D.J. Demers (born 1986) is a Canadian-born stand-up comedian, widely known for appearances on Season 11 of America's Got Talent, numerous late night talk shows, his online stand-up streaming specials, as well as on his 2023-2024 television series One More Time on CBC."Kitchener-born comedian D.J. Demers needs your votes to become top comic". Kitchener Post, August 10, 2017.
Background Born to Don and Joy Demers of Kitchener, Ontario, D.J. was diagnosed with hearing loss at age four; without hearing aids, he was considered deaf. Growing up, his parents and older sister helped him with the challenges he faced, including having spare hearing aids on hand. The hearing aids weren't waterproof and would stop functioning if he sweated too much, on the playground or during sports. In his youth, Demers played ice hockey extensively.
As a teenager, Demers' mother encouraged him to take a part time job in a used sporting equipment store — to become more comfortable speaking with people. He later graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a degree in business, and later worked in marketing at a Waterloo, Ontario tech company.
In 2009, Demers applied for and was selected by Richard Branson in a contest for an internship with Virgin Mobile. Each self-submitted homemade entry would outline ways young people could stay afloat in the economic downturn. Suggesting ditching a mobile phone for two tin cans connected by string, Demers' video was Branson's favorite entry.
In approximately 2011, Demers moved to Toronto to further his stand-up career, subsequently moving to Los Angeles. Demers is married, with two children.
Career Demers began performing comedy in his second year of university, making his first comedy club appearance at Yuk Yuk's. He won the 2013 Toronto Comedy Brawl and the Homegrown Comics Competition at the Just for Laughs Festival in 2014, and starred in a 13-segment television series, The D.J. Demers Show for AMI-tv. He won a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Breakout Artist in 2015."Kitchener comedian makes his mark on ‘America's Got Talent’". Waterloo Region Record, June 8, 2016.
He appeared on America's Got Talent in 2016, advancing to the Judge Cuts round but not making it to the live shows."D.J. Demers kicks off comedy tour at WSU". The Daily Evergreen, October 3, 2017. In 2017 he appeared on Conan,"D.J. Demers Performs Stand Up on Conan". The Interrobang, July 14, 2017. and undertook a comedy tour of university and college campuses across the United States sponsored by hearing aid manufacturer Phonak. He has also appeared on episodes of the CBC Radio comedy series The Debaters."Eavesdropping is harmless fun". The Debaters, May 20, 2017.
He received a Juno Award nomination for Comedy Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2018, for his comedy album Indistinct Chatter."Arcade Fire and Daniel Caesar lead 2018 Juno Award nominations". CBC Music, February 6, 2018.
In 2019 his stand-up comedy special Interpreted was streamed as a Crave original,Ernie Tripper, "Who is On Late Night Tonight in Comedy: Week of November 11, 2019". The Interrobang, November 11, 2019. and he headlined Comedy for a Cause, a stand-up show in Montreal that consisted entirely of comedians with physical disabilities."Montreal's first fully accessible stand-up comedy show takes the stage". CBC News Montreal, May 28, 2019. His second comedy album Uninterpreted, a selection of segments from the Crave special, was also released the same year.
In June 2023, CBC Television greenlit One More Time, a comedy series starring Demers as the manager of a used sporting goods store.Greg David, "CBC unveils 2023-24 programming slate featuring over 40 original series from Canadian storytellers". TV, eh?, June 1, 2023. The series premiered on CBC in January 2024,Debra Yeo, "How hard-of-hearing comedian D.J. Demers turned his high school job into a Canadian sitcom". Toronto Star, January 6, 2024. After the show,which the Toronto Star called "a love letter to mid-size Canadian cities," was cancelled after its inaugural season, full episodes remained available on Youtube.Alex Nino Gheciu, "Allan Hawco, Snotty Nose Rez Kids among familiar names behind upcoming CBC lineup". Canadian Press, May 24, 2024.
Since 2024 he has hosted the annual All Access Comedy specials for the Halifax Comedy Festival and AMI-TV."Pluto TV marks one-year anniversary in Canada". Broadcast Dialogue, December 14, 2023.
On October 3, 2026, he performed at Comedy Bar for the Toronto edition of Just for Laughs, in his final live performance before undergoing cochlear implant surgery.Aliya Karimjee, "‘All killer, no filler’: D.J. Demers brings his self-deprecating comedy to Just For Laughs Toronto". Now, October 2, 2026.
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