TORONTO – Seven new Canadian TV stars-in-the-making were announced by CTV Specialty Tuesday.
"After months of searching, hundreds of auditions, call backs and screen tests, MTV announced today the next wave of Canadian stars," says today’s press release. The seven will host MTV Live, the channel’s all-Canadian flagship program "that promises to be a socially engaging, live and interactive talk program tackling issues of interest to all Canadians. As previously announced, MTV Live will launch the MTV television network when it premieres Tuesday, March 21 at 6 p.m. ET.
The Canadian MTV channel is a re-brand of CTV’s talktv specialty channel – part of a wide-ranging deal between the broadcaster and MTV.
Like its predecessor, The Chatroom, MTV Live "will cover the conversational gamut, inviting viewers from across Canada and around the world to speak their 21st Century minds – in person, by phone, by e-mail and live on-line via webcams, instant messaging and blogging," says the release.
These seven diverse Canadians will bring a medley of experience and perspective to their jobs. They are:
Jessi Cruickshank: Born in Alberta and raised in Vancouver, Jessi is a recent graduate from U of T’s University College Drama Program where she earned the John Wolfe McColl Memorial Award as the top student in Drama and a scholarship to train extensively with Soulpepper Theatre Company. Jessi’s previous television experience includes two seasons as the host of YTV’s Weird on Wheels and principal roles in The Pretender, Virtuality, For Hope and Alive!
Nicole Holness: An experienced musician and performer, Nicole’s R&B girl group X-Quisite earned a 2003 JUNO nomination for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year and snagged nominations as Best New Artist at the 2002 Urban Music Awards of Canada and Best New Artist (CHR) at the 2002 Canadian Radio Awards. Hailing from a Jamaican, British, Irish, Scottish and East Indian background, Nicole is a Toronto native and fluent in French.
Daryn Jones: The most recognizable face on the MTV Live set, Daryn has already established a reputation in Canadian television. He started his comedic career at the age of 17 in front of the hard-to-please crowds in stand-up comedy clubs. Daryn has already won a Gemini Award for his Comedy Network series, Buzz. Previously, Daryn was writer and an on-air correspondent for The Rick Mercer Report.
Daniel Levy: A former film student at Ryerson University, Dan has a self-confessed fascination with popular culture, admitting "we’re in a bit of a rut at the moment." Dan brings his everyman perspective to the show. He describes himself as "slightly OCD" with an almost disconcerting knowledge of the city’s best pizza. "It’s an art", he said.
Gilson Lubin: An architectural design student before delving into the land of stand-up comedy, Gilson got the "bug" for comedy from some fellow students. Originally from St. Lucia, Gilson moved to Toronto when he was 10 and has spent the last couple of years racking up an impressive resume of accolades including a scholarship for Humber College’s Comedy Performance and Writing program and a nomination for the Phil Hartman Award. He went on to win Chicago’s Laugh Across America contest and the Las Vegas Comedy Festival and last year he picked up the best newcomer Canadian Comedy Award before taping his own Comedy Now! special.
Diane Salema: Diane was "discovered" by MTV while working at a Toronto retail outlet. When approached to audition for one of the host positions, Diane thought the offer was a scam; fortunately for viewers, she decided to give the audition a chance. Born and raised in Toronto, Diane is an avid reader, loves to write "sometimes a song, sometimes poetry" and play guitar.
Aliya-Jasmine Sovani: A former arts student, Aliya is an Ottawa native who has studied and lived all over the world (including Italy, Los Angeles, New York and the remote town of Perce, QC). The Ottawa Senators fan is true to her roots and says she owes her existence to rock’n roll as her parents met and fell in love at a Kiss concert. Before working for MTV Live, Aliya was a television producer for CHUM.
MTV Live will be produced and broadcast from its new state-of-the-art studios housed in Toronto’s Masonic Temple. MTV Live is produced by MTV Productions, a division of CTV Inc. Alex Sopinka is the senior producer and co-creator. Pam de Montmorency is producer. Sam Dynes is director of production. Mark McInnis is the vice-president of production and co-creator. Brad Schwartz is the senior vice-president and general manager.
