Biography

Markette Sheppard is an Emmy award-winning TV host who has been featured on the Today show (NBC), Live! with Kelly (ABC) and Big Morning Buzz Live (VH1). Markette is also author of the No. 1 Amazon best-selling children's book, "What Is Light?"

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Markette rose to fame on ABC after Regis Philbin retired and she was a contestant on Live! with Kelly in their game-show style "Coast-to-Coast Cohost Search" competition. Markette used her digital journalism background to launch a full-scale social media campaign to garner America's hearts and votes. Markette ultimately ascending to become a Top 4 candidate. She was the youngest and last woman standing in the nationally televised competition.

Markette earned a master's degree in Interactive Journalism from American University in Washington, DC. She earned her B.A. in Communications from California State University Dominguez Hills, where she was also awarded The Los Angeles Times scholarship for excellence in student journalism.
- IMDb mini biography by: Margaret Smith

Markette Sheppard was destined to be in front of audiences as she was born on the same day as Michelle Buteau, Rose Byrne, Kristen Chenoweth, Selena Gomez, Kadeem Hardison, Jennifer Lopez, and many other performing artists. She is an Emmy award-winning TV host, best-selling author, actress, and leader in the non-profit charity sector. Hailing from Carson, California where she studied Mass Media and French at California State University Dominguez Hills before moving to the East Coast to pursue a television career. Sheppard got her start in digital content production and broke into hosting as the NY Correspondent for AMC Movie News. She went on to became an award-winning lifestyle journalist, hosting morning shows up and down the East Coast at CBS and FOX local stations and making guest appearances on NBC's "Today" Show, ABC's "Live! with Kelly" and VH1's "Big Morning Buzz Live."

Recently, Sheppard executive produced, wrote, and hosted an educational series for KLCS, the PBS education station in Los Angeles, and the Glow Girls Guide to Life, a 12-part women's empowerment series created for her digital platform, Glow Stream TV.

She began acting during the COVID-19 pandemic as a creative outlet and has since secured roles on NBC's Law & Order: Organized Crime and the independent film, Quantum Quest, directed by Curt Mega of "Glee."

Outside of the performing arts, Sheppard is the founder of The Mason Jones 'Life Well Lived' Memorial Scholarship Fund in honor of her cousin (Mason) who unexpectedly died a few days before Christmas in 2023 due to a late UTI diagnosis and her grandmother (Jones) who passed away of natural causes many years ago. The scholarship is funded by Sheppard to celebrate the legacies of both women who lived exemplary lives of service and dedication to their families and communities.

Sheppard is also the author of three children's books: "What Is Light?," "My Rainy Day Rocket Ship," and "Ninja Nate," published by Simon & Schuster under the Denene Millner Books imprint.

She lives with her husband, son, and feisty miniature schnauzer, splitting her time between DC, NY, and LA.

Sheppard is represented by Marius Bargielski at Metropolis Artists Agency (MAA).
- IMDb mini biography by: MAA