MD136 - And the winner of Mahalo VLOG Idol is…
 <-- View our previous episode! |
 Mahalo VLOGIdol Competition! |
Watch the video to find out who has triumphed in the contest to be the new host of Mahalo Daily! Make sure to leave your thoughts in the comments thread below!
Story Links:
Mahalo VLOG Idol
Leah D’Emilio
Andrea Rene
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Tags: andrea rene, leah d'emilio, mahalo, mahalo vlog idol, vlog idol
June 5th, 2008 at 4:14 am
Congrats Leah!
June 5th, 2008 at 4:15 am
Congratulations Leah. Also it’s about time this was over, I want to watch Mahalo Daily not this.
June 5th, 2008 at 4:21 am
what a ride to get to this point…
liked what this guy had to say
http://www.andydesoto.com/web-culture/mahalo-vlog-idol-a-success-or-failure/
congrats to Leah
I did almost pee my pants after your viral video!
June 5th, 2008 at 4:23 am
Congrats Leah, and Keep rocking Andrea!
June 5th, 2008 at 4:23 am
Awesome! Congrats to both, but special congrats to Leah!
I think she was the one for the job right from the beginning!
June 5th, 2008 at 4:25 am
You did a great job Leah. Excellence reigns. Have a great year Leah. We look forward to your daily shows.
June 5th, 2008 at 4:26 am
LEAH IS THE WINNER. CONGRATULATION. YOU PICKED THE RIGHT ONE.
CAN’T WAIT FOR MAHALO DAILY MONDAY.
June 5th, 2008 at 4:27 am
Congratulations to both Leah & Andrea! And awaaaay we go!
June 5th, 2008 at 4:29 am
Well Done Leah!!
June 5th, 2008 at 4:34 am
Great work, ladies! Congrats to both of you.
I look forward to see the new crop of Mahalo Daily episodes you’ll come up with!
June 5th, 2008 at 4:36 am
Congrats Leah! You deserve it. I look forward to seeing what you and the team do in the upcoming episodes.
June 5th, 2008 at 4:42 am
Awesome, Congrats Leah and Andrea
Vary happy to see Mahalo Daily getting back to regular programming. The competition did run long enough to cause tension, but in the end it turned out to be a great way to get to know the new Host. And like Jason mentioned we’ll all be happy to see Andrea doing video game correspondence.
Kudos to everyone involved on a job well done.
June 5th, 2008 at 4:43 am
You should be proud of yourself and the work that you have done, Leah. You did a fantastic job. Can’t wait until the first show.
June 5th, 2008 at 4:57 am
Yeah, no pressure or anything
I’m sure she’ll do great. With these rumors of Andrea hosting some other gig I wonder if she’ll stick with mahalo. I guess a part time position is the least they can do for her after such a long hiring process. One thing that hasn’t been mentioned here is that all the top 6 were paid for their episodes and their time. Unless I’m mistaken, Jason mentioned this on TWiT a couple weeks ago. So, its not like they’ve been stringing them along without any compensation.
June 5th, 2008 at 5:01 am
Yes! There is evidence of sanity in the world after all!
June 5th, 2008 at 5:07 am
Congratulations Leah! Job well done lady! I’m so happy for you! After all, you did say Mahalo was your dream job! (And maybe I’ll get to test video games for MD!) Like I said before, it was an honor being in the final with you and good luck on all your future episodes. We’ll definitely have to collaborate!
And to all the Mahalo Daily viewers: If you like what you saw, or want to learn more about me and the other projects I host, please check me out on myspace.com/blssm01 or at twitter.com/andrearene. I’ll be hosting the 2008 Race Across America (.org) and video blogging along the race route beginning Friday! And please message me if you have Mahalo episode ideas!
Thanks for watching!
Cheers,
Andrea Rene
June 5th, 2008 at 5:11 am
Boo ya! Congratulation Leah! I’ve been rooting for you since the beginning, and now I look forward to seeing you take the MD mantle.
