Jessica Chobot | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Chobot in 2014 | |
| Born | Jessica Lynn Horn (1977-07-07)July 7, 1977 (age 47) Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Presenter, host, writer |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
Jessica Chobot (bornJessica Lynn Horn; July 7, 1977) is an American on-camera host and writer.[2] She has hosted theIGN showsIGN Strategize andWeekly Wood, which also runs onXbox Live; she previously worked as presenter of theIGN Daily Fix. Since 2013, she was the primary host ofNerdist News andNerdist News Talks Back forNerdist Industries. In 2014, she launched her own podcast titledBizarre States. She leftNerdist on August 5, 2019. She starred in a reality TV series calledExpedition X.
Jessica Lynn Horn was born inBuffalo, New York, and grew up inNovi, Michigan.[1] Her family moved from town to town frequently during her youth. Before entering high school, she lived in several places on the East Coast and the Midwest.[3]
Chobot gained exposure whenKotaku published a photo of her licking aSony PSP online in 2005.[1] The photo has been widely parodied since,[4] even appearing on Sony-branded advertising.[5]
In 2006, Chobot was hired full-time by IGN.com to take over hosting responsibilities for the network's IGN Weekly show which is still running. Her segments included stand-up introductions as well as "woman-on-the-street" pieces. Starting in 2009 and ending in 2011, Chobot hosted a daily show titledIGN Daily Fix; the first episode aired March 23, 2009. In addition, she contributed content such as columns, features, reviews, and blog posts on IGN.[6][1] Chobot is also a former contributor toFHM UK, Mania.com, and has made multiple appearances onG4'sFilter andAttack of the Show!. She has also hosted a videogame preview segment forFuel TV's,The Daily Habit, and co-hosts on Lifeskool TV's,Gamer's Dojo. She also contributes as a weekly guest onMaxim Radio, where she answers caller questions for an hour each Monday.[citation needed] Chobot andRyan Dunn starred inProving Ground, a program whose airing cycle was disrupted by Dunn's death in an automotive crash on June 20, 2011, after the end of production; the program was pulled from airing for a month before returning to finish its run beginning on July 19, 2011.
Chobot has appeared on commercials for ADV's Anime Network On Demand cable station, and lent her likeness to Symbiote Studios Toy Company for two limited-edition anime-style sculptures. In addition, she has modeled for the J!NX female gamers clothing line. In 2006–2007, she co-wrote a sci-fi script with writer/director/creator ofTron,Steven Lisberger, forSoul Code.[7] Current collaborations include an anime-style collectible figurine in development with Symbiote Studios, a representative of JiNX.com women's apparel line.Chobot is also writing the "Ask Jess, Dammit!" blog for Maxim.[8] She was named the 88th most desirable woman of 2008 byAskMen magazine[9] and 14th hottest woman of business 2009 by Business Pundit.[10] Chobot also hosts a weekly show featured on Inside Xbox calledIGN Strategize. In 2011, Chobot placed at #57 in the 2011 Askmen's Top 99 Women poll.[11]
Chobot voiced news reporterDiana Allers, a non-player character modelled in her likeness who is a potential romance option ofCommander Shepard, the main character of the 2012 video gameMass Effect 3. Although Chobot hosted a preview of the game for G4 in January 2012, Chobot and the media organizations she worked for at the time had made it known that she would not review the game in any official capacity.[12] Media response towards her involvement as a cast member ofMass Effect 3 was mixed. Kevin VanOrd fromGameSpot opined that her appearance "seems more like a calculated marketing ploy than a union of creative talents".[13] Writing forThe Escapist, Dennis Scimeca acknowledged that while many individuals do assume overlapping roles in the field of video game journalism, he took the view that there are important distinctions to be made between the roles of a journalist, a host and an entertainer.[14] In a retrospective comment about thecontroversy, Chobot noted that she was never asked for her side of the story by people who write about her in the media.[1] Chobot maintained that she is an on-screen personality who never considered herself to be a journalist, and that BioWare never asked her for any favors in return.[1]
On November 4, 2013, Chobot began work as the main host ofNerdist News,[15] a news show focusing on nerdy pop culture updates airing 5 days a week on Nerdist.com.[16] Chobot served as the writer forDaylight, asurvival horror video game byZombie Studios.[1] The game launched on April 29, 2014. On June 26, 2014, Chobot launched her own podcast dedicated to the weird and supernatural titledBizarre States. The show is co-hosted by fellowNerdist Industries's employeeAndrew Bowser and features occasional guests.[17]
In 2015, Chobot was the contestant interviewer on the revived sixth series ofrobotic combat game showBattlebots, and she portrayedSamus Aran in the shortfan filmMetroid: The Sky Calls, produced by Rainfall Films, sharing the role with another actress namedAmerica Young.[18]On August 5, 2019, Chobot announced on Twitter that she was leavingNerdist after six years.[19]Chobot starred inExpedition X which premiered on February 12, 2020, on theDiscovery Channel for seasons 1 through 7, but did not return for season 8.[20]
She was divorced from a previous marriage in 2006 but kept the surname Chobot.[1]
On August 21, 2011, Chobot became engaged toBlair Herter and they married on February 18, 2012. They had their first child on March 6, 2013.[21][22] The family currently lives in theNetherlands, where they moved in 2022 after Herter left G4 and joinedTeam Liquid.
