Rita Celli is the host of Ontario Today, heard weekdays across Ontario on CBC Radio One.

A child of Italian immigrants, she studied journalism at Carleton University while working on Parliament Hill; as a page and doing communications for a Member of Parliament.

Rita began her on-air career with CBC Radio in Sudbury before moving to CBC Ottawa in 1994. A veteran journalist, she has hosted a number of radio and television programs, and earned several distinctions.

In 2011, Ontario Today was named Outstanding Talk Show, winning a Gracie Award for the second year in a row. The Gracies are awarded by the Alliance for Women in Media.

In 2010, Rita won a national award for writing a commentary about the death of a blind man.

In 2008, Ontario Today won a silver medal at the International New York Festivals, for breaking news the day Zoom Airlines collapsed.

Known for her journalistic integrity and personal warmth, Rita has also taken a shine to live theatre. She played the role of Chorus in Third Wall's 2009 production of Henry Vth. An Ottawa reviewer called her performance as Nora "brilliantly funny" in a production of Norm Foster's 'Wrong for Each Other.'

Half a million listeners tune into Ontario Today. It is the only news and current affairs phone-in program that gets people talking all over the province.