By Adam Brazeau
CORNWALL, Ontario – You may not recognize Jamie Carr’s face, but his voice sure has a very familiar ring to it.
That’s because the former radio personality, is also the voice for W Network’s Come Dine with Me Canada. And now, along with a string of commercial voiceover work, he’s adding to his repertoire with – Discovery World Canada’s High Tech Rednecks.
“If you like Come Dine with Me, you’re not going to like this,” joked Carr.
His new show is completely different than his first stint in TV, but Carr’s off the cuff humour and razor sharp wit are still intact.
High Tech Rednecks is a televised hillbilly hootenanny for gearheads and speed demons who crave a show full of, “blood, sweat and gears!”
It focuses on owner Bob Woodcock and his employees at Critter Gitters Hunting Equipment Company, as they construct and modify some of the biggest, baddest vehicles on the road.
The documentary series is from Toronto-based Shark-Teeth Films and it premiered on July 24. You can watch the one-hour show every Wednesday at 10PM EST on Discovery World.
The show takes place in Texas, the Lone Star State, but Carr remains in his Cornwall-home to do his job. Unlike his Come Dine gig, which requires periodic trips to Toronto, he does it all from his in-house studio.
“I get to be at home with the kids more,” said Carr.
He’s enjoying early mornings together as a family with his children Charlotte, 4, and Mitchell, 3, and wife, Jen. A big change since Carr’s previous role as a radio personality kept him busy during the morning rush hour.
Carr is still doing work for the local radio station, but his impressive skill for voices and impersonations has completely taken over his career.
He is currently a non-unionized independent contractor represented by an agent out of Toronto. Carr had no choice but to quit his day job as a full-time radio announcer. The offers just keep coming in.
“What’s really important is the feedback,” said Carr.
Thanks to his work in Come Dine, he was called to audition for High Tech Rednecks.
On speaker phone in his private sound booth, Carr narrates a scene from High Tech Rednecks to the producers of the show as they describe to him what’s happening on screen. Carr is sent a script, but no storyboard. He relies on his years of radio experience to be able to deliver hilarious narration on the spot.
His ultimate goal is to do voiceover work for animation. His dream is to be recognized for his voice and not a specific show.
“I want to be known as Jamie Carr, the voice guy,” he said.
To get more information on High Tech Rednecks visit, www.discoveryworld.ca.