Thoughtful, Researched, Authentic: Joining THE SOCIAL is a Literal Dream Come True for Andrea Bain

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede   Andrea Bain wanted to be a co-host on THE SOCIAL before THE SOCIAL existed. “In a strange way, this is what I’ve always wanted to do, even back when we didn’t have a show like this in the Canadian market,” said Bain, who was revealed today as the new permanent co-host on CTV’s THE SOCIAL, joining Melissa Grelo, Cynthia Loyst, and correspondent Jess Allen. “So it’s very bizarre to think about where I am right now,” Bain continued. “And seeing what the girls have done in the past 10 seasons, it has been so great to watch, because they’re all really good. I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but even when I was working on other shows, I’d be watching THE SOCIAL and going, ‘God, I wish I was on that show.’ ” Well, now she is! Bain has successfully filled in as a guest host on THE SOCIAL many times over the past year, but now she’s excited about settling in on a full-time basis. Here’s what she had to say about what she’s looking forward to, and what she hopes to bring to the table:   Q: You mentioned wanting to be on THE SOCIAL before it existed, but do you feel particularly ready to take on this task right now? ANDREA BAIN: “It’s the same advice I give young people when they come up to me and say, ‘I want to do what you do.’ Listen, you need to take in every single experience, and even when you’re frustrated, and you’re looking at a show and saying, ‘oh, I should be there,’ no, not yet. You’re not ready yet. Trust me. There are so many things that you need, because once you get that opportunity, you have to be ready to go. Doing it in your mind is very different than sitting in the chair. As much as this show is fun, it’s a huge responsibility. You’re giving your opinion about a lot of different things, and a nation is watching. I think of all the experiences I’ve had, from the newsrooms I worked in, to the other talk shows I’ve worked on, to the entertainment reporting I did in L.A., all those things really helped me to where I feel comfortable. I still have nervous excitement, but I feel ready now. If I had gotten this opportunity when I first wanted it, I would have blown it!”   Q: What’s your general strategy heading into this? ANDREA BAIN: “What I’ve always considered when I was on the show previously was to really think about the topic, and to be authentically myself. I want to be thoughtful, researched, and authentic, because the audience knows. If you’re coming into this job thinking, ‘I’m going to be this person,’ it’s not authentic, and people are going to read that. My whole life experience means that I’m going to have a different perspective on the topics that we’ll be chewing the fat about. So I want to always be authentic. I’m not trying to be anything. I’m just going to be me, and speak from my experience. Hopefully, the audience likes that.”   Q: Do you think what viewers expect from daytime talk shows has changed over the years? ANDREA BAIN: “When I first started off as an intern, I had the opportunity to go behind the scenes on various shows, and while those shows were great, they were very measured. There were a lot of topics that they were just never going to touch. There were unspoken rules that you leave certain things to the news department. But now the audience is demanding it. With the internet and social media, we need to have those hard conversations. If you don’t, you’re doing your audience a disservice, because everybody’s talking about it. So I think that has been the biggest change. There are no taboos. Whatever it is, we have to address it.”   Q: What is it going to be like working full-time with Melissa Grelo, Cynthia Loyst, and Jess Allen? ANDREA BAIN: “Before I started appearing on the show, I was really nervous about meeting the girls and getting along, because when you watch people on television, it’s always very different than when you meet them. But they were so welcoming, right from the start. I was like, ‘this can’t be real. I get to work on this amazing talk show, and behind the scenes these girls are hilarious, and we all get along?’ So I’m just looking forward to creating more of a sisterhood. I can say, hands down, that these girls are the absolute best. So I’m going into a situation where I’m really excited about the job, and also super blessed to have great people to work with, so it’s awesome. I get to have another set of girlfriends!”   Q: What would you like to say not only to existing fans of THE SOCIAL, but also to your own personal fans, who will surely be joining you on this new journey? ANDREA BAIN: “Gosh, that’s such a big question. First, I want to say thank you. Because, you know, people don’t have to watch what you do. They don’t have to follow. They don’t have to care. So saying thank you is the first thing. Then second of all, I would tell them that I don’t see them as fans, I see them as co-hosts. Because whether it’s in the studio, or running into me on the street or at a restaurant, they are not shy about letting me know, ‘oh, when you said this, I totally agree with you, girl, I would have done the same thing.’ So whether they like what I had to say, or sometimes they don’t, it’s not even a fan thing. They’re the fifth co-host. They’re the other chair. And I love that interaction. They’re right there with me. Often on the show, I find myself talking directly to the audience, because I see them there. They’re an integral part of the show.”   Q: So Andrea Bain is joining hundreds of thousands of co-hosts on THE SOCIAL? That’s quite a headline! ANDREA BAIN: “Yes! Because I identify with them! I have been on my sofa, watching THE SOCIAL, just like everybody else, talking to my television, putting in my two cents. So I feel them! And I love it. I absolutely love it.”   THE SOCIAL airs weekdays at 1 p.m. ET on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app. billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv