BodyBreak’s Hal Johnson says he was initially told to recast himself as a white man

When Hal Johnson was trying to start BodyBreak - the charmingly earnest TV spots that have urged a generation of Canadians to keep fit and have fun!" - he was initially advised to recast himself as a white man, he reveals in a new YouTube video.

For more than 30 years Johnson and his wife, Joanne McLeod, built a career and a brand on being cheerful and upbeat advocates for fitness. But in the roughly four-minute video, posted Monday, Johnson speaks candidly about the discrimination he faced in the early days of his career, treatment that has since prompted an apology from TSN.

You think that BodyBreak was started because of fitness; well it wasn't. It was started to combat racism," he says in the video.

In the spring of 1988, Johnson was an aspiring sports reporter. He approached TSN and submitted a selection of clips showcasing his past work. He says the representative he spoke to was very enthusiastic" about him joining the network.

Then, he says he got a phone call that afternoon.

Johnson says the representative told him that the higher-ups had said they already had a Black reporter. Because they already have a Black reporter, they don't want to have two Black reporters."

It wasn't Johnson's last brush with racism, he says.

A few months later, Johnson said he was in a commercial, along with a white woman and a white man. He says the director rearranged them partway through filming so that Johnson wasn't next to the woman.

He asked the director why and says he got this response: Well, the client really didn't want you next to the white girl because God forbid, somebody might think you're with a white girl," Johnson recalls. He chuckled and laughed.

I didn't get mad. I just thought about it. My dad always, always told me never get mad at something, because when you get mad you can't find solution to it."

That afternoon he started sketching storyboards for what would become BodyBreak.

Johnson and McLeod developed the idea together, and eventually went back to TSN to pitch it.

I saw the program director ... and he loved the show, and I was excited, and he said, Yes, we'll take it,'" Johnson recalled. But the feedback didn't stop there.

However, the problem is you're Black," Johnson recalls the program director saying. And the young lady - I remember him saying young lady' - is white.

We don't think the Canadian public is ready for a Black and white couple together."

Johnson says he was told that they would take the series if he recast himself - as a white man.

If you change your part to be a white gentleman, we'll take it on the air."

After the incident, Johnson went home and looked at his phone. I thought, Who can I call, what can I do, who can I call?'"

TSN tweeted an apology on Tuesday, the day after Johnson released his video.

We apologize to Hal Johnson for the racism he experienced at TSN beginning in 1988, a shameful part of our past, and thank him for sharing his story as a reminder of the impact of racism in Canadian media that continues today, the statement reads.

We recognize that even 30 years later, there is still much work to do to improve our commitment to on-air and editorial diversity," the statement continues, adding that TSN is part of a Bell Media task force to amplify BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and person of colour) on-air talent.

After the TSN rejection, Johnson and McLeod ended up at ParticipACTION, a federal non-profit that was launched by the Canadian government to promote fitness.

Johnson says their first contract was for six episodes and they eventually did 65 for the organization.

Since then, Johnson and McLeod have partnered with Health Canada, sold Ab Masters, branched into radio and competed on The Amazing Race Canada." They're known simply as Hal and Joanne" across the country.

Johnson says that journey was spurred, in part, by the intolerance he was shown early on.

We're happy to have hopefully given health and fitness tips to Canadians for 32 years, but also enlightened you that we all can live, work and play together, regardless of our ability, disability or skin colour."