Maria Menounos — Biography

Maria Menounos is a multifaceted American figure known for her roles as an actress, journalist, television presenter, and occasional professional wrestler, with roots tracing back to Greece. She has garnered recognition in the U.S. for her work as a correspondent on shows such as Today, Access Hollywood, and Extra, and she gained international attention for co-hosting the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens, Greece, in 2006. Menounos was born in Medford, Massachusetts, to Greek immigrant parents, Costas and Litsa Menounos. She has a younger brother named Peter and is fluent in Greek. From the ages of 13 to 19, she worked at Dunkin' Donuts. Menounos is also connected to her heritage through her attendance at the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church located in Somerville, Massachusetts. She completed her secondary education at Medford High School in Medford, MA. Her journey in beauty pageants began in 1995, and the subsequent year, she earned the title of Miss Massachusetts Teen USA, subsequently competing at Miss Teen USA where she reached the top 15, gaining an honorary mention, having secured 13th place in the preliminaries. Christie Lee Woods won that pageant. In 2000, she vied for the title of Miss Massachusetts USA, finishing as the first runner-up. Before this, she had already held the title of Miss Massachusetts Teen USA in 1996. By October 2025, Maria had built a substantial social media presence, with 1.1 million followers on Instagram and 129,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel.