Who is George Shea? Meet the legendary Nathan's Hot Dog Contest announcer known for his grand introductions

The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest has become synonymous with the Fourth of July and is one of the most popular sporting events on the holiday.

The rise of the hot dog contest was fueled by the early 2000s emergence of Takeru Kobayashi — the first eater to log 50-plus dogs eaten at the event. Once Joey Chestnut emerged as a worthy rival to Kobayashi,  the contest became a must-watch event for many.

But while Kobayashi and Chestnut each have faded from the spotlight in recent years, one member of the event has remained the same. That would be its emcee, George Shea.

Shea has long been associated with competitive eating and, perhaps, deserves as much credit for making the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest the success it is today.

Here's what to know about Shea's career and how his insane eater introductions have stood the test of time at the hot dog contest.

MORE: Why Joey Chestnut is banned from hot dog eating contest due to contract with Impossible Foods

Who is George Shea?

George Shea is the announcer for the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Contest and the commissioner of Major League Eating (MLE). He is credited with turning the hot dog eating contest into a national phenomenon after MLE was just a fledgling idea in the 1990s.

"There was no business plan," Shea said of MLE, per Time Magazine . "You know what was in my mind? I thought it was funny and absurd, and I love things that are absurd. So we always treated it as a sport, called it a sport, called them athletes."

How did Shea do it? Joey Chestnut credited Shea with "convincing the audience these guys are athletes." Shea's wife also has a background writing for soap operas and WWE, which helped inspire his flair for the dramatic.

Shea's pageantry is seen every Fourth of July when he introduces the eaters with a bevy of heroic, hyperbolic speeches ahead of the Nathan's Hot Dog Contest competition.

MORE: Official rules of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, explained

George Shea introductions at hot dog contest

Shea explained that his process of crafting his script is meticulous, and he starts up with it as early as six weeks before the event.

"I have a script that literally covers everything, but I do not memorize the entire script, because it’s 20–30 pages," Shea told Morning Brew in 2023 . "I read it, read it, read it. And then I just do it on the day. It gives me direction, but the competitor introductions are more thought out. I begin writing the introductions about six weeks out. And lately, as I get older, and believe me, I am very old, I want to get it done earlier. I don’t want to be up the night before trying to remember an intro. It just seems silly."

Shea's rehearsals have paid off, as he often comes up with epic introductions for each competitor. The formula is simple. Keep the energy up, and don't be afraid to be hyperbolic — even if it is stretching the truth a bit.

For example, his 2016 introduction of Crazy Legs Conti captured the persona of the eater extraordinaire.

"He was buried alive under 60 cubic feet of popcorn, and he ate his way out to survival," Shea shouted . "And that is why we call him the David Blaine of the bowel, the Evel Knievel of the alimentary canal, the Houdini of Cuisini, Crazy Legs Conti!"

That's not as bizarre as Shea has gotten with his introductions. His entertaining — though demonstrably false — story about Tim "Eater X" Janus ahead of the 2013 contest still fills the minds of hot dog contest enthusiasts everywhere.

"He lost his arm to a Bengal tiger in a boyhood visit to the Atlanta zoo," Shea said as Janus came to the stage . "But his arm grew back. He can speak Neutrino, the language of the sun, and all day long he listens to the conversations in the sky."

Guess Shea wasn't kidding when he said he "loves things that are absurd." That explains why it seemed like the praise he heaped upon Joey Chestnut only continued to grow. Still, his monologue about Chestnut from 2018 is remains one for the ages.

In a world of nothing. Of barren hills and cracked earth and once-proud oceans drained to sand, there will still be a monument to our existence. Bleached by the sun, perhaps, and blunted by time, but everlasting. Because this man represents all that is eternal in the human experience. … Through the curtain of the aurora, a comet blazes to herald his arrival, and his victory shall be transcribed into every language known to history, including Klingon. The Bratwurst, and Pierogi, and Hooters Chicken Wing eating champion of the world, eight-time Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating champion of the world, the no. 1 eater in the world, I give you America itself, Joey Chestnut.

Shea will have to change up his candidate for praise in 2024 with Chestnut out for the competition. Surely, he will find a way to hype up the world's top eaters like Geoffrey Esper.

Or maybe Shea will go darker with his humor, which he had done in the past. Take his 2015 introduction of Yasir Salem, for instance.

"He will do whatever it takes to win," Shea said . "Three days ago he broke up with his girlfriend and euthanized his dog to leave a void of emptiness inside of him that he can fill today with hot dogs and buns."

Indeed, Shea keeps fans guessing before the hot dog eating contest. That's part of what makes the pre-show for the 10-minute main event a must-watch.