Hud has been a strong competitor on “Claim to Fame.” As a person, he seems very down-to-earth, but his ability to play the game without appearing as a threat has helped him advance far in the competition.
Hud’s friendly nature in the house allowed him to befriend everyone while avoiding attention. Though he faced some challenges working with his ally Adam, he ultimately proved to be a valuable teammate.
Hosted by Franklin and Kevin Jonas, brothers of Joe Jonas and Nick Jonas, “Claim to Fame” is a popular summer guessing game.
Celebrity relatives live together in a mansion, taking on challenges and solving clues to uncover who their fellow contestants are related to. Now in its third season, the audience has often figured out the clues faster than the players due to a lack of pop culture knowledge among the contestants.
Hud’s clue was chosen early in season three of “Claim to Fame.” In the game’s beginning, Hud, who sports a mustache, played Two Truths and a Lie, stating that his celebrity relative was his mother, known for being a singer and Grammy winner.
However, the lie within his truths was that his claim to fame wasn’t his mom. It took some time for this lie to surface, as his clue was revealed in episode two. Naomi, still convinced his relative was his mother, chose Hud’s clue in the wine cellar.
The clue featured “cherries, a bomb, an artist, an owl with a speech bubble, a broken knee, a needle and thread, and a thumbs up.” This clue was quite obvious: “cherry bomb artist who hurt so good.”
However, Naomi mistakenly believed his claim to fame was Cherie Currie of The Runaways. Unfortunately, Naomi was wrong, and she left the game with Hud’s clue still unsolved.
While viewers quickly figured out Hud’s identity, the players struggled. During the limerick challenge, a game of telephone led to the clue, “On the mountain, there once was a lion.” This referred to a mountain lion or cougar, hinting that Hud’s claim to fame was his father, John Cougar Mellencamp.
Despite the viewers’ insight, the clue wall misled the contestants. Dedrick’s claim to fame was Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, but the scarecrow on the clue wall had a dual meaning. Michael Jackson played the Scarecrow in The Wiz, but the scarecrow is also connected to Hud.
His father released a 1985 album called Scarecrow. During the blindfold challenge, Hud revealed that the obscure chili dog clue and the obvious melon clue both pointed to John Mellencamp. The chili dog referred to a line in his song “Jack & Diane,” but the melon was the key hint.
‘Claim to Fame’ Season 3’s Hud’s Clue Was an Early Pick
In episode six, the clues connecting Hud to his celebrity relative involved Madonna and the “Small Talk” farm boy who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. Hud’s celebrity relative, an ’80s icon, remained a mystery to some players, but the answer was always within reach.
During the four-clue challenge, Adam recognized the nickname “cougar” and immediately knew Hud’s celebrity relative.
In the last two episodes, Mackenzie and Hud began to flirt. Their growing affection led to Hud accidentally revealing his identity. Hud told Mackenzie that a shot was named after him—the Hud Melon Shot. Mackenzie realized she needed to investigate the melon clue further.
After Hud lost the billboard challenge, the billboard revealed the clues “Diane and Jack, the authority figures” and “Hud and the Scarecrows.”
These clues confirmed Hud’s identity to Adam, who correctly guessed that Hud’s father is John Mellencamp’. And for reality TV fans, this also means that Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is Hud’s sister. All episodes of “Claim to Fame” are available for streaming on Hulu in the U.S.
