If you’re like me, there’s a good chance that you are regularly ecstatic for more When Calls the Heart content at any time of the year. Over the past few years, a particular journalist has been popping up in some of the more highly-publicized content surrounding this favorite Hallmark Channel show. Recently, I was able to interview Deidre Behar, the “resident Hearties” ET reporter. In anticipation of all things When Calls the Heart and the fact that the show is currently filming its eighth season, it is my pleasure to share our virtual chat with all of my readers today!

Courtesy Crown Media

RH: Please tell us a little about your background & how that led to becoming a journalist. Please include anything about why you chose to become a journalist and any training you received to help you in your profession.

DB: I was born and raised in Los Angeles and was always obsessed with music, movies, TV and fashion, but discovered my true passion for broadcast journalism when I was in grade school. My parents took my sister and me on a family trip to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, which is also the home of CNN’s headquarters. We went on a studio tour and on the way out, there was a unique interactive experience where you could sit on a mock anchor news desk, read a teleprompter and take home the tape of your performance as a souvenir. Although I was very young and wore a loaned newscaster blazer many sizes too big, I felt overjoyed as I read the teleprompter alongside my trusty co-anchor, my dad! To this day, my parents say it was that exact moment when they knew I’d someday go into broadcasting as a career.

Jumping ahead to high school, I joined the journalism program and started writing for the school newspaper. I noticed the paper didn’t really cover pop culture, so I suggested we branch out and start writing about topics students enjoy outside of school. I learned journalism fundamentals through my coursework and fell in love with it; so much so, that I knew I needed to be strategic in selecting a college that offers a broadcast journalism program that could help me inch closer to my goal of someday working in entertainment news. I chose to attend Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where I anchored the campus news broadcast program and interned at various news stations and networks, including Fox and VH1. During my time as a full-time student, I also freelanced as a reporter covering red carpet events, which is where I really got my boots on the ground and learned how to navigate the exciting world of entertainment journalism.

With Kavan

Throughout your career, before joining ET, you have worked with several networks. Please tell us about those experiences and how they helped shape your career.

After I graduated from college, I continued working as a freelance reporter for several media outlets including Fox and AOL. About a year after, I was approached for a very exciting opportunity: to help launch a premium, Google-funded YouTube channel called ClevverNews. It was a daunting challenge to build a channel from scratch, but it was one that I was thrilled to take on. It was the first job I held where I was a full-time on-camera host and producer. I gained invaluable experience through my day-to-day responsibilities there: creating shows, covering red carpet events and making 5-10 short videos a day with the top entertainment news headlines. I feel so grateful for all the experience I gained during that stage of my career, which prepared me for my dream job and current role at Entertainment Tonight.

How did your current job at ET come about?

A colleague, who is also a close friend, started working at ET and heard they wanted to expand the team. She was kind enough to recommend me for the job, and after a few interviews, I joined ET in 2015.

As a journalist with ET, what exactly are your responsibilities?

I am a host and producer with ET, which means I’m involved in front of and behind the camera. It’s my responsibility to come up with unique ideas and share them with my bosses. Once approved, I conceptualize everything from the background research, to the interview questions and visualize how I want the video to aesthetically look. I host the interview and see it through every step of the way, which includes input in editing and making sure there is an interesting and accurate story being told.
Also, I’ll receive assignments to cover various premieres, press junkets or set visits. Regardless of the task, I think of every aspect of my job as a fun and rewarding challenge. I feel so grateful to do this for a living and work for a company like ET, which I consider the gold standard in entertainment news.

With Aren

Many of the Hearties have come to know you because of your work with When Calls the Heart. How did your connection with this show come about? Please detail your personal experience with the show and how/when that blossomed to officially cover the show.

I became friendly with some of the PR representatives at Hallmark Channel, and one suggested that I check out their wildly popular and top-rated series, WCTH. Although I’d never seen it, I quickly binged it and was hooked! I instantly fell in love with the show’s characters and charming qualities that brought so much joy and positivity to my life. I started covering it and noticed a big surge with our ET audience: fans were flocking to our website and spending a lot of time reading, watching, and engaging with our content. I told ET and Hallmark that I really wanted to dedicate myself to covering the show, and they were both instantly on board.

