Alyssa Campanella
Julie Jacobson/AP
Alyssa Campanella, who won the 2011 Miss USA Pageant on Sunday night in Las Vegas, told the world she’s a “history geek” who continually adds to her history-book collection.
But there’s a lot more to know about gorgeous 21-year-old redhead.
1. She’s actually a blonde!Well known for her fiery auburn hair, she wasn’t born that way, having first changed her color six years ago for a role in a play. “It’s really brought out the true Alyssa Campanella, I feel,” she said. “And that’s why I really enjoy being a redhead.”
2. Sorry, guys, she’s taken Following her crowning, asked which celebrity she would like to date, she said she was in a relationship. That someone is actor Torrance Coombs, who starred in Showtime’s The Tudors. Campanella said Coombs cried when she won. “He’s proud of me, and I couldn’t ask for anything more,” she said. Coombs admitted on Twitter: “I am a puddle.”
3. This wasn’t her first crack at Miss USA Originally from New Jersey, Campanella competed to be Miss New Jersey twice, coming close both times but never winning the title. She was, however, named Miss New Jersey Teen USA in 2007.
4. First step Miss USA, next step Cake Boss? Campanella loves to cook. Her dream is to meet Cake Boss‘s Buddy Valastro. “I love to make cakes, and he’s and Italian, and he acts like I do in the kitchen, so I think we would mesh well,” she said. Campanella, a fellow Italian, said she can also whip up a mean pasta dish.
5. She’s partially allergic to the sun! “When I was younger, no one understood why I would develop red bumps along the outside of my skin, especially in the summer,” she said on her website. “As it turns out, I have an allergy to direct contact with the sun! It’s a good thing I love hats!”