Originally from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, Ben Hughes is the official handler of Punxsutawney Phil, the ground hog. He is funny and lovable, yet his age seems to trouble him lately, and is seen as experiencing a midlife crisis. Ben has a master’s degree in human resources and is described as modest, cheerful, and quirky.
Ben Hughes is a contestant in the ABC reality show I Survived a Japanese Game Show, which takes 10 contestants, a majority of whom have not even stepped out of American soil, to Japan where they would be filmed while doing some crazy stunts in a game show setting. Some of the hilarious stunts in I Survived a Japanese Game Show include trying to reach a food while it sits atop the head of a partner running on a treadmill.