Menounos Debuts on ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Menounos rehearsing with her professional dancing partner, Derek Hough. Courtesy photo.

Medford native and ‘Extra’ host Maria Menounos made her debut on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” Monday night.

The self-proclaimed tom boy, partnered with pro Derek Hough, earned praise from the judges for her “cha cha” dance, earning a respectable score of twenty-one (three sevens).

Menounos is a 1996 Medford High School graduate who went on to Emerson College before launching a TV and movie career. She has appeared in several movies and TV shows and is the youngest person ever to co-host Entertainment Tonight. She would also later report for Today, Dateline and Nightly News.

Menounos founded Take Action Hollywood! in an effort to mobilize celebrities to support various causes. Menounos has been active in supporting diabetes research, AIDS relief awareness, and preventing animal cruelty, among other causes.

Menounos is also the New York Times bestselling author of the self-help book, The EveryGirl’s Guide to Life.

While a student at MHS, Menounos played basketball, sang in the church choir, and worked for Dunkin’ Donuts.

– InsideMedford.com