67-Year-Old Canadian Comedian Mike Bullard Dies

October 14, 2024 TruthUSA

Canadian stand-up comedian and broadcaster Mike Bullard, known for being the only person to successfully host a Canadian late-night talk show, has passed away at the age of 67.

Bullard’s half-brother, Chuck Jackson, confirmed to The Canadian Press that Bullard’s family learned of his death on Oct. 11. The exact cause of death is unknown.

Beginning his comedy career in 1988 at the original Yuk Yuk’s in Toronto, Bullard went on to host two late-night talk shows: “Open Mike with Mike Bullard” from 1997 to 2003 on CTV, and “The Mike Bullard Show” on Global from 2003 to 2004.

Guests on “Open Mike” included Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, songwriter John Mellencamp, television personality Rick Mercer, U.S. Senator Al Franken, and wrestler John Cena.

After leaving television, Bullard transitioned to radio and hosted “Beyond the Mic with Mike Bullard” on Newstalk 1010 from 2010 to 2017. However, he lost this Bell Media job after being accused of making harassing calls to his ex-girlfriend, reporter Cynthia Mulligan. In 2018, Bullard pleaded guilty to one count of making harassing phone calls and two counts of breaching a court order.

Bullard, who was placed on probation for six months and required to attend a domestic violence program, denied stalking women or making obscene phone calls. Mulligan had claimed Bullard phoned her from different pay phones and drove past her workplace several times.

A recipient of two Gemini awards for his work on the CTV show, Bullard also received the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal for his extensive charity work. In 2022, during the Russia-Ukraine war, he traveled to Ukraine on a humanitarian mission to provide aid before returning to Canada in February 2023.

Mark Breslin, co-founder of Yuk Yuk’s, praised Bullard for his generosity and mentorship of other comedians in improving their craft.

“He also had a bold vision for his career, which is not always common among Canadians, and aspired to make a significant impact while remaining in the country. Sadly, he discovered that realizing his ambitious goals and staying in Canada were sometimes incompatible,” Breslin said.

Source link