Ross Mathews

Ross Mathews is an American television host and personality who initially gained national recognition as "Ross the Intern" while serving as a correspondent for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Over the course of his television career, he has appeared on numerous entertainment and reality programs, hosted his own interactive talk show, authored books, and served as a main judge and executive producer on major television productions.

Mathews was born on September 24, 1979, and was raised in Mount Vernon, Washington. He graduated from Mount Vernon High School before continuing his education at the University of La Verne in La Verne, California. During his college years, he majored in communications and actively competed in speech and debate competitions. He earned his degree and graduated from the university in 2002.

His television career began when he started working as an intern for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in December 2001, Mathews transitioned into a correspondent role for the show, covering high-profile events such as movie premieres, the Academy Awards, and two Winter Olympic Games. This visibility helped launch his career across various television networks and entertainment channels.

Following his early work on late-night television, Mathews contributed commentary to the E! network's 101... specials and appeared as a weekly panelist on Chelsea Lately. In April 2007, he appeared on the fifth season of VH1's Celebrity Fit Club, where he lost over 40 pounds (18 kg) and helped his team win the grand prize. He was a guest host on The View in July 2007 and later filled in for Ryan Seacrest alongside co-host Giuliana Rancic for E! Live From the Red Carpet coverage during the 2010 Emmy Awards as well as the 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and Academy Awards. From September 6, 2013, until May 16, 2014, Mathews hosted his own interactive talk show on E!, titled Hello Ross.

In 2015, Mathews joined the panel of judges for RuPaul’s Drag Race starting in Season 7. He began serving as an executive producer for the series in 2022, winning an Emmy Award in 2023 for Outstanding Reality Competition Program. Since late 2020, he has also co-hosted The Drew Barrymore Show alongside Drew Barrymore. In 2018, Mathews competed on the first American season of Celebrity Big Brother, finishing in second place to win $50,000 and earning an additional $25,000 after being voted America's Favorite Houseguest. He subsequently appeared in the show's second season as part of a Head of Household competition.

Beyond his broadcasting work, Mathews has authored three books: Man Up! Tales of My Delusional Self-Confidence in 2013, Name Drop: The Really Good Celebrity Stories I Usually Only Tell at Happy Hour in 2020, and Tío and Tío: The Ring Bearers in 2025, co-written with his husband, Dr. Wellinthon García-Mathews. In his personal life, Mathews is openly gay. He was in a relationship with stylist Salvador Camarena from 2008 to 2018. He announced his engagement to Long Island educational administrator Wellinthon García in February 2021, and they married on May 7, 2022, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.