Steve Harvey has opened up on why he quit stand-up comedy more than a decade ago. The Family Feud host, now 68, said he left the stage because of the rise of cancel culture and the toll performing would have taken on his family life.
Speaking on The Pivot Podcast, Harvey explained that stand-up had become harder in today’s climate, where one wrong joke could spark backlash. He noted that he often has jokes in mind even while hosting Family Feud, but he holds back because of restrictions on what can be said publicly.
Harvey revealed that he stepped away around 2012, at the height of his career, when he already had several shows, a large body of work, and steady income. “If I kept touring on weekends, I wouldn’t even have a family,” the father of seven admitted. He said the shift in the entertainment world made him realize it was time to let go.
The comedian stressed that “change is inevitable” and that his decision was about adapting to the times. “Comedy is too hard to do right now,” he added, pointing to cancel culture’s effect on entertainers. Harvey’s final stand-up performance was at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in August 2012, a two-hour show broadcast live on pay-per-view.
