Dina Pugliese says people 'have no idea' what her life was like before she left TV due to burnout: 'I felt like a failure'

Yahoo

6 days ago

Dina Pugliese's warmth is contagious. When the 51-year-old speaks, it's as if you're sitting with a beloved aunt at her kitchen table, being fussed over and offered anything you could possibly want or need. It's her uncanny ability to move through the world creating an instant familial atmosphere that has led to her success as the host and executive producer of Breakfast Television (BT). For almost 20 years (save for a two-year hiatus in 2023), the Toronto native has been a constant on morning television, willingly giving herself and her energy in hopes that viewers begin their day on the right foot.
With a rejuvenated career and an upcoming panel talk at the Women's Healthy Living Show in Toronto next weekend, Pugliese remains determined to connect with her audience. But this time, she's no longer looking to distract viewers from their problems. She's sitting with them in their struggles by sharing her own — and reminding them that they're never alone.
Yahoo Canada recently spoke to Pugliese about burnout, caregiving and more.
In 2023, a demanding career and years of shouldering the weight of private stressors had taken its toll; she felt as though she had nothing left to give. In February of that year, Pugliese announced on air that she was leaving BT. While she says her decision was necessary — it wasn't one she took lightly.
I couldn't believe I let myself get to that point of burnout. The last couple months were a complete fog.Dina Pugliese
'I felt like I was disappointing so many people, including myself. I couldn't believe I let myself get to that point of burnout. The last couple months were a complete fog,' she said. 'For years I had gone through different family health crises and I'd been spending all night in the ER or hospital wards. I was with my family during their chemo treatments and radiation and then I would show up on BT. I looked at it as compartmentalizing pain.'Pugliese recalled an author once saying that during a difficult time, she gave herself 15 minutes a day to cry in the shower before moving on with her day. Soon, she began her day the same way before heading to the studio to film BT.
"I would cry in the shower and I would pray for strength, then I'd go out there and I'd say, 'I need to laugh. I need this as medicine,'" she recalled.
pray before composing herself for a day in front of the cameras. Although it was difficult, her career was her 'medicine' that helped her soldier on for as long as she could.
'When I got to a point where I couldn't draw from that well anymore, I felt this incredible sense of failure,' she said. 'Like I was letting myself down, letting others down. … How could I leave a job that I loved so much?'
How could I leave a job that I loved so much?Dina Pugliese
Soon it became obvious to Dina, her husband, Alex Mirkovich, and her doctor that her body was crumbling due to stress. The first months after leaving BT were dedicated to sleep. Then she began reconnecting with nature and going to church to 'fill her spirit.'
'It was centring and grounding. Reconnecting with God gave me strength,' she said.
But like many people, Pugliese's identity had become inextricably tied to her career. If she wasn't working, who was she? Who was the real Dina?
'I didn't know what it meant anymore because I was so defined by this job that I loved. And then I felt like that person was gone. I don't know if I'll ever see that person again,' she said. 'I didn't even know who that person was.'
Pugliese's personal life in the years leading up to 2023 was challenging to say the least. In 2014, her husband was diagnosed with a brain tumour, which required surgery in 2021. Pugliese took a temporary leave from BT to support him and other family members experiencing health issues.
Acting as caregiver is something that comes naturally to Pugliese. Her first recollection of taking care of others is her beloved nonna, Dea. When Pugliese's grandfather died, she began sleeping next to her nonna so that she would never feel lonely. She cared for her maternal grandmother, who she calls her "kindred spirit" throughout her life. It was a formative bond that she holds dear, even now.
'It stayed with me that life is short. It's finite, and you have to care for the people you live with,' she said.
Her husband's health struggles, which the couple kept private for years, required a different level of care. It's an emotional topic for her but one she feels called to share.
I was watching him like a hawk…,' she said. 'He had to learn how to do everything again.Dina Pugliese
'He's so strong and he's so resilient and he's so stubborn. That all helped him recover as well as he did. But it was really hard being in the hospital by myself, having the responsibility to care for him.'
Without outpatient care, Dina was around the clock caring for her husband.
'I was watching him like a hawk…,' she said. 'He had to learn how to do everything again.'
Almost two years after she left TV, Pugliese was contacted to participate in a talk about her personal experience acting as caregiver for family members.
'I was so nervous,' she said. 'I used to do this stuff in my sleep. I was like, what do I do? They [told me], 'Just be Dina!'' Once she was on stage, she felt something reignite inside of her. 'It was like muscle memory and to hear the crowd laugh and connect with them in that way… The connectivity with good people was what I missed…. It was still there.'
When Pugliese decided to return to BT in early 2025 she needed to ensure that she wasn't headed for burnout again. That meant creating a different schedule for her day, building in breaks for herself and saying 'no' to more than she used to. Pugliese's focus remains dedicated to her family, rest and work.
It also included a lifestyle change. Now that she's in her 50s, Pugliese is navigating perimenopause and learned from her doctor that she needed to overhaul her lifestyle and get moving.
'That's part of the holistic process, right? You have to keep your heart strong," she said. "You have to try and go for walks to clear your mind and do all of the things that we know to do, but sometimes forget to do.'
Although her time away from TV forced her to slow down, she's happy to be back in front of the camera, doing what she loves.
'It's a blessing to be a part of people's lives every single day in the morning, when they're at their most vulnerable and for them to let you in. You bond and connect in a way that very few other shows can," she said.
No matter where she goes, Pugliese takes time to stop and talk to people. Whether they're viewers that she meets while running errands or people that she meets while travelling, she manages to form a connection. It's not uncommon for Pugliese to share a laugh or a few tears with those she comes across.
'All of my emotions in my 50s are right at the surface," she said. "I don't know if it's burnout… I'm just raw. All somebody has to say is something nice and I'm bawling… because people don't have to be [nice], so often you only hear about the negatives. When somebody just shoes their kindness and their decency, it goes right to my heart."
There's so many things people don't know. They have no ideaDina Pugliese
As a public figure, Pugliese has faced more than her fair share of criticism and hurtful comments from strangers. A glimpse into her social media account shows Pugliese with her family, travelling, smiling and enjoying life. Her followers never would have known that privately her family was in the trenches, fighting to hold on to one another.
"There's so many things people don't know. They have no idea. I remember for years people would look at Alex and I, we'd share photos when we would travel, because we both love to travel and they'd be like, 'Must be nice' or asking why we don't have any kids," she said. "They had no idea that we tried... It would have been the biggest blessing. The only reason why I stopped trying is because [my husband] was diagnosed with a brain tumour."
Now that she's on the other side of things, Pugliese reminds followers often not to rush to judgement.
"We really have to be careful because we never know what anybody's going through," she said. "It's curated and it looks a certain way, but they don't now the real truth."
While her struggles and public-facing career could have left her hardened, Pugliese remains unapologetic about leading with kindness.
"'I've been called 'too nice' like it's a bad thing by bosses… If that's the problem then I am not fixing it because the world needs more nice...," she said. "Just because you're nice, doesn't meant mean you're weak. Just because you're nice doesn't meant mean you're a pushover.
"Nice has gotten me burned. Nice has gotten me in some serious predicaments. … You're going to get hurt no matter what, but I choose to still and always lead with kindness."