'ET' Names Rachel Smith New York Correspondent

Rachel Smith has been named a full-time correspondent in New York for EntertainmentTonight beginning Oct. 7, executive producer Erin Johnson said Monday.

“Rachel has been on our radar for over a year, and we know she’s the perfect journalist to elevate ET’s presence in New York,” Johnson said. “She brings smarts and fun to every interview she does and is sure to become an audience favorite!”

Related: Entertainment Mags Look for Comeback

Smith has served as a guest correspondent for CBS Television Distribution’s entertainment magazine, and has interviewed such celebrities as Rihanna, Ryan Seacrest, Kelly Ripa, Kim Kardashian West, Dua Lipa, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie.

She’s also hosted ABC’s syndicated weekly series, On the Red Carpet, and has been a correspondent for both ABC’s Good Morning America and Nightline.

She was crowned Miss USA 2007 and went on to represent the U.S. at Miss Universe 2007 where she placed 4th runner-up.

Born in Panama where her parents were stationed on a U.S. Army base, Smith grew up in Tennessee. She graduated magna cum laude from Belmont University in Nashville with a Bachelor of Science in journalism. During her time at Belmont, Smith interned for Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions and later volunteered for a month at her South African-based Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls.

Related: Nancy O'Dell Departing 'Entertainment Tonight'

Paige Albiniak

Contributing editor Paige Albiniak has been covering the business of television for more than 25 years. She is a longtime contributor to Next TV, Broadcasting + Cable and Multichannel News. She concurrently serves as editorial director for The Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (G.E.M.A.). She has written for such publications as TVNewsCheck, The New York Post, Variety, CBS Watch and more. Albiniak was B+C’s Los Angeles bureau chief from September 2002 to 2004, and an associate editor covering Congress and lobbying for the magazine in Washington, D.C., from January 1997 - September 2002.