Popular host says sayonara to Breakfast Television

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This article was published 06/10/2010 (5722 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG’S Breakfast Television fans are in shock this week. Jon Ljungberg, the show’s affable host, confirms he will be saying goodbye Friday, Nov. 26. “Change has come to the station. It turns out they’re taking the show in a different direction,” says Ljungberg, who’s been the face of breakfast TV for 11 years.

Always a class act, Ljungberg says the split from Rogers was “a respectful and mutual decision.” In recent days at the station, he’s been called “a stand-up guy, a true professional, and the icon of morning television in Winnipeg. “That means a lot to me,” he says. To add to the radical changes in his life, John says he’s suddenly single again. “At least my break from Breakfast Television was mutual,” he adds.

Fortunately, you can’t keep a good man down. The 48-year-old comic performs stand-up regularly across Canada and is a well-known illustrator of children’s books. Debby the Polar Bear, which he wrote and illustrated, is coming out this spring. Plus, there’s bound to be a dogfight going on to hire this multi-talented man. “Or, you may see me on November 26 at Broadway and Osborne with my squeegee,” he says, adding, “Thank God I still have my sense of humour.”

 

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TOM JONES PANTY COLLECTION: “It’s a dream come true,” chuckles Geoff Hughes of women throwing their panties at him onstage. The 38-year-old Winnipeg actor plays the title role in Tom Jones and the Temple of Doom at Celebrations dinner theatre. (Real-life singer Tom Jones is renowned for the hail of underpants fired at him by rabid fans).

Aside from knickers provided by the show itself (dubbed “underplants”) Hughes gets some interesting “legitimates” like a flowered thong signed The Diamond Divas, with XOXO and a big pair of flesh-toned granny panties with “I love you Tom xoxox Kaylee.”

Monday’s show was the raunchiest so far, because it was a private show for a national conference — no kids in sight. “One woman was tugging on my belt and another woman grabbed onto my leg and said “I WANT YOU.”

 

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YOUNG PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Charity fundraisers Lisa Windsor, 21, and Todd Dubeck, 25 confess they started off partying pretty selfishly. “Last year, we were throwing a birthday event for OURSELVES because we both had never had a surprise party,” confesses Windsor, who works at Celebrations dinner theatre. “Then we thought, ‘This is really selfish. We should try to do something good.’ My neighbour has MS and we see every day how this disease affects her, so we decided to raise money for MS ( multiple sclerosis) at the same time — and we made $1,100. This year they’re going big. They’ve organized a charity bash this Saturday night called Paint The Town Red at Canad Inns bar in Transcona. And, they’ve snagged the Danny Kramer and his Event Band members Derrick Godfried, Carlin Lemon, Greg Black, Julian Bradford, Janine Gobeil, and Luisa D’Abramo. Windsor just joined rock band Locked and Loaded, and will sing a few numbers with Kramer’s band. Tickets are $10 at the door, or call 792-4223.

 

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