HALLMARK CHANNEL NAMES CRISTINA FERRARE AS PERMANENT CO-HOST OF "HOME & FAMILY" WITH MARK STEINES

Hallmark Channel has named Cristina Ferrare as the permanent "Home & Family" co-host with Mark Steines, it was announced by Michelle Vicary, Executive Vice President Programming, Hallmark Channel. Ferrare came to the show as temporary co-host on November 19, 2012.

"We are thrilled to welcome Cristina as Mark's permanent 'Home & Family' co-host. Mark brings so much to the show everyday and we feel Cristina's expertise in cooking and crafting makes her the perfect partner for him. Together the are the best team we could hope for," Vicary said.

"Home & Family" is a two-hour show airing weekdays that features segments on cooking, crafting, DIY, decorating, fitness, health and more. Steines lends his DIY expertise to many segments including how to properly patch a hole in a wall or a broken window. An accomplished photographer, he also teaches viewers the fundamentals of photography in recurring segments. Ferrare regularly brings her cooking skills to the show and is in the process of schooling her co-host on culinary basics, and her talent for crafting and home entertaining have also been showcased.

Joining "Home & Family" is a homecoming for Ferrare, who was a co-host during the show's original incarnation that aired from 1996-1998 on Family Channel. She started modeling at age 16 and enjoyed a successful career that spanned 25 years. Ferrare's hosting experience also includes five years as co-host of "AM Los Angeles," a top-rated local morning show, "The Home Show" and "Incredible Sunday" among many others. Her most recent project was her cooking show on OWN, "A Big Bowl of Love," which is also the name of her fifth cookbook.

Steines was the longtime anchor of the hit entertainment news magazine show, "Entertainment Tonight," which he left to become co-host of "Home & Family." Prior to this, he was a reporter for KCAL news in Los Angeles and was honored with three Emmy Awards during his time there. Steines has also hosted "2008 Miss America Live!" on TLC as well as the Mark Burnett-produced AOL interactive online game "Gold Rush." He also has appeared on such series as "CSI: NY," "The Practice," "Medium" and the feature film "Nixon," to name a few.