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Jenny Jones (presenter)

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Jenny Jones
Born
Janina Maria Stronski

(1946-06-07) June 7, 1946 (age 78)
Bethlehem, Palestine
Occupations
  • Television presenter
  • comedian
  • cook
  • musician
Years active1969–present
Spouses
  • Jack Howard Poster
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1969; ann. 1970)​
  • Al Gambino
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1970; div. 1972)​
  • Buz Wilburn
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1973; div. 1980)​
PartnerDenis McCallion (1986–present)

Janina Maria Stronski (born June 7, 1946), known professionally as Jenny Jones, is a Canadian[1] television presenter and comedian who is best known for hosting The Jenny Jones Show.

Early life

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Janina Maria Stronski was born on June 7, 1946, in Bethlehem, Palestine, to John Stronski, a World War II veteran, and Zosia "Sophie", a dressmaker. The family, who also had an older daughter, Helena Elizabeth (born 1944), briefly moved to Italy, before relocating to London, Ontario, in 1948. A strict Catholic household, the impoverished family ran a bridal shop.[2] Upon her parents' divorce, Jones, her mother, and sister moved to Montreal. Disheartened by her mother's alcoholism and verbal abuse, Jones began "shoplifting, drinking and necking with guys that we just picked up."[3] Jones ran away from home at 11 years old; after one month, Jones was arrested for shoplifting and returned to her mother. Jones's mother subsequently sent her and Helena back to London to live with their father. As a teenager, Jones began to abuse alcohol, her school grades declined, and she ran away from home again. According to Jones, "I didn't want to be with either parent and couldn't wait until I was old enough to leave. Show business was my way out."

In 1963, at 17 years old, Jones dropped out of high school and formed a band that toured mining towns in Ontario.[3] The following year, she adopted the stage name Jenny Jones and moved to Hollywood, Los Angeles.[3] She briefly worked as a strip-club hostess, before moving to Las Vegas to form the all-female rock band The Cover Girls. The band toured throughout Nevada; impressed by Jones's performance, she was recruited by Wayne Newton as a background vocalist.[3]

Career

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1981–1990: Stand-up comedy

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Jones started her career as a drummer in a rock band, and later attempted a career in stand-up comedy during the 1980s. She experienced some success with comedy, winning the 1986 season of the TV talent show Star Search.[4] Prior to that, her first television appearances were as a contestant on The Price Is Right in 1979 (winning $12,955 in cash & prizes, including a sports car and $6,000 cash), Match Game in 1981 (as Jenny Wilburn, winning $5,500), and Press Your Luck in 1985 (as Jennie Jones, winning $18,706 over 3 days).

In 1986, Jones appeared as a contestant on Star Search, in which she became the first woman to win the comedy category.[5] This appearance boosted Jones's stand-up career, and she subsequently served as a supporting act for performers including Sammy Davis Jr., Engelbert Humperdinck, Kenny Loggins, Glen Campbell, Kool & the Gang, Tony Bennett, Dionne Warwick, Gregory Hines, and Wayne Newton.[5]

By 1983, Jones had worked her way up to serving as an opening act for Jerry Seinfeld.[3] She embarked on a comedy show titled Girls' Night Out. Billed as a "No Men Allowed" event, Jones sold out 10 consecutive shows and had her routine featured on 20/20.[6]

Jones was profiled alongside other women comedians in the 1991 documentary film Wisecracks.[7]

1991–2003: The Jenny Jones Show

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The Jenny Jones Show was conceived as an alternative to the "harder-edged" tabloid talk shows that aired at the time.[8] The show premiered in September 1991 on 178 television stations nationwide, which was the biggest launch in syndicated talk show history.[8] It was produced by Telepictures and was distributed by Warner Bros. Television. The show ran from September 1991 to September 2003 and was taped in Chicago at WMAQ-TV studios.

On March 6, 1995, the show taped an episode titled "Revealing Same Sex Secret Crush"; the episode featured six guests who were invited to meet their same-sex secret admirers. Three days after the episode's taping, one of the guests killed his secret admirer.[9] Jones provided testimony in the ensuing criminal trial.[10] In August 1995, the victim's family filed a lawsuit against The Jenny Jones Show for negligence.[11] Jones was required to testify during the civil trial.[12] The jury initially found in favor of the victim's family; however, this judgment was reversed by the Michigan Court of Appeals.[13][14] The court found that the murder was "unforeseeable" and that the show "had no duty to anticipate and prevent the act of murder committed by [the killer] three days after leaving [the] studio and hundreds of miles away".[15]

In 1997, Jones released a memoir, Jenny Jones: My Story; it was co-authored with Patsi Bale Cox.[3]

In 2003, The Jenny Jones Show broadcast its twelfth and final season.[16] Since the show's conclusion, Jones has maintained that she has no interest in returning to television.[17]

2004–present: Jenny Can Cook and philanthropy

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Jones established The Jenny Jones Foundation in 2005 as a means to provide assistance to those in need. Primary areas of focus are education, women's health, and improving communities throughout the country. In 2008, Jenny established "Jenny's Heroes," a program where, through The Jenny Jones Foundation, she is giving two million dollars of her own money to individuals wanting to make a difference in their local communities.

