'Hot Ones' host Sean Evans unpacks his spicy approach to celebrity interviews

Sean Evans, host of "Hot Ones," sat down with ABC News to discuss his fiery celebrity interviews, the upcoming 24th season and his aspiration to revolutionize the world of talk shows with a potential Emmy nomination.

Evans, the host who has made a name for himself by eating spicy wings and interviewing a diverse range of entertainment giants, has been the driving force behind 'Hot Ones' since its premiere in 2015. The show has welcomed a multitude of major stars, from Idris Elba to Billie Eilish and Jack Black, making it a platform for all kinds of talent.

The YouTube channel where Hot Ones premieres is called First We Feast. Its most-watched video has over 13 million subscribers and 126 million views from a "Hot Ones" episode featuring Gordon Ramsay.

Evans talked about his show and wanting prestigious awards shows to give some recognition to online creators.

ABC NEWS: Our next guest has made a career out of the suffering of some of our favorite celebrities, including Conan O'Brien, Serena Williams and Billie Eilish, just to name a few. Putting them through a gantlet of progressively spicy chicken wings while answering some heated questions. And soon Sabrina Carpenter will also take on the so-called Wings of Death challenge. Let's take a look.

ABC NEWS: Their reactions are priceless. Sean Evans, host of "Hot Ones," is here for a spicy discussion about the latest season of the show. Welcome, Sean.

SEAN: Thanks so much for having me.

ABC NEWS: Where are the wings? I thought I was going to be testing, you know taste testing.

SEAN:  I put on this nice suit for you out of respect for the institution Linsey. You know, I didn't want to mess it up. But I see you have the sauce.

ABC NEWS: Yes we have the sauce. That's the important thing. All right, so how do you do it? Sit there, cool as a cucumber while guests are crying their eyes out.

SEAN: Yeah, well, as you know, when you're hosting a show and you're playing point guard on a production, you know, you have a lot of plates spinning. You have to create this rhythm, create this chemistry, the sense of trust with someone that you're meeting for the very first time.

So I think a lot of that keeps my mind off of the general discomfort that I have eating the wings. But also I've done it now for almost ten years and eaten over 3,000 chicken wings for the internet's amusement. So I guess I've grown to develop a familiarity with the pain.

ABC NEWS: So I guess you're not ever ordering chicken wings out at a restaurant?

SEAN: No. When I'm off the clock, these are dead to me and never again after this. But it is kind of a telltale heart that's always following me. You know, I go out to dinner and invariably, at some point, there's something coming back out from the kitchen, always wings. So it's always chasing me.

ABC NEWS: How have you been able to get these A-list guests to come on this diabolically spicy show?

SEAN: Yeah, well, I think in large part it's thanks to the audience, you know, it's a big platform. If you have a movie that's coming out, if you have an album that's coming out, if you have a book that you want to sell, it's a good show to come out and talk about it.

And I do think it's a naturally humanizing thing. You know, celebrity is this thing that, by definition, is an unattainable lifestyle. But we all know what it's like to die on hot sauce. I think it takes the person off that pedestal and kind of creates a humanizing experience.

ABC NEWS: Who's been able to really handle it? Where you said, 'You're tough'?

SEAN: Well, it happens every once in a while. I would say once a season there's someone who comes in there and just handles it better than me. Halle Berry stands out in my memory. She said, 'I'm here to eat dinner, Sean.' That's what she said to me. And then we have another one, coming up later on this season that also blew me away. So once a season, I'm, I'm stunned by someone who's a guest.

ABC NEWS: A number of people have really marveled over your questions and the research that goes into it. So what's the the secret sauce, if you will?

SEAN: Well, I think it's just being motivated by the fact that I have to keep this guest engaged in this show, you know what I mean? So I think it was kind of a lazy interview, it would be harder to say, 'All right. Linsey, so the next wing is the bomb beyond insanity. Go ahead and take a bite.'

You know, we have them jumping through hoops. I think it's only fair that we meet them halfway. And that just comes from a place of just trying to respect the guest as much as possible and respect the audience and their time as much as possible, as well.

ABC NEWS: So from 2015, you start this online and now you might be up for a Primetime Emmy. What does it mean for you to get that kind of recognition?

SEAN: Well, I think it's validating to the hard work that we've done. You know, as silly as this show is on paper, we do take it very seriously. And I think that if, you know, you look at its place in culture, if you look at the size of the audience, if you look at the guests that we've had on the show, I do think that it's worthy of comparison.

It's a fun and exciting time, but at the same time, the talent is crazy. So I'm not holding, you know, the highest hopes or expectations for this.

ABC NEWS: Just to get the nomination.

SEAN: It's it's an honor in itself.

ABC NEWS: Do you feel like it's it's beyond time that these prestigious award shows actually give some, some recognition to to those online creators?

SEAN: I do, I think you have to reflect the consumer behaviors of the way that audiences are changing. And also, you know, for the next generation of showrunners, of hosts, you know, like, where is it going to come from? You know, I think in a lot of ways these will come from YouTube, will come from nontraditional platforms. So if it's not this year, at some point it needs to be reexamined. But I'm happy that, you know, "Hot Ones" is at least banging on the door a little bit.

ABC NEWS: Well, I hope the next time you'll bang on our door with some wings. I'd love to try just one, probably not the hottest.

SEAN: Lesson learned, Linsey, I am coming back with wings, I promise you.

ABC NEWS: Sean Evans, thank you so much for coming on the show. Next time got to bring some hot wings here. And want to let our viewers know new episodes of "Hot Ones" Season 24 airs Thursdays 11 a.m. eastern on the First We Feast YouTube channel.