TORONTO — Lainey Lui is leaving CTV‘s “The Social.”
The gossip maven said Thursday that her last appearance on the daytime talk show will be at the end of August.
She made the announcement flanked by co-hosts Melissa Grelo, Cynthia Loyst and Jess Allen, thanking fans for "listening to my rants, putting up with my vanity and disagreeing with me when you think I'm in the wrong — and telling me my outfits are weird."
"When I was growing up I couldn't imagine a Chinese-Canadian woman on a national daily talk show... being able to share her experiences, and her culture, and her stories, year after year for 10 years," Lui said in a clip also posted to CTV’s website.
Lui said she’ll move full-time to CTV’s celebrity news magazine “eTalk,” where she is a senior correspondent. CTV said her beefed-up role will mean more interviews and on-site reporting, with more consistent appearances.
She said she'll also be able to devote more time to her website Lainey Gossip, and other pop culture projects.
Earlier this month, Project 10 Productions said its development slate includes a half-hour scripted series based on Lui's 2014 mother-daughter memoir, "Listen to the Squawking Chicken."
"Squawking Chicken" is described as a comedic love story between a daughter struggling for independence, and a mother determined to guide her with hard-won experience.
Lui's departure further shakes up CTV's daytime schedule after longtime morning host Marilyn Denis signed off in June. Bell Media says details regarding a new host will be announced soon.
Lui moved to Toronto from Vancouver to launch “The Social,” now in its 10th season.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Lui’s blog, Lainey Gossip.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2023.
The Canadian Press
