Pageant News Bureau - Amy Robach

As a pageant competitor, she was a legendary beauty. A photographer nicknamed her the "Goddess of Love." But she was also smart, articulate, ambitious. Today, still young enough to be a starlet, she is a highly respected news anchor at MSNBC. And Amy Robach doesn't just admit she was a beauty queen, she's proud of it. That's why we like her so much. Recently, she sat down for a PNB intervew: It gave us a chance to show you some classic photos of her.

PNB: Did you have a long pageant career, or was it just a few contests?

ROBACH: I started in high school. I won the Miss Brookwood contest when I was a 17-year-old junior. It was very similar to a Miss America-type pageant, with a talent competition, but no swimsuit! That's when I realized how much I liked preparing for the competition. I saw the benefit of honing my skills in interviewing, public speaking and singing.

PNB: What sort of talent performance did you have in the Miss America system?

ROBACH: I sang.

PNB: Do you still do that today?

ROBACH: Yes, I do. While I was an anchor in Washington, D.C., I performed at several venues in front of senators and congressmen. I also sing for friends and at family weddings.

PNB: Did pageant competition help you on your way to a journalistic career? Was it just a distraction? Or did it actually slow you down?

ROBACH: I absolutely believe my experience in the pageant world helped me. Sure, people in the [journalism] business poke fun every now and then, but I disarm them with the facts. Most notably, the experience and confidence I received performing in front of judges and a live audience clearly translate to the camera today. I also followed current events very closely at an age where most teenagers and young adults are focused more on MTV. [Editor's note: Women in the Miss America system are expected to be well informed and interested in civic issues.] Among other things, it takes some very thick skin and an openness to criticism to make it in this business, and I developed both while competing in pageants.

PNB: Do you meet other pageant veterans in your profession?

ROBACH: I've yet to meet any other pageant veterans, but we all know that women such as Jane Pauley and Deborah Norville are no strangers to winning pageant titles.

PNB: Do you follow pageant news today?

ROBACH: My good friend Joe Whiteko, a photographer and contributor to the Pageant News Bureau, always keeps me up to date on the latest pageant news, and, dare I say, gossip!

PNB: Do you believe pageants continue to be relevant and popular?

ROBACH: I do. I think they're a great springboard to success, and I hope to see more young women use pageants as a means to that end. Your greatest achievement in life shouldn't be winning a title, but instead, taking away a winning attitude . . . a willingness to work hard from the inside out . . . to be the best in whatever field you choose.

PNB: You are beautiful. Joe Whiteko once called you the "Goddess of Love." Why did you concentrate on the Miss America system and not the more beauty-oriented Miss USA?

ROBACH: It was a conscious decision. I enjoy singing so much, I couldn't imagine competing without the talent portion of the competition. It was that simple.

PNB: By background, you're a Southerner. Do you find any lingering prejudice or "Southern Belle" stereotypes in your business?

ROBACH: I'm technically not Southern, although everyone usually thinks I am. I was born in Michigan and lived half of my childhood in St. Louis. I lived in Georgia for nine years, then went on to South Carolina, D.C., and eventually the New York area. I don't identify with one region over another . . . and because of that, I'm privy to quite a few conversations. I do think there is a "Southern belle" stereotype in this business and in many others. You overcome it by working hard every day.

The news goddess