Tanika Ray facts for kids

Tanika Ray is an American entertainment reporter and actress. She was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Los Angeles, California. Tanika is known for sharing her knowledge about popular culture and how different parts of life connect.

Tanika Ray's Career Journey

Starting as a Dancer and Actress

Tanika Ray began her career as a professional dancer. She danced for famous artists like Will Smith, the Backstreet Boys, Peter Andre, Brandy Norwood, and Aaliyah.

After dancing, she started acting. She appeared as a guest on popular TV shows such as The Wayans Bros., Living Single, NYPD Blue, and Family Matters. She also appeared on music shows like Soul Train and Motown Live.

Becoming a TV Host

Tanika took on a special role as "Cyber Lucy" for Wheel of Fortune 2000. This was a children's version of the game show. She used motion capture technology, which means her body movements and voice were used to create the animated character. During this time, she was also the official voice for CBS Saturday Mornings.

Later, Tanika hosted several TV shows. These included Robotica with Ahmet Zappa for TLC, and Lifetime Now with Linda Dano for Lifetime TV. After many seasons of Lifetime Now, she hosted another show on Lifetime called Head2Toe.

Reporting Entertainment News

In 2004, Tanika Ray became a reporter in New York for the entertainment news show Extra. After two years, she was promoted to host the weekend edition of the show, called Extra's Weekend Show. She then moved to Los Angeles.

She left Extra in 2009. After that, she hosted TBS Weekend Extra on TBS and CWNOW on the CW. She also hosted special shows like the reunion for For the Love of Ray J. 2 on VH1. She hosted a one-hour special about the movie Precious for TV Guide Network. Tanika also hosted TV Guide's Oscar Pre-Show On the Red Carpet. She also did a one-hour special on Sex and the City 2.

Tanika often appears as a guest on news programs. You might have seen her on Showbiz Tonight on HLN (TV channel), or on shows on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News Channel. She also hosted the seventh season of HGTV's Design Star.

In 2017, Tanika Ray returned to Extra. She worked there for two more years before leaving again.

Television Shows

Here are some of the TV shows Tanika Ray has been a part of:

• Wheel of Fortune 2000 (1997–1998) as Cyber Lucy, the Hostess
• Soap Center (2000–2004)
• Robotica (2001)
• Speaking of Women's Health (2001)
• Head 2 Toe (2003–2005)
• Extra (2004–2009, 2017–2019)
• TBS Weekend Extra (since 2005)
• Seacrest @ Night Pilot
• Soap News Update
• CW Now (2007–2008)
• HSN Trendsetter (2008–present) Host
• Basketball Wives (2010) Reunion Host
• HGTV'D (2011–present) Host
• HGTV Design Star (2011) Host
• Oh Sit (2012–2013) Co-Host

Guest Appearances

Tanika Ray has also appeared as a guest on these TV shows:

• Living Single (1996)
• Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1996)
• Friends (TV series) (1997) (Un-credited role)
• The Wayans Bros. (1998)
• Family Matters (1998)
• Hyperion Bay (1999)
• All My Children (2006)

See also

In Spanish: Tanika Ray para niños