Rachel Smith

Rachel Renee Smith is an American television host, actress, model, and beauty pageant titleholder who was born on April 18, 1985. She is best known for winning the Miss USA 2007 pageant and representing the United States at Miss Universe 2007, where she finished as fourth runner-up. She previously competed in the Miss Teen USA 2002 pageant, where she placed in the top ten.

Smith was born on a United States Army base in Panama and lived in Clarksville, Tennessee, after her parents were stationed at Fort Campbell. She attended Clarksville Academy and graduated from Davidson Academy for high school. She later attended Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, on a full tuition scholarship earned through her academic achievements and community service. Smith graduated magna cum laude in December 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in journalism. During her studies, she interned for eight months at Harpo Productions and was subsequently selected to volunteer for one month at the Leadership Academy for Girls.

Smith began competing in pageants in 1993, winning the International Miniature Miss title at the Cinderella International Pageant. In 2001, she won the Miss Tennessee Teen USA 2002 title and advanced to Miss Teen USA 2002, placing in the top ten and winning the Miss Photogenic award. On October 7, 2006, she won Miss Tennessee USA 2007. She then represented Tennessee at the Miss USA 2007 pageant in Los Angeles, California, winning both the swimsuit and evening gown competitions before being crowned Miss USA on March 23, 2007.

As Miss USA, Smith represented her country at the Miss Universe 2007 pageant in Mexico City, placing fourth runner-up despite slipping during the evening gown presentation and enduring booing from the audience. During her reign, she made appearances on television programs such as The Today Show, Late Show with David Letterman, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. She also volunteered in Kenya for Project Sunshine, introduced President George W. Bush at a White House Black Music month event, rode in the 2007 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and joined a USO tour to Kuwait, Iraq, and Spain. In April 2008, she crowned her successor, Crystle Stewart.

Following her pageant reign, Smith pursued a career in broadcasting and television. In 2007, she starred in the MTV reality show Pageant Place, and in 2010 she appeared on NBC's Minute to Win It. She has worked as a reporter for E!, co-hosted ABC's syndicated show OnTheRedCarpet, served as a pop news correspondent for Saturday's Good Morning America, and co-hosted Amazon's Style Code. From 2019 to 2025, Smith worked as a New York-based correspondent for ET. She also co-hosts New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash on CBS.