Courtney Perna: From Vegas Showgirl To The Digital Diva Of Daytime Talk

by | Sep 6, 2022

At a young age, Courtney Perna knew she wanted a career outside the box. However, it wasn’t an overnight shift to get to where she is today. From growing up in metropolitan Detroit to attending Michigan State University as a chemical engineering major, it started when one of her former high school teachers suggested journalism. Print may not have been her cup of tea, but when she discovered video editing, that was her “Eureka” moment. 

Since then, Perna has become an Emmy award-winning lifestyle TV host and producer. She works on-air and behind-the-scenes with popular networks like CBS, FOX, Fox Sports, and E! Entertainment Television. While interviewing some of your favorite, well-known celebrities, she was also an entertainer of a different medium — a Las Vegas showgirl. 

“Getting that job was quite an accident, actually,” the Michigan native shares momentarily before telling the story of her and her grandmother’s night out to see the Tropicana’s classic “Les Folies Bergère” show while on vacation. She smiles, “My Nano nudged me and said, ‘Look at that girl, she’s got a big butt. You could be in this show!’”



At that moment, Perna decided to give it a shot. When she landed an audition, there was no doubt the production managers were impressed with her ability to pick up choreography quickly. Especially being trained in gymnastics and dance, she was one step closer already. However, she wasn’t offered a job since no dancer roles were open. But that changed after demonstrating her acrobatic prowess.   

Here comes another big break for the professional dancer and acrobat – landing the role of Ariel, aka The Little Mermaid at Tokyo DisneySea. Bedazzled in heavily-sequined headdresses and thongs, plus doing backflips in high heels, Perna performed in the show for about a year and even joined an all-female aerial-acrobat troupe along the way. To her luck, Disney was looking to fill roles at two parks in Tokyo.

“They heard I was an aerialist, and they just had to put a red wig on me. When I was ‘swimming’ 30 feet in the air, I looked like Ariel,” she expressed. “So, they hung me by a crotch harness, strapped a huge fin to my feet, and I had to lip sync in Japanese. It was a gorgeous show.” 

Tough Decisions

Although Perna was having the time of her life, her passion for television and media was more vital than ever. “I was 25 at this point and knew the longer I waited to get back into TV, the tougher it would be.” She says. “I had to decide if I wanted to perform my whole life, which I didn’t think had longevity. Especially since I kept being put on weight notice. While in ‘Les Folies Bergère,’ I was told, ‘If you don’t lose three pounds, you could lose your contract.’ I was 118 pounds, and they wanted me at 115. But I had a six-pack!” From there, Perna decided she was done being weight-shamed and pushed through with her plans to go back to TV. 

From Under the Sea to E!

Getting back into the media industry was a challenge for the now-former acrobat. She first worked freelance gigs for free because she needed content for her demo reel. She also did some convention booth modeling. Yet, she was determined to get back on track, stating, “I knew I was a good interviewer. I could guide an interview and produce content very well.” One of her many interviews was with a high-end VIP host in Las Vegas, who was interviewed by E! News shortly after.  

The VIP host was asked if he knew a local interviewer capable of producing and doing great behind-the-scenes work. He put Perna in contact with them, raving how she was one of the best interviewers he’d ever had. Not long after, Perna freelanced for E! Entertainment and has been doing so since roughly 2006. “Talk about the dream,” Perna beams. “That legitimized me. From there, I could book more paying gigs, but that one interview changed my life because he was able to pass me along. E! has been great.”

 Where the Best Conversations Happen

Beyond the red carpet, Perna is taking her presence to a new form of media: streaming. Her latest show, which she built from the ground up, “Brunch with Courtney Perna”, is available on Apple TV, ROKU, Amazon Fire TV, and the KP Media TV web app. 

“This show is a new challenge for me,” Perna shares. “I thought I knew how to do this because I have been working in broadcast for 20-plus years. But the internet is the wild west, which is great for someone like me who has the guts to grab it by the horns.” 

The former Disney Princess explains that “Brunch with Courtney Perna” was created to give women a platform to empower each other. “We’re done competing!” Perna exclaims, “My show is female-positive, but it’s not just for women and women-identifying people — it’s for our allies too.” When speaking more about the show’s title, she laughs, “Brunch is where the best conversations happen. Especially when you’re two mimosas deep,” she laughs. “You feel like you can exhale and be your authentic self. That’s why the theme is brunch: it’s not necessarily about food. It’s about the fun, and sometimes difficult, conversations at that table.”