And congratulations to Andrea too. It’s quite apparent that you have the necessary geek cred. I look forward to seeing your correspondent videos. Especially if they are game related.
Though it was long and intense, I’m glad that it’s over. In the end we wound up with two beautiful and intelligent show hosts for Mahalo Daily. Who could ask for anything more?
June 5th, 2008 at 5:11 am
Toledo Represent!!! :D
June 5th, 2008 at 5:17 am
Congrats Leah!! I’m so happy you won. Can’t wait to see your first episode :D
June 5th, 2008 at 5:19 am
Yes! I picked her from the very beginning! Glad she won! (oh, and I also said hire them both, thanks for doing that too ;D)
June 5th, 2008 at 5:53 am
I’m very happy to see Leah wins. When I saw her episode about Brazilian dance fighting, I honestly thought ‘that’s it, I don’t even have to see the other’s girl’s episode’. She was that great. I probably watched that episode like 15 times. And the viral video was total satisfaction too.
Congrats Leah. Can’t wait to see what you and your team coming up with!
June 5th, 2008 at 6:22 am
Congratulations !!!!! to both of you, and Mahalo Daily. I’m glad to see that two winners came out of all of this. A real good job!! Leah, I’m real proud of you. I can’t wait to see the first, and all the webisodes. It looks like a real good team to work and be creative with. Love You !! Pootz!
June 5th, 2008 at 6:45 am
This reminds me of The Apprentice and Survivor, the music, building the tension, the votes/paper, the constant talking ;)
Congratulations Leah. I’m looking forward to the first show!
June 5th, 2008 at 6:50 am
Congrats Leah! I love your look and all around personality.. I think you’re an awesome fit for the spot.
Congrats to Andrea as well.. when I saw your first interview to be honest, I had my hesitations, however I had a feeling that you would be in the top cut. I look forward to seeing your coorespondant videos.
Wishing all of the guys and gals over at Mahalo gluck with this new adventure abound.
It looks like it’s been quite a ride and the fun hasn’t even really started =)
June 5th, 2008 at 6:52 am
CONGRATULATIONS LEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!!!!BRAVA!!!!
June 5th, 2008 at 7:05 am
Brains, Beauty, Creativity and a Team Player. Mahalo, you win. Congratulations Leah!
June 5th, 2008 at 7:12 am
After V.’s departure I wasnt sure I would keep on watching MD but after the whole contest and picking up Leah, I think I will! well done guys and congrats on the idea of organizing a public selection process, that was brilliant!
June 5th, 2008 at 7:19 am
Congratulations Leah! I’m happy we will be hearing from Andrea too! :)
June 5th, 2008 at 7:24 am
From now on this show will be known as “MahaLeah Daily” ! ;)
June 5th, 2008 at 7:25 am
I’m really happy with the way this turned out. I had Leah and Andrea picked as my two favorite candidates since the first round. After the most recent round, I really felt that Leah would be the better host for MD. However, Andrea’s very talented as well. I think it was the right decision to give Leah the job, but it’s also great that we’ll be hearing from Andrea on a semi-regular basis.
June 5th, 2008 at 7:33 am
Every once in awhile, the right person wins something, and in this case the right person definitely won. Leah is superbly talented and is going to make a great host for Mahalo Daily. I can’t say I would’ve stopped watching if Andrea got the job because I love the show no matter who hosts it, but I am definitely going to enjoy watching her do her thang.
Congratulations Leah!
June 5th, 2008 at 7:35 am
Congratulations Leah! Can’t wait to see your episodes and hopefully more virals! You definitely have the “it” factor.
June 5th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Congrats goes to Leah!! Seriously, she did a really great job. One thing I was disappointed about was the fact that Jason gave a correspondence position to Andrea. Jason, sorry but I think you copped out on this one and dropped the leadership ball. When you do something like this I believe you lose the respect from your employees and viewers. It also brings your leadership level down a couple notches and gives everyone the impression that you are no able to take a stand on a clear winner. It should have been, “Leah, your hired and Andrea, thanks, but you’re not.” You even said, “it’s not up to me.” Why? It’s your company!
