Chris Van Vliet

Van Vliet was born in Pickering, Ontario, where he attended Pine Ridge Secondary School. He attended Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, where he completed the university's communication studies program. While attending he held jobs at Rogers Community Television and AM570 News in Kitchener. His first on-air job was with CHEX-TV in Peterborough, Ontario, where he was a news reporter and videographer immediately following graduation.{{Cite news|title=Chris Van Vliet Biography on Inside Jam}} He is of Dutch and Macedonian descent.{{cite tweet|number=373100719551041536|user=ChrisVanVliet|title=@McDube many, many generations ago|date=August 29, 2013}}{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuRij_FEeWQ&t=220s | title=Santino Marella on his fake accent, current comedy wrestlers, creating the Cobra, retiring | website=YouTube | access-date=May 24, 2022 | archive-date=May 24, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220524001317/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuRij_FEeWQ&t=220s | url-status=live }}

{{Main|969 (TV series)}}

Following his early days in Peterborough, Van Vliet eventually moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he was hired as a host and producer for Razer Television's (what would eventually become MTV2) 969 program.{{cite web |first=Jesse |last=Kohl |url=http://www.mediaincanada.com/articles/mic/20080717/mtv2.html |title=CTV rebrands Razer as MTV2 |publisher=Media in Canada |date=July 17, 2008 |accessdate=November 10, 2011 |archive-date=October 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013052112/https://mediaincanada.com/2008/07/17/mtv2-20080717/ |url-status=live }} 969 aired from November 2004 until it was cancelled in 2007. While there, he also hosted Razer News, a celebrity news program. In 2007, Van Vliet was voted as the third favorite Vancouver TV personality by the readers of TV Week Magazine.

{{Main|Jam!}}

Following 969, Van Vliet returned to Toronto where he co-hosted the program Inside Jam! with Tara Slone on Sun TV. While the program was initially an hour-long daily entertainment news program, on March 23, 2006, it was reported that the program was moving to a 1-hour Saturday format.{{cite web |url=http://thestar.blogs.com/azerb/2006/03/more_blood_on_t.html#comments |title=Sun down, Antonia Zerbisias, Toronto Star |publisher=Thestar.blogs.com |date=March 23, 2006 |accessdate=November 10, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081118123116/http://thestar.blogs.com/azerb/2006/03/more_blood_on_t.html |archivedate=November 18, 2008 }} Inside Jam! was then scaled down to a half-hour program on Saturdays and Sundays.{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20060623025717/http://suntv.canoe.ca/cgi-bin/publish.cgi?show=18272123&x=series&s=insidejam Inside Jam! on SunTV schedule listing]}}

In February 2010, Van Vliet announced on air on Inside Jam! that he would be leaving the show, having accepted a position as an entertainment reporter at CBS affiliate WOIO in Cleveland, Ohio.{{cite web |last=Warmington |first=Joe |url=http://www.torontosun.com/news/columnists/joe_warmington/2010/02/05/12765736.html |title=Who do you like in Super Bowl?, Joe Warmington |publisher=Torontosun.com |date= |accessdate=November 10, 2011 |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606102653/http://www.torontosun.com/news/columnists/joe_warmington/2010/02/05/12765736.html |url-status=live }} In April 2010 he was voted by Inside Edition as one of Cleveland's hottest bachelors.{{cite news |last=Dawidziak |first=Mark |date=April 20, 2010 |title='Inside Edition' reveals Cleveland's hottest bachelors |url=http://www.cleveland.com/tv-blog/index.ssf/2010/04/inside_edition_reveals_clevelands_hottest_bachelors.html |accessdate=November 10, 2011 |website=The Plain Dealer |location=Cleveland, Ohio |archive-date=June 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607032329/http://www.cleveland.com/tv-blog/index.ssf/2010/04/inside_edition_reveals_clevelands_hottest_bachelors.html |url-status=live }}

In October 2011, Cosmopolitan Magazine named him the Bachelor of the Year. He donated the $10,000 prize to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland.{{cite web |url=http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/dating-advice/2011-cosmo-bachelor-of-the-year-chris-van-vliet |title=2011 Cosmo Bachelor of The Year - Interview with Chris Van Vliet |publisher=Cosmopolitan |date=October 19, 2011 |accessdate=November 10, 2011 |archive-date=November 23, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111123143509/http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/dating-advice/2011-cosmo-bachelor-of-the-year-chris-van-vliet |url-status=live }}

On June 2, 2012, Van Vliet won two Sports Emmy Awards for Best Host and Best Single Sports Story for his report on Gregory Iron, a professional wrestler from Cleveland who wrestles despite being born with cerebral palsy.{{cite web |url=http://www.nataslgl.org/awards_emmys_winners2012.php |title=NATAS Lower Great Lakes Chapter |publisher=NATASLGL |date=June 3, 2012 |accessdate=June 18, 2012 |archive-date=January 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114074145/http://www.nataslgl.org/awards_emmys_winners2012.php |url-status=live }}

On June 7, 2014, Van Vliet won his third Sports Emmy Award for Best Host.

Van Vliet began as the entertainment reporter for WSVN's nightly program Deco Drive on January 5, 2015. On January 29, 2016, Van Vliet interviewed Leslie Mann and Dakota Johnson for the film How to Be Single. The interview subsequently became a viral video after the actresses spent the entire time aggressively flirting with Van Vliet.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX6rII4HP6Q |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/fX6rII4HP6Q |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Dakota Johnson and Leslie Mann Hit On "Hot" Reporter|via=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}

On June 27, 2015, Van Vliet won his fourth Emmy Award for Best Host. He has a total of nine nominations.

