In every Behind The Brand interview, I enquire about professional role models. At the moment, I’d say mine is Elaine Lui AKA Lainey. Every profile of her that I read reiterates that she’s a hardworking media personality who successfully juggles several jobs in the entertainment industry.
After meeting Lainey at a taping of The Social, I was excited to see her again at Indigo. Lainey’s new book Listen To The Squawking Chicken: When Mother Knows Best, What’s A Daughter To Do? A Memoir (Sort Of) is a tribute to her mother, who raised her around a Mah Jong table and inspired her to become a professional gossiper. 
Whether she’s telling stories online, on TV or in person, Lainey always backs up her opinion with smart observations and well-researched facts. Even though she knew about Gwyneth Paltrow’s affair and George Clooney’s engagement before the news was public, she resisted being the first to share the story.
“I’d rather be right than be first,” she said, comparing her editorial process to mass news outlets, which sometimes falsely report events while racing to report breaking news. Evidently, Lainey values her relationships with reliable sources (the people who keep her in the know) more so than publicists (the people who write angry emails when she bashes their famous clients).
When a fan asked about her celebrity interviews, Lainey explained how eTalk selects who she talks to for the show. If the producers suspect that Lainey will be condescending in an interview with a likeable celebrity, then they’ll probably send another host to do the interview instead. “Some people would love to see a showdown between Avril and I, but there isn’t a large enough audience for that,” she said.
Fun Facts About Lainey
- Reads memoirs, young adult and cerebral books
- Indulges in smutty book binges
- Drinks hot water when the Raptors play basketball because she’s superstitious
- Receives the most complaints from Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake’s publicists
- Follows 0 people on Twitter
- She doesn’t want to get lost in a dark hole (the kind we’re all familiar with on Pinterest)
- J.K. Rowling and Kanye West are the first people she would follow
If you’re a big fan of Lainey, then follow @LaineyGossip, watch eTalk and live-tweet The Social! For insights about her personal life and upbringing, pick up Listen to the Squawking Chicken and let me know what you think!
