Mike Bullard obit

Mike Bullard dead at the age of 67

 

He was not on the list.

Mike Bullard, a comedian and former late-night talk show host who hailed from Mississauga, has died at the age of 67.

Known for his pioneering role in Canadian late-night television with Open Mike with Mike Bullard. His career spanned decades, during which he earned a devoted following for his candid humor and quick wit.

From his notable work on Open Mike, which ran from 1997 to 2003, to his time on Toronto’s Newstalk 1010 radio, Bullard was known for his engaging personality and unfiltered comedic style. He was also an active stand-up performer, entertaining audiences at Yuk Yuk’s clubs across Canada and continuing to work in comedy into his later years.  However, his journey has not been without challenges.

In recent years, Bullard has faced personal and professional struggles, including financial difficulties and legal issues related to a 2018 incident involving allegations of harassment. He continued to engage with his audiences until his last days.

Multiple media personalities who knew Bullard said he died of a heart attack, though his family has not yet issued a formal statement confirming the cause of death.

Several friends and former colleagues took to X, (formerly Twitter) to express their condolences. Broadcaster Bob Cowan posted, “His last years were troubled, but @MikeBullard1997 never stopped making people laugh. RIP Mike Bullard.”

His last years were troubled but @MikeBullard1997 never stopped making people laugh. RIP Mike Bullard.

Another friend, Ryan Doyle, shared a heartfelt memory, describing Bullard as “a caring friend that would give you the shirt off his back.”

A resident of Mississauga since he was 14 years old, Bullard worked briefly as a police officer with Peel Regional Police in his youth, but resigned when he was not permitted to moonlight in comedy clubs. He then returned to Bell Canada, where he had worked previously, and eventually was promoted to associate director of corporate investigation, while also working part-time as a stand-up comic. His promotion occurred after his manager saw him perform as an emcee at the Just for Laughs festival, leading him to conclude that if Bullard could handle a crowd he could also handle corporate investigations.

Bullard had a long-time association with the Yuk Yuk's chain of comedy clubs, as both an emcee and headliner, since first appearing at the Toronto club in July 1988. He started performing at the venue after being introduced to Yuk Yuk's founder, Mark Breslin, by his brother, writer and comedian Pat Bullard. Bullard asked Breslin for spots emceeing shows at Yuk Yuk's rather than as a headliner or a spot in the lineup in hopes of preparing himself to eventually become a talk show host.

He continued to perform at Yuk Yuk's shows across Ontario until the end of his life. Yuk Yuk's proprietor Mark Breslin, who knew Bullard for 35 years, said of him: "He was probably the best emcee and host in the country. Nobody did crowd work like Mike. That was his real super strength.

Following his television show's cancellation, Bullard resumed his career as a stand-up comic playing in comedy clubs such as Yuk Yuk's, released a comedy CD, did commercials for a weight loss clinic, and made a cameo appearance at the Gemini Awards taking part in a skit in which he played a corpse protesting "I'm not dead yet!" while paramedics removed him from the stage. In October 2006, Bullard launched an uncensored morning satellite radio show on XM Canada's Laugh Attack channel; the program was cancelled after five months.

Bullard returned to TV to host HouseCapades, a reality series following and assisting people selling their homes, in 2006. In August 2009, Bullard became the host of The Mike Bullard Show on Talk820 Radio (CHAM) in Hamilton, Ontario, however his evening show was cancelled when CHAM switched to a country music format in July 2010.

From 2010 to 2016, Bullard hosted Beyond the Mic with Mike Bullard weekdays at noon on Newstalk 1010 in Toronto.

He returned to broadcasting in October 2018 on Sauga 960 AM in Mississauga as host with Lawrence Morganstern of the afternoon drive time show, The Getaway. The show ceased production in late January 2019.

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