Adam Richman

While some people sought fame by climbing mountains, Adam Richman found his by conquering mammoth-sized burgers and mile-high pancake stacks. An actor by trade, Richman became the king of competitive eating as the star of the Travel Channel's hit show, "Man v. Food" (2008-12), which followed him across America in search of the best and biggest pig-out food. Amped up by a throng of locals who chanted, "Ad-am, Ad-am!," Richman typically faced gut-busting challenges such as eating a plate of devilishly hot wings, a hamburger the size of a barstool, or a 5-lb. grilled cheese sandwich. He won many of the challenges, but sometimes the sheer size of his edible opponents toppled the unrelenting Richman, whose insatiable appetite and every-guy appeal made him one of television's most exciting and entertaining food personalities.