Comedian Heather McMahan Is A Crazy Dog Mom, Just Like The Rest Of Us

As harrowing and out-of-touch as show business can be, celebrities’ most-relatable sides are exposed in the bonds they share with their pets. This is no exception for standup comedian, E! red carpet host and podcaster Heather McMahan. Often on the road—and with a packed tour schedule up ahead for her 2025 Bamboozled tour—McMahan calls her two French bulldogs, Macaroni and Rigatoni, “the best part of coming home.”

“Walking in the door, no matter if my family is driving me nuts, Macaroni and Rigatoni will always be excited to see me. I think that’s across the board for any dog-lover,” she says over video call with Forbes.com. She technically parents her canine brood with her husband; but make no mistake—they are hers.

“Honey, they're both mine,” she says with a knowing laugh. “The dogs obviously love their father, Jeff. But when I tell you they are velcro (and that’s one of the best things about the breed, French bulldogs: they are velcro)... I don’t mean sitting on your lap—they need to be breathing with you!”

Growing up, McMahan and her sister never had dogs of their own. Still, they relished the time spent with their grandparents’ golden retriever. As adults, she, her sister and their cousin were finally free to start fur families of their own. All of them opted for the adorably roly-poly breed of French bulldog.

“I know, people say that dogs look like their owners. Obviously my physical body is like a French bulldog: thick neck, thin ankles,” she jokes of why the Frenchie was a natural choice. “If you ever look at Rigatoni up close, you’ll be like, ‘Ya—exact same body shape.’ I also think I’m really goofy and never shut up.”

She is clearly smitten with her brood, just like the rest of us. After watching a TikTok claiming that dogs and owners that co-sleep live longer, she joked that they will be “immortal.” She is accustomed to waking up (often sweating, with her dogs wrapped around her) that she actually doesn’t sleep as well without them when she’s on tour. She is such a devoted pet parent that she once tried (but failed) to win the late Joan Rivers’ Tiffany Silver dog bowls at auction, all so that her dogs could eat from the same dog bowls as her favorite comedian’s.

Her love for her pets is evident in the way she describes watching Macaroni bunny-hop through the backyard, to reveling in the time they spend “getting in their steps.” Rigatoni, it appears, takes the job of patrolling the neighborhood quite seriously.

“We’re literally ahead of the HOA, ok? Rigatoni will actually stop in front of a house if he does not like their Christmas decor, and he will bark. That’s how you know it’s tacky,” she jokes of his penchant for singing, howling and generally being vocal. This is actually something that the breed is known for—and of which Rigatoni is no exception.

“I just have to get out the words, ‘Rig, do you wanna—?’ and he starts singing. It makes me laugh and brings me joy because he is so proud of his howl,” she says. “Honestly, they could be destroying an expensive throw pillow from my couch and I’d still think it was cute.”

The dynamic, pasta-dubbed duo make regular appearances in her comedy. They are so well-known by her fan-base that they regularly make her artwork of the dogs: needlepoint crocheted sweaters with their faces on it, wine bottles that have their faces painted on it, she lists. She calls it the “best kind of gift,” noting that her “Christmas tree right now is completely covered in handmade, fan-made ornaments of Macaroni and Rigatoni!”

Her passion for her pets is part of why she was so excited to report from the AKC National Championship Dog Show presented by Royal Canin.

“Honey, this is my first [dog show] and hopefully not my last,” she says. Even her husband called it a “dream come true” for her to host what she calls the “Super Bowl of the dog world.”

As a regular red carpet host, she is well-versed in the secondhand high of nerves and excitement that come from the live reporting from the on-the-floor experience. But instead of tapping-into the moods of celebrities, she will be capturing the emotions and personalities of the handlers, trainers, groomers and the canine stars themselves.

“Listen, as a comic, I’m a study of character. I’m passionate about dogs and I’m passionate about people; this is going to be an out of body experience,” she relays in anticipation of the experience. “To be on the show floor, getting to meet all the folks that are behind the scenes top help these animals [thrive] for best in show—[the handler, trainers, groomers...]”

“It’s really exciting to feel that rush of energy. Somebody might be prepping a dog that’s about to go out and they have 15 seconds to chat. It’s my job to get in and capture that moment of excitement, nervousness, anxiety—whatever that is,” she explains of her role. “Also to pay people their respects and say, ‘You’ve got this!’”

While the dog show airs on ABC (December 29, from 2 - 5 p.m. ET), she will also be the virtual host of a Viewer’s Choice Awards to help provide a more immersive experience for fans. There will undoubtedly be plenty of opportunity for laughs during the show, after which you can continue to enjoy her humor by streaming one of her standup comedy specials on Hulu (Son I Never Had, Breadwinner) or tuning-into the Absolutely Not podcast.

It’s easy to guess how she will be unwinding after the show: curled up with Macaroni and Rigatoni. During their downtime, which is one of the rare moments that she gets to unwind and catch up on shows, you can find her “laughing out loud” to her current favorite show (English Teacher, created by and starring Brian Jordan Alvarez).

And maybe, just maybe, scouring the internet—glass of wine in hand—in search of a certain pair of elusive Tiffany dog bowls once owned by the late Joan Rivers.