RICK CAMPANELLI: MUSIC MAN

Ahead of a Canada-wide tour, the lovable TV star and dad of three recalls his unforgettable decade as MuchMusic's Rick the Temp'

- SHANDA DEZIEL

When we catch Rick Campanelli at home in Burlington, Ont., he's about to cook up a big spaghetti-and-meatballs dinner for his wife and kids. "It's our favourite meal," he tells Hello! Canada. "They've been gone four days, visiting family in Ottawa, and I miss them. We never go four days without seeing each other."

Nothing makes Rick, 53, happier than being with his wife, Angie Smith, 43, and three sons: Noah, 18 (from his first marriage), Jack, 9, and Harrison, 7. "I'll do anything for family," says the former ET Canada host, who's now an ambassador for the sports-betting website Bodog Canada. "Out of all my gigs in life, being a parent has been my absolute favourite."

That said, his very first gig was a pretty memorable one. Back in 1994, Rick won the MuchTemp contest, meaning he got to answer phones at Canada's music video station. Eventually he earned his wings as an on-air VJ (video jockey) - which saw him sit down with music megastars from Bono to Beyoncé. It's all part of MuchMusic's history, celebrated in a new documentary, 299 Queen Street West (the Toronto address of the station's iconic building), which will première on Crave later this year.