Empowering Others through Dame Good Media

“Brunch with Courtney Perna” is now on its second season — and she doesn’t plan on stopping there. While quickly becoming known as the Digital Daytime Diva, Perna is also building a streaming network of female-positive content called Dame Good, where her show will be the anchor. “It’s going to be an eclectic mix of shows, content, and creators,” Perna explains. “We’re trying to compete against the big networks like ABC and Discovery, so I want to be able to help content creators amplify their voice and lift their production value a little bit. Then, we can all uplift each other and make our way.” 

Dame Good is set to be up and running by the end of the year on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android/Apple devices, and Google and Apple Podcasts.

For more on Courtney:
IG: courtneyperna
Twitter: courtneyperna
Facebook: Brunch With Courtney Perna

Written by: Carlos Lacayo | Styled by: Derek Warburton | Makeup: Joel Sebastian | Photographer: Rowan Daly

Related Links:
Courtney Perna: Conquering Media on All Mediums
Quote Me on That – Real Talk with Daytime Digital Diva Courtney Perna

You Might Also Like

The Hollywood Beauty Guru Has Found Her Paradise, The Spa At The Miami Beach EDITION

by | Jun 6, 2023 | Community Service,Featured,Gurus Magazine,Home,Lifestyle | 0 Comments

I have spent my life working in or going to spas and nothing compares to the luxury of The Spa At The Miami Beach EDITION. I was at the Hotel for the NEWYOU Beauty...

The Soul of Brunch Sweet Catch BK

by | Jun 5, 2023 | Featured,Gurus Magazine,Home,Lifestyle | 0 Comments

Sweet Catch BK launched its official brunch menu this Spring season. Coined as the soul of brunch. Sweet Catch invites guests to experience the joy of traditional...

New You Beauty Awards Brings Together Stars Of Health And Beauty For The Second Year In A Row

by | May 29, 2023 | Celebrity,Community Service,Featured,Gurus Magazine,Home,Lifestyle | 0 Comments

NEW YOU, the Voice of Health and Beauty, hosted their second annual in-person NEW YOU AWARDS on Saturday, April 29th, 2023, at The Miami Beach Edition hotel. The...

MarieBelle New York Celebrates “Queenmaker: The Making of an It Girl” A Hulu Original documentary

by | May 27, 2023 | Celebrity,Featured,Home,Lifestyle | 0 Comments

MarieBelle New York is the quintessential chocolatier. The world renowned artisan chocolates have a delectable reputation for their exquisite tasting ganache, truffles...

Frederick Anderson Wants to Dress Strong Women

by | May 24, 2023 | Celebrity,Featured,Home,Lifestyle | 0 Comments

Fashion designer Frederick Anderson has been in the New York fashion scene for over 20 years. In the early nineties, he and Douglas Hannant created a made-to-order...

THE WHISTLEBLOWER ETTE ART OUTS HER ABUSER IN A NEW YORK SOLO SHOW

by | May 21, 2023 | Celebrity,Featured,Home,Lifestyle | 0 Comments

Taylor Hengesbach also known as  Ette_Art is a New York based artist from a small rural town in Saginaw, Michigan. Stemming from a long lineage of farmers, this small...

Groundbreaking Motivational Artist Billy Alsbrooks Blessed and Unstoppable World Tour

by | May 11, 2023 | Celebrity,Featured,Home,Lifestyle | 0 Comments

Billy Alsbrooks is a highly sought-after motivational speaker, coach, poet, and author who has helped thousands of individuals and organizations unlock their full...

The Coronation: Literary Edition

by | May 8, 2023 | Celebrity,Featured,Gurus Magazine,Home,Lifestyle | 0 Comments

Dear Paige, if The British Family was a best-selling book, what book character would each of them be? Royal fever is in the air as Prince Charles' coronation quickly...

BREAKING THE SYSTEM ONE BAG AT A TIME

by | May 2, 2023 | Community Service,Featured,Home,Lifestyle | 0 Comments

Growing up in an abusive household can have a profound and lasting impact on a person's life. For Rob Scheer, this experience was just the beginning of a long and...