New York's famous 'SubwayTakes' show is coming to Toronto
If you regularly ride the TTC, you might soon find yourself being stopped for your hot take, and you could even be asked to defend it on camera.
New York's viral talk show SubwayTakes is officially coming to Toronto, with host and comedian Kareem Rahma bringing the transit-based series to the TTC to hear what controversial opinions Toronto residents have.
Rahma revealed the Toronto version of the internet talk show during an interview with eTalk, saying it'll follow the exact same format as the New York series, except with Toronto commuters and celebrities.
He also confirmed that his first famous guest will be none other than Canadian comedy icon Mike Myers, which feels pretty fitting, considering the Scarborough native recently made headlines after posting a video of himself dancing inside Bloor-Yonge subway station.
The show typically sees Rahma sitting beside a celebrity or everyday commuter on the subway and asking, "So, what's your take?" From there, the guest offers up a hot take on just about anything and has to defend their opinion as Rahma agrees or disagrees.
Past takes have included everything from the idea that you should get a once-in-a-lifetime veto over your best friend's partner, to the argument that it should be illegal to paint over graffiti, and perhaps the most controversial opinion in the show's history — that barbecue sauce is the best sauce.
Since its inception, the talk show has garnered a massive following, with more than 2.3 million followers on Instagram, 1.5 million on TikTok, and 1.2 million on YouTube. Plenty of celebrities have appeared on the show, including Benny Blanco, Matty Matheson, Javier Bardem, Jennifer Lopez, Spike Lee, and even NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
In New York, Rahma uses a microphone clipped to a MetroCard to ask his guests questions, and during his interview with eTalk, he confirmed he'll be doing the same in Toronto with a PRESTO card.
Rahma has already spent some time riding the TTC with his crew ahead of the show, and has even been spotted by some fans. During his interview, he explained that one viewer approached him and desperately wanted to appear on the show with a very Toronto hot take: that patties from Scarborough's Fahmee Bakery should be named the national food of Canada.
The comedian also shared some of his own thoughts about Toronto residents, affectionately referring to them as "Torrentinos."
"They are very, very sly," he told eTalk. "It takes me a minute to catch up. Something sounds mundane, and then all of a sudden, I think about it for three seconds — I'm three seconds too late to the Torrentinos ' mind."
Overall, it seems like the city's humour has resonated the most with the comedian.
"The humour in Toronto is very different than the humour in New York or London or Chicago, and I'm just really excited to highlight and showcase that humour."
So, don't say we didn't warn you — if you happen to spot Rahma on your next TTC ride, make sure to have your most controversial opinion ready.
@subwaytakes
