Start Here / Never Stop Podcast: Ashlan Cousteau '02
Alumna Ashlan Gorse Cousteau '02 is the co-star of the Travel Channel's Caribbean Pirate Treasure, a former Entertainment Tonight correspondent and a fill-in anchor for E! News.
For more than a decade, Cousteau worked for top rated entertainment shows — at Entertainment Tonight as a special correspondent; for seven years prior as a correspondent and fill-in anchor for E! News; and as the lead anchor on E! News Now, reaching millions of digital viewers daily. As an entertainment journalist, she covered everything from breaking news and celebrity exclusives to award shows and premieres.
As well as her work in front of the screen, Cousteau has extensive production experience, working as a segment producer for MSNBC and behind the scenes at broadcast giant NBC on high-profile shows including The Today Show, Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Access. She also served as the West Coast Editor at Large with Life & Style Weekly. Specializing in pop culture and celebrity news, she became one of the nation’s most sought after entertainment experts and on-air commentators. She regularly appeared on outlets such as NBC, CNN, CBS, MSNBC and Fox News.
Cousteau’s documentary, Nuclear Sharks, for Discovery Channel’s Shark Week 2016 premiered as the No. 1 rated show across all cable programming. Traveling to the Marshall Islands, she led an expedition to film, tag and investigate the mystical grey reef sharks who survived against all odds in the fall out of one of the world’s largest nuclear testing grounds. Cousteau also joined the eccentric crew of the “Desiree” for season two of "The Aquatic World of Philippe Cousteau," the highly successful adventure spoof on CNN’s digital platform Great Big Story.
Cousteau’s endeavors go beyond television. In January 2017, she traveled to Antarctica to be a headlining speaker at TedxScottBase where her talk, "Laugh, Cry, Connect…How Entertainment Can Save Our Planet," was received with great praise. At the request of the United Nations, she served as host for the UN’s Convention on Migratory Species in Quito, Ecuador. She has presented at the Society of Environmental Journalists, DreamForce and SXSW Eco. Cousteau was selected by former Vice President Al Gore to be the opening anchor for his internationally live broadcast of 24 Hours of Reality and continues to be a leading voice for environmental issues on Capitol Hill.
In addition to her work in journalism and the environment, Ashlan holds a deep passion for animal welfare and children’s health. She a supporter for and hosted many events for Starlight Children’s Foundation, Susan G. Komen, The Humane Society of the United States and the Inspiration Awards. She currently sits on the boards of the Environmental Media Association and on the National Council for the World Wildlife Fund.
Cousteau, her husband Philippe and their rescued Siberian Husky, Kenai Cousteau, reside in Los Angeles.
Check out more Start Here / Never Stop Podcast episodes at mj.unc.edu/SHNSPodcast.