Hallmark has been so supportive of every idea I present to them, especially with providing access to the cast for interviews and special content. A great example is the quarantine diary video I produced right when the world went into quarantine in March. To bring a little light and levity to the situation, I asked Hallmark if we could please ask the cast to film videos of what they’re doing at home to pass the time, and sure enough, the cast acted quickly and sent over their creative and light-hearted videos. The compilation video on ET’s YouTube page now has nearly 300,000 views, which is a testament to the incredible hearties and their unwavering loyalty!

The same goes for Erin Krakow’s hilarious brownie-baking demonstration video — if you haven’t watched it yet, please do yourself a favor and check it out!

With Martin

You seem to have a special connection with the main cast of the show. What is special to you about the cast and also the show itself?

I had no idea when I started covering WCTH that I’d create such a special bond with the cast, but it’s become one of the greatest and unexpected blessings in my life. From day one, every single cast-member has treated me like a friend. They’ve shown me such kindness and respect, which you don’t always get with people in the entertainment industry.

The first time I met Erin Krakow, she was instantly so welcoming and warm, and made a conscious effort to try to get to know me as Deidre the human, not just Deidre, the reporter, which was very refreshing and allowed us to form a genuine connection. The same can be said for Kavan{Smith}, Pascale {Hutton}, Jack{Wagner}, Chris {McNally}, Kevin {McGarry}, Martin {Cummins}, Andrea {Brooks}, Paul {Greene}, Kayla {Wallace}, Aren {Buchholz} and Eva {Bourne}: they’re just incredibly kind and thoughtful people.

One memory that comes to mind: the last time I visited the cast on set in Vancouver, it was a month prior to my wedding. Every single cast member remembered that I was about to get married, asked me all about the festivities, gave me a huge hug, and extended their sincerest congratulations. That’s just one instance that shows how they always go above and beyond to make me and everyone else around them feel special. Truly, they’re a remarkable group of people.

With Chris

At the panel event I hosted in February to celebrate the launch of season 7, I was seated at a dinner table with Chris McNally and Kevin McGarry. Not only did they mix and mingle with my husband and parents (who also attended the event), but we also had a lovely conversation about our favorite movies. I also spent some time with Andrea Brooks and Kayla Wallace the last time they were in LA: I got to meet Andrea’s sweet baby girl (she’s the cutest!), and I met Kayla for a latte on a beautiful spring day. Covering WCTH is a blast, and the fact that the actors have turned into great friends of mine is the icing on the cake.

You have asked the cast members this question, so now I ask you. Are you Team Nathan or Team Lucas? Why?

Oh, that million-dollar question, ha! I have declared myself as Team Elizabeth {ME TOO!}. She’s a character I’ve grown so fond of for always being true to herself and standing strong beside her morals and conviction. She went through a harrowing experience losing her husband, so I support her decision to move forward at the pace she’s comfortable with.

With Kevin

After interviewing the show’s cast and hearing their reasons why they’re Team Nathan or Team Lucas, I believe you can make strong arguments for either suitor. I love Lucas’ persistence and tenacity in respectfully pursuing Elizabeth –he’s a man who knows what he wants and makes no apologies about it. However, I love that Nathan has the parent role in common with Elizabeth — watching him with his niece, Allie, shows his tender side and what a dedicated caretaker he is. See how difficult this is!? Both guys are great. If Elizabeth and Baby Jack are happy, I’m happy.

We all have our favorite characters in wCTH and those that really connect with us. While we adore all the characters, which characters do you identify with most closely, and why?

What a fun question! I think I’m a blend of Rosemary and Fiona. Like Rosemary, I’ve always been outgoing and social; plus, I love fashion, glitz, and glamour. Like Fiona, I’ve always been ambitious and committed to forging my career path forward.

While we know of your work with WCTH, as we await season eight, what are your recommendations for other shows that Hearties might like to fill in the time until the show returns?

I recently binged (in one single sitting!) a new comedy series on Netflix called Never Have I Ever. It’s executive produced by Mindy Kaling and has her signature brand of comedy infused throughout with brilliant writing and relatable storylines. It’s about a high school girl who is navigating her journey through adolescence, dealing with issues relating to her friends, family, and love life. It’s hilarious and very topical with pop culture references sprinkled throughout, but also has many touching moments that may have you shedding a tear or two.

During this pandemic crisis, what have you been doing to keep yourself occupied? How has it changed your job duties?

First of all, I want to formally thank all the essential workers on the front lines. From doctors to nurses, grocery store clerks to truck drivers, postal workers, and beyond, I can’t express in words my gratitude for their service. Their selflessness is beyond measure. I will be forever indebted to them and extend a massive thank you.

