Chris Jacobs Biography 2026: Age, Wife Vanessa Garcia, TV Host Career, Overhaulin’, Long Lost Family & Net Worth

Chris Jacobs (born January 30, 1970) is an American television host, actor, and former attorney who built one of the most unusual careers in broadcasting. He is best known as the co-host of the automotive makeover series Overhaulin’, the co-host of TLC’s genealogy reunion show Long Lost Family, and a longtime fixture of collector-car coverage for Barrett-Jackson and Mecum Auctions.

His résumé runs from a California law license to red-carpet entertainment news to live auction broadcasts, and he has stayed busy into 2026 as part of Mecum’s MotorTrend broadcast team. Here is everything to know about his age, wife, family, adoption story, career, salary, and net worth.

Quick Facts

Readers who look up Chris Jacobs often also search for Chip Foose, Lisa Joyner, Lara Spencer, Courtney Hansen, and Kevin Frazier — the builders, co-hosts, and entertainment-news anchors whose paths crossed his on Overhaulin’, Long Lost Family, and The Insider.

Early Life & Education

Christopher Keith Jacobs was born on January 30, 1970, in Chicago, Illinois. He was adopted at 14 months old and raised in Chicago’s northern suburbs with three brothers and two sisters. His adoptive family encouraged his curiosity about his origins, a decision that shaped both his personal life and, decades later, his most emotional television role.

He attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, then Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, before moving to California in 1988 to pursue acting. He enrolled at Whittier College, a small liberal arts school outside Los Angeles, and earned a bachelor’s degree in English. He then stayed in Southern California for law school at Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, finishing in about two and a half years and passing the California Bar Exam on his first attempt in February 1995.

In 1993, at age 22, Jacobs was reunited with his birth mother, Mary Hagberg, through an adoption location service and with the full support of his adoptive parents. The reunion gave him a firsthand understanding of the hope, fear, and awkwardness that adoptees and birth families bring to a first meeting — the same emotions he would later navigate on camera.

Career Journey

From the Courtroom to the Camera (1995–2003)

Jacobs was admitted to the California bar in 1995 but never built a traditional legal practice. His first audition, for an Old Spice commercial, landed him the job, and he spent the next eight years taking guest roles in television and film while supporting himself with commercial work. Credits from that stretch include CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Two and a Half Men, The X-Files, and the 2003 television film 44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shoot-Out.

He has since described the law degree as a fallback plan he never needed — and a discipline that still helps him read contracts and negotiate in an industry built on them. His bar status has been inactive since 1999, and he has not practiced law in more than 25 years.

Overhaulin’ and the Car World (2004–2008; 2012–2015)

In 2004, after eight years of small acting roles, Jacobs was tapped to co-host Overhaulin’ alongside master builder Chip Foose. The premise was simple and irresistible: a team secretly rebuilds a deserving owner’s car in a week while the hosts keep the mark distracted. Jacobs served as the show’s cheerful front man, translating mechanical detail into plain English for viewers who had never turned a wrench.

The series ran on TLC and later Velocity, went on hiatus in 2008, and returned for a sixth season in fall 2012. Across its runs it produced more than 160 episodes over roughly 17 years, with the final season finishing in November 2015. The show made Jacobs a recognizable face in the automotive world and introduced him to the collector-car community that would employ him for the next decade.

The Insider and Entertainment Tonight (2009–2013)

When Overhaulin’ went on hiatus, Jacobs moved to entertainment news. From 2009 to 2011 he co-presented The Insider with Lara Spencer, covering premieres, awards shows, and celebrity interviews. In March 2011 he was named a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight, a role he held until early 2013, when he left to focus on the revived Overhaulin’ and his growing sports work.

NFL Network and Live Events (2013–Present)

Starting in 2013, Jacobs became a weekend presenter for NFL Network, guest-hosting episodes of NFL AM and filing Up to the Minute updates. The job suited his live-television instincts: no script, no safety net, and a clock running in his ear.

