In Brief:
- Marc Summers, 74, told PEOPLE that OCD never affected his on-camera work hosting Nickelodeon's "Double Dare" since 1986.
- He stayed clean for the first 65 episodes, then got slimed after a kids' focus group requested it.
- Summers says "Double Dare" could succeed today, calling its reward for messiness "exactly what the doctor ordered."
Marc Summers: Marc Summers is looking back on his messiest job.
The 74-year-old host of Nickelodeon's "Double Dare" says the show's slime never got the better of him.
He shared his story with PEOPLE.
Summers became host in 1986. He knew it was a kids' game show. He did not expect how messy it would get.
For the first 65 episodes, he stayed clean. He had not yet been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
He only knew he disliked messes. He dodged the slime and whipped cream and wore penny loafers instead of sneakers.
Then the show took off. Nickelodeon ordered 65 more episodes and looked for ways to make it even better.
A focus group of kids had one request. They wanted to see the host get messy.
Network executives passed the message along. They told Summers the show was doing well.
They also said he needed to wear Reebok sneakers, since the brand was a sponsor. And he had to get slimed.
Summers had doubts at first. He also knew he was living out a dream.
He said you do what you are told when you get paid for something you always wanted to do.
Soon he was getting slimed, doused with whipped cream and covered in goo.
Kids even asked if they could throw things at him if they finished the obstacle course. He agreed.
Summers later learned he had OCD. He decided early that it would not affect him on camera.
He said he had worked too hard to refuse the slime once he got there.
The only change happened after taping. He went backstage, showered in his dressing room and put on a fresh outfit.
He believes any host in his position would have done the same.
Summers pushed back on the idea that he suffered through the show. He said viewers can watch any episode and will not see pain.
When the cameras stopped, he went back to his normal self. While they rolled, he said, he was having the time of his life.
"Double Dare" premiered about 40 years ago. Summers has hosted many versions and specials since.
He believes the show holds a special place in game show history. He also thinks it could succeed today.
He credits Nickelodeon's research for the original idea. The network found that kids had no game show of their own.
They were watching "The Price Is Right" and "Wheel of Fortune" with their parents.
Truth or Dare was popular on playgrounds at the time. Producers combined that idea with trivia, physical challenges and plenty of mess.
Summers also pointed to what the show offered kids. At home, children were often scolded for making a mess.
They were sent to their rooms or handed extra chores. On "Double Dare," getting messy earned prizes and trips to Space Camp.
He called that "exactly what the doctor ordered" for the era. He believes today's kids would love it if the show returned in the right way.
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