Overview of I was on Piers Morgan, James Charles Billboard Contest Winner! - H3 Show #231
Ethan Klein opens H3 Show #231 (Feb 4, 2026) from LA. The episode mixes a recap of Ethan’s Piers Morgan appearance, the live judging and voting for the James Charles billboard contest (winner announced), plugs (Gamersupps, Teddy Fresh), behind-the-scenes show business banter, and teasers for upcoming guests (Def Noodles) and the After Dark team. The episode is long, freewheeling and heavily improvised — lots of running jokes, production glitches (audio/graphics), and audience interaction via live polls and superchats.
Key segments
- Piers Morgan appearance recap
- Ethan describes his debate on Piers Morgan Uncensored with a panel that included Benny Johnson and Rod Blagojevich.
- Audio problems on Piers’ production and clips not always shown were a recurring complaint; Ethan felt he held his own and enjoyed the “blood-sports” TV format.
- Themes: criminality/corruption, media behavior, and arguments about ICE / lawfare / political weaponization that the panel touched on.
- James Charles billboard contest (main live segment)
- H3 narrowed ~400+ submissions down to 16, then ran live head-to-head rounds to pick a winner.
- The team debated tone (legal risk vs. impact), clarity (text readable from cars), virality, and whether to include James Charles’ real photo vs. stylized art.
- Final winner: submission ID exit9874 — described by the show as a clear, factual design using a real photo of James Charles and bold copy calling attention to his allegations with a direct call-to-action. (Ethan said they’ll send the design to their attorney and request the original PSD from the creator for production.)
- Several runner-ups / notable finalist themes: “Protect the kids, not him”; “Snapchat is his playground / TikTok is his shield”; variations making the point “James Charles messaged minors / texts minors / messages underage boys.” The team prioritized factual, non-defamatory wording and billboard-readability.
- Other topical items
- Def Noodles: Ethan teases a live debate with Def Noodles next Wednesday, reviews Def’s shift from comedic persona (cat-ears) to right-wing commentator, and watches Jubilee debate clips.
- After Dark shoutout: Ethan praises the After Dark crew (Kate, Harley, David) for a strong Tuesday show and teases more daily content.
- Sponsorship and merch plugs: GamerSupps (new Strawberry Lemonade flavor), Teddy Fresh jacket/pocket tees, H3 shop promotions and membership (VOD, VIP).
- Miscellaneous pop-culture talk: references to Epstein files, Prince Andrew/UK scandals, MrBeast/Schultz commentary, and a lot of riffing on restaurants (Sharky’s, CPK), music/piano lessons, and internet drama (Caleb Hammer vs. D’Angelo Wallace, iDubbbz/Jimmy Lee references).
Main takeaways
- Ethan felt his Piers Morgan appearance went well, enjoyed the clash with controversial panelists (Benny Johnson, Rod Blagojevich) and repeatedly criticized both corrupt politicians and right-wing grifters.
- H3 opted for a billboard design that balanced impact with legal safety: clear, short, factual phrasing + a recognizable photo to maximize attention and reduce risk.
- The show emphasized the difference between viral/sharable creative (funny/clever options) and straight-to-the-point activism (direct call-to-action/“protect the kids” messaging). The team ultimately favored clarity and factual framing.
- The H3 ecosystem (main show, After Dark, Patreon/VOD, merch) continues to expand daily content and fan interaction; the community actively participated in the billboard voting.
Notable quotes & soundbites
- “Get your facts straight.” — repeated by Ethan as part of his takedown of Rod Blagojevich and multiple guests; became an on-show meme.
- “Protect the kids, not him.” — recurring concept and the type of copy the team favored for a billboard.
- “Play the clip!” — repeated demand during the Piers Morgan recap when panel clips/fact-checks were not shown.
- “Dump them out” — a small recurring joke/soundbite (used on-camera by Uncle Gabe gag and later as live-show meme).
Contest specifics & production next steps
- Winner: submission ID exit9874 (H3’s on-air confirmation). Characteristics: real photo of James Charles, concise copy highlighting allegations and directing viewers to look up/Google the allegations. Team reasoning: legal safety + clarity + strong street-readability.
- Runner-ups/shortlist highlights: several designs focused on “messages/texted minors,” “15+ allegations,” or the “TikTok/Snapchat shield” angle; some entries were disqualified or toned down for potential legal risk (e.g., directly calling someone a pedophile).
- Action items the show discussed:
- Contact the winning artist for original PSD/hi-res file and payment details.
- Submit the selected creative to H3 legal counsel / attorney for greenlight (Ethan explicitly said they’d run it by their lawyer).
- Produce billboard assets and schedule placements once legal sign-off completed.
Guests, appearances & upcoming items
- Def Noodles: live debate scheduled next Wednesday (Ethan teased roast-battle ideas + political clash).
- After Dark (Kate, Harley, David): praised for their Tuesday slot; they’ll continue with their own regular episodes.
- Misc future topics teased: more Epstein-files fallout, MrBeast/Schultz commentary, and follow-ups on internet creator controversies (Caleb vs. D’Angelo, James Charles developments).
Recommendations / action items for listeners (what the show wanted viewers to do)
- If you submitted billboard art: check DMs and send original PSD/hi-res files and payment info to H3 (they’ll contact winners).
- Watch After Dark’s Tuesday episodes (Ethan recommended they cover stories the main show can’t).
- If you want updates: follow the H3 channels for production progress and legal approval announcements before the billboard goes live.
Tone, production notes & context
- The episode is very conversational and heavy on banter — expect lots of tangents, repeated jokes, and inside references.
- Technical hiccups were frequent (audio, poll typos, slow stream sync), but the hosts leaned into it and continued to interact live with the chat and polls.
- The show balanced humor and serious political critique — particularly around corruption, ICE, and accountability for public figures — while being cautious about wording for legal reasons when producing a public billboard.
If you only want one thing: the episode’s headline result is the live-chosen James Charles billboard winner (submission exit9874) — H3 will get the original file, clear it with counsel, and proceed to print/buy placements once legal sign-off is obtained.