Local family goes on Family Feud

WEST VIRGINIA (WOAY) – A Beckley family appears on the ever-popular game show, Family Feud on Oct. 7.

The Dawson family competes against the Tucker family in a game that could win them $20,000. Jesse Thomas is part of the five-member Dawson family on the episode.

“The experience was once-in-a-lifetime, that’s all you can say, Steve Harvey is such a huge personality,” says Thomas.

The Dawson Family is made up of matriarch Kim, who is in first position, then next to her is her son Jason, then his wife Charli, Kim’s daughter Jesse, and on the end is her husband, James.

“Everybody had their moments to shine and each of us had our moments of where we said ‘why did we answer that?'”

The Dawsons auditioned for the show in Charleston long before the pandemic. Thousands of families playing one round of the game for producers and producers looking for the standouts, those overly excited and definitely not shy.

“When you go into these auditions, they are looking for people who are not shy and not one of us is shy, none of us has never been shy.”

The taping was originally to be done in Hollywood but after a long period of waiting due to the pandemic, the Dawsons got the call and flew to Atlanta to film the show.

“You watch game shows your whole life and you’re like how do they do that? And so, we got to do that, we got to go and play the game show live and in-person, and laugh with Steve Harvey for two days straight, it was just a great experience,” Jesse says.

The actual taping of the Dawsons episode took over 90 minutes. Producers have to find the best of the best and chop out the rest. The episode can only be 22 minutes long.

The Dawsons did win their episode, with Jesse even competing in fast money.

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