In addition to his media work, Van Vliet also is involved with competitive bass fishing, having entered numerous Bassmaster and FLW Outdoors tournaments,{{Cite web| url=http://www.bassmaster.com/news/van-vliet-top-bachelor-angler| title=Angler Chris van Vliet: Top Cosmo bachelor| date=October 27, 2011| access-date=January 12, 2014| archive-date=January 12, 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112044241/http://www.bassmaster.com/news/van-vliet-top-bachelor-angler| url-status=live}} and even winning an Amateur Division Big Fish of the Day title when the Bassmaster Northern Open took place from September 12–14, 2013 in Sandusky, Ohio, with a 6-pound, 7-ounce smallmouth bass. He also has recorded two overall top ten finishes in previous Bassmaster Northern Opens. He is the co-founder of the outdoors brand WOO! Tungsten.

Van Vliet is an avid professional wrestling fan, having worked as an announcer for Cleveland-based independent promotion Prime Wrestling,{{Cite web|url=http://www.primewrestling.com/stars.php|title=PRIME Wrestling|website=www.primewrestling.com|access-date=January 23, 2014|archive-date=December 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208055211/http://www.primewrestling.com/stars.php|url-status=live}} Blueprint Pro Wrestling in Deerfield Beach, Florida, as well as several companies in Toronto. He frequently conducts interviews with professional wrestlers from national companies such as WWE, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and Total Nonstop Action (TNA) for his popular YouTube channel. He announced on July 29, 2019, that he had signed with AEW as a backstage interviewer for the organization's weekly television show AEW Dynamite on TNT.{{cite web|url=https://www.sescoops.com/2019/07/chris-van-vliet-signs-with-aew/#:~:text=Entertainment%2Fwrestling%20reporter%20Chris%20Van%20Vliet%20is%20the%20latest,in%20October%20for%20their%20first%20show%20on%20TNT.|title=Chris Van Vliet Signed With AEW|date=July 29, 2019|access-date=February 16, 2022|archive-date=October 13, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013052110/https://www.sescoops.com/news/chris-van-vliet-signs-with-aew/#:~:text=Entertainment%2Fwrestling%20reporter%20Chris%20Van%20Vliet%20is%20the%20latest,in%20October%20for%20their%20first%20show%20on%20TNT.|url-status=live}} Van Vliet was featured as a ring side interviewer on the premiere episode of Dynamite with actors Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes and also appeared on a later episode hosting a live interview segment with The Rock 'n' Roll Express in Charleston, West Virginia.{{cite web|url=https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2021/10/chris-van-vliet-gives-update-on-his-aew-status/|title=Chris Van Vliet Gives Update On His AEW Status}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/310789/[VIDEO]-Dolph-Ziggler-to-be-Examined-Sunday-Before-the-Royal-Rumble.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=January 23, 2014 |archive-date=October 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013052112/https://411mania.com/wrestling/video-dolph-ziggler-to-be-examined-sunday-before-the-royal-rumble/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGiJMwHsMQk |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/pGiJMwHsMQk |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|title=MJF interview gets interrupted by room service among many, many other things|via=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Twy7UAZXFc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/0Twy7UAZXFc |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|title=TNA Champion Bully Ray Interrupts Local Newscast|via=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}

• Canadian Pro-Wrestling Hall of Fame
• Class of 2025
• Four-time Lower Great Lakes Emmy Awards recipient{{Cite web|url=https://nataslgl.org/awards_emmy_winners_2014_109ufb10842gb018.php|title=NATAS Lower Great Lakes Chapter|website=nataslgl.org|access-date=October 31, 2019|archive-date=October 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031153718/https://nataslgl.org/awards_emmy_winners_2014_109ufb10842gb018.php|url-status=live}}
• 2011 Cosmopolitan Magazine Bachelor of the Year{{Cite web|url=http://www.bdmotp.com/2013/09/catching-up-with-a-best-dressed-man-chris-van-vliet/|title=Chris Van Vliet|date=September 20, 2013|website=Best Dressed Man on the Planet|access-date=October 31, 2019|archive-date=October 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031153718/http://www.bdmotp.com/2013/09/catching-up-with-a-best-dressed-man-chris-van-vliet/|url-status=live}}
• 2012 Broadcasters Hall of Fame Personality of the Year{{Cite web|url=https://chrisvanvliet.tv/bio/|title=BIO – Chris Van Vliet|access-date=October 31, 2019|archive-date=October 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031153717/https://chrisvanvliet.tv/bio/|url-status=dead}}
• 2012, 2013 Society of Professional Journalists Best of Ohio Award recipient
• 2013, 2014 Ohio Excellence in Journalism award recipient
• 2013 Bassmaster Bass Pro Shops Northern Open - Amateur Division Big Fish of the Day (6lb., 7oz. smallmouth bass){{Cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/outdoors/2013/09/lake_erie_fishing_pro_bass_tou.html|title=Mike Iaconelli wins Northern Open on Lake Erie; Joe Balog moves up to second|first=D'Arcy|last=Egan|date=September 15, 2013|website=cleveland|access-date=October 31, 2019|archive-date=October 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031153714/https://www.cleveland.com/outdoors/2013/09/lake_erie_fishing_pro_bass_tou.html|url-status=live}}

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Category:1983 births

Category:Canadian emigrants to the United States

Category:Canadian people of Dutch descent

Category:Canadian television hosts

Category:Canadian television journalists

Category:Living people

Category:People from Pickering, Ontario