North StarsBen Mulroney joins ‘Good Morning America’
He was born in Montreal and raised in Ottawa; he's the former host of "Canada AM" and "Canadian Idol"; and his father is a former prime minister. But now, TV entertainment personality Ben Mulroney is heading south of the border, having accepted a gig as the weekend host of "Good Morning America."
As the leading man on CTV's "eTalk," headlining the show's coverage of the Oscars, Golden Globes, and other "big ticket" events along with celebrity interviews, Mulroney is the unofficial king of Canadian entertainment news. Recently, he began poking his perfectly coiffed head into American TV with two guest-hosting stints on "Live! With Kelly," which apparently convinced ABC president Ben Sherwood that Mulroney is a "versatile journalist," one who is "quick on his feet and excels at live television."
But although Mulroney will make his "GMA" debut this weekend filling in for host Dan Harris, he isn't exactly sure yet what he'll be doing in his new role, or whether it will be long-term.
"It's never been my specific goal to move to the U.S. My goal is to just keep trying new things, and this new job is one of them," Mulroney told the Globe and Mail, stating that Toronto will still be his home base, where he lives with wife Jessica Brownstein and twin sons.
That means that Mulroney's fellow Canuck entertainment reporters and "eTalk" viewers can still expect to see his pearly whites in the future.
On the other hand, he certainly wouldn't be the first Canadian TV personality to head south to further a career. American TV pastures are bigger and greener (at least financially), and Mulroney's swagger and charm have never felt particularly "Canadian." Maybe he and American TV will be a perfect match. Early risers will find out this weekend.
In any case, we wish Ben luck! Because he must really, really want this job if he's giving up his weekend mornings.
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