Maria Menounos

Biography: Born to a working-class family, this former Miss Massachusetts Teen USA set her sights on journalism while studying at Emerson College. After working on news segments for the school's radio station, she joined Channel One News, which broadcasts to schools across the U.S. Entertainment Tonight snatched up the correspondent in 2002 and eventually made her the host of its programs on MTV and VH1. In 2004, Menounos showed her versatility with a recurring acting role on One Tree Hill. The next year she left ET to join the competition, Access Hollywood. Her coverage of the devastating AIDS epidemic in South Africa prompted the journalist to create Take Action Hollywood!, which works to raise social awareness and improve human conditions through film.