Published May 2, 2019 3:15pm EDT
Miss USA 2019 co-hosts Vanessa and Nick Lachey talk mixing business with pleasure
By Jessica Sager | Fox News
Vanessa and Nick Lachey mixing business with pleasure for Miss USA 2019
1998 Miss USA winner Vanessa Lachey and her singer hubby Nick teamed up to co-host the pageant for the second consecutive year.
Vanessa and Nick Lachey are looking forward to hosting Miss USA 2019 together — and not just for the sake of inspiring the 51 young women participating in the pageant.
"We hosted it last year for the first time and apparently we didn't screw it up too badly, because they asked us to come back and do it again," Nick, 45, told Fox News. "It's a lot of fun. We've obviously both hosted a lot of things in our careers individually, but this was the first time we'd ever worked together."
"Working together is actually a lot of fun," Nick added. "We actually enjoy working together. It's a chance for us to get away for a few days in Reno."
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"You have that on record! He enjoys working with me," Vanessa, 38, added with a chuckle.
The Lacheys called the Reno excursion a "work trip" with a wink and left their children — son Camden, 6, daughter Brooklyn, 4, and son Phoenix, 2 — at home.
"This is a work trip-slash-adult getaway — as far as the kids are concerned, we're working," Nick said. "It gives a little time for the co-hosts to canoodle," Vanessa joked.
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In terms of what that work entails, the Miss USA pageant holds a special place in Vanessa's heart, as the former MTV VJ took the crown in 1998.
"It's an honor to still be a part of this family," she said. "It's meant everything to me. It's given me confidence, and they have continued to support me and inspire me, and to be able to do that for another generation is super special."
Her history as a pageant winner helps her host, she explained, and makes her want to hug the contestants. She said her advice for the contestants is simple.
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"I really just want to look over and say, 'You got this! Just be yourself,'" she said. "I know that sounds cliche but there's a reason it's an actual cliche. Be yourself and believe in yourself. There are 51 amazing, diverse, wonderful, talented women here, but there's only one you."
"There is only one girl who's going to be crowned Miss USA 2019," she continued, "but if you did it your way and you answered with your heart and you believed in every choice that you made, then you won't have any regrets. You'll move on to the next level, the next chapter and the next thing with grace and empowerment."
Miss USA airs on Fox at 8 p.m. EST.
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