It's the end of a classic era of MTV – well, at least for certain parts of the world. It was revealed earlier this month that the network will be shuttering its musical channels in the United Kingdom and Ireland, a move that could lead to a similar fate befalling the same channels all across Europe and parts of Australia and South America, and potentially spelling doom for the music channels in the flagship United States as well. Although so far, that doesn't seem to be the case.
The major shift that has occurred for MTV stateside, though, is its shift from TV championing music and music videos to reality shows and competitions, ranging from long-running favorites like Jersey/Geordie Shore to new entrants like RuPaul's Drag Race (formerly on Logo, then VH1, now MTV). It's also meant no more VJs blessing our screens each day, once the figureheads for the network.
MTV's most iconic video jockeys found themselves catapulted to instant TV fame thanks to their stints on the network, with some parlaying that success into further fame, whether through acting or their time as hosts and commentators. Take a look at the journeys of some of MTV's most popular VJs, and where they're at now…
© Getty ImagesWhat happened to the original five VJs?
Martha Quinn, Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter and J.J. Jackson were hired as the first five VJs for MTV in 1981, becoming the faces of the network for nearly a decade. All five continued to work primarily in radio after their stint with the network, with Martha, Nina, Mark and Alan coming together to host the Sirius radio show The 80s on 8. J.J. tragically passed away in 2004 at age 64.
© Getty ImagesLisa Kennedy Montgomery aka "Kennedy"
From 1992-97, Lisa Kennedy Montgomery, now 53, hosted Alternative Nation, becoming a household name going by simply "Kennedy." After a stint hosting game shows, she began her tenure as a political commentator with Fox News, hosting her own show, Kennedy, on the Fox Business Network from 2015 to 2023. She is also the host of the podcast Kennedy Saves the World.
© NBCCarson Daly
Carson Daly, now 52, hosted Total Request Live from 1998-2003. He has continued his work on radio and hosted a late night show, Last Call with Carson Daly, from 2002 to 2019. Since 2011, he has been the host of NBC's singing competition The Voice, and also one of the co-hosts of their morning news show TODAY. He is married to Siri Pinter and they share four kids.
© Getty ImagesVanessa Lachey
After winning Miss Teen USA in 1998, Vanessa Minnillo, now 44, began hosting with MTV from 2003-07. She married Nick Lachey (a former MTV reality show star) in 2011, and continued hosting several shows and pageants, making acting appearances several times in the aughts. Her most notable roles include co-hosting Love is Blind with her husband since 2020, and leading NCIS: Hawai'i for its three season-run between 2021 and 2024.
© Getty ImagesAdrienne Bailon
Adrienne Bailon, now 41, was a household name thanks to her stint with 3LW and the Cheetah Girls by the time she began hosting MTV's New Afternoons in 2009 and as a VJ for MTV News. She co-hosted The Real from 2013 to 2022, winning a Daytime Emmy, and was also a co-anchor for E! News in 2023, and will next appear in a musical adaptation of the 2006 film Take The Lead.
© Getty ImagesHilarie Burton
Hilarie Burton, now 43, began hosting TRL in 2000, and followed that up with her first major acting role, playing Peyton Sawyer on One Tree Hill. She stayed with the show for six seasons, and has since appeared in other series like White Collar, Grey's Anatomy, Forever, and Lethal Weapon, even starting a One Tree Hill podcast called Drama Queens in 2021. Since 2019, she's been married to The Walking Dead star Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
© Theo WargoGisele Bündchen
Gisele Bündchen, now 45, hosted the show MTV al Dente for its third season back in 1996 for MTV Brazil. In 1999, she was named a Victoria's Secret Angel, being credited with ending the "heroin chic" era of modeling, and considered one of the aughts' biggest supermodels. She was previously married to NFL star Tom Brady and even appeared in films like The Devil Wears Prada (2006).
© Getty ImagesPauly Shore
Pauly Shore, now 57, became a VJ in 1989, even hosting his own show, Totally Pauly, intermittently until 1999. He parlayed that into a movie career with films like Encino Man (1992), Son in Law (1993), and In the Army Now (1994). His success has dipped into the 21st century, but he continues to act to this day.
© Getty ImagesCarmen Electra
Carmen Electra, now 53, hosted the MTV dating show Singled Out from 1997-98. She has since become a modern-day sex symbol, thanks to her work in popular parody films like the Scary movie franchise, Meet the Spartans and Disaster Movie (both 2008), plus her work as a dancer with the Pussycat Dolls and her relationships with Dave Navarro and Dennis Rodman.
© Getty ImagesMandy Moore
In 1999, Mandy Moore, now 41, began contributing to shows like TRL, Say What? and Karaoke for MTV. At this point, she'd already released her hit single "Candy," following it up with her platinum-certified debut album months later. She has since released six more albums (the most recent in 2022). Her most notable acting credits include major roles in The Princess Diaries (2001), A Walk to Remember (2002), Chasing Liberty (2004), Love, Wedding, Marriage (2011), the voice of Rapunzel in Tangled (2010), and the TV show This is Us (2016-22).
© GettyAshlee Simpson
Ashlee Simpson, now 41, started as a VJ on TRL in 2003, having already appeared on Newlyweds with her sister Jessica Simpson. She received her own MTV show, The Ashlee Simpson Show, in 2004-05, plus her hit single "Pieces of Me" and debut album Autobiography propelled her to solo fame. Declining sales and the viral lipsyncing incident on Saturday Night Live led to a dip in her career, but she has since found more fame working with now-husband Evan Ross on music and TV.
© Getty ImagesTyrese Gibson
Tyrese Gibson, now 46, began working with MTV as a VJ and host of the music video show Jams in 1998, when he released his debut album Tyrese. He has since released six more albums and earned three top 20 hits and six Grammy nominations for his work. He has also earned fame as an actor thanks to the franchises Fast & Furious (playing Roman Pearce) and Transformers (playing Robert Epps).
