Chris Hansen

Christopher Edward Hansen (born September 13, 1959) is an American television presenter, journalist, and YouTube personality. He became well known for his work as a correspondent for Dateline NBC, especially for hosting a segment called To Catch a Predator. This segment focused on catching people who tried to meet children online with the wrong intentions, using a special kind of investigation called a sting operation.

After his time with NBC ended in 2013, Hansen started hosting other shows. In 2015, he began hosting Killer Instinct on Investigation Discovery, a series about solving serious crimes. He also hosted Crime Watch Daily, where he had a segment called Hansen vs. Predator.

Hansen has received many awards for his work, including ten Emmy Awards and several other journalism honors. Because of his important work in keeping children safe and solving crimes, he has become a well-known figure in television and online.

Early life and education

Chris Hansen was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 13, 1959. He grew up in West Bloomfield Township and Birmingham, Michigan. When he was just 14 years old, he decided he wanted to be a journalist after watching how police and the FBI worked on a big case. He went to Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Later, he graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in telecommunication in 1981.

Career

1981–2013: Career with NBC

In 1981, Hansen became a reporter for NBC affiliate WILX in Lansing, Michigan during his senior year at Michigan State University. He later reported for WFLA in Tampa, Florida, various newspapers and radio stations in Michigan and WXYZ in Detroit. In 1988, he was hired as an investigative reporter and anchor at WDIV in Detroit. In May 1993, Hansen joined NBC News as a correspondent for the short-lived news magazine Now with Tom Brokaw and Katie Couric.

Hansen’s notable work for Dateline includes coverage of the Columbine High School massacre, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Unabomber and the TWA Flight 800 disaster, and investigative reports on Indian child slave labor and counterfeit prescription drug sales in China. Hansen was responsible for most of Dateline’s coverage of the September 11 attacks, as well as stories on terrorist groups and the operations of Al-Qaeda. He also exposed how a group linked to Osama bin Laden had attempted to buy missiles and nuclear weapons components, and he also worked on an exclusive report on the Air France Flight 8969 hijacking. His series on deficient airport security resulted in the Federal Aviation Administration investigating and ultimately revising its policies.

Main article: To Catch a Predator

In conjunction with the website Perverted-Justice, Hansen hosted a series of Dateline NBC reports under the title To Catch a Predator. Volunteers from Perverted-Justice pretended to be children in online chat rooms and agreed to meet with adults for improper purposes. The meeting places were “sting houses,” where camera crews from NBC, and in later episodes local police, awaited those adults.

Capitalizing on the success of Hansen and his Predator investigations, Dateline NBC created three Tuesday night spin-offs of its original concept; Hansen hosted To Catch a Con Man and To Catch an I.D. Thief. In March 2007, Hansen’s book, To Catch a Predator: Protecting Your Kids from Online Enemies Already in Your Home, was released in the American market.

In August 2013, NBC decided not to renew its contract with Hansen, ultimately ending his tenure of 20 years.

2015–present: Career post-NBC

Independent television shows

In 2015, Hansen hosted Killer Instinct, a show on Investigation Discovery chronicling homicide cases. The show’s initial 10-episode season premiered on August 17, 2015.

In 2015, Hansen planned a new independent television show called Hansen vs. Predator, a spin-off of his original show To Catch a Predator. The program was intended to premiere online, crowdfunded via Kickstarter with Hansen hoping to raise $400,000; however the Kickstarter only raised $89,000.

Work with Crime Watch Daily

On August 22, 2016, Hansen was introduced as the new host of the syndicated news program Crime Watch Daily beginning with its second-season premiere on September 12. Hansen anchors the program from New York City. The second season also saw the premiere of Hansen vs. Predator, a revival of his previous To Catch a Predator series. Hansen’s entry brought further ratings gains to the program. The show ended its run in June 2018. Chris Hansen debuted the first episode of Hansen vs. Predator on September 12, 2016, on Crime Watch Daily.

Have a Seat with Chris Hansen

On October 9, 2019, Hansen started a YouTube channel under the name Have a Seat with Chris Hansen, featuring weekly podcasts tackling different topics and interviews with special guests.

Unseamly & Takedown with Chris Hansen

Hansen was named as an executive producer for Unseamly: The Investigation of Peter Nygård, a Discovery+ show which examines Peter Nygård’s life from his birth to his downfall and arrest.

Hansen returned to television in 2022 with the series Takedown with Chris Hansen on his streaming service TruBlu, which once more finds him investigating and interviewing adults who want to hurt children online. The show granted him greater creative control.

Podcasting

Since 2020, Hansen has hosted a podcast called Predators I’ve Caught in which he revisits the various investigations he has conducted from his perspective, in addition to offering any new information regarding the suspects of the investigations and answering submitted questions.

Dangerous Games: Investigating Roblox

Further information: Child safety on Roblox §

In August 2025, rumors spread on social media that Chris Hansen would create a project focusing on the state of child safety on Roblox. Hansen confirmed the rumors on August 15, stating that he had interviewed law enforcement, abuse victims, and Schlep for a documentary film. Chris Hansen was interviewed by Schlep on August 22 about the documentary. The documentary, Dangerous Games: Investigating Roblox — A Chris Hansen Special, was released on February 27, 2026, and is available exclusively on the subscription streaming platform TruBlu.

Personal life

Chris Hansen married his first wife, Mary Joan, in 1989, and they had two sons together. They lived in Stamford, Connecticut and also had an apartment in New York City. After almost thirty years of marriage, they divorced in 2020. In November 2021, Hansen married his second wife, Gabrielle Gagnon.

In January 2019, Hansen faced charges related to unpaid rent for his New York City apartment, but these charges were later dropped. He also had a misunderstanding about appearing in court for a television project in Michigan in 2021, which was resolved after he turned himself in.

Awards and honors

Chris Hansen has received many awards for his work. He has won 10 Emmy Awards for his investigative reporting and coverage of important news stories. He also earned 5 Edward R. Murrow Awards for his work on aviation safety and a big case involving cars.

Hansen received three Clarion awards for his reporting on aviation security, issues about children’s rights, and a famous criminal case. He has been honored with awards from the Overseas Press Club, IRE, the National Press Club, and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. In 2015, he was given a special award for helping children stay safe online.

Appearances

Chris Hansen has been a guest on many popular TV shows, including The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, among others.

In 2007, he appeared on a special episode of American Gangster on BET. This show, hosted by actor Ving Rhames, looked at the lives of a gang in Detroit. Hansen shared what he learned about the gang during his earlier reporting work in the 1980s and 1990s.

In popular culture

Chris Hansen appeared as himself in several TV shows. In 2006, he was in an episode of The Simpsons called Loan-a Lisa and in 30 Rock in the episode The Break-Up.

He was also featured in South Park, Family Guy, The Boondocks, Fameless, Black-ish, and The Boys. Hansen’s work has even inspired songs by artists like Pusha T, KSI, and Insane Clown Posse.