Entertainment Tonight has announced Emmy Award-winning journalist Nischelle Turner as the newest co-host of its nightly broadcast.
In this new role, she extends her career with ET, where she has worked as a correspondent since 2014. She will lead alongside co-host Kevin Frazier. She has served as the weekend co-host throughout her career and covered everything from awards shows to movie premieres to breaking news.
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As she joins Entertainment Tonight’s nightly broadcast, Turner is the first Black woman to hold the position.
“It means everything. It really does. I’m humbled. I’m overwhelmed. I’m grateful. I’m excited,” Turner said to ET. “Being the first woman of color to anchor this show and follow in the footsteps of Mary Hart and Nancy O’Dell, those are big shoes to fill.”
She continued, ‘They’re even bigger shoes to fill when I look at the legacy of Black women in this business who have paved the way for me. I am just trying to put my head down, move forward, make everybody proud, and work my butt off.”
As the co-host, Turner shared how she plans to shine as a journalist by being her authentic self.
“I just want people to know that I care. I’m their neighbor. I’m here always,” she said. “… I am the girl next door. I grew up like most other people. I grew up in rural Missouri, in the country, on a farm. I love the things everybody loves. Faith, family and football, that’s how I grew up. I just want people to feel like they’re having a conversation with their friend at the end of the day.”
Working with Frazier is also something not new to Turner. She expressed excitement to continue to build on their professional and personal relationship.
“Our chemistry is natural, it’s real. It’s nothing forced or manufactured. I think our viewers see that and they respond to it,” she said. “For him and I, it’s nothing really different. It’s just the conversations we have every day in our offices are what we’re bringing now to television. We’re just really, really excited about that.”
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Executive Producer Erin Johnson added to the excitement for Turner to step into her new role.
“She can go from a heartfelt conversation with Oscar winner Viola Davis about the impact of Cicely Tyson to singing karaoke on a balcony with Jimmy Fallon. She is warm, thoughtful, and full of energy,” Johnson said, according to the memo.
“Celebrities respect her skills as a seasoned journalist, and our audience has taken notice of her fun chemistry with Kevin [Frazier]. There is no one more deserving to lead ET in our history-making 40th season and beyond.”
“Yes!!! Congrats,” Frazier wrote in a celebratory Instagram upload. “It’s finally official.”
The journalist and host added in an additional comment, “or all those asking, @nischelleturner has been doing the job, but now it’s official and she gets the title and some other much deserved perks. She is so smart, so talented, and has worked her butt off to get here.”
“When I found out a little while back she was on the road and we had a moment on the phone that I will never forget. Btw I almost messed up and posted the news before it was announced. I’m learning a lot of lessons about social media this week,” he concluded.
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