Kurt stars on Biography

Canadian skating great Kurt Browning is coming to TV today.

But the four-time world champion isn't appearing in a TV skating special. Instead the remarkable athlete is hosting a series of Biography Channel shows.

"They chose people they thought I would be good to introduce -- names and faces and personalities that went with me," says the 36-year-old Browning on the phone from Hershey, Pa., where he is near the end of a 61-city Stars on Ice tour.

Included on the list are athletes Wayne Gretzky and Lance Armstrong and actors Leslie Neilsen and Ben Stiller.

"I really like people," says Browning, who will easily go down in history as one of skating's masters. "I think that's why I've enjoyed my sport so much. Now after the shows I'm the first guy to grab the mic and talk to 18,000 people. I love it."

Browning said the Biography scripts were open for change and he was encouraged to be himself once the camera rolled.

"I've tried to make it sound like I'm talking to you instead of reading it to you," says Browning, who adds that approach is evident in the Gretzky installment.

"I have spent some time with Wayne over the years, I've been to his house a few times," says Browning. "We didn't script his show at all, I just talked about him and told the story about scratching one of his cars."

Will Browning's involvement in the show lead to him finally getting featured on Biography?

"We joked that this might be a way to get one," he says.

Since retiring, Browning has had a lucrative career in show skating but that keeps him on the road up to nine months a year, so a chance to unpack was one he jumped at.

"Anytime I can be close to home and my family is a bonus," says Browning, an Albertan who now calls Toronto home. Being close to home will be even more important come July when Browning and his wife Sonia welcome their new son into the world.

"People have said, 'You think you're tired now,'" says Browning, laughing about impending fatherhood. "I know it's going to be hard work but it's going to be great."

An opportunity like this is also a chance for Browning to diversify his career as he plans to begin scaling back on his skating this year.

"My warranty ran out at 34," says Browning about his body after years on the ice. "I do this routine in the show where I fall nine times. If I don't do them just right, I wake up the next morning and say, 'What was I thinking.'"

Well, at least TV doesn't leave you physically black and blue.

TELEVISION

Biography: Wayne Gretzky