biography
Brooke Burke was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. Her exotic, original looks can be attributed to her family's heritage, which blends her French/Irish father with her Portuguese/Irish mother. The middle child of 7 siblings (with 3 older sisters and 3 younger brothers), Brooke wanted to pursue an atypical career -- but never dreamt of becoming an entertainment media figure. The aspiring rock band drummer got her start in entertainment after she was noticed for her stunning good looks. She was accompanying a friend to a modeling agency, when she was the one who was immediately noticed by a talent scout. The former beauty pageant winner decided to pursue a modeling career. Her beauty pageant experience led her to become a print model by the age of 18, in everything from magazine covers and billboards to swimsuit calendars. Brooke garnered an acting scholarship and headed to Los Angeles where she would spend most of her time as a broadcast journalism student at UCLA (she was now interested in communications).
But her studies were not her full-time job, as Brooke also spent her free time behind the camera as a model. Becoming a high-profile model would not be difficult after having signed with modeling agencies such as Ford, Wilhelmina and Cunningham-Escott-Dipene. Brooke was ready to add up to a dozen magazine covers to her resumé, not to mention several television commercials, namely, the Bally Total Fitness commercials (as the "beautiful body"), Discover Card commercials (as Derek Jeter's dream date), and commercials for Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch and M Professional Cosmetics. When E! was searching for a replacement for its show Wild On, a swimwear company that Brooke worked for recommended her to the entertainment network. After the encouragement of a friend of hers, Brooke went for a casual meeting and interview with E!, which led to a trial show in Spain. E! was looking for a spontaneous, personable and down to earth person, and since Brooke fit the bill perfectly, she was signed to a three-year contract with the network as host of the travel show, Wild On. When she's not traveling to the most exotic places in the world, Brooke enjoys staying home with her pets and husband, a plastic surgeon named Garth Fisher.
Burke is currently shooting the third season of "Wild On," which takes viewers to some of the hottest, most exotic places around the world, showcasing popular travel destinations, wild parties, the best beaches and most unique and secluded locales. "The sun is always shining somewhere in the world, and that's where we go," says Burke, who has already been to Spain, the Mayan Riviera, Belize and Aruba. "Some of my favorite activities have been shark diving, riding the rapids, crocodile feeding in the Black River in Jamaica, and skydiving."
Rated the second highest show on the network, "Wild On" continues to expose Burke to a variety of cultures, people, food and personal challenges. "The only thing I've refused to do is go on a lobster dive. I have a bug phobia and they remind me too much of bugs," says Burke, whose introduction onto the show was a shoot in Spain to participate in La Tomatina -- the tomato war. "It's the world's largest food fight you can imagine with forty thousand drunken Spaniards and one hundred and twenty tons of tomatoes." "Wild On" airs six nights a week at midnight, with two new segments a month premiering on Saturdays at 11:00pm. As evidence of Burke's emerging popularity and fan base, she gets the fourth most hits on E! Online (after Britney Spears, Fashion Emergency and Howard Stern), and she was recently selected as one of three women in the world to be photographed for a 2002 At A Glance Calendar. Raised in Tucson, Arizona, Burke never envisioned herself in the entertainment industry. "When I was young, I wanted to do something more low-key, like become a drummer in a rock band," says Burke, whose French, Irish and Portuguese descent make up her stunningly exotic look. While accompanying a high school friend to a modeling agency in Scottsdale, Arizona, Brooke was discovered by a talent scout who happened to be there.
After pursuing modeling near her hometown and going on to win an acting scholarship, Burke moved to Los Angeles where she studied broadcast journalism at UCLA. In between classes during her first year at school, Burke signed with the industry's highest profile agencies including Ford, Wilhelmina, and Cunningham-Escott-Dipene. In addition to gracing dozens of magazine covers, billboards, swimsuit editorials, catalogues and posters, Burke has also starred in a string of popular commercials. She is the "beautiful body" in the Bally's Total Fitness commercials as well as Yankee's shortstop, Derek Jeter's dream date for Discover Card. Her other credits include Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch, and M Professional Cosmetics. Although she kept busy and content with modeling, Burke took an interview with E! Entertainment on the insistence of a friend. The producers were looking for a real person that could go to exotic locations, interact with the people, and be spontaneous. Brooke had a very casual meeting with them, which led to a trial show that they all loved. Before she knew it, she had signed a three year deal and was packing her suitcases.
During the fifteen days a month she spends at home in Los Angeles, Burke enjoys doing pilates and yoga, taking long walks, scuba diving, horseback riding, reading psychology books, cooking holiday meals and going to see movies and plays. She is also regularly volunteers her time to work with such charitable organizations as Athletes & Entertainers for Kids and the Entertainment Industry Foundation. Despite her hectic schedule, however, Burke is obviously not adverse to new challenges. "I never intended to make the cross-over from modeling to hosting, let alone acting, but when an incredible opportunity comes along, I'm up for it." And the sky's the limit for this gorgeous and talented ingenue for whom film, television and modeling doors continue to open in her path.