What’s Charlie Puth’s perfect date? 10 things we learned from his Hits 1 Weekend Countdown takeover

Charlie Puth did SiriusXM Hits 1 a solid by taking over hosting duties for our latest Weekend Countdown, unveiling the top 45 songs in North America. Along the way, the One Call Away crooner also spilled some personal details to listeners — including his idea of the perfect date.

“I feel like the best dates are super chill,” said Puth, 24. “[We had] dinner, went home, watched TV and then somehow had the appetite for Chinese food. Super cool girl.”

(Something tells us Marvin Gaye music may have been playing, too.)

Puth also showed his soft side while discussing how friend Shawn Mendes brings a stuffed lion named Leo with him on tour.

“I have a stuffed Beary Bearington III, because there were two before him,” he said. “He’s the smallest of the bears and he sits in my bunk and he makes me happy.”

Check out nine more fun facts about Puth below. You can catch the Weekend Countdown on Saturdays at 2 am, 6 am, 11 am, 3 pm, & 7 pm ET on SiriusXM Hits 1 (Ch. 2) or on demand!

Favorite moment of his career so far: counting radio royalty Jay Z and Beyonce as fans. “This year has been amazing for me, but one of my moments was when Jay and Beyonce came to one of my shows,” Puth said. “That was really cool.”

Best concert experience: the first time he saw Bruce Springsteen live. So how’d The Boss do? “It was amazing!” he said.

Musical influences: a mix of classic rock and rap. “James Taylor has inspired my music the most, the song-writing side of things, and production-wise it’s probably, honestly been Eminem and Dr. Dre,” he said.

Favorite movies: old-school comedies like Animal House, Naked Gun, Airplane and Caddyshack.

Dream place to perform: the Hollywood Bowl, conveniently located “right across the street from my house,” he said.

Worst fear: being trapped in a room full of people. “I like people, but I get claustrophobic,” he explained.

First song he ever wrote: “I don’t remember what it was called, but I remember I was listening to 98 Degrees, the band with Nick Lachey, and I wanted to make a song like that,” Puth said, adding with a laugh, “I was 13 years old. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Nicknames: too many to count. “Some people who are close to me call me ‘Charles’ as a joke, but that’s actually my real name. Some people call me ‘Otto,’ which is my middle name. My college friends call me ‘Chunky.’ They also call me ‘Chunky Monkey’ and ‘Chunky Monkey Spunky.’ Sometimes they call me just ‘Spunky.’ I have a lot of nicknames. My mom calls me ‘Charlie Otto’ when she’s mad at me. Also on the regular.”  (And for the record, he calls pop star pal Selena Gomez “Sel” sometimes.)

Pre-show ritual: some liquid courage. Puth said he likes to take “a little shot of Jameson, ’cause it’s actually good for your throat, warms me up, loosens me up.”

See all the songs from Puth’s SiriusXM Hits 1 Weekend Countdown here. 

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