Nancy O'Dell (Actor)

Nancy O'Dell on Dancing With the Stars. (Photo: ABC)

One of Hollywood’s leading entertainment journalists, Nancy O’Dell became a fixture in Tinseltown as co-host of “Access Hollywood” (Syndicated, 1996- ) and a reliable backstage correspondent at entertainment awards shows. Born Nancy Humphries on Feb. 25, 1966, the Charleston, SC native began her broadcasting career as a news reporter and anchor at television stations in Myrtle Beach and Charleston, where her investigation into lax DUI processing resulted in a change to the state law and an award from the Associated Press. O’Dell went on to co-anchor the news at NBC affiliate WTVJ in Miami, FL before she was recruited to join the first season of the entertainment magazine show “Access Hollywood” as a weekend anchor and weekday correspondent. Three years later, she assumed the role of co-anchor on the show’s daily broadcasts and solidified her reputation as one of the top entertainment reporters in the city – particularly with her on-location coverage of the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Golden Globe awards.

In addition to O’Dell’s journalistic contributions to NBC’s “Today” (NBC, 1952- ) and the news magazine “Dateline NBC” (1992- ) she was also a highly visible spokesperson for the March of Dimes, hoping that her countless guest spots in film and television (where she usually played her bubbly self) would help bring awareness to the cause. A former Miss Carolina of 1987, O’Dell began co-hosting Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants in 2004 and 2005 respectively, expanding into television production as a consulting producer on “Nashville Star” (USA, 2003-07; NBC, 2008- ) which she also hosted during its first season. The tables were turned when O’Dell became the entertainer under speculation as a contestant on season eight of “Dancing with the Stars” (ABC, 2005- ).