Nancy O' Dell (Born: Nancy Evelyn Humphries) Official Site: http://www.nancyodell.com Bio: Named one of Television Week’s 10 Most Bankable Stars in Syndication and also ranked as one of the 20 Hottest Stars Right Now by Shape Magazine, Nancy O’Dell has proven to be a force in all areas of her life. As a journalist she currently co-anchors Access Hollywood. In addition, O’Dell contributes reports to NBC News’s Today show and Dateline. O’Dell was part of the original on-air team which launched Access Hollywood in 1996, serving as weekend co-anchor and weekday correspondent until becoming lead co-anchor in January 1999. O’Dell has since earned the reputation as one of Hollywood’s leading entertainment journalists. Beyond covering events such as The Oscars, The Emmys, The Grammys and The Golden Globe Awards, she has hosted the national Golden Globes Arrivals Special since 2000. In 2007, she hosted the backstage portion of the Golden Globe Awards telecast itself, a role made famous by Dick Clark. She also hosted The Emmys Pre-Show for Fox in 1999, ABC in 2000 and NBC in 2006. In 2002, she co-hosted NBC’s Emmys Post-Show and also hosted NBC’s Golden Globes Post-Show in 2003, 2004 and 2005. A member of the Academy of Country Music, she was the original host and consulting producer of Nashville Star, a nationwide search for the next great country music artist, for USA Network. In addition, she has been a co-host of NBC’s network coverage of the Tournament of Roses Parade for the past eight years, six of those years with Today weatherman Al Roker. In 2003 and 2004 she co-hosted ESPN’s ESPY Awards Red Carpet Show. She co-hosted NBC’s annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Rockefeller Center in 2004. Also in 2004, she was asked to host the lighting of the Christmas tree in California’s state capital by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Additionally, O’Dell co-hosted the Hollywood Christmas Parade from 1999-2002. Since 2000, O’Dell has been host of NBC New York’s annual coverage of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. O’Dell has co-hosted Miss USA since 2004 and Miss Universe since 2005. An award-winning journalist, O’Dell has been honored with three Associated Press Awards, two Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Awards, and is a seven-time Emmy Award nominee. In addition, she was nominated two years in a row (1999 and 2000) for the prestigious ICG Publicists Guild Media Award, recognizing excellence in entertainment reporting. O’Dell began her broadcast career as a reporter and anchor at WPDE-TV in Myrtle Beach, S.C. She later worked as morning news anchor and crime reporter at WCBD-TV in Charleston, S.C. While in Charleston, O’Dell’s reports on police in that city re-writing tickets for driving under the influence (DUI) cases to less serious charges led to a State Law Enforcement Division investigation that resulted in a change in South Carolina law and state authorities re-issuing a more stringent directive regarding DUI cases. The Associated Press honored O’Dell’s report on the issue with the Best Report of the Year Award, for all media, in South Carolina. Following her work in Charleston, O’Dell served as co-anchor and investigative reporter for NBC’s Miami station, WTVJ-TV, before joining Access Hollywood. During the 2004 election season, O’Dell was requested by First Lady Laura Bush to conduct an extended television interview with Mrs. Bush. Mrs. Bush again asked to speak with O’Dell just days before the 2005 Presidential Inauguration. Additionally, O’Dell interviewed Chris Heinz, stepson of Democratic challenger John Kerry, as well as First Daughters Barbara and Jenna Bush. Throughout election season, O’Dell contributed reports and offered commentary to multiple media outlets, including MSNBC and CNN. Further, O’Dell has been a featured guest and host on a number of programs including ABC’s The View, The Today Show, Larry King Live, Martha Stewart, Fox & Friends for Fox News Channel, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch on CNBC, Scarborough Country, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Isaac Mizrahi, and CBS’s The Late, Late Show. While earning her reputation as one of the preeminent entertainment broadcast journalists, O’Dell has additionally appeared in numerous television series and films. She has appeared in Thank You For Smoking, Scream 2, Scream 3, Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat, among others. Additionally, she has guest stared on several television programs including Charmed, Joey, Third Watch, Dirt, Beverly Hills, 90210, Days of Our Lives, Melrose Place, General Hospital, Just Shoot Me and Ally McBeal. O’Dell is currently featured as the spokesperson in the national commercial campaign for Johnson & Johnson’s Acuvue products and Clear Channel Radio in Los Angeles made her face synonymous with the entertainment capital by using her in their commercial campaign as spokesperson for KBIG-FM. Additionally, she is also a featured part of the See My L.A. commercial and billboard campaign for LA Inc.: The Convention and Visitors Bureau. Although O’Dell maintains a busy work schedule, she regularly makes time for philanthropic endeavors. In February 2002, she was inducted into the American Red Cross’s National Celebrity Cabinet, which was developed in 2002 as part of the Red Cross’s Entertainment Outreach Program to help the organization highlight important initiatives and response efforts. O’Dell also serves as a celebrity spokesperson for the March of Dimes (MOD). She has been a spokesperson for the March of Dimes since 1998’s Blue Jeans for Babies Campaign. The campaign’s goal was to raise awareness regarding pre-conception care for women who are of childbearing age and to help in preventing birth defects and infant mortality. In addition to raising awareness, O’Dell has spent countless hours raising funds for MOD. As a fund raising measure O’Dell attempted to make as many cameo appearances as possible on popular television programs. Ultimately, O’Dell hopes to surpass the record set by Alfred Hitchcock for cameo appearances made on TV series. In addition, she acts as an international board member for Best Buddies, a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. In June 2002, Best Buddies honored O’Dell with the organization’s Spirit of Leadership Award. This honor has previously been bestowed upon Muhammad Ali, Maria Shriver and Olympian Carl Lewis. O’Dell also serves as a Celebrity Ambassador for Childhelp USA, an organization committed to meeting the needs of abused and neglected children. A native of South Carolina, O’Dell received a great honor when that state’s governor declared Feb. 1, 2006 Nancy O’Dell Day in the entire state. Additionally, she was inducted into South Carolina’s Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in 1998 as the youngest member ever in recognition of her journalistic success. A star bearing her name can also be found along Myrtle Beach’s Sun Fun Festival Walk of Fame. An academic leader early on, O’Dell was valedictorian of her high school class, and is a summa cum laude honors graduate of Clemson University. O’Dell lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Keith Zubchevich, Vice President of Riverbed Technology, and her two stepsons, Tyler and Carson from Keith’s first marriage. Nancy and Keith have one child together, daughter Ashby.