‘Stuttering’ John Is New Leno Announcer

By Paige Albiniak
( Broadcasting & Cable )
published

Famous for his stunts on radio’s The Howard Stern Show, "Stuttering" John Melendez will be Jay Leno’s new announcer.

Melendez, who will appear on The TonightShow sans stutter, replaces Edd Hall, who is departing after 12 years to seek his fortune in movies. Leno and his producers have had their eye on Melendez ever since he was a contestant on ABC’s reality show, I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!.

Apparently Leno’s producers found Melendez’ family-guy persona appealing, and they brought him to the show as a guest last March.

Melendez is relocating to Los Angeles with his family from New York, where he’s been a part of Stern’s "Wack Pack" for the past 15 years, starting out as a beleaguered intern that Stern loved to mock. Melendez’s voice will also be heard in Sci Fi Channel’s upcoming animated series Tripping the Rift.

Paige Albiniak
Paige Albiniak

Contributing editor Paige Albiniak has been covering the business of television for more than 25 years. She is a longtime contributor to Next TV, Broadcasting + Cable and Multichannel News. She concurrently serves as editorial director for The Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (G.E.M.A.). She has written for such publications as TVNewsCheck, The New York Post, Variety, CBS Watch and more. Albiniak was B+C’s Los Angeles bureau chief from September 2002 to 2004, and an associate editor covering Congress and lobbying for the magazine in Washington, D.C., from January 1997 - September 2002.