The YouTube community was shaken last week when the popular YouTube channel The Try Guys announced that they were severing ties with founding member Ned Fulmer. After it came to light that Ned the “wife-guy” had been cheating on his wife with one of their fellow staff members, the remaining Try Guys, Eugene Lee Yang, Zach Kornfeld, and Keith Habersberger, released a statement that read: “as a result of a thorough internal review, we do not see a path forward together.” Now, some people are beginning to wonder if the group that has always been a quartet will find a new member, or simply carry on as a trio?
In a recently released video, where the remaining members gave fans some answers as to their decision, they discussed that they are still figuring out how they will be moving forward from this news. They openly state that the news of Ned’s affair was a shock to them, blindsiding them and forcing them to act quickly. It may be too early to start wondering whether or not Ned might be replaced, as the company is still recovering from the scandal and is essentially focusing on damage control right now. In the video, Zach stated, “things will change here… but it’s going to be hard,” with Keith adding, “right now we are focused on bringing the best content possible between now and the end of the year and figuring out what the future of this channel looks like from there.”
The idea of replacing one of the team is a weird one, seeing as The Try Guys have been together for eight years after meeting and working together at Buzzfeed. They eventually left the company to form their own 2nd Try LLC. with Ned as one of the founding members back in 2018. Now, the guys are considered staples of the YouTube community, having hosted the 8th Annual Streamy Awards and winning the award for Best Show in 2018. It feels like their lives have become so intertwined through their company and friendship.
Though the group has had plenty of recurring guests on the show and their podcasts, some of which have become near regulars, it would still feel odd for fans to have one of them suddenly become the fourth member. However, if they ever do decide to replace Ned further down the line, there are a couple of credible options. If they wanted to keep the name Try “Guys,” then it would look like a new addition would also have to be a dude, though the channel has plenty of women on board.
Keith Habesberger has often had friends and fellow comedy band members Alex Lewis and Hughie Stone Fish on his much loved ‘Eat The Menu: Kieth Eats Everything’ segment. They do have great chemistry, but Alex and Hughie rarely appear in other videos outside of that one segment.
A case could be made for the Try Guys podcast producer Miles Bonsignore, whom fans have come to love for his weird and wacky additions to the podcast episodes. He has been working with the quartet since they started 2nd Try LLC., and has since amassed his own following, Miles Nation, who especially love his quirky ‘Advice that will go for Miles’ section in the podcast.
Along with these choices, there have also been some recurring guests, one of whom fans have already affectionally dubbed as the 5th Try Guy in the past. Kwesi James has featured in a lot of Try Guys’ videos, often filling in for Eugene when he was busy running other projects. Now that Ned is out of the picture, he could be a strong contender if the remaining members do decide that a fourth person is needed to round out the whole team.
Fans of Eugene’s partner Matt McLean may also see him as a contender for the spot as the audience fell in love with him after he was revealed as Eugene’s boyfriend back in 2019. He has become a welcomed addition to the group, which has focused so much on the member’s families and friends and has often been included in segments of The Try Wives podcast and YouTube videos as a partner to one of the Try Guys. He has also served as a judge on “Without A Recipe.” What we can’t forget is that being a Try Guy is a full-time job, and all of the above have jobs outside of the company, excluding Miles, whose job is already within the company.
As it stands, the remaining members and their team are taking it day by day, and though the thought of replacing Ned may have crossed their minds, it might currently be too painful for them to think about with everything still so fresh. Ned’s actions not only affected their business but also their friendship with him, and as fans saw in their video, they are still struggling with the anger, sadness, and disappointment in regards to their once-close friend’s behavior.