By William C. Singleton III
Vestavia Hills City Manager Jeff Downes and his family will appear in an upcoming segment of “Family Feud.”
The show’s producers are supposed to contact Downes and his family when the show is scheduled to air, he said. Downes can’t disclose how his family fared on the popular game show hosted by comedian Steve Harvey.
“I can’t say what the results were, but it was a very interesting process to go through,” he said.
Downes will appear on the show with his wife, Penny; his identical twin brother, Greg; his brother’s spouse, Kimberly; and his niece, Lauren. Greg and his family live in Atlanta.
The idea to appear on “Family Feud” came from his niece, who thought a family with identical twin brothers would appeal to the show’s producers, Downes said. She submitted an application the Wednesday before Father’s Day to audition for the show, he said. She heard from the producers a few days later requesting they attend an audition in Atlanta on Father’s Day.
Two weeks after the audition, the family received a call to return.
“We were one of 11 families to show up on July 22 for a potential filming of the show,” Downes said. Ultimately, six families were chosen, including the Downes.
“Being identical twins, we played that up,” the city manager said. “My twin brother and I wore the same clothes. We talk so much alike, and when Steve Harvey came out on the stage on the day of filming, he did a double take when he looked over at us.”
Typical of families on the game show, the Downes showed a lot of enthusiasm.
“The people of ‘Family Feud’ said excitement and enthusiasm will get you through to the show, and we did that every time,” he said. “We did a lot of clapping and saying ‘Good answer!’ We high-fived one another.”
Downes said he learned it’s much easier to play the game from home than it is on stage.
“I could answer questions better in the audience than I could being under the pressure of the lights and cameras, and Steve Harvey getting ready to make fun of you when you didn’t say the exact right thing.”
Though Over the Mountain residents and “Family Feud” viewers will have to wait a while for the results, Downes said participating in the show was well worth the experience. “We really just saw it as a great way to make a memory as a family,” he said.
