Birth name Vaughn Sweetland Years active 2010–present Name Vonny Ken | Origin Canada Website vonnythekendoll.com | |
 | ||
Born February 19, 1990 (age 34)
Toronto, Ontario ( 1990-02-19 ) Occupation(s) Host, Television Personality, Producer, Journalist Role Musical Artist · vonnythekendoll.com | ||
Vonny Sweetland (born February 19, 1990), also known as Vonny The Ken Doll, is a Millennial Lifestyle Expert and Radio/Television personality. In 2011 his blog, Vonnythekendoll.com garnered recognition from the National Post among other media sources and was known for critiquing music, as well as covering items about celebrities and film. He has interviewed celebrities from Playboy, Jersey Shore, Big Brother, as well as several musicians and bands. In late 2012 the blog was closed for Sweetland to focus on other projects and reopened in 2014 with a new mandate focusing on lifestyle content.
Contents
He has since been a regular guest on various Radio and TV programs discussing the millennial demographic and social issues, as well as sharing his tips on top trends and products. His engaging conversation and on-air experience have led to Vonny obtaining brand consultant and social influencer roles with several brands and companies. He currently hosts a radio show with a popular music format. His 2015 interview with Beyonce's father Matthew Knowles made headlines after Knowles professed there would be a Destiny's Child comeback in 2016.
Early life
Sweetland was born in Scarborough, Ontario. He began performing and singing in musical theatre at an early age landing principal roles in the stage plays The Nutcracker, and The Lion King (musical). He attended Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School for self-directed learning. Other notable alumni include Free The Children founder Craig Kielburger and actress Cassie Steele. He later studied Broadcast Journalism during post-secondary.
Early career
In 2010, Vonny was cast in the Canadian Jersey Shore spinoff, Lakeshore. In 2011, he launched pop culture blog Vonnythekendoll.com. The blog featured music, lifestyle, and a weekly "Ask Vonny" column where readers seeking advice posed questions. Sweetland has also appeared as a live correspondent and host at various award shows and festivals. In 2012, he was pranked on an episode of hidden camera/comedy television show, Scare Tactics.
He revealed during an on-air interview with CFRB News Talk 1010 that he was slated to interview music icon Whitney Houston just weeks after her death. Fab (magazine) chronicled his work and named him one of Canada's rising stars in their June 2012 issue.
The Vonny Show
In 2012 Vonny hosted and produced an online studio talk show entitled, The Vonny Show. It was filmed before a live studio audience and featured special entertainment guests, as well as a popular culture news panel. It was filmed and released via live stream by TEN-TV.
Present
In a 2015 interview with Daytime Toronto, Vonny released a snippet of a youth inspired coming of age documentary. The film marks Sweetland's directorial debut. He also discussed the relaunch of his website which features lifestyle related content.
In 2016 Sweetland appeared at both Sirius XM Canada Talks and NBC's New Day in Seattle . He has since appeared on ABC, CBS, and other networks in the United States to bring attention to the challenges millennials face in the current job market.
Sweetland also participates in advocacy, he has been a keynote speaker and special guest at various charitable events. He's also served as an ambassador for various youth focused campaigns and in May 2015 was given one of the first tours of Ontario's first mobile health clinics for youth, MOBYSS. He has since helped raise awareness for the project and was present for its first launch at 360 Kids in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
In May 2015 Vonny attended the annual LGBTQ Unity Awards as the Master of ceremonies. The event recognizes the efforts of individuals and organizations who have made an impact on the LGBTQ community. In early 2016 he was named the official ambassador of the anti-bullying campaign, 'Bully Fighters.' He was a featured speaker at Canada's National Bullying Prevention Week.