Family of Heidelberg’s Steven Calov to Appear on ‘Family Feud’ TV Show

Having held multiple roles during the past 35-plus years working at Heidelberg USA, Steven Calov — who currently serves as the Gallus digital product manager — knows it can take a long time to bring a printing-related product to market. The same can be said of the lengthy audition process it took for his family to be chosen as contestants on the popular, long-running “Family Feud” game show, which is hosted by Steve Harvey.

The Calov family (from left) Corey Payne, Chelli Calov, Steven Calov, Nickolette Sutton, and Amber Keener, are set to appear on Family Feud.

Although his family enjoys playing board games, including Family Feud, Calov had no idea his 25-year-old daughter, Amber, had submitted paperwork for the Calov family to compete on the actual show. The producers eventually contacted his family and set up a Zoom call so they could watch the Calov clan play the game together.

Family members who participated included Steven and his wife Chelli Calov; daughters Amber Keener and Nikolette Sutton; and his son-in-law, Corey Payne.

Months later, the Calov’s were among 10 families invited to the Family Feud television studio in Atlanta (which is also where Steve Harvey lives) to play mock games on the actual set complete with full lighting, but no audience. Some of the contestants were local, while other families came from as far away as California, Illinois, and New Jersey.

“It was certainly different being on the actual set with nobody in the audience,” Calov says. “They instructed us to keep our hands on the table, to not lean on the podium, and to clap enthusiastically even when someone gave a bad answer.”

Having done well during the mock games, the Calov family was invited to appear as contestants on the actual show in May 2024. They had to bring three different outfits to wear, so the producers could determine what clothing looked best on camera. And they all had to sign NDAs that they wouldn’t discuss the game’s winner, nor could they post anything about the outcome on social media.

The Calov’s were allowed to invite a few people as audience members, but the producers were strict that no cellphones could be used to take pictures or record videos of the game in progress.

From left, Nickolette Sutton, Chelli Calov, and Amber Keener.

Family Feud tapes four shows per day during a three-and-half-month period which equates to an entire season on TV. In between commercial breaks, Steve Harvey tells jokes and stories from his past to keep the energy going with the audience. At times the producers send him a cue to return back to the show. Tons of laughter for sure! In some cases, families are invited back to compete again.

The game show the Calov family competed on last year will appear on Tuesday, April 29. Those interested in watching it can visit familyfeud.com and type in their ZIP code. The website will then indicate the local TV station and time that the show will be aired.

“It was a fun experience,” Calov says. “There was a lot of banter between Steve Harvey and the contestants both during the show and the commercial breaks. Since my son-in-law is a professional golfer, he even asked him for some golf advice. It will be interesting to see what scenes made the final cut!"