Regina musician Hitesh Sharma, who goes by the stage name Tesher, will appear on a special edition of Family Feud Canada ahead of Monday night’s broadcast of the Juno Awards.
Tesher, who quickly rose to international success after going viral on TikTok in 2020, brought family and friends to be on his team.
The tight-knit group competed against BC rapper and former Juno nominee bbno$ and Minnesota rapper Yung Gravy on the game show, which will be hosted by comedian and actor Gerry Dee.
Teams competed for a chance to win $10,000 for a charity of their choice.
Tesher, who was nominated for a Juno in 2022, said appearing on the game show is another adventure in a long line of them.
“Honestly, my life takes so many wild turns, sometimes I don’t even realize how things are happening,” he said, laughing.
Tesher said he believes Family Feud expected him to bring other celebrities onto his team instead of those closest to him.
“Except [my manager] Divya [Sharma], it’s a complete Regina team. So let’s repeat hard!” he said.
Tesher said his friends and family were surprised when he asked them to come with him on the popular game show, but were 100 percent on board.
“Honestly, the most fun I have in my life is taking my friends on random adventures that we would never imagine would happen,” Tesher said. “We’ve all seen Family Feud, but actually being there is crazy.”
Tesher said he worked hard to prepare for the show by watching and practicing a lot of old episodes. While filming the program was a lot of fun, he said having family with you was what made the experience special.
“Honestly, I learned very early on that it’s really important to keep family close. Because when things change, things go up and down, it’s always going to be the people who’ve been with you from day one that’s going to hold you down,” he said.
“The heights, they are there. And the lows, they are there. And this is a high point and I wanted to celebrate this high point with my friends.”
Regarding the competition, Tesher said his team was nervous about going up against bbno$, Yung Gravy and their team of friends and family, which included 2023 Juno nominee and Ontario rapper Freddie Dredd.
“They were tough competition. But you know, bb/Gravy is no match for Jalebi,” Tesher said, referring to his hit with hip-hop artist Jason Derulo.
The money won in the Family Feud episode goes to MusiCounts, a program that provides children with the opportunity to learn a musical instrument.
“Growing up, I never had to do that, and I always kick myself for it. I wish I had learned piano or something because now it would have made things really easier when it comes to producing music,” Tesher said.
He said he’s glad the episode will help kids have a foundation for making music if they want to.
The Family Feud Canada music-themed celebrity special airs Monday nights at 5:30 p.m. CST.
