When It Came Time to Finding the Host for 'Barmageddon' the Obvious Choice Was Nikki Bella

The Gist:

• Barmageddon is a game show that pits celebrities against each other via wacky drinking games.
• The show was created by Blake Shelton and Carson Daly in the hopes of bringing more fun into the world.
• They only wanted one person to host and that was WWE star Nikki Bella.

I'm pretty sure going somewhere for a week after you graduate high school is pretty standard for a lot of kids in America. I'm from Maryland and at my school, seniors always headed to Ocean City for what we called beach week. We're not getting points for originality here as we literally spent seven days by the ocean. It was at beach week in 1998 that I discovered I was pretty good at bonging beers.

Maryland's Ocean City, not to be confused with New Jersey's, is equal parts trashy and delightfully gross. Stores along the boardwalk sold beer bongs with the same two stickers on their sides. One read "Who's bad?" and the other "Party time." Back then, drinking games consisted of beer pong or various card games. It's nothing like Barmageddon, a wild game show that turns drinking games into a sport. And who better to host such a wild ride than a former athlete?

On Barmageddon, you'll encounter unhinged alcohol-fueled matches with names like Drunken Axe-hole, Split Happens, and Horn Stars. These aren't your dad's fraternity's drinking games. There is a bit more skill involved, and definitely more wordplay. Since this show has the potential to end in someone throwing up, it makes sense that it should be hosted by someone who is used to throwing people around.

Former WWE star Nikki Bella, who now goes by Nikki Garcia, was the only person everyone involved wanted as host. The show was created by singer and former The Voice judge Blake Shelton with his good friend Carson Daly, of Total Request Live fame. While chatting with each other and E! News about the joy of Barmageddon, Carson and Blake said their goal was to just give the world a good time. Choosing Nikki to lead the drunken charge was all part of the very fun plan.

"You're so great in it," said Carson to Nikki. During the initial phone call about hosting the show, the three of them talked about their lives. After hanging up, both Blake and Carson said, "Hire her." They both admitted that there really was no other option. "The show doesn't happen without Nikki Bella," Carson revealed. Nikki had everything they were looking for. She's a "great s--t talker and she's a bad a--."

In an interview with NBC 5 Chicago, Nikki talked about what it was like going from a Bella in the WWE to a Garcia on Barmageddon. Many people were confused by the name change, which was due to the fact that the WWE owns the Bella brand. This and turning 40 in November 2023 marked a new era in the host's life.

Regarding stepping into her Garcia shoes, Nikki said the journey has been amazing. "People have really embraced it," she said after some initial confusion because folks don't know the ins and outs of the business side of the entertainment industry. Nikki considers herself lucky because she got to make "history being Bella, and have that part of the chapters of her book and now she gets to have this new chapter."

On a less serious note, Nikki shared what her drink of choice is depending on the kind of evening she's having. If it's more casual, she's ordering an aperol spritz because it's "refreshing and I don't get too buzzed off it," she told NBC 5 Chicago. However, if she's getting into "Brie Mode," which is a nod to her sister, Nikki is throwing down spicy margaritas. Will we see Nikki go into Brie Mode on Barmageddon? We'll have to tune in to find out.

Barmageddon airs Mondays at 11:00 p.m. EST on USA.