Jeannie Mai

At age 18, Mai launched her career as a makeup artist for MAC Cosmetics while still living in San Jose.[5] As a trainer, she worked her way from face to face until she was eventually traveling the world to work for celebrities such as Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys.[6] Leading her to also serve as a celebrity makeup stylist for MTV's Total Request Live, KCAL Los Angeles, and Good Day Sacramento.[6][7]

In 2003, Mai began auditioning for local television networks with self-written scripts to demonstrate her hosting talents. She was hired to co-host the Asian American magazine-style show Stir, on the International Channel.[7] Later, the San Francisco-based California Music Channel hired her to host her own music countdown. Mai went on to become an entertainment reporter and producer of the WB's The Daily Mixx.[8]

Mai in October 2011

In 2005, Mai landed her first primetime hosting role on Character Fantasy on the USA Network, where she inspired guests each week to live their fantasies.[9] Following this, she moved to Los Angeles to appear on MTV's Granted alongside Frankie Muniz and hosted segments related to fashion and entertainment news on networks such as E!, Lifetime, TLC, and NBC on the lattermost's talk morning program Today.[10][11] She also started appearing as a member of the beauty squad on TLC's 10 Years Younger. In 2008, Mai hosted TLC's Miss America Reality Check. She also starred in the makeover special Dude, Where's Your Style, and became spokesperson of the cosmetics Never Accept Ordinary. The following year, Mai became host of the Style Network's fashion makeover show How Do I Look?.[12] She also served as a correspondent and weekend host on NBC's Extra TV with Mario Lopez. In the digital realm, Mai was the resident contributor to Perez Hilton's fashion site Cocoperez.com.[13] In 2011, Mai began hosting the Miss Universe pageant and was a fashion consultant on the NBC weight-loss competition The Biggest Loser.[8][14] Furthermore, Mai also hosted the stylist competition The Next Style Star from Maker Studios, and was the digital correspondent for NBC's Fashion Star.[15][16] In 2012, she appeared as a guest judge on Asia's Next Top Model, Cycle 1.

In 2013, Mai was the host of a live weekly series titled Style Pop on the Style Network.[17] Since 2013, Mai has served as a co-host of the syndicated daytime talk show The Real originally alongside Adrienne Bailon, Tamar Braxton, Loni Love, and Tamera Mowry, which premiered on July 15, 2013.[18][19] Following a trial summer run during 2013 on the Fox Television Stations group, it was picked up to series the following year.[20] In 2018, Mai and her co-hosts won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host for their work.[21] In 2015, Mai was host of the reality competition Steampunk'd on GSN. She also was a fashion correspondent on Entertainment Tonight.

In 2016, she brought her show How Do I Look? to Asia's Diva network. The following year, she portrayed Lady Luck on the American game show The Joker's Wild. Mai also became an ambassador for ReimagineMyself.com a program encouraging people living with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) to reimagine life with the chronic disease.[22]

On September 2, 2020, Mai was announced as one of the celebrities competing on the 29th season of Dancing with the Stars.[23][24] She was forced to exit the show on November 2, 2020 after being diagnosed with epiglottitis, an inflammatory condition that can cause swelling and block airflow to the lungs. [25]