Since the conclusion of The Jenny Jones Show, Jones has focused on creating content about cooking. She stated that her "goal is to motivate more people to cook at home and make healthy eating a priority."[18] On April 10, 2006, Jones released a cookbook, Look Good, Feel Great Cookbook.[19] All of the book's proceeds were donated to City of Hope Breast Cancer Research Treatment and Education.[19] In 2008, Jones launched a cooking website and YouTube channel titled Jenny Can Cook.[20]

Personal life

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Jones maintains an official website, JennyJones.com; a cooking website, JennyCanCook.com; and a YouTube cooking channel. Another website, JennysHeroes.com, which she launched in 2008, features stories from anonymous people who positively impacted their communities. Since the website was launched, Jones has given over $1 million to fifty such people who are looked upon as "heroes". The site is based upon a segment of the Jenny Jones talk show that once featured such people.

Jones has been married three times. She married Al Gambino, a musician, in 1970; they divorced in 1972. Jones married Buz Wilburn, a record marketing executive, in 1973; they divorced in 1980. An earlier marriage was annulled. She is in a long-term relationship with Denis McCallion, a film-location manager.

Women's health advocate

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Jones was an honorary chairperson for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Chicago Race for the Cure, an annual event that raises awareness and money for breast cancer research. Jones also donated a mobile mammography motor coach to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.[21] Six silicone-implant operations since 1981 had left her with firm and asymmetrical breasts. Jones later had her breast implants removed, and publicly spoke out against them in a cover story article in People. Jones then went on to establish The Image Foundation as a resource for women seeking information about implants and support with body image issues.

Bibliography

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References

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  1. ^ "Go Figure: Jenny Jones". Entertainment Weekly. November 21, 1997. Archived from the original on July 4, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  2. ^ Breu, Giovanna (March 2, 1992). "Body of Evidence". People. Archived from the original on February 23, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Lipton, Michael (November 10, 1997). "True Confession". People. Archived from the original on February 2, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  4. ^ Schuster, Fred (January 28, 2003). "Just Being On Star Search Could Be a Midas Touch". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
  5. ^ a b Glink, Ilyce (September 15, 1991). "Daze of Talk". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  6. ^ Bates, Betsy (February 28, 1990). "Comic Finds Her Niche Where the Boys Aren't". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  7. ^ Hinson, Hal (July 17, 1992). "'Wisecracks': Fond Look at Wacky Women". The Washington Post.
  8. ^ a b Abramowitz, Michael (October 22, 1991). "The Mild-Mannered Talk Show". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  9. ^ Peyser, Marc (March 19, 1995). "Making A Killing On Talk Tv". Newsweek. Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  10. ^ Weeks, Linton (November 1, 1996). "Jenny, on the Spot". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  11. ^ Farhi, Paul (March 8, 1999). "'Jenny Jones' Show Found Negligent in Murder Case". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  12. ^ Carter, Bill (October 31, 1996). "Talk-Show Host Is to Testify in Trial". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 13, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  13. ^ "Jury awards $25 million in 'Jenny Jones Show' lawsuit". CNN. May 7, 1999. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  14. ^ Shprintz, Janet (October 23, 2002). "Appeals court overturns 'Jenny' suit". Variety. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  15. ^ James, Meg (October 24, 2002). "'Jenny Jones' Not Liable for Guest's Death". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  16. ^ Gorman, Steve (February 5, 2003). "'Jenny Jones' Talk Show Expected to Be Canceled". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  17. ^ White, Tiffany (September 18, 2017). "Jenny Jones Hasn't Been on TV Since 2003, But She's Still Kept Busy". Woman's World. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023.
  18. ^ Messer, Lesley (February 20, 2014). "Ricki Lake, Jenny Jones and More: Where Are They Now?". ABC News. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  19. ^ a b Dakss, Brian (May 5, 2006). "Jenny Jones Back, As Cookbook Author". CBS News. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  20. ^ Beck, Lia (May 12, 2020). "Whatever Happened to Jenny Jones & Her Self-Titled Talk Show?". Refinery29.
  21. ^ "Bio & Talk Show | Biography". Jenny Jones. September 16, 1991. Archived from the original on September 7, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
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