Nancy O'Dell | |
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 Nancy O'Dell in 2024 onCrime Exposé | |
| Born | Nancy Evelyn Humphries (1966-02-25)February 25, 1966 (age 59) Sumter, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Clemson University |
| Occupations | Television journalist, personality |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Notable credits | |
| Title | Miss South Carolina 1987 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards |
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Nancy O'Dell (bornNancy Evelyn Humphries; February 25, 1966)[1] is an American television host and entertainment journalist. She served as co-anchor of the syndicated entertainment news showEntertainment Tonight from January 3, 2011, to August 2, 2019.
O'Dell was born in 1966[2] inSumter, South Carolina, and moved toMyrtle Beach as an infant. She has one sister. After her 1984 graduation from the now-defunct Coastal Academy High School, she graduated with asumma cum laude bachelor's degree in marketing fromClemson University[2] in 1990.[citation needed] At Clemson, O'Dell joinedKappa Kappa Gamma. She won theMiss South Carolina pageant in 1987 and represented the state atMiss America 1988, where she won a preliminary swimsuit award. In 1990, in theMiss South Carolina USA pageant, she finished first runner-up toGina Tolleson, who became the first runner-up inMiss USA 1990 before winningMiss World that year.
O'Dell began her broadcasting career as a reporter and anchor atWPDE-TV in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She later worked as morning news anchor and crime reporter atWCBD-TV inCharleston, South Carolina. While there, her reports on the lenient police approach to DUI cases led to a State Law Enforcement Division investigation that resulted in authorities issuing more stringent directive for such cases.[citation needed] She was honored by the Associated Press with the Best Report of the Year Award (all media, South Carolina). In 1993, she joined NBC'sWTVJ in Miami, co-anchoring the 5:30 p.m. news withJackie Nespral. O'Dell left that station in 1995 to move to Las Vegas.[citation needed] While there she worked as an entertainment reporter for the nationally syndicated tabloid showA Current Affair until the show ended in 1996.[2]
O'Dell joined the entertainment news programAccess Hollywood when the program debuted in 1996.[3] In addition to her work asAccess Hollywood's lead anchor, O'Dell contributed to NBC News'Today andDateline NBC. She covered such ceremonies as the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, and Golden Globe Awards, as well as co-hosting a number of pre-shows and arrivals for the Emmys andGolden Globes.
O'Dell co-hosted theMiss USA andMiss Universe competitions in 2004 and 2005. She co-hosted the New York CitySt. Patrick's Day Parade on WNBC from 2004 to 2006. She co-hosted the Miss USA 2006 pageant withDrew Lachey, the Miss Universe 2006 pageant withCarlos Ponce, and the Miss USA 2007 pageant withTim Vincent. During this period,Donald Trump, and her, worked together.
O'Dell appeared in minor roles in the television seriesCharmed (season 1 finale (1999) andseason 5 premiere (2002). She guest starred inThe Simpsons episode "Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder" (1999), voicing herself. She also portrayed herself inScream 2 (1997),Scream 3 (2000), andScream 4 (2011) and served as host and consulting producer of theUSA Network talent competitionNashville Star for its first two seasons.
On January 13, 2008, after the65th Annual Golden Globe Awards were canceled as a result of the2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike, she co-hosted NBC's65th Annual Golden Globe Awards Winners Special withAccess Hollywood co-anchor Billy Bush.
In 2009, O'Dell hosted NBC's pre-show for the 66th AnnualGolden Globes withTiki Barber andBrooke Burke. She portrayed herself in theHannah Montana season three episode "Cheat It". She also appeared on theFox sitcomBrothers, and in the same year she andMaria Menounos guest co-hostedWWE Raw on October 12.[4] O'Dell was to participate in the eighth season ofDancing with the Stars, paired with professional dancerTony Dovolani, but had to withdraw before the season started after tearing hermeniscus during training; her replacement wasMelissa Rycroft.[5] O'Dell underwentarthroscopic surgery to repair it on March 20, 2009.[6]
O'Dell's departure fromAccess Hollywood was announced in December 2009. She left the show with two years left on her contract.[3]
On June 22, 2010, O'Dell hosted theNashville Rising concert to provide flood relief forNashville residents, afterthe floods in May of that year. She shared hosting duties withTim McGraw andFaith Hill.
On January 3, 2011, O'Dell joinedEntertainment Tonight as a special correspondent, and she succeededMary Hart as co-anchor after Hart left the show in May 2011. An avid scrapbooker, in 2010 O'Dell partnered with Creative Memories[7] to release her first collection of scrapbooking supplies, the Hummingbird Collection, and her second book,Full of Love: Mom-to-Mom Advice for Enriching Families with Simple Photo Albums and Scrapbooking.[8]
On August 2, 2019, O'Dell announced on-air that she would be leavingEntertainment Tonight after that day's broadcast. She also paid respects to her manager who recently died.[9]
In September 2024, O'Dell began hosting and producing the nationally-syndicated true crime series,Crime Exposé with Nancy O'Dell.[10]
O'Dell was married to Dr. Richard O'Dell[2] from September 30, 1995, to November 4, 2004. In 2005, she married Keith Zubchevich. O'Dell gave birth to their daughter, Ashby Grace, in June 2007, atCedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.[11] She said unexpected and surprising changes happened to her body during the pregnancy that prompted her to write a parenting book,Full of Life.[12] She is one of theMuscular Dystrophy Association's NationalALS Ambassadors.[13] In September 2016, O'Dell filed for legal separation from Zubchevich and in November 2017, they filed for divorce.[14][15][16]
In May 2013, O'Dell received an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities fromClemson University. At the ceremony, she spoke to the graduates, encouraging them to never give up in pursuing their dreams: "I decided that I would rather fail doing something I enjoyed than be successful doing something that would just be a grind [....] my wish for all of you is that you will do the same. Be who you are because you'll always be right."[17][18]
| Media offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Host ofAccess Hollywood 1999–2009 With:Pat O'Brien (1999–2004) Billy Bush (2004–2009) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Miss Universe host 2005–2006 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Miss USA host 2004–2007 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Co-host ofEntertainment Tonight 2011–2019 | Succeeded by Current |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
