He spent his early television career hosting shows in Miami, Florida before moving to New York in the 1960s.

[5] In Miami, he was a staff announcer on WCKT (channel 7) and hosted a kiddie show called Bobsville.

[6] After his first national hosting job on the game Make a Face (ABC, 1961–1962),[7][8] Clayton assumed announcing duties on the long-running NBC game Concentration in 1963, and took over hosting duties on the show in January 1969 as successor to original emcee Hugh Downs.

[2] He was replaced in March 1969 by Ed McMahon, but returned in September 1969[3] after viewer outrage and declining audience ratings.

[9] Clayton also had a brief flirtation with the movies when he played the bell captain in Jerry Lewis' 1960 film, The Bellboy, which was shot on location in Miami.