confidence,” he noted.
Booker on wanting to build a life in the U.S. and to start a family
“Also, I want to continue to build my life in the United States as well as to fall in love and find a beautiful wife. Then, we can have some nice babies and be happy and healthy. That’s the goal in life,” he elaborated.
Career-defining moments
On his career-defining moments, he said, “I think I’ve always said that I’ve lived many lives. I’m 30 years old, and I got into the entertainment industry when I was 16.”
“I left school and I joined a pop band. There have been such pivotal moments that I think everything has helped define me. Then I became a model, and I transitioned from modeling into reality TV,” he elaborated.
“Then, I went on ‘Love Island,’ and when I came off the show, the entertainment industry in the UK seemed to really engage with me,” he said.
“I moved on to various different TV shows and I’ve built a social media following. I also launched a hair care brand. All of these moments have been really defining in my life and my career,” he elaborated.
“I think a lot of the time I don’t really reflect on those moments because everything is always moving forward,” he admitted. “I think every decision is made to do something new, and step outside of my comfort zone.”
Living on the other side of fear has been a defining moment in what has opened up the next opportunity,” he added.
Hosting ‘Influenced’ on Amazon Prime Video
Thanks to the commercial success of “Love Island Games” back in 2023, Booker got a call to host the show “Influenced” for Amazon Prime Video.
“That was a major defining moment for me and my career because I had always wanted to host for a long time,” he said.
“That was a turning point from where I went from a reality star or contestant to a respected TV host, and looking back, that was very cool,” he admitted.
“I think that over the past few years, there have been many real defining moments in my career,” he added.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Booker revealed, “The Renaissance.”
“I turned 30,” he said. “I’m at a different age in my life. I’ve experienced so much in my 20s. I’m more sure of who I am as a person. I’m more confident in my decisions, and the things that I’m working on.”
“Now, I am lot more selective about the things that I’m choosing, and how I’m spending my time,” he noted.
“Wavy is a huge focus of mine, as well as hosting and entertainment. I want to allow people to feel things and connecting with people is another big focus of mine,” he added.
Superpower of choice
If he were to have a superpower, it would be “to give everyone the confidence to go and do the things that they really want to do and be the people that they really want to be.”
“It’s a tough world, and people’s confidences get knocked a lot. I truly believe everything we want is on the other side of fear,” he acknowledged.
“If we can encourage people to go and do more of the things that they truly want to do, then the world would be a much happier and a more fulfilled place,” he added.
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, Booker said, “Success, to me, means to be fulfilled, as well as to have purpose and to be healthy.”
“Also, to able to support myself and the people around me (that I care about), and to have a positive impact on people’s lives,” he added.
Message for the fans
For the fans, he expressed, “Thank you for all the support over the years, and for sticking with me this far and for the unwavering loyalty.”
“Thanks for the love, support the genuine encouragement, and for trusting me. I’ve always had a lot of loyalty for the people that support me. I think I’ve also shown them the real me, and I am very grateful for that,” he explained.
Closing thoughts on the show
Booker remarked, “I want to continue to evolve my hosting abilities. Every interview is different. We are in a sauna with all these guests from all different walks of life, and all different parts of the entertainment industry.”
“My goal is to become a dynamic host where I’m able to learn. No interview is smooth sailing; there are always challenges and things come up. I just want to give people real entertainment. That’s the mission of the show,” he elaborated.
“I don’t want people to see a generic interview… I want them to see something that they haven’t seen before. If people can be entertained, or even take away perhaps a nugget of information, then my job is done,” Booker concluded.
To learn more about British media personality Eyal Booker, follow him on Instagram and TikTok.
