Our next Style Spotlight is a woman many Canadians grew up watching on television.
Allow us to introduce you to Cheryl Hickey.
Born and raised in Owen Sound, Cheryl Hickey knew she wanted to get into media from a young age. At just 16-years-old, she scored her first gig working at a local cable station, fueling her passion, which later led her to study Radio and Television Arts at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario.
After graduating, Hickey wasted no time in finding a job, working as a correspondent and afternoon news anchor at K106.5 in Owen Sound, then a production assistant and writer for The New VR in Barrie, and as a photojournalist and new chopper reporter for the Global Television Network.
In 2001, Hickey began reporting entertainment for Global and just four short years later, became the host of ET Canada, stealing the hearts of Canadians across the nation.
We had the opportunity to chat with Cheryl Hickey about what it’s really like being a television personality, what she wishes she could change about Toronto and why she loves it. Check out the interview below.
Tell us about you and what you do.
That’s a complicated story because there is a whole bunch. To break it down, I host Canada’s favourite entertainment show, Entertainment Tonight Canada. I get to travel the world, interview celebrities, go to great parties, be introduced to interesting projects and products – It is a very fulfilling, interesting job! I am hired to endorse products, attend events and all sorts of charities. It is a full-service job and so much more than just being on a TV show. It is much broader than I think anyone ever thought it would be. While people see me on TV for a half an hour a day, the job is really much, much larger than that. There is also the other side of me, which is the entrepreneurial side. I’m working on creating products for the family and for women who are not only mothers but are so much more as individual women, deep down inside. Creating things that are fun and family oriented. I think you can have all kinds of seasons and reasons when you’re a woman. There are times when things are down to business – the business mom and then there’s the comforting and consoling, loving mom and then there is the wife and then the friend. So instead of being lumped all into one category, I want to celebrate all the different elements of being a woman.
Define your style in three words.
This is the hard part. Of course, there is the contemporary, cool stuff we wear on the show. Then there’s my personal style on a day off that could be anything from Timberlands and a baggy sweater to being very boho or jeans and a crisp white tee shirt. I dress for myself but more importantly, I dress however I am feeling that day. I love trends and fashion and I fall in and out of them as quickly as they come. As much as I love trends, I am aware of what works for my body. I’m not a model and I know when certain trends won’t work for me!
If you could implement one change in Toronto, what would it be?
LESS TRAFFIC!
Where is your go-to shopping destination in the city?
My go-to shopping destination is a good mall. I love a good mall. I love the idea of a mall because you can get the little no name things that you can pair with a really good pair of designer shoes or handbag. I love Yorkdale, it is beautiful – I am a sucker for a good mall. Of course, Bloor Street is fantastic as well.
List the top five things about your city that you love!
Multicultural, the food, the entertainment, the sense of community and pride in our city and we have Drake. Is that fair? I kind of enjoy him. I think it is great that whether you are someone of Drake’s caliber or not, there is something so appealing about being proud of where you are from. I think that is really special.
To keep up with Cheryl Hickey, follow her Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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