Elisabetta Canalis — Biography

Elisabetta Canalis is an Italian actress and television personality. She was born to Cesare, a radiologist at the University of Sassari's clinic, and Bruna, a former teacher. Her family includes a brother named Luigi, who is also a radiologist and was implicated in a debt scandal in Switzerland. Elisabetta received her schooling in Sassari, where she completed her studies at a classical high school (Liceo Classico), before relocating to Milan to pursue foreign languages at the Università degli Studi di Milano. However, she did not finish her degree, as she began her career as a dancer for Silvio Berlusconi's Canale 5 when she was just 21 years old. A devoted supporter of the Italian football club FC Inter, Canalis has appeared in minor roles in films such as Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo and Virgin Territory. She also gained prominence as a velina on the show Striscia la notizia. In 2007, she took on the role of host for the annual music festival, Festivalbar. The following year, she co-hosted the Italian edition of Total Request Live. In 2010, she appeared as a recurring character in the third season of TNT's series Leverage. In February 2011, she co-hosted the prestigious Sanremo Music Festival alongside Gianni Morandi and Belen Rodriguez. In 2015, Elisabetta welcomed a daughter, and after her pregnancy, she opted for breast augmentation surgery due to changes in her body. As of February 2025, she has garnered a following of 3.7 million on Instagram.