Anyway, great job Leah! And Andrea I know you will do well in whatever you do in the future. You really caught a lot of harsh attacks from this forum and you took them well and without retaliation. That says a lot about your character. Well done.
June 5th, 2008 at 7:40 am
Congratulations to you, too, Andrea. Very impressed with the way you handled Leah’s win. Can’t wait to see you also on MD!
June 5th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Well done Leah.
I think Kristina would have been an awesome correspondent from time to time, I didn’t know they would do that.
Phew, this silly vlog idol is over, back to normality! It just dragged out a little at the end.
June 5th, 2008 at 8:01 am
WOOHOO! Way to go Leah! You were definitely were the correct choice. I cannot wait to see your first episode.
June 5th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Great !
Congratulations Leah, you really deserve it, as I kept saying since the first time you aired on mahalodaily.
Can’t wait to see your first episode.
June 5th, 2008 at 8:13 am
It could have been either but now it’s both of them.
“Nice call” MahaloDaily team.
Double the talent and variety in the show.
Andrea, you will be a brilliant correspondent and i look forward to your energy filled episodes.
Leah, you deserved to win as you really gave you all (oh and you’re smart, attractive, talented and bubbly too). Well done.
Congratulations to both of you!
I can’t wait for future episodes….(even though i still do miss VB)
June 5th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Leah, your great! You nailed it with the viral vid. Now you can create with a sense of security and push the edge a bit with confidence. May the source of all creation guide you as you become his work of art.
June 5th, 2008 at 9:07 am
I am glad I can keep my subscription to MD. I look forward to new episodes on Monday.
June 5th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Congratulations Leah!
I think the Mahalo staff made the right pick.’
Bravo.
June 5th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Awesome! In my opinion, it went to the best candidate!
Look forward to seeing you and Lon come up with some incredible stuff for the show.
June 5th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Yes! Leah! And I picked Leah on the first episode, and I have proof! Though I called her “Lia” haha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QxOwcPwfAI
Damn Alex for saying no!, though he said it for the exact right reasons, so in essence he helped her out.
June 5th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Congratulations Leah,
Brilliant viral video, and I’m sure it’ll only get better from here :-)
Andrea, you’re still my number 1!! Keep on Rocking it in the gorgeous bubbly way, only you can!!
June 5th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Awesome! It’s over. Honestly I couldn’t be happier that both are winners, and one is THE host. I like Andrea even though my previous comments stated I thought otherwise. I had no idea that she was into video games, so I am super excited to see what she brings in that respect.
Over all, this was a great idea doing this American Idol type show on the net, and of course involving the community as well. Even though some people did not advance as far, Sarah and Kristina for sure, this made me aware of them, and made me a fan of them as well. So thanks Mahalo for introducing me to new talents. And congrats to Leah again.
June 5th, 2008 at 11:47 am
There could not possibly have been a better end to Mahalo Vlog Idol. I’ve been a big fan of Leah’s since the beginning and I know she will do an excellent job.
On the other hand, Andrea is also very deserving. But any objective standard, she is as good as Leah, but there’s a certain x factor with hosts that can’t be summed up in words. I just get a better feeling after watching Leah’s episodes.
So this is a great outcome! Leah will do very well and Andrea will make an excellent addition. I’m sure I can come to like them both.
And now, instead of wondering who will get kicked off Mahalo Vlog Idol next, I get to wonder what Monday’s topic will be!
Good luck Leah, and great job Andrea.
CF
June 5th, 2008 at 11:54 am
On balance, Leah probably deserved to win but I would have been sad to see Andrea go. This is the best of both worlds.
Excellent decision Jason! That’s why they pay you the big bucks ;-)
June 5th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Just wanted to point out that when Tyler said Andrea’s video didn’t have that “it” thing, she looked like she was gonna punch him in his face.
June 5th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Congratulations!
