Thea Andrews (born October 4, 1973) is a Canadian journalist, sports and entertainment television personality, and reality competition and morning show host. From October 2003 to November 2006, she served as co-host on several

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

shows such as ''

Cold Pizza ''Cold Pizza'' was an American television sports morning talk show that aired weekdays on ESPN2 from 2003 to 2007. The show's style was more akin to ''Good Morning America'' than ''SportsCenter''s straight news and highlights format. It included ...

'' (2003–2005), ''Breakfast at Churchill Downs'' (2004–2006), ''Breakfast at Pimlico'' (2004–2006), ''The ESPY Red Carpet Show'' (2005–2006), '' ESPN Hollywood'' (2005–2006) and ''Sports and Hollywood'' (2006). Andrews reported on

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

and

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the network. She used to host a Saturday night counter-programming block against ''

Hockey Night in Canada ''Hockey Night in Canada'' (often abbreviated ''Hockey Night'' or ''HNiC'') is a long-running program of broadcast ice hockey play-by-play coverage in Canada. With roots in pioneering hockey coverage on private radio stations as early as 1923, ...

'' called ''Guys TV'' on TSN, and a Canadian cable show titled '' Cooking for Love''. She was a correspondent and host on ''

Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Par ...

'' from November 2006 to October 2009. Andrews hosted the first season of ''

Top Chef Canada ''Top Chef Canada'' is a Canadian reality competition television series. The show premiered on April 11, 2011, on Food Network Canada (now Flavour Network). The first season consisted of 13 episodes, with 16 contestants vying for a grand prize o ...

'' and

Nigel Lythgoe Nigel Lythgoe OBE (; born 9 July 1949) is an English television and film director and producer, television dance competition judge, former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He was the producer of the shows ''Pop Idol'' and ''Ame ...

's country music singing competition, ''CMT's Next Superstar''. From January 2013 to July 2015, she co-hosted '' The Insider''.

Early life and career

Andrews was born in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

to a Canadian businesswoman and a Macedonian lawyer. She attended

Bishop Strachan School The Bishop Strachan School (BSS) is an Anglican day and boarding school for girls in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The school has approximately 950 students, including 70 boarding students, ranging from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 (approximately ...

and was originally a "jock" before opting for theater instead. A reporter for a local cable channel as a sophomore, Andrews starred in '' Prom Night IV: Deliver Us from Evil'' in 1992. After high school, she attended Queen's University and graduated with a degree in Spanish and Latin American studies. While at Queen's University Andrews co-hosted (with Cameron Dixon) ''

Paradigm Shift A paradigm shift is a fundamental change in the basic concepts and experimental practices of a scientific discipline. It is a concept in the philosophy of science that was introduced and brought into the common lexicon by the American physicist a ...

'', a weekly half-hour series which highlighted the works of Queen's University's Film Department. By 1999, Andrews was a producer at ''

Fashion Television ''FashionTelevision'', also known as ''FT'', is a Canadian-produced special interest show focusing on fashion. The show, created by Jay Levine in 1985, was last hosted by Jeanne Beker. Production of the broadcast ended on April 11, 2012. The p ...

''. The new millennium found her as host of the show '' Cooking for Love''. Soon, she was hosting ''Guy's TV'' on TSN. Though both were canceled, Andrews continued to pursue her dreams. She became a reporter on the show '' etalk Daily'' and eventually the show's host.

Acting career

Andrews also has a list of theatre credits, including ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...

'' in high school and ''

The Vagina Monologues ''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run at the Westside Theatre. The play explores ...

'' in 2001. She has also produced several shows in addition to writing internet columns for TSN. Andrews had a small role in the film ''

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle ''Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle'' (released in some international markets as ''Harold & Kumar Get the Munchies'') is a 2004 American Buddy film, buddy stoner film, stoner comedy film directed by Danny Leiner, written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayd ...

'' as the TV anchorwoman. Andrews has also been featured as herself on the daytime drama ''

The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in the fictional Genoa City (named after the real-life Genoa City, Wiscon ...

'' and has played herself several times on HBO's ''

True Blood ''True Blood'' is an American fantasy Horror fiction, horror Drama (film and television), drama television series produced and created by Alan Ball (screenwriter), Alan Ball. It is based on ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', a series of novels ...

''.

ESPN/ESPN2/ABC Sports

Before her part on ''

'', Andrews was seen in the

series ''

Playmakers ''Playmakers'' is an American drama television series created by John Eisendrath that aired on ESPN from August 26 to November 11, 2003. It depicts the lives of the Cougars, a fictional professional football team playing in an unidentified ci ...

