By Patrick Douglas

When producers went looking for someone who could host a show featuring insane stunts, they more than likely thought of Steve-O right off the bat.

Who else but the former Jackass star could look at every contestant after every stunt and say, “I know what you’re going through?”

“They thought it would be interesting to have me do it because my history with Jackass would lend some credibility to the crazy challenges going on,” said Steve-O, host of Killer Karaoke, which debuted in November.

Contestants are put in positions where they often shed tears and express true fear, whether it comes from singing while dipped in a tank of ice water and snakes or getting leg hair waxed, covered in live scorpions. Stunts like these are no big deal for someone like Steve-O, who has excelled at doing things no mere mortal would attempt.

There’s a simplicity to the show, and that’s by design. It’s all summed up in the two-word title. It’s literally people singing karaoke while being put in the middle of Fear Factor-style challenges.

Once they get through the gauntlet, another contestant does a different stunt. People in the audience then vote on who advances to the next round. It’s “very democratic,” according to Steve-O.

“The only criteria for judging is the overall entertainment package,” he said. “I think with that in mind, if you’re gonna advance the finals, you gotta give everything you got.”

Part of the allure of the show for Steve-O comes in the freedom he has as a host.

“It’s a great time, man. I approach it exactly the way I want, which is why I have a good time,” he said. “Whenever there’s a break in filming, I pick up my skateboard or whatever other thing is around me, and I do whatever I feel like to pass the time.”

While there has been some controversy surrounding the show and the perceived mistreatment of animals, it’s quite the contrary, according to Steve-O.

He’s quick to mention the stunts using dog shock collars as his favorite because they expose animal cruelty.

“My favorite challenge has been when they electrocute people while they’re singing because I really think it’s a wonderful thing that we’re exposing those dog shock collars as such cruel devices,” he said. “I’m a big time dog-lover.”

Few have been as crazy in the public eye as Steve-O. His wild exploits both in his personal life and in the public eye have been well documented over the years, but he’s found a way to put the brakes on and turn it down a notch.

“In my free time, I’d say I’m a lot more mellow. I never used to have separation between my personal life and my career as maniac Steve-O,” he said.

“Now I’m able to turn it on and go do it and mellow out when I’m home. My sense of humor hasn’t changed any, and I have the potential to be as wild as I’ve ever been. I just don’t do the same old, round-the-clock thing like I used to.”

With Killer Karaoke airing on TruTV at 9 p.m. Fridays, Steve-O feels he’s on the right track to accomplish something other than being the most insane person in the room wherever he goes.

“I think it’s a major step in the right direction,” he said. “I feel destined to have a career beyond Jackass, and I think this is a great step towards making that happen.”

Photos courtesy of TruTV