The Carroll Family is pictured with series host Steve Harvey of ‘Family Feud.’
UNION, NJ — It didn’t come as a surprise to the Carroll family when they received news that they were going to be on the game show, “Family Feud.” They were confident their sense of humor, positive attitudes and individuality had impressed the judges during the audition process.
“We always said that we wanted to be on ‘Family Feud’ because we would be the perfect family for it,” Ruksana Carroll said in a phone interview with LocalSource on Oct. 9. “Everyone always tells us that we should have our own reality show.”
After sending in their application and traveling to Connecticut for an audition last October, the Union-based family was off to Los Angeles in April to film two episodes.
Carroll said she felt sure after the audition that the family would appear on the show. “It’s easy to realize when you vibe with people, and the judges were definitely feeling us,” she said.
She and her husband Wayne, the team’s captain, weren’t as nervous as some of their other family members since they had previously appeared on “The Newlywed Game” in 2012.
“‘The Newlywed Game’ was a little easier because it was personal questions,” Ruksana Carroll said. “You need to be thinking about what everyone in the U.S. would say, but I was more than ready to be on TV.”
The couple ended up winning an all-expenses paid trip to a resort in St. Croix as a result of that experience.
The Carroll family members have always been huge fans of “Family Feud” and Ruksana Carroll’s 3-year-old daughter is no exception.
“My daughter was like ‘Oh my gosh, I get to see Mr. Harvey!” she said. “The poor thing had to stay at the hotel and didn’t get to meet him, but she was probably the most excited out of all of us.”
The family was allowed to disclose the results or if they’d won any money, but their episodes will air on Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. and Oct. 22, at 6:30 p.m.
Carroll said she thought the game show’s host, Steve Harvey, enjoyed her and her family more than most, and that she felt like royalty while they were filming the episodes.
“He was just blown away by me and just really liked our whole family,” she added. “He was so comfortable with us that it was almost like talking to an uncle. He really is the heart of the show now.”
Ruksana Carroll gave credit to her niece, Fantasia Parker, who also participated on the show for bringing the idea to the family and filling out the application.
“We’ve always been a unique and fun family, but it was my niece who found out about the auditions on Facebook and got this whole thing started,” she said.
Ruksana Carroll also gave credit to her family’s multicultural background for setting them apart from other applicants.
“My husband and I come from two different worlds, but we’re actually the same,” she stated. “We’ve just naturally melted into one family.”
At a Union Township Committee meeting on Oct. 9, the Carroll family was presented with the Mayor’s Award for their achievement.
“It was an absolutely amazing journey and we are glad to represent Union, New Jersey,” Parker said after accepting the award. “Myself, Ruksana, and Wayne all come from Union schools so we definitely rep Union.”
The Carroll family members who took part in the game show also included Rodney Atkinson and Nickita Canady.
“The country will see when the show airs that we’re just really down-to-earth, hardworking, genuine people that happen to have a good time as a family,” Ruksana Carroll said. “I would be on this show again and again if I had to.”