June 5th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
ATTN: STAFF
iPhone .m4v link not working. Thanks.
June 5th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Congratulations Leah!
And second confirmation that the .m4v is not working.
June 5th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Wooohooo!
Congrats Leah!
June 5th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Really happy with how this whole thing turned out. Losing Veronica was terrible for us, and I know many folks in the audience discovered Mahalo Daily because they followed Veronica to it from CNET, VeronicaBelmont.com, and WoW. I’m really happy that many folks from that fan base have stuck around to see what happens, and I hope that Leah and Lon continue to provide great shows that are entertaining, funny, and informative.
That’s the spirit of the Mahalo brand helping and entertaining folks–hopefully at the same time.
I’m going to do a recap of what we learned from the month+ of shows. Clearly we could have done this a little faster, but it’s a TON of work to do these shows and we now know why they either have huge staffs or tape them waaaaay in advance.
Andrea is fantastic, and after the last round we thought she had the lead. After this round it switched to Leah. After another five rounds? Who knows.
In the end I think everyone who participate won:
a) the audience was entertained
b) the contestants all got great clips for their reels and they all said they had a good time and learned (we paid the final six for their time as well–only fair).
c) the team got to see what it would be like to work with the various candidates (a huge factor in this… you gotta love the folks you work with).
d) Lon Harris developed as an amazing talent (Pink Berry manager FTW!)
e) we have a great new co-host
Leah is working at Mahalo full-time and she spent yesterday brainstorming like 20+ solid ideas with the team. You’re going to be really impressed and entertained with her work over–at the very least–the next year!
congrats to all!
Jason
June 5th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Congratulations to Leah and the Mahalo team (which includes Andrea as special correspondent! ;-)
June 5th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
I think you have made a great choice. Leah has been my favorite from the beginning. I have an eye for talent. She shines. Yeah I said it. I told ya so. Glad you guys seen it as well! Congrats to Leah!!!. Better treat her right or she will be on to bigger and better things. She’s a diamond.
Take Care,
Chad
June 5th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Jason,
Paying the last 6 for their time? That’s a classy move! Really got to give you a pat on the back for that one. I’m impressed!
June 5th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Congrats Leah!
June 5th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Congrats to both Leah and Andrea! Leah, you do Ohio proud! I’m looking forward to seeing YOUR show! Tom (from Cleveland, OH)
June 5th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Wow! Right decision (Leah), wrong way to go about it.
After all these weeks of this competition, why weren’t the original judges part of the panel? Why weren’t we told that the decision was going to be up to the crew? I know that this isn’t a ‘reality show,’ and that there aren’t any official rules, but when you have a podcast, vlog, or blog, you need to be faithful to and respectful of your listeners. I don’t feel that you were.
Despite all of that, we have a great host and a great correspondent. Congrats to both!
June 5th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Good morning from Mahalo Daily!
Wow! It is GREAT to be here…FANTASTIC actually!
First, I want to say thanks and congrats to Andrea Rene. She definitely kept me on my toes during this competition. I am glad that she will be a correspondent and look forward to working with her on MD. Also, I’d like to wish the other finalists, including the original 12, the best of luck on their careers. I think this contest has provided each of the participants with valuable experience, footage, and feedback that can only help to open doors and take them where they want to go in the entertainment world!
And to Andrea–good luck with your other hosting endeavors, and I can’t wait to hear what stories you’ll be covering!
Second, I want to thank Jason and the Mahalo Daily Team for all their hard work and support during this competition. The MD team is an amazing group and I’m very excited to be a part it! We’ve already begun shooting and our brainstorming sessions are off the chart! I can’t say enough about how awesome this team is and the whole Mahalo staff. Thank you!
Third, I’d like to thank all of the MD viewers who have left comments, seesmic videos, forwarded links, etc, etc. Your interest in the show and effort to spread the word on Mahalo Daily is definitely appreciated. I have really enjoyed reading and watching the reviews. That being said, please continue to watch, comment and PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR IDEAS FOR MAHALO DAILY EPISODES! I’d love to know what topics you’d like to see on MD.
