Nerene Virgin

Nerene Virgin is a Canadian journalist, actress, educator, author and television host, best known for her role on the children's television series Today's Special.

Virgin is a great-granddaughter of escaped slave Thomas John (Howard) Holland, and great-niece of pastor John Christie Holland. She was born Nerene Grizzle, daughter of Kathleen V. Toliver and Stanley G. Grizzle. After growing up in Toronto, Ontario, she attended Toronto Teacher's College. Virgin was also certified as a Special Education teacher at Brock University focussing on intellectually gifted children and holds special qualifications in teaching Integrated Arts. Virgin began her career as a teacher, working for the Toronto Board of Education. She later moved into children's programming with Ontario's public broadcaster TV Ontario, playing "Jodie" on Today's Special. This internationally acclaimed series was in production for seven years. Virgin also had recurring roles on other television programs, including The Littlest Hobo, Night Heat and Ramona. Initially, Virgin had played the role of Ellie the dispatch girl on Police Surgeon, a CTV series originally named Dr. Simon Locke. She appeared in numerous film roles such as Gotti, The Undergrads, Murder in Space, and Right of the People. Virgin's entertainment career began as a singer with the Tiaras, a Toronto-based girl group. Virgin joined Colina Phillips and Patricia Grizzle after Brenda Russell had left the trio and moved to Los Angeles.

Virgin worked as the weather and community reporter for CBOT, the local CBC Television station in Ottawa, in the late 1980s. She then worked at CTV station CFTO in Toronto as the host of Eye on Toronto, co-host for the entertainment show Showbuz, and a host on CTV's annual Miracle Network Telethon for the Hospital for Sick Children.

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