“Now that’s what I call” a comedy show
Mia Smith, Contributor |
Jessi Cruickshank, a comedian from Calgary, Alta. will be making her return to Calgary on April 30, 2025 on her tour, “Now That’s What I Call.”
Juggling three children, alongside her work as a comedian, podcaster, and TV personality is demanding. Rather than boasting about her abilities, she invites people to share in her experience as a new mother and all of the challenges that entails.
Who is Jessi Cruickshank?
After being born in Calgary, Cruickshank moved to Vancouver, B.C. at a young age and grew up involved in the community.
She began her journey with the WE organization, formally known as Free the Children, at a young age after meeting the founder, Craig Kielburger. She did not officially begin her journey with the organization though until about 10 years ago.
Cruickshank made her mark in television as an MTV personality co-hosting The Hills: The After Show with a pre-Schitt’s Creek Dan Levy.
She only continued to grow in popularity after appearing in the Breakfast show, Canada’s Smartest Person and the Goods on CBC.
She continued her career by splitting off on her own and making a name for herself in comedy through multiple platforms such as her number one show on Facebook, “New mom, Who Dis?”
WE Organization
From a young age, Cruickshank was drawn towards helping those around her. She has always been drawn towards fostering a sense of togetherness and community for people around her.
She uses her platform as a mother to foster children and raise awareness for human struggle starting at a young age.
Cruickshank has hosted and performed at many WE Day events. Spreading joy and comedy to the younger generation is of great importance to her as she has young children of her own.
“Phone a Friend” Podcast
To get a taste of what a Cruickshank show entails, one may stumble upon her podcast, “Phone a Friend.”
The podcast launched in early 2023, and gives Cruickshank a platform to discuss pop culture hot topics from every time period and demographic.
The concept plays on classic game shows because when she would like more details on a topic, she ‘phones a friend,’ to discuss in further detail. The guests she invites depend heavily on the topic at hand, but she has been noted to collaborate with A-List celebrities anywhere from Dan Levy of Schitt’s Creek to Scheana Shay of Vanderpump Rules.
On the contrary, she also calls up people such as tweens and Britney Spears super fans to get the scoop.
What happens at the show?
Cruickshank prides herself on her ability to relate to the crowd and create a welcoming experience for those experiencing her show for the first time.
“This communal experience for all of us. For most people in the audience, it is the first time we are coming together with like-minded people to just get out of the house and just laugh for 2 and a half hours straight. It’s the most honest I can be about everything from the After Show, to my career to being a mom of three, and having a new baby, I share everything,” Cruickshank shared in an interview with LiveNation earlier this year.
Cruickshank is renowned for her ‘sad bra’ tradition. In an attempt to relate to her audience, other mothers, she birthed a tradition where she asks the audience to take off their bras and chuck them on the stage.
“I have such a sense of who the people who come to see me are that I’m better able to create a show that resonates with them, the bras are a really good example of that,” Cruickshank said in an interview with Post Media.
This is when she looks through the bras and assesses the bras based on the “milk stains and nipple maxi pads,” in an attempt to celebrate all of the nursing mothers in the audience.
Cruickshank then crowns the ‘saddest bra,’ at every show.
But don’t worry ladies, you do get your bras back.
Cruickshank will be at the Bella Concert Hall located on the Mount Royal University campus on April 30, 2025 at 8 p.m.
Tickets are available on TicketMaster and start at $58.