As for my work, thankfully, my role at ET hasn’t changed: I’m still hosting and producing videos as I normally would; however, now everything is done virtually. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to work from home, doing a job I truly love. It’s kept me sane, productive, and allows me to still feel creative by doing celebrity interviews using Zoom. Thank goodness for technology!

So far, I’ve interviewed some of our favorite stars from WCTH (Erin Krakow, Chris McNally, Kevin McGarry, Pascale Hutton, and Kavan Smith), as well as stars like Kristin Chenoweth, Kelly Osbourne,
Raven-Symone, Marie Osmond, La La Anthony, Laura Prepon, Loni Love, Lele Pons, and Kim Petras. I also cover The Masked Singer and co-host a weekly after-show dedicated to breaking down the clues and trying to decode who’s behind the mask. I’ve interviewed some of the stars who have been eliminated from the competition, including Bella Thorne, Jordyn Woods, Bret Michaels, Hunter Hayes, and Jackie Evancho.

With Jack

Outside of work, I’m really enjoying spending time at home with my husband. We recently got married in October 2019, and we both work long hours in our respective careers, so normally, our time together is somewhat limited. Being in quarantine, we’ve really been able to cherish every moment together doing things like cooking, binging TV shows, and taking long walks together.

If you had the chance to guest star on WCTH next season, what would be your hopes for a potential role?

Oh my goodness, I would love to guest star on an episode of WCTH! What a unique opportunity and fun experience, especially considering I’ve never acted before! I’d love to emcee a talent show at the saloon, where the cast can show off their skills singing, dancing, and playing instruments. At this point, I think we owe it to Rosemary to let her have a shining moment on stage!

Another idea that would be fun is to imitate life a bit, and play a reporter who comes to Hope Valley to investigate a crime or a scandal!

o you have aspirations to do other business jobs, like getting more involved in acting, writing, or producing?  Elaborate if you would like.

My truest passion in life is interviewing others. It’s a privilege I do not take for granted, being trusted to help tell others’ stories. I truly feel so fulfilled in my career — it never feels like “work.” I plan to continue honing my craft and developing my skills as a tv host and producer, and also getting more involved behind-the-scenes. I love seeing a project through from its inception to the final stages when we deliver a polished final product to the world.

I’m so grateful that ET celebrates many aspects of pop culture: lifestyle, fitness, beauty, human interest, and more. I’d love to have a hand in more projects within those categories, too. I’ve always subscribed to the philosophy that anything is possible if you have drive and vision!

In your free time, what do you like to do?

I enjoy quite a bit of exercise! Specifically, as a former dancer, I love any type of cardiovascular activity that involves moving my body and breaking a sweat. I am missing my favorite Body By Simone classes right now, but I’m grateful to keep up at home using their app and training over Zoom. I also love traveling, shopping, trying new restaurants, going to concerts, and baking sweets. My specialty is an Oreo baked into a chocolate chip cookie (yes, it’s as good as it sounds!)

Find me on Instagram if you’d like the recipe 🙂

Could the Hearties ask for a more ideal reporter from a prestigious entertainment show to highlight When Calls the Heart? I tend to think that answer is a definitive “NO!” There is no doubt in my mind that Deidre goes beyond what the average entertainment journalist does when publicizing this show, and she has become a beloved fixture amongst the cast and fans alike. Her features are always chock full of pleasure and pizzazz, and there is never a dull moment in the way she covers the show. She knows how to spotlight every cast member while incorporating their unique personalities and bringing dynamic traits to life in an entertaining, engaging way, and I can hardly wait to see what her anecdotes and features about season eight will provide for the fans. 

While we eagerly anticipate the upcoming season, I would invite all of my readers to pay a visit to all of Deidre’s links below and consider following her where applicable. The pandemic has certainly not diminished her influence. If anything, she’s become even more intuitive and creative as she has assisted the fans by bridging the gap during these disconcerting times. While I passionately visualize everything possible coming for her in this show’s new season, I only find my level of anticipation growing by leaps and bounds. And, let’s start asking now, Hearties, to see if we could get Deidre a small role on the show in season nine (you know it’s gonna be renewed, right??) because if anyone deserves it, she does! There is no one more committed or more enthusiastic when it comes to covering When Calls the Heart. It is truly an honor today to be able to illuminate all that she is and does on my site!

Courtesy Crown Media

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