'' (2003), in which she played the role of Samantha Lovett, a television sports news reporter. The role was highly controversial and The Association for Women in Sports Media formally filed a complaint for the portrayal of Lovett. Andrews disagreed with this complaint in an interview with ''

The Plain Dealer ''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio; it is a major national newspaper. In the fall of 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily an ...

'' in 2004. Andrews joined ESPN in October 2003 as the national correspondent for Cold Pizza (2003–2005),

ESPN2 ESPN2 is an American multinational pay television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between the Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the remaining 20%). ESPN2 was initially ...

's signature morning show as she made her debut on October 20, 2003. Andrews' primary role on the daily weekday program (7-9 a.m. ET) was to provide live reports from sports and non-sports events as well as to present unique lifestyle features. The show was originally hosted by

Jay Crawford Jason "Jay" Crawford (born July 4, 1965) is an American TV news and sports anchor, who is best known nationally for his time at ESPN. Crawford anchored the live 11 p.m. edition of ''SportsCenter'' with Chris McKendry until April 2017. Prior to ...

and

Kit Hoover Catherine "Kit" Hoover (born July 29, 1970) is an American Television presenter, television host, sports commentator, sportscaster and broadcast journalism, broadcast journalist currently serving as the anchor of ''Access Hollywood'', and co-host ...

. Eventually, Andrews became co-host. From 2004–2006, she co-hosted the Triple Crown morning shows on ESPN2 such as Breakfast at Churchill Downs (2004–2006) and Breakfast at Pimlico (2004–2006), a program of the morning the

Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Frida ...

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

and

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...

(2004–2006). She also contributed to ESPN's long extensive coverage of the Triple Crown afternoon shows (2004–2006) including the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over the worldwide classic distance of . Colt (horseracing), Colt ...

. She also covered other big

events. She served as a reporter for the

Breeders Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, ...

Simulcast Show in 2004 and 2005. After 17 months on ''Cold Pizza'', the show began cutting both the airtime of Andrews and Kit Hoover. In an attempt to become more sports-oriented rather than a blend of sports, pop culture, and entertainment, the show dropped Andrews and Hoover altogether in March 2005. They were replaced by Dana Jacobson. While Hoover left the network in late 2006, Andrews had already agreed several months prior to being transferred to Los Angeles to co-host ESPN2's new evening entertainment show, '' ESPN Hollywood''. She also co-hosted The ESPY Red Carpet Show (2005–2006) with

Stuart Scott Stuart Orlando Scott (July 19, 1965 – January 4, 2015) was an American Sports commentator, sportscaster and anchor on ESPN, including on ''SportsCenter''. Known for his hip-hop style and use of catchphrases, Scott was also a regular for the ...

in July 2005. She hosted it in July 2006 with Dana Jacobson.

Andrews reported the sidelines for

on College Football on ESPN, ESPN and

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

. Beginning on August 15, 2005,

Mario Lopez Mario Lopez (born October 10, 1973) is an American actor and television host. He has appeared on several television series, in films, and on Broadway theatre, Broadway. He is known for his portrayal of A.C. Slater on ''Saved by the Bell'', ''S ...

and Andrews began hosting '' ESPN Hollywood'' (2005–2006). ''ESPN Hollywood'' was a weeknight entertainment show à la ''

'' which focused more on Hollywood's relationship to the sports world. Andrews also was the producer for ESPN Hollywood.

The show would be cancelled in January 2006 after a management change at ESPN in which several shows were cancelled ('' Cheap Seats (TV series), Cheap Seats'', '' Classic Now'', etc.) and also due to poor initial ratings. After ''ESPN Hollywood'' was cancelled, Andrews briefly hosted a segment of the latest news of the convergence between the sports and entertainment worlds called ''Sports and Hollywood'' (2006), a segment on ''Cold Pizza'' which began in April 2006. The tightened focus on sports news resulted in an end to that segment in November 2006; however, actors and other performers still stopped by the ''Cold Pizza'' studios from time to time to pitch their projects and share their love of sports. Also after ''ESPN Hollywood'', Andrews often reported from the

sidelines In sports, out of bounds (or out-of-bounds) refers to being outside the playing boundaries of the Pitch (sports field), field. The legality of going out of bounds (intentionally or not), and the ease of prevention, vary by sport. Sports that use ...

for

College basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for

ABC Sports ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial America ...

and

and also covered

Golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

for ESPN. She was a contributor to ABC Sports' coverage of the 2006

. She also contributed to

's coverage of the 2006

''Entertainment Tonight''

On November 16, 2006, Andrews made her debut as a correspondent on ''

'' (ET) that is where she continued to work until October 2009. She was also a regular substitute host for the show as well. She also was the weekend host of ''ET''. Since joining ''Entertainment Tonight'' in November 2006, Andrews has interviewed many of the industry's most newsworthy celebrities, including

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, rapper, and film producer. Known for his work in both Will Smith filmography, the screen and Will Smith discography, music industries, List of awards and nominations re ...

