Jessi Cruickshank

Jessi Cruickshank became a household name as the face of MTV Canada and the host of MTV’s international smash hit The Hills After Show. The Hills After Show became a cult phenomenon, nominated for two Gemini Awards, syndicated in over 10 countries and generating record-breaking ratings in Canada and the US. 

With the success of The Hills After Show, Jessi went on to co-host, produce and write the spin-off prime time pop culture series The After Show, where she provided her quick-witted commentary and refreshing perspective on the day’s entertainment news. Jessi’s self-deprecating humour, irreverent interview style and eclectic flair for fashion quickly made her a fan-favorite on MTV and garnered the attention of top producers in the U.S. Jessi has recently re-located to Los Angeles to develop The Untitled Jessi Cruickshank Project with Ellen Rakieten, Executive Producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Born in an A&W restaurant, Jessi grew up in Vancouver, B.C, honing her comedic skills as the only girl on an all-male improv troupe alongside Seth Rogen. She then went on to study theatre in London, England and graduated at the top of her class with a degree in Drama and English from the University of Toronto. Soon after, Jessi was discovered in MTV’s nation-wide search, landing her a position that allowed her to interview the likes of Tom Cruise, Zac Efron, Sarah Jessica Parker, the cast of Twilight, Chris Brown, Will Ferrell, Drake, Rhianna and Bill Gates, to name a few. Often pushing the boundaries, Jessi’s daring and hilarious interviews with Taylor Lautner, Adam Lambert, Heidi and Spencer, and her “date” with Bradley Cooper quickly became online sensations, garnering over a million views worldwide. 

When not hosting her live daily talk-show for MTV, Jessi has been a celebrity guest on E!’s The Soup, co-hosted the 2009 MTV Movie Awards Pre-Show, acted as a judge on Canada’s Next Top Model and made guest appearances on E! True Hollywood Story, Fashion Television, Canada AM and NBC News. Most recently she was hand picked from journalists across the country to cover the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games as a co-host of Olympic Morning on CTV.

Jessi’s ability to connect to her audience has also allowed her to tackle global issues in a refreshingly relatable way. As the ambassador for charity organization Free the Children, Jessi traveled to India in 2008 for the critically acclaimed documentary MTV Presents: Jessi in India, where she encountered child labor, hunger and poverty first hand. In 2009, she produced the much-anticipated follow-up MTV Presents: Jessi in Kenya that documented her experiences living in a mud hut for 10 days with a traditional Massai family. Jessi’s social activism has made her a renowned keynote speaker, appearing at national conferences along side The Dalai Lama, Jane Goodall and Mia Farrow. Last year she teamed up with the cast of The Hills to auction off her designer dresses, raising over $30,000 for charity.

Known for her unique and eclectic sense of style, Jessi has been named TV Guide’s Best Dressed Host, and she has appeared in top fashion publications Elle, Flare, Fashion and Verve Girl Magazines. In 2008, Jessi launched her own line of eco-friendly T-Shirts for ‘Me to We’ that sold out across the country; her second collection is due out this fall.

Next up, Jessi will act as the L.A correspondent for Etalk Daily, star in a series of MTV Specials and make her big screen debut as a lead in the Degrassi: The Next Generation movie.

1. Born in an A&W

Jessi Cruickshank was born in an A&W restaurant in Calgary, Alberta. She is now developing her own show with the Executive Producers of The Oprah Winfrey Show in Los Angeles. How on earth did she get there? In her candid, interactive and raucously funny speech, Jessi will talk about all of the choices she has made (the good ones and the not so good ones...) that got her to that place. The secrets of success are the same no matter what field you are in. Jessi's story of going from a fast food restaurant in Calgary, to being the only girl on an all-male improv team with Seth Rogan in Vancouver, to breaking up fights between Lauren and Heidi in LA, will not only have the audience in stitches, but motivate them to make the choices that will allow them to live their dreams and achieve their goals.

1. The Power to Create Change

As long time Canadian ambassador for non-profit organization Free the Children, Jessi speaks about her eye opening experiences leaving the comfort of her MTV studio and travelling to rural India and Kenya. From carrying poop in India to drinking Goats blood in Kenya, Jessi’s often hilarious and always powerful stories about her travels allow her to tackle serious global issues in a refreshingly relatable way. She talks about the pop-culture bubble so many young people in North America get trapped in today and challenges them to pop it, to see beyond the MTV world and discover the power they hold to create positive change in their colleges, communities and in the world.

1. Finding Happiness in a Material World

In North America, we spend more money on the diet industry than the government spends on health, education and welfare combined. Last year more people voted for American Idol than for any president in US history and 1 in 4 Canadian teens say they would rather be famous than work to make a difference in the world. As the face of MTV and the LA correspondent for Etalk, Jessi talks candidly about navigating a material and pop-culture obsessed world. She opens up about her own experiences working in an industry where quite often how you look is more important than how you think, where your net worth is more relevant than your self-worth, and where success is measured by what you have not what you have to give. Revealing a new side of herself, Jessi will empower her young audience to discover that happiness is not about what you have in your life, but what you choose to do with it.

1. Making the Most of Your College Life

Jessi attended the University of Toronto on a full Scholarship and graduated with honours, but the things she cherishes the most about her university education were the things that had nothing to do with her formal "education". Jessi will speak about how she got involved in University- starting a special needs drama program at a local high school, joining the student council, playing intramural sports and getting involved with Free the Children- and why students should strive to find a similar balance. Telling a series of wildly funny, honest and relatable anecdotes, Jessi's uncanny ability to relate to young audiences will leave them motivated to create opportunities and make the most of their College experience.

1. Host and MC

As the host of a live daily talk show on MTV, broadcast to over 90 million homes across North America, Jessi knows how to work a room. With her signature warmth and wit, Jessi has MC'd and hosted charity fundraisers, private parties, red carpets, award shows, store openings and corporate events all across Canada and the US. Her sharp wit and charm allow her to relate to any crowd and make any event a truly memorable one.

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