Carson Kressley

Carson Kressley, born November 11, 1969, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and raised in Orefield, demonstrated an early passion for equestrian events, competing from a young age. He was a member of the U.S. World Cup Saddle Seat equitation team in 1999, and one of his horses achieved a World Championship in 2009. After graduating from Northwestern Lehigh High School in 1987, Kressley earned a bachelor’s degree from Gettysburg College in 1991, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. His professional career began as an independent stylist, leading to a significant role at Ralph Lauren from 1994 to 2002, where he worked in menswear and corporate advertising. This foundational experience in fashion provided him with a strong understanding of style and design.

Kressley gained widespread recognition in 2003 as the fashion expert on Bravo’s “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” The show’s success earned him a Primetime Emmy Award in 2004 for Outstanding Reality Program. Following this, he became a motivational host for “How to Look Good Naked” on Lifetime, with its premiere episode in January 2008 drawing a record 1.6 million viewers, and hosted “Carson Nation” on the OWN Network, where he transformed lives in small U.S. towns. His television presence expanded to include appearances on “Good Morning America,” E! Network, and commentary roles for events like the Miss Universe pageant. Kressley has also been a contestant on various reality shows, including “Dancing with the Stars” (season 13, 2011), “The New Celebrity Apprentice” (2017), and “Celebrity Big Brother” (season 3, 2022), where he was named America’s Favorite HouseGuest.

Since 2015, Kressley has served as a regular judge on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” as well as its spin-offs “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” (beginning in 2016) and “RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race” (2020), contributing to multiple Emmy wins for Outstanding Reality Competition Program. In 2018, he collaborated with former “Queer Eye” colleague Thom Filicia on the Bravo interior design series “Get a Room with Carson & Thom.” Beyond television, Kressley is a New York Times best-selling author, with works such as “Off The Cuff” (2004) and “Does This Book Make My Butt Look Big?” (2016). He designed clothing lines, “Perfect” for QVC in 2006 and “Love, Carson” for Shop NBC in 2012. Kressley is also a dedicated philanthropist, supporting organizations such as The Trevor Project and the Human Rights Campaign, and serves on the board of The True Colors Fund, The American Saddlebred Museum, and Thomas Jefferson University.