Janne Kataja

Janne Kataja (born 5 April 1980) is a Finnish entertainer. As well as working as a magician, he also works as a stand up comedian, an actor and a host. Kataja started his theatre career as a child assistant at the Riihimaki Theatre and at the age of ten he continued his career as an actor at the Riihimaki Youth Theatre, where he has since worked extensively. He has worked as a director in the Riihimaki Youth Theatre and a summer theatre. During Easter from 1997 to 2000 Kataja acted as the Easter bunny Eko-Riksu, visiting schools, kindergartens and Easter events in Riihimaki and in a morning TV show. He worked as a member of the culture and leisure board of the city of Riihimaki from 2005 to 2008.

In 2007, Janne Kataja hosted the Idols Extra on Sub TV, in autumn 2007 and 2008 he hosted the Big Brother Extra and in 2011 he hosted the Idols Studio. He has appeared as the second host of the Hei me leivotaan! show in 2007, and he has also developed the so-called "penguin dance". In early 2009, Komediateatteri Arena started the show Spede ja Kumppanit, where Kataja plays the late Ere Kokkonen. On 3 January 2011, Kataja started as the second host of the Aamun Radio show at Radio Nova, and in the start of 2012 he started as the host of Radio SuomiPOP. In autumn 2012, Kataja was one of the three new judges on the talent show Talent Suomi.

Kataja was born in Kouvola, but when he was two weeks old his family moved to Riihimaki. He studied for two years at the expression-oriented school Kallion luokio in Helsinki, but quit his studies because he already had enough profit work. In autumn 2000, he started studying as a theatre director at the Art Academy of the Turku University of Applied Sciences. In autumn 2007, Kataja got engaged to his girlfriend Ulla, and they were married in May 2008.