Dina Pugliese saying goodbye to Breakfast Television after over 16 years

Dina and Sid discuss Dina Pugliese’s announcement that she is leaving BT.

By Meredith Bond and News Staff

Dina Pugliese is saying goodbye to Breakfast Television (BT) after over 16 years serving as co-host.

Her last appearance on the longest running morning show will be on Friday, Feb. 24.

“I have decided it is my time to step down and leave the show. I’ll tell you this didn’t happen overnight, this has been a feeling I’ve had for a while now,” Pugliese announced on BT Wednesday.

“This job has been not a job, it’s been a passion, it’s been a blessing from day one.”

Getting emotional, Pugliese thanked her BT family and her viewers.

“I am going to miss you but I am going to be here because I hate goodbyes. I just want to say thank you for your love and support.”

While Pugliese said leaving BT is bittersweet, she is planning to spend more time with family and is looking forward to the next chapter of her life.

“I plan on spending quality time with my family. I plan on travelling with Alex, and I really plan on dedicating more time and energy to my clean beauty line, The Care Principle.”

Pugliese has been with BT since October 2006, which begins with a local broadcast before expanding coast-to-coast, and was known for her infectious personality and poignant insight on a variety of topics.

On her recent 16th anniversary last October, Pugliese called her time on the show so far, “the biggest blessing.”

“It has been a true privilege and blessing and I will pinch myself every single day. I never take a day for granted and I’m very, very honored to do this for 16 years because our industry is crazy cutthroat and fickle, but I am so grateful for every single day,” she shared in the BT segment last year.

Pugliese grew up in Woodbridge, Ont., and attended York University and Humber College for Journalism before beginning her career as associate producer of Global Television’s The Bynon Show and entertainment reporter, writer, and producer of Toronto 1’s Morning Show, Toronto Today.

She then moved to entertainment, hosting The A-List and Star!’s Star! Daily before joining Citytv’s BT, replacing Liza Fromer.

Throughout her time on BT, Pugliese was nominated for at least three Canadian Screen Awards including for Best Host, Talk Show or Entertainment News, including one alongside co-host Sid Seixeiro.

Viewers will remember Pugliese for being passionate about speaking up for women’s issues, mental health issues and celebrating body image while sharing her life with the BT audience.

Along with her time on BT, Pugliese hosted Canada’s Got Talent in 2012 and the spin-off version, Canadian Families’ Got Talent during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

She also played host during the MuchMusic VJ Search – The Series, for which she earned a Gemini nomination, was a guest judge on Canada’s Next Top Model and host of the prestigious Women In Film and Television’s Crystal Awards Gala.

Pugliese launched a clean beauty line called “The Care Principle” in 2019 as well.

BT recently confirmed the hiring of Tammie Sutherland to replace Melanie Ng as News Anchor for the morning show after Ng left in October 2022 to spend more time with family.

Rogers Sports & Media is the parent company of Breakfast Television and CityNews.

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