Jeannie Mai
Jeannie Mai Jenkins | |
|---|---|
 Mai in December 2019 | |
| Born | Jeannie Camtu Mai January 4, 1979 San Jose, California, U.S. |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Television | How Do I Look?, The Real, Holey Moley |
| Spouse(s) | Freddy Harteis
(m. 2007; div. 2018) |
| Children | Monaco Mai Jenkins |
| Website | thejeanniemai |
Jeannie Mai Jenkins (born Jeannie Camtu Mai; January 4, 1979)[1][2] is an American television host and stylist. She is best known for her work on the makeover show How Do I Look? and the syndicated daytime talk show The Real. As a fashion expert, she is frequently featured on television programs such as Today, Extra TV, Entertainment Tonight, and Insider. She has also appeared as a host for E! as well as the Miss Universe pageant. She is currently a sideline reporter on Holey Moley on ABC.
Early life[]
Jeannie Camtu Mai was born and raised in San Jose, California, to a Vietnamese mother named Olivia and a Chinese father named James.[3][4][5] She attended Milpitas High School.[4]
Career[]
1997–2004[]
At age 18, Mai launched her career as a makeup artist for MAC Cosmetics while still living in San Jose.[6] As a trainer, she worked her way from face to face until she was eventually traveling the world to work for celebrities such as Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys.[7] This led her to also serve as a celebrity-makeup stylist for MTV's Total Request Live, KCAL Los Angeles, and Good Day Sacramento.[7][8]
In 2003, Mai began auditioning for local-television networks with self-written scripts to demonstrate her hosting talents. She was hired to co-host the Asian-American magazine-style show Stir, on the International Channel.[8] Later, the San Francisco-based California Music Channel hired her to host her own music countdown. Mai went on to become an entertainment reporter and producer of the WB's The Daily Mixx.[9]
2005–2012[]
In 2005, Mai landed her first primetime hosting role on Character Fantasy on the USA Network, where she inspired guests each week to live their fantasies.[10] Following this, she moved to Los Angeles to appear on MTV's Granted alongside Frankie Muniz and hosted segments related to fashion and entertainment news on networks such as E!, Lifetime, TLC, and NBC on the lattermost's talk morning program Today.[11][12] She also started appearing as a member of the beauty squad on TLC's 10 Years Younger. In 2008, Mai hosted TLC's Miss America Reality Check. She also starred in the makeover special Dude, Where's Your Style, and became spokesperson of the cosmetics Never Accept Ordinary. The following year, Mai became host of the Style Network's fashion makeover show How Do I Look?.[13] She also served as a correspondent and weekend host on NBC's Extra TV with Mario Lopez. In the digital realm, Mai was the resident contributor to Perez Hilton's fashion site Cocoperez.com.[14] In 2011, Mai began hosting the Miss Universe pageant and was a fashion consultant on the NBC weight-loss competition The Biggest Loser.[9][15] Furthermore, Mai also hosted the stylist competition The Next Style Star from Maker Studios, and was the digital correspondent for NBC's Fashion Star.[16][17] In 2012, she appeared as a guest judge on Asia's Next Top Model, Cycle 1.
2013–present[]
In 2013, Mai was the host of a live weekly series titled Style Pop on the Style Network.[18] Since 2013, Mai has served as a co-host of the syndicated daytime talk show The Real, originally alongside Adrienne Bailon, Tamar Braxton, Loni Love, and Tamera Mowry, which premiered on July 15, 2013.[19][20] Following a trial summer run during 2013 on the Fox Television Stations group, it was picked up to series the following year.[21] In 2018, Mai and her co-hosts won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host for their work.[22] In 2015, Mai was host of the reality competition Steampunk'd on GSN. She also was a fashion correspondent on Entertainment Tonight.
In 2016, she brought her show How Do I Look? to Asia's Diva network. The following year, she portrayed Lady Luck on the American game show The Joker's Wild. Mai also became an ambassador for ReimagineMyself.com a program encouraging people living with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) to reimagine life with the chronic disease.[23]
On September 2, 2020, Mai was announced as one of the celebrities competing on the 29th season of Dancing with the Stars.[24][25] She was forced to exit the show on November 2, 2020, after being diagnosed with epiglottitis, an inflammatory condition that can cause swelling and block airflow to the lungs. [26]
Personal life[]
Mai adheres to Christianity.[27] She married Freddy Harteis on August 11, 2007;[28] the couple announced that they had filed for divorce on October 20, 2017,[29] which was finalized in December 2018.[30]
In November 2018, Mai started dating rapper Jeezy.[31] The couple became engaged on March 27, 2020, and were married a year after their engagement in an intimate ceremony at their home in Atlanta, Georgia.[32][33] On September 20, 2021, she revealed on the season 8 premiere of The Real that she and Jenkins are expecting their first child together.[34]
On January 11, 2022, the couple announced the birth of their daughter Monaco Mai Jenkins.[35]
Awards and nominations[]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host | The Real (shared with Adrienne Houghton, Tamar Braxton, Loni Love and Tamera Mowry-Housley) | Nominated | [36] |
| 2017 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host | The Real (shared with Braxton, Houghton, Love and Mowry-Housley) | Nominated | [37] |
| 2018 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Talk Series | The Real (shared with Houghton, Love and Mowry-Housley) | Won | [38] |
| 2018 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host | The Real (shared with Houghton, Love and Mowry-Housley) | Won | [39] |
| 2019 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Talk Series | The Real (shared with Houghton, Love and Mowry-Housley) | Won | [40] |
| 2019 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host | The Real (shared with Houghton, Love and Mowry-Housley) | Nominated | [41] |
References[]
- ^ Mai was born in San Jose, California, in Santa Clara County, and was 37 at time of article at Veridiano, Ruby (February 1, 2016). "Jeanie Mai: Embracing My Vietnamese-American Heritage Has 'Made Me Who I Am'". NBC News. Retrieved January 12, 2018. Only Jeannie Mai born in Santa Clara County in that timeframe is "The Birth of Jeannie Mai". CaliforniaBirthIndex.org. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
Jeannie Camtu Mai was born on January 4, 1979 in Santa Clara County, California. Her father's last name is Mai, and her mother's maiden name is Duong.
- ^ Mai, Jeannie (April 1, 2021). "Jeannie Mai on Instagram: "You will forever be my "I Do."