WAYNE COX
Wayne Cox has lots to ‘Talk About’ when it comes to his memorable career as a game show host
Wayne Cox has had many memorable moments in his career as a broadcaster and game show host, but one stands out from them all.
About 20 years ago “Saturday Night” magazine reached out to Cox and asked him to be featured in an issue on Canadian game show hosts.
He flew down to Los Angeles with “Love Handles” host Stu Jeffries and did a photo shoot with greats like Monty Hall and Alex Trebek.
“It was an absolute thrill to be in this room with all these Canadian legends and for a second I had to pinch myself and thought, ‘What am I doing here?’”
Cox might not have felt like he deserved it at the time, but his long history as a host proves otherwise.
Starting his career as a radio disc jockey in Vancouver in 1968, Cox spent several years as a news and sports broadcaster before landing hosting roles on talk shows “Second Honeymoon” and “Talk About.”
“Talk About” had two teams of two “talking about” a subject while trying to reveal clues on a board.
Cox admits he didn’t understand the game when he first auditioned but the show’s creator Mark Maxwell-Smith knew he was the perfect person for the job and walked him through it.
“I think what he saw in me was the guy he wanted to do the show so I think he was willing to go along with the fact that ‘this guy doesn’t know what he’s doing,’” recalls Cox.
Turns out he was right.
“The minute Wayne Cox walked into the basement and did about three minutes, I knew we had the host,” says Maxwell-Smith.
“He was very, very smooth. Very polished and completely unruffled,” echoes Pat Ferns, executive producer of “Talk About.”
“Talk About” ran from 1988 – 1990 on CBC in Canada and Fox in the U.S. and quickly became a hit for its playability factor.
Cox also hosted game shows “Acting Crazy,” as well as several specials, telethons, beauty pageants and talent shows.
He was a TV news anchor and weatherman for several years and has been inducted into the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame.