Assi Azar

Assi Azar
Azar during the Eurovision Song Contest 2019
Born (1979-06-10) 10 June 1979 (age 45)
Holon, Israel
OccupationTelevision presenter
Years active2004–present
Known forHosting Big Brother - Israel, The Next Star and Eurovision 2019
Spouse
Albert Escolà Benet
​
(m. 2016)​

Assi Azar (Hebrew: אסי עזר; born 10 June 1979) is an Israeli television host and screenwriter. He is the creator of the romantic comedy TV series Beauty and the Baker (2013 - 2021) and co-creator of the new TV series, Metukim (2024 - present).

Biography

Assi Azar was born in Holon, Israel.[1] He is of Bukharan-Jewish and Yemenite descent.[2] In 2005, Azar came out as gay.[3][4] Shortly after, he began to create the documentary film,[4] Mom and Dad: I Have Something to Tell You. On 11 April 2016, Azar married his Spanish boyfriend Albert Escolà Benet at a ceremony in Barcelona.

Azar is an LGBT rights advocate. In 2009, he was listed among the most 100 influential gay people in the world by OUT Magazine.[4]

In January 2022, the actor Yehuda Nahari alleged that Azar sexually harassed him during a job interview at Azar's home.[5]

Media career

He co-hosted Big Brother - Israel with Erez Tal until 2015 and The Next Star with Rotem Sela. He is also the creator of the romantic comedy TV series, Beauty and the Baker.

His first program was on the online show KIK. In 2004–2005 Assi co-hosted TV youth show Exit.[1] Later he participated in the programs Good Evening with Guy Pines and The Champion: Locker Room, as well as the satirical programs Trapped 24, Talk to My Agent and reality series The Show which was cancelled after only two episodes due to bad ratings.[6]

Azar hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv alongside Lucy Ayoub, Erez Tal and Bar Refaeli.[7] It was reported that Tal and Refaeli would be the main hosts, while Azar and Ayoub would host the green room.[8] On 28 January, Azar and Ayoub hosted the contest's semi-final allocation draw at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Azar on nrg.co.il (in Hebrew)
  2. ^ "Assi Azar [TV Host] - AWiderBridge". 8 October 2013. Archived from the original on 15 September 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  3. ^ "Assi Azar comes out", ynet, March 31, 2005. (in Hebrew)
  4. ^ a b c "ASSI AZAR: Israeli TV personality and gay rights advocate". Cornell University. Spring 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  5. ^ Israeli TV star and Eurovision co-host Assi Azar accused of sexual assault, Haaretz
  6. ^ גאוני, יעל (2006-03-12). "לאחר שתי תוכניות: ערוץ 10 מוריד את התוכנית "THE SHOW"". Globes (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  7. ^ Zwart, Josianne (25 January 2019). "Bar Refaeli, Erez Tal, Assi Azar & Lucy Ayoub to host Eurovision 2019!". eurovision.tv. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  8. ^ "Meet the Eurovision 2019 hosts: Bar Refaeli, Erez Tal, Assi Azar and Lucy Ayoub". wiwibloggs.com. 25 January 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  9. ^ Groot, Evert (26 January 2019). "Semi-Final Allocation Draw pots revealed!". eurovision.tv. Eurovision Song Contest. Retrieved 26 January 2019.

Media related to Assi Azar at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by Eurovision Song Contest presenter
2019
With: Erez Tal, Bar Refaeli and Lucy Ayoub 		Succeeded by