Raquel Roxanne "Rocsi" Diaz (also known simply as Rocsi) is a Honduran-born American television host, radio personality, model and actress. She is best known as “Rocsi” from her time spent as a co-host on BET’s music video countdown program 106 & Park from 2006–2012. She was then a correspondent on Entertainment Tonight from 2012–2014, where she was referred to as "Rocsi Diaz".^[2]

Early life

Diaz was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras but moved with her family to New Orleans, Louisiana. She is of Honduran and Chilean descent.^[3] Rocsi announced on 106 & Park on July 30, 2009, that she suffered from anorexia during her middle and high school years. She was an avid cheerleader during those years, as well. She graduated from West Jefferson High School in Harvey, Louisiana.^[4][5] She graduated from Nicholls State University.

Career

After growing up in New Orleans, she launched her career in Dallas, Texas, as a host on the city's premier urban radio station, 97.9 The Beat. Here, Rocsi cultivated a unique, street-smart style that caught the attention of Boston's Hot 97.7, where she later became a DJ. In 2004, she moved to Chicago where she was hired as midday-hour DJ at radio station Power 92 WPWX-FM,^[6][7] and was known as "The Midday Mami".

Television

Diaz appeared on MTV's Fear as a contestant in 2000.

BET personalities AJ Calloway and Free left the network on July 28, 2005.^[8] They were replaced by Big Tigger and Julissa Bermudez. They left and Rocsi on July 6, 2006, won the role of co-host of BET's 106 & Park along with Terrence J.^[9] The show can be seen in over 85 million homes in U.S., United Kingdom, Canada, Africa, Caribbean, and Japan.^[10] For the debut in Japan, she and co-host Terrence J taped footage there, and appeared on MTV Video Music Awards Japan.^[11] In 2007, Rocsi starred as a BET News correspondent in Def Jam: Icon, but only appears in cutscenes on TV and not in fighting mode.

On 19 November 2012, Diaz joined Entertainment Tonight^[12] as a daily correspondent and weekend co-host. In June 2014, Diaz was awarded a Daytime Emmy award as part of the cast for Outstanding Entertainment News Program.^[13][14] On 17 September 2014, Diaz was let go from the show as CNN's Nischelle Turner was hired.^[15][16]

In August 2013, she was recognised by the National Council of La Raza: Nuestro Pueblo.^[17] She received the Ruben Salazar Award for Communications.

On 23 January 2015, Diaz announced she had been hired by CNN's HLN.^[18][19] She is the Los Angeles contributor to their show The Daily Share^[20] that airs from 12–5 pm EST.

In August 2015, she marked the ten year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by returning home with cameras. She showed how her childhood street was bare of homes.^[21]

Diaz serves as the host to the third season of Dating Naked on VH1 replacing the original two-seasoned host Amy Paffrath.^[22]

Diaz provided color commentary for Cannonball on the USA Network alongside Mike “The Miz” Mizanin, who called the play-by-play.

In 2021, she became the host of the new Fox reality singing competition Alter Ego.

Personal life

She has been in a relationship with American R&B singer Joe (singer) since 2016. She is a vegetarian since college and appeared in a PETA ad campaign promoting the diet.^[23]

Filmography

Film

Television