{{Short description|Canadian television personality}} '''Kenny Brain''' (born August 26, 1988) is a Canadian television personality, best known as cohost with Kortney Wilson of the HGTV Canada home renovation series ''Making it Home with Kortney and Kenny''.<ref name=kennedy>Alex Kennedy, [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/kenny-brain-nl-hgtv-show-1.6167495 "This N.L. model turned contractor is making it big on a home improvement show"]. CBC News Newfoundland and Labrador, September 12, 2021.</ref> The series is no longer in production, with the duo slated to launch a new series, ''Life Is Messy'', in 2025.<ref name=corus>Connie Thiessen, [https://broadcastdialogue.com/corus-unveils-more-programming-details-around-rebranded-home-network-flavour-network/ "Corus unveils more programming details around rebranded Home Network, Flavour Network"]. ''Broadcast Dialogue'', October 21, 2024.</ref>
Originally from Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland and Labrador, Brain worked as a model before competing in the second season of ''Big Brother Canada'' in 2014.<ref>Cassandra Szklarski, "Round two of 'Big Brother Canada' to feature models, Cape Town refugee". ''Canadian Press'', February 26, 2014.</ref> Although openly gay in real life and honest about his sexuality in viewer confessionals, he initially pursued a strategy of remaining closeted among his housemates;<ref>Dan Avery, [http://www.newnownext.com/gay-big-brother-canada-star-kenny-brain-comes-out-to-housemate-watch/04/2014/ "Gay “Big Brother Canada” Star Kenny Brain Comes Out To Housemate"]. ''NewNowNext'', April 4, 2014.</ref> although he did come out to housemate Sarah Miller a few weeks into the season, his strategy sparked some viewer and media debate about whether his choice was sending a message to viewers that being gay could be seen as a shameful secret.<ref>Ruth Myles, "Living a lie? Or playing a brilliant reality-TV gambit?; Gay Big Brother contestant is sending the wrong message by pretending he's not". ''Vancouver Sun'', April 4, 2014.</ref> He and Miller were both voted out of the Big Brother house on Day 43.<ref>Ruth Myles, "Big Brother evictees friends for life; Pair shares thoughts on time in house". ''Calgary Herald'', April 12, 2014.</ref> He has also since stated that his decision to stay in the closet at first, and come out as gay once the season was underway, helped to spark a valuable conversation about homophobia and the differing standards to which gay and straight people are held.<ref>Christopher Turner, [https://inmagazine.ca/2022/10/catching-up-with-making-it-home-co-star-kenny-brain/ "Catching Up With ‘Making It Home’ Co-Star Kenny Brain"]. ''In Magazine'', October 25, 2022.</ref>
After appearing on ''Big Brother Canada'', Brain quit modelling and trained as a construction contractor, later launching his own contracting business in Vancouver, British Columbia.<ref name=kennedy/> Following Wilson's divorce from her former husband and business partner Dave Wilson, Brain debuted as the new cohost of ''Making it Home'' in the show's second season in 2021.<ref>Melissa Hank, [https://o.canada.com/entertainment/television/kortney-wilson-moves-on-with-new-making-it-home-show "Kortney Wilson moves on with new Making It Home show"]. ''Canada.com'', September 3, 2021.</ref> He has stated that one of his goals as a home renovation host is to provide a positive role model for LGBTQ representation and inclusion in construction trades.<ref name=kennedy/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Big Brother in Canada}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brain, Kenny}} Category:Canadian television hosts Category:Big Brother Canada contestants Category:Canadian LGBTQ broadcasters Category:Canadian gay entertainers Category:People from Grand Falls-Windsor Category:Living people Category:1988 births Category:21st-century Canadian LGBTQ people