Leonardo DiCaprio Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (; ; born November 11, 1974) is an American actor and film producer. Known for Leonardo DiCaprio filmography, his work in biographical and period films, he is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received ...

Steve Carell Steven John Carell (; born August 16, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He starred as Michael Scott in the NBC sitcom ''The Office'' (2005–2011, 2013), and also worked at several points as a producer, executive producer, writer, a ...

Hugh Jackman Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian and British actor, singer, and producer. Beginning in theatre and television, Jackman landed his breakthrough role as Wolverine in the ''X-Men'' film franchise and the Marvel Cinem ...

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962) is an American actor and film producer. Regarded as a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood icon, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Tom Cruise, various accolades, includ ...

Jim Carrey James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. Known primarily for his energetic slapstick performances, he has received two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for BAFTA Awards and ...

Russell Crowe Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor and film director. Russell Crowe filmography, His work on screen has earned him List of awards and nominations received by Russell Crowe, various accolades, including an Academy Award, two Gold ...

Reese Witherspoon Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976) is an American actress and producer. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Reese Witherspoon, various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Aw ...

Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Joanna Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an American actress. She rose to international fame for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom ''Friends'' from 1994 to 2004, which earned her Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe, and Scr ...

Anne Hathaway Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. List of awards and nominations received by Anne Hathaway, Her accolades include an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime ...

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in '' The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. ...

Marie Osmond Olive Marie Osmond (born October 13, 1959) is an American singer, actress, television personality, author, and businesswoman. She is known for her girl next door, girl-next-door image and her decades-long career in many different areas. Her musi ...

, and

Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American former comedian, actress, television host, writer, and producer. She began her career in stand-up comedy in the early 1980s, gaining national attention with a 1986 appearance on '' ...

''TNT/After ET''

On January 23, 2010, Andrews became co-host for the "16th Annual

Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...

" Red Carpet Show for

TNT Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...

with People deputy managing editor Peter Castrobr>
She was the host of the first season of ''

'', which premiered on April 11, 2011. She stepped down as host for the second season because she was nine months pregnant during taping and was replaced by actress

Lisa Ray Lisa Rani Ray (born 4 April 1972) is a Canadian actress. She began her modelling career in India in the early 1990s, appearing for leading Indian brands like Bombay Dyeing and Lakmé. She made her acting debut in 1994 in the film '' Hanste Khe ...

. However, she appeared as a judge on the second season in the third episode, when the chefs were challenged to create dishes for a baby shower in honor of her and fellow judge Shereen Arazm.

''CMT's Next Superstar''

Andrews is the host of ''CMT's Next Superstar'', a

reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of everything in existence; everything that is not imagination, imaginary. Different Culture, cultures and Academic discipline, academic disciplines conceptualize it in various ways. Philosophical questions abo ...

competition series specializing in

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

, which is produced by

Hosting controversy

Andrews hosted ''Top Chef Canada'' on a season where the contestants had to cook up

horse meat Horse meat forms a significant part of the culinary traditions of many countries, particularly in Europe and Asia. The eight countries that consume the most horse meat consume about 4.3million horses a year. For the majority of humanity's early ...

dishes. This led to

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

protests from various animal rights groups.

Personal life

On June 30, 2007, Andrews and Jay Wolf were married at the Ojai Valley Inn in Ojai, California. They have a son, Jack Aaron, born in April 2008.

References

External links

*
Thea Andrews' biography at ''ET'' Online
{{DEFAULTSORT:Andrews, Thea 1973 births Canadian television reporters and correspondents Canadian infotainers Canadian television hosts National Autonomous University of Mexico alumni Journalists from Toronto Living people Queen's University at Kingston alumni Women sports commentators College football announcers College basketball announcers in the United States American television sports announcers National Hockey League broadcasters Golf commentators Canadian horse racing announcers Canadian women television journalists Canadian people of Macedonian descent American women television journalists American women television hosts Canadian women television hosts 21st-century American women journalists 21st-century American journalists Bishop Strachan School alumni