Again, I am very, very happy to be the new host of Mahalo Daily. Now…back to work!
Sincerely,
Leah D’Emilio
P.S. Please keep the viral video going–we’re over 100,000 views on You Tube alone in less than 3 days!!! And, please, a huge round of applause for Mariah…ehem, LON HARRIS, for being an awesome co-host and phenomenal viral video talent!
June 5th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
thank god! Leah earned that win.
June 5th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Class act! Good luck Leah.
June 5th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Leah is a class act all the way.
WAY TO GO LEAH! YOU’RE AWESOME!
June 5th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
damn you mahalo!! oh well….
June 5th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Bad decision. no spark or brightness
June 5th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Probably blinded by the brightness of the spark.
June 5th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Yay Leah! But I hope you call on your other semi finalists as well as Andrea. Sarah and Kristina both would be excellent correspondents.
Congratulations!!!
June 5th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Ahh, my first choice from the start won! Something about Leah strongly stood out.
Although, I was saddest to see Kristina Allison go, she might not have had the most charisma, but she was the geekiest of the bunch and would probably have picked the most interesting topics for a geek crowd.
June 5th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Congratulations Leah!
June 5th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
WooHoo! Way to go, Leah!
June 5th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
I agree with Mark, I prefer Kristina over Andrea to be MD’s correspondant.
It seemed to be a nice gesture from Andrea to recognize that Leah’s video was very good, better than hers. I think she realized too late that her original approach was kind of inacurate.
Congratulations Leah, you were the best, definitely. You are talented and beautiful, what else can you ask for?
I can’t think of any idea for the show other that Apple’s WWDC next Monday. But I guess that’ll you already thought about it, the classical “Event in 60 seconds”.
This is beggining of a new era, hope we all enjoy it.
Tks and good luck
June 5th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Congrats girls!
June 5th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
You have picked the right girl! She is awesome. I don’t think I could ever watch Mahalo with anyone other than Leah or Veronica doing it. Congrats Leah! Woot!
June 5th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
That’s great! Congratulations! I knew you could do it. Felicidades!
June 5th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
sorry, i don’t agree with your choice ill be unsubscribing. thanks for the good times.
June 5th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Totally made the right choice! Congrats to Leah and the entire Mahalo staff for making the right decision! I look forward to seeing the shows.
June 5th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
You kept the best of both…. Bravo!
Congrats to Leah and Andrea. You are both awesome!
June 5th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
[...] announced our new co-host of Mahalo Daily today: I give away the actual winner after the break. Congratulations and welcome to the Mahalo Team, [...]
June 5th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Carissima Leah,
Congratulazione! Noi siamo molti fieri di te. Buona fortuna alla tua nuova a ventura.
Baccioni cari,
Nonna e Nonno
June 6th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Yea…. My favorite won… Wise choice Jason in keeping both of them. Go get em Leah. Can’t wait for Monday
June 6th, 2008 at 12:53 am
my 2 cents: http://mahalo.connectedgeek.net/2008/06/05/mahalo-vlog-idol-did-they-make-the-right-choice/
June 6th, 2008 at 1:17 am
Mahalo daily just lost a dedicated and loyal viewer…
seeya
June 6th, 2008 at 2:06 am
__________________
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( ´V `) < Congratulations Leah!
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June 6th, 2008 at 2:12 am
leah, congratulations!
honestly, i was rooting for andrea since the beginning of this competition, but you totally won me over. :)) the best of luck and i look forward to watching you on mahalo!
June 6th, 2008 at 3:14 am
Congrats to both Leah and Andrea!
June 8th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Never watching Mahalo Daily again, already unsubscribed a coupla weeks ago
June 8th, 2008 at 10:56 am
The only reason I watched this was because of Veronica, the only reason I would have kept watching was for Nadine, can you say Hello Tekzilla and f**k 1938Media like I ever watched it before