He also became one of Discovery’s go-to hosts for high-wire live events, including Skywire Live, Skyscraper Live, Chopper Live, Gold Rush Live, and Klondike Live. In 2014 he began co-hosting Velocity’s live coverage of the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auctions, where his ability to fill hours of airtime while cars crossed the block proved invaluable.

Long Lost Family (2016–2019)

In June 2015, production began on Long Lost Family, which debuted on TLC on March 6, 2016. Jacobs co-hosted with genealogist Lisa Joyner, helping adoptees and birth families find one another after decades apart. The show ran until 2019 and remains the work he discusses most personally, because his own adoption and reunion gave him an insider’s understanding of every participant’s nerves.

Mecum Auctions and Current Work (2022–2026)

In February 2022, Jacobs was announced as the newest member of Mecum Auctions‘ broadcast team on MotorTrend, returning to the auction world he knew well. He has continued to appear on Barrett-Jackson broadcasts and MotorTrend coverage, and in 2019 he became a spokesperson for wrench.com, a startup that sends mobile mechanics directly to customers.

Through 2025 and 2026 he has remained a familiar voice on collector-car coverage, blending auction results with the stories behind the cars — the same storytelling skill that carried Overhaulin’ and Long Lost Family.

Career Stats

• Years Active: 1995–present (hosting since 2003)
• Breakthrough: Co-host, Overhaulin’ (2004)
• Overhaulin’ Episodes: 160+ across multiple runs (2004–2015)
• Entertainment News: Co-host, The Insider (2009–2011); correspondent, Entertainment Tonight (2011–2013)
• Sports: Weekend presenter, NFL Network (2013–present)
• Auctions: Barrett-Jackson live broadcasts (2014–present); Mecum Auctions on MotorTrend (2022–present)
• Reality TV: Co-host, Long Lost Family on TLC (2016–2019)
• Other: Presenter, Miss California USA 2009

Personal Life

• Wife: Vanessa Garcia, an actress and visual artist from Los Angeles. Public posts and press reports say they married on August 1, 2024, at the Lakeside Country Club in Toluca Lake, California.
• Daughter: Scarlett, born in March 2022. Jacobs has posted about her on social media and brought her to the wedding celebration.
• Birth Mother: Mary Hagberg, whom he met in 1993 at age 22. He has spoken about building the relationship slowly rather than expecting instant closeness.
• Adoptive Family: He grew up with three brothers and two sisters in Chicago’s northern suburbs and credits his parents with supporting his search.
• Home Base: Los Angeles, California, where he has lived since 1988.
• Personality: Colleagues describe him as easygoing, quick on his feet, and genuinely curious about other people’s stories.

Dating History and Affairs

Jacobs’ romantic history has been unusually public for a host who otherwise keeps his family private. In August 2016 he proposed to television host and model Ivy Teves at Wrigley Field in Chicago, immediately after throwing out a ceremonial first pitch before a Cubs game. The engagement drew coverage in celebrity and sports media, but the couple never married and the relationship ended.

He later began a relationship with Vanessa Garcia. Their daughter Scarlett arrived in March 2022, and the couple married in August 2024. No affairs, separations, or relationship scandals have been reported, and Jacobs has not discussed his dating history beyond what he has shared publicly.

Controversies

Jacobs has avoided the kind of scandal that follows many reality-TV personalities. His public record is clean: no arrests, lawsuits, or industry disputes have been reported. The few talking points around him are gentler:

• The Wrigley Field proposal: His 2016 engagement to Ivy Teves played out in front of a stadium crowd and was covered widely. When the relationship ended, some outlets framed it as a cautionary tale about public proposals, though neither party has spoken negatively about the other.
• Reality TV ethics: Long Lost Family and similar reunion shows are sometimes criticized for turning private grief into entertainment. Jacobs has defended the series as sincere and participant-led, and he has said the show avoids manufactured conflict.
• Adoption privacy: As a public figure with an adoption story, he has been asked repeatedly to share details about his birth family. He has chosen to keep much of that private, which occasionally frustrates outlets looking for a fuller narrative.
• Career credibility: Some car enthusiasts initially questioned whether an actor with a law degree could speak credibly about builds. Seventeen years of auction coverage answered that.

