“While I have certainly worked hard to build my career, I know that systemic racism and injustice helps people like me and harms those who aren’t like me, often in ways that are invisible to us. This needs to change,” Ben Mulroney, 44, a Canadian television host and husband of Jessica Mulroney, 40, said during the Monday (June 22) episode of CTV’s Your Morning. “More than ever, we need more Black voices, more Indigenous voices, more people of color in the media as well as every other profession – and that is why I have decided to immediately step away from my role at etalk to create space for a new perspective and a new voice.”
Ben’s resignation from etalk comes after CTV pulled Jessica’s show – I Do, Redo – following accusations from Sasha Exeter, a Black Canadian influencer. Sasha accused Jessica of “a series of very problematic behavior and antics that ultimately resulted in her sending me a threat in writing” after Sasha posted a “generic call to action” message that encouraged social media influences to support Black Lives Matter. Jessica apologized for her “textbook white privilege,” but it seems that her husband also took the lesson to heart. As CTV fans recover from this shocking development, here’s what you need to know about Ben.
.@benmulroney, thank you for your 18 years with Etalk. We will miss you, but are incredibly proud of your decision to step aside to make way for new voices on the show. pic.twitter.com/SAQqZbfenc
— etalk (@etalkCTV) June 22, 2020
1. He’s the son of a former Canadian Prime Minister. Born Benedict Martin Paul Mulroney in 1976, Ben is the second of four children born to former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, 81, and Mila Mulroney, 66. Brian Mulroney served as the 18th prime Minister from Sept. 17, 1984, to June 26, 1993. During that time, the Mulroney children grew up in the public eye. Some followed in the family business – Caroline Mulroney is currently the Ontario Minister of Transportation – while Ben decided to pursue a career in entertainment journalism.
2. He’s best known for etalk. Though Ben has a few other listings on his IMDB profile, including some acting gigs, he’s best known to Canadian television viewers as the host of etalk. The show began in 2002, and for nearly two decades, Ben has been at the helm of this entertainment news show. Yes, he has had other gigs – hosting Canadian Idol from 2003 to 2008 and hosting the radio show, etalk 20, per HuffPost Canada – but to most Canadian viewers, he’s synonymous with etalk.
3. Ben will still be a part of CTV and etalk. Though Ben has stepped down as a host of etalk, he’s not completely done with CTV, its parent company Bell Media, or etalk. Ben will remain with the program for red carpet broadcasts and other assignments. He’ll also work with Bell Media on special projects. On top of that, he will remain as a host on CTV’s Your Morning.
4. He married Jessica in 2008. Ben popped the question to Jessica – a then fashion designer and stylist – in 2007. She is also one of the heirs to Brown’s Shoes, a high-end chain of shoe stores in Canada. They were married in 2008, and have since welcomed three children together: fraternal twins Brian and John, and daughter Isabel.
5. There isn’t a replacement lined up yet. Ben hopes that his replacement will be “Black, Indigenous, or a person of color, and they can use this important platform to inspire, to lead, and to make change.” However, Nanci MacLean, vice-president of Bell Media Studios, said in a statement that naming of a new host is a “few weeks” away. “We’re proud of Ben for his decision. … We thank him for his contribution to building ETALK into Canada’s #1 entertainment show, and look forward to developing new projects with him at Bell Media Studios.”