As his “On Par” podcast and memes go viral on social media, Maury Povich speaks to USA TODAY about his accomplishments and future.
Maury Povich talks about fame, hugging 50 Cent, and dreams of guests like Jay-Z
Maury Povich shared a surprise hug from 50 Cent and named Jay-Z as his dream podcast guest.
NEW YORK — Maury Povich is getting chills.
Povich doesn’t consider himself a celebrity, even though he’s a star in his own right and a talk show icon to generations of daytime TV viewers. But since starting his podcast, On Par, in 2025, he’s realized just how much the show (and the man named Maury) has influenced Maury.
“What surprised me most was that so many people knew me. I had no idea that,” Povich, 86, told USA TODAY. “I interviewed hip-hop artists and the next thing I knew was in their lyrics. I interviewed actors who were watching the show and athletes who were watching the show in the clubhouse but wouldn’t come to practice until they knew who their father was.”
That day, Povich pinched himself when he unexpectedly bumped into a fan, hip-hop mogul 50 Cent.
“I was walking down the aisle and all of a sudden this guy tried to hug me really hard, and it was 50 Cent, so I thought, ‘Are you kidding me?'” Povich says. “I couldn’t believe that my name and personality would spread this far.”
After a chance encounter at a taping of Sherri Shepherd’s daytime talk show, Povich has added the multihyphenate to his list of must-have guests on his podcast (in addition to wishlist stars like Jay-Z and Shaquille O’Neal, perhaps reaching the stars is a joint interview with Cardi B and Nicki Minaj to “settle differences”).
On Par, which began its second season in early December, gave Povich a chance to talk about herself, something the longtime talk show host was never allowed to do. Although he is “known,” most fans don’t get to see the real him. Conversations with celebrity guests, from William H. Macy and Today show host Craig Melvin to NBA All-Star Andre Drummond, opened the door.
“I’ve been in this industry for 60 years and this is the first time I’ve been able to talk about myself. I’ve never been able to do that before,” Povich said. “Podcasts allow you to talk about things and experiences you have had and compare them to the experiences of your guests.”
Maury Povich calls Connie Chung his ‘go-to personality’
His wife of 40 years, veteran newswoman Connie Chung, was the podcast’s first guest. However, Povich interviewed her somewhat reluctantly.
“I didn’t want her to wear it, but it was overruled,” he says. His reasoning? “Because you never know what she’s going to say. That’s how we’ve lived for 41 years. I’m completely surprised because you never know what she’s going to do or say.”
“No one had ever heard of podcasting,” said Povich, who started his career early in his career as a TV journalist covering local news across the country before founding the tabloid news magazine A Current Affair, which became Morley.
“I started out in the world of journalism and news. So my wife said, ‘No one knows what you did for 25 years before you started identifying the father of every child in the country. So why not go back and show people your talent and be able to interview people from all the facts of life?’ Her main advice was, ‘Don’t make fun of me,’ he says.
There’s a lot in tough love love Love for the two newsmakers, who married in 1984.
“She has been my go-to person all these years. I always thought of myself as Mr. Chong, and I still do,” he says. “She was a big star long before I was, but I don’t care.”
Morley’s meme, the enduring legacy of the podcast show
The next phase of his career saw Povich become something of a social media star, joining viral trends on TikTok and gaining new fans with his “Maury” clip, which found original viewers still screaming, “You’re not the father!” Even trending audio moments on talk shows.
“I’ve always believed that I’m just an extension of my audience, and if I get the chance, I’m going to ask them the same questions,” he says. “I really despised egos. For example, I’ve worked with people with big egos and seen it work over and over again. My wife and I like to call it ‘big egoism,’ and we’ve stayed away from that all our lives.”
It’s all about quality, Povich says.
“Throughout my life, the main theme has been to be a storyteller,” Povich says. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Creative Arts & Lifestyle Awards in 2023.
His storytelling began with the dramatic flair of daytime television during the “Maurey Povich Show” era, which ran from 1991 to 2022.
Beyond “the fact that I’m the longest-serving daytime talk show host in history,” Povich said, “one of the great things about this show” is that “there was no one better at DNA testing and lie detector tests.”
“A lot of people have tried, but I don’t think any program has done it better than us,” he says.
He recalls such shocks as when he discovered that his pregnant guest’s twins were from different fathers. However, he reunites with the mother of his children, gets married, has more children, and misses his father, who was with him for a long time.
Povich recalled “criticism from media critics” who said he “exploited” the show’s guests. “I’ve always said, ‘I don’t think we’re exploiting our guests.’ So I’m trying to prove to a man who denies he’s the father of this child, and I’m the father, because that child is more likely to live his life with two parents than one.
“And I’m truly grateful for what I did. I believe that to be true. And because I’ve been on the air so long, I was able to bring these families back 20 years later. And I was able to see that this man was actually involved in a child’s life.”
Povich’s barometer of success has evolved over time. Now, “I’m upright, I can walk around, I can play golf, and I can still think on two legs.”
But he remembers a time before fame. “I started working as an assistant TV and radio producer for the Washington Senators’ baseball station when I was 16 years old,” he says. “Then I got into the industry after college and said, ‘Look, if I can stay in this industry until I’m 50, I’ll consider myself successful.'” “And that was 35 years that I went on. Now, 36 years later, I’m still trying to deal with this issue.”