Awards & Achievements

• Co-hosted more than 160 episodes of Overhaulin’ across its original and revived runs
• Hosted live coverage of the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auctions from 2014 onward
• Joined Mecum Auctions’ MotorTrend broadcast team in 2022
• Co-hosted four seasons of TLC’s Long Lost Family with Lisa Joyner
• Weekend presenter for NFL Network, including NFL AM and Up to the Minute
• Presenter at the 2009 Miss California USA pageant
• Passed the California Bar Exam on his first attempt and was admitted to the bar in 1995
• Spokesperson for wrench.com, a mobile-mechanic startup, from 2019

Physical Statistics

• Height: 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) — reported; no official listing
• Weight: Not publicly disclosed
• Build: Lean and athletic; a longtime golfer
• Hair Color: Dark brown, now with gray at the temples
• Eye Color: Brown
• Style: California smart-casual — blazers, open-collar shirts, and practical shoes for long days on an auction block

Favorites

• Sport: Golf, which he plays left-handed after years of switching sides
• Club: A 60-degree wedge — he prefers a strong short game to bombing drives
• Courses: Pebble Beach and the classic California layouts he grew up dreaming about
• Cars: American muscle and collector-grade classics, especially the builds featured on Overhaulin’
• Baseball: The Chicago Cubs, the team behind his Wrigley Field moment
• Collecting: Golf pencils and scorecards from every course he plays
• Dream Foursome: Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Arnold Palmer, and Ben Hogan

Earnings

Jacobs’ net worth is estimated between $1 million and $5 million. The range is wide because most of his income comes from hosting contracts and appearance fees that are not publicly disclosed. His earnings sources include:

• Television hosting — Overhaulin’, The Insider, Entertainment Tonight, and Long Lost Family
• Auction broadcasts — Barrett-Jackson and Mecum live coverage on Velocity and MotorTrend
• NFL Network appearances and live-event hosting for Discovery
• Acting residuals from guest roles and commercial work
• Brand partnerships, including his 2019 wrench.com spokesperson deal
• Corporate and charity appearances, including pageants and automotive events

Hosting salaries in unscripted television vary enormously by network and episode count, and Jacobs has never published a figure. Treat any specific annual salary circulating online as an estimate rather than a confirmed number.

Interesting Facts

• He is a licensed California attorney but has been inactive since 1999.
• His first professional audition was an Old Spice commercial — and he booked it.
• He was a teenage caddy at Skokie Country Club before he ever played golf seriously.
• He is naturally left-handed but learned golf right-handed using his father’s clubs.
• He collects a pencil and scorecard from every golf course he plays.
• His Overhaulin’ co-host, Chip Foose, is one of the most celebrated custom-car builders in the world.
• He met his birth mother at 22, decades before hosting a show about reunions.
• He once threw out a ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field — and proposed to his girlfriend minutes later.

Did You Know Already?

• Overhaulin’ aired more than 160 episodes over roughly 17 years, despite being canceled and revived.
• He co-hosted The Insider with Lara Spencer before she moved to Good Morning America.
• He worked as a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight for two years.
• He hosted live Discovery events including Skywire Live and Skyscraper Live.
• He was hosting Long Lost Family when he was already a nationally known car-show personality.
• He joined Mecum’s broadcast team in 2022, eight years after starting with Barrett-Jackson.

Social Media Links

• Facebook: facebook.com/chrisjacobs70
• IMDb: Chris Jacobs on IMDb
• Mecum Auctions: Mecum Auctions official site

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Chris Jacobs is proof that a career can be built sideways: law school, a commercial audition, a car makeover show, entertainment news, live auctions, and a reunion series that brought him back to his own adoption story. In 2026 he remains one of the most versatile hosts in unscripted television. If you found this biography helpful, please share it with other fans of Overhaulin’ and Long Lost Family!