Marilyn Denis (born July 1, 1958) is a Canadian television and radio personality. Denis was the host of The Marilyn Denis Show until her retirement from that role on June 9, 2023. She is also co-host of CHUM-FM's Marilyn Denis and Jamar.
Denis began her broadcasting career at a local radio station in Moscow, Idaho, and later moved to Calgary where she worked at CHFM-FM & CJAY-FM. In addition, she was a sports and entertainment reporter and weather announcer at CFCN-TV and TSN.
Since July 2, 1986, Denis has been one of the co-hosts of CHUM-FM's morning show. Originally titled Roger, Rick and Marilyn, co-hosting with Roger Ashby and Rick Hodge, then Roger and Marilyn after the departure of Hodge in June 2008 (Hodge's replacement, Darren B. Lamb, departed from the station in September 2015) until Ashby's retirement in December 2018 and is currently titled Marilyn Denis and Jamar.
In June 2008, Denis announced she would be hosting a new show, The Marilyn Denis Show, on CTV, which was scheduled to premiere in fall 2010. However, due to studio construction, the program premiered on January 10, 2011 on CTV.[6] On April 13, 2023 she announced she would be ending the show on June 9,[7] but would be continuing on as cohost on her CHUM radio morning show.[8]
Denis was awarded an honorary PhD in Humane Letters from her alma mater, the University of Idaho. Denis also delivered the commencement speech at the University of Idaho on May 13, 2017.
Personal life
Denis resides in downtown Toronto. On May 8, 2018, Marilyn announced that she was engaged to her high-school prom date, Jim Helman.[9] They married on June 19, 2018.
Her son, Adam Wylde (born 1988), formerly the morning host with Jax Irwin, at Bell Media'sCKFM-FM in Toronto, is the CEO and Head of Content & Partnerships at the Steve Dangle Podcast Network.
Awards
In 2005 and 2006, Denis won the Viewer's Choice Award at the Gemini Awards.[10] In 2007, Denis won the Gemini for Best Host in a Lifestyle/Information series for Cityline.[11]
In 2006, Denis was honoured with Canadian Music Week's "Rosalie Award", named after Canadian radio pioneer Rosalie Trombley, best known as radio programmer for radio station CKLW in Windsor. In 2017, Denis became the first female broadcaster to receive the Allan Waters Lifetime Achievement Award, presented at Canadian Music Week during the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards in Toronto.[14]