Who hosted the original 2001 season of the reality show 'The Mole'?

Who hosted the original 2001 season of the reality show 'The Mole'? Anderson Cooper did. The ABC series premiered on January 9, 2001, with Cooper serving as its first presenter.

Before becoming widely known as a CNN anchor, Cooper was a news correspondent and journalist. His serious, observant on-camera style gave the early American version of The Mole a distinctive tone. The series placed ten civilian contestants in missions designed to build a shared prize fund, while one hidden contestant—the Mole—secretly sabotaged their efforts.

The contestants were not eliminated through ordinary audience voting. Instead, they periodically answered quizzes about the Mole’s identity, and the player with the weakest performance was “executed,” or removed from the game. The first season traveled through France, Monaco, and Spain, and concluded with Kathryn Price winning the competition.

Cooper hosted only the first two civilian seasons. Ahmad Rashad took over for the celebrity-themed third season, followed later by Jon Kelley. Netflix’s revival used different hosts, including Alex Wagner and Ari Shapiro, which is why Cooper is specifically associated with the original 2001 run.