Trivia

Although best known as the co-host of Entertainment Tonight (1981), Goen considers himself a game show host as he had dreamed of becoming a game show host since he was 5. Goen has hosted several game shows including: Perfect Match (1986), Home Shopping Game (1987), Blackout (1988), Wheel of Fortune (1975) The Hollywood Game, Born Lucky and That's the Question (2007).

Goen succeeded John Tesh as co-host of Entertainment Tonight (1981) on May 30, 1996.

Graduated from San Diego State University

Graduated from Lakewood High School in Long Beach, California, in 1972.

In May 1996, he was promoted to a co-anchor with Mary Hart on Entertainment Tonight (1981).

Goen joined Entertainment Tonight (1981) on April 11, 1993, as correspondent and weekend anchor.

Engaged to Marianne Curan [October 2003]

Has a son (b. 1994).

His son from a previous marriage was the best man at his marriage to Marianne Curan.

Has a son, who's nine, from his first marriage.

Along with wife Marianne Curan, he has been the host of the daily GSN Radio block heard on GSN's website since August 2008. The program is also syndicated on terrestrial radio throughout the U.S. and Canada. (August 2009)

Was really one of the guys to audition to host Wheel of Fortune (1975), for NBC, when he actually lost it to Rolf Benirschke. After Benirschke was dropped from the show, when it was moved to CBS, Goen was immediately brought in to replace him, afterwards.

Goen had spoken to Roger Dobkowitz about wanting to audition to replace Bob Barker as host of The Price is Right (1972), unfortunately he did not get the audition, so the job was eventually given to Drew Carey.

Compared to fellow game show hosts Pat Finn, Mark L. Walberg, Marc Summers and J.D. Roth, Goen was an devoted fan of both Bob Barker's and Wink Martindale's, when he was growing up, but, it was Dick Clark, that he had an interest in him, the most, before he ever worked for him, too.

When he was under contract with Stone-Stanley Productions, for a game show he was hosting, he also took the job as host of Entertainment Tonight (1981). He asked Scott A. Stone and David G. Stanley to release himself, from his contract, and they did.

Had attended the funeral of his lifelong friend's, Jay Wolpert, when the producer passed away, early in 2022. He was also the speaker at Wolpert's funeral. Before Goen did Blackout (1988), he hosted a couple of pilots for Jay Wolpert that have never made it to television.

Had went golfing with Jim Lange, Johnny Gilbert, David Rupprecht and Chuck Woolery.

Before he had a successful career as a game show host, television personality and a radio host, in his early career, he used to work for Dick Clark.

An avid Jim Lange fan, between television and radio, Goen used to watch him on The Dating Game (1965), by the time he replaced Lange, who hosted the pilot for "Make A Match", which itself turned into a series (called: Perfect Match (1986)), he met him, only once, and became acquaintances. However, Goen became friends with Johnny Gilbert, a friend of Lange's.

When Lorimar-Telepictures was already in production to produce Perfect Match (1986), Jim Lange was already hosting another show $1, 000, 000 Chance of a Lifetime (1986) that was also produced by the same company, and due to a quick turnabout between pilot and production, there was no replacement host for the show, therefore, they've decided to employ Goen, instead, who was a longtime fan of Lange's.

Before he was a successful game show host, television personality, and a radio host, he used to work at ESPN as a correspondent.

His most favorite hobby is golf. He does annual charity work for his golfing tournament, The Bob Goen Lexus Invitational, which benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

He was known for replacing his mentor, Dick Clark, for both shows, though Clark came back to do The $25,000 Pyramid (1982), replacing Goen's Blackout (1988), in the same year, due to poor ratings.

When his show Perfect Match (1986) was produced by the same company, who also produced $1, 000, 000 Chance of a Lifetime (1986), between his and Jim Lange's shows, they were never on the studio lot, at the same time. The producers' shot Lange's show first, before going to Goen's show, after they have unloaded Lange's show, on the set, first, when Lange was done shooting, and delivered another show, to Goen, last, who was also on the set, in order for him to shoot the show.

When Goen was in his early twenties, Dick Clark was the reason Goen was growing his mustache, because he did not want to resemble that of his mentor.

He was born on the same day when the first Hyatt Hotel, The Hyatt House in Los Angeles, California, where it opened in the grounds of the Los Angeles International Airport.

Is a lifelong friend of David Rupprecht. Annually, both Goen and Ruprecht spend 1 week with the rest of the guys playing golf, laughing and smoking cigars.

When he got the job as host of Wheel of Fortune (1975), Goen had to shave off his mustache, because he did not want to resemble Bea Arthur. He would grow back his mustache (with his goatee), 25 years later.