- Menounos still owns the very first car she bought when she moved to Los Angeles: a now fully restored 1962 candy apple red Chevrolet Corvair convertible.
- As she was caring for her mother, who has stage 4 brain cancer, Maria found out she was facing a health crisis of her own. In February 2014 Menounos started experiencing troubling symptoms. "I'd been getting lightheaded on set and having headaches," she tells PEOPLE in the magazine's exclusive new cover story. "My speech had gotten slurred and I was having difficulty reading the teleprompter". An MRI revealed Menounos had a golf-ball-size meningioma brain tumor that was pushing on her facial nerves. Menounos made an appointment with her mother's doctor, renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Keith L. Black, and they scheduled surgery for June 8-her 39th birthday. "He said, 'I'm 98 percent sure it's benign but we won't know until we get in there,'" she says. During the complex surgery, which lasted about seven hours, Dr. Black was able to remove 99.9 percent of the tumor, which was benign. "He said there's a six to seven percent chance that we'll see it come back," she says. "But I'll take those odds any day." Now back at home after a six-day hospital stay, Menounos is healing and spending time with her mother, Litsa, whose latest MRI shows that her cancer is stable.
- Was stuck in an elevator on August 14, 2013. She went up into the elevator shaft and climbed up to the next floor.
- Owns the solid gold and pearl-handled revolver that Elvis Presley gave to Jack Lord.
- Speaks Greek fluently
- Was Miss Massachussetts Teen USA 1996.
- She is of Greek descent.
- Fluent in the languages of Greek, English and Spanish.
- Worked at Dunkin Donuts, making and selling donuts through junior high and high school.
- (December 31, 2017) Married her boyfriend of 19 years Keven Undergaro in Times Square by Steve Harvey during the live broadcast of Fox's New Year Eve live telecast following a 21-month-long engagement.
- Was a janitor cleaning Boston nightclubs and bars with her parents from age 3 to 14.
- Announced that she is freezing her eggs to insure that she can have children someday when she has achieved her career goals [September 2011].
- Was an anchor on Channel One, a news program for school children usually played during the school day.
- Great fan of Turner Classic Movies. Looks forward to each Febuary, for TCM's annual month long salute to Oscar.
- Avid Professional Wrestling fan. Former WWE Champion Bob Backlund has been both a friend and part-time bodyguard.
- In a long-term relationship with Keven Undergaro [1998-present].
- Daughter of Constantinos Menounos and Litsa Menounos.
- Holds the elite distinction of being the youngest person to ever report for NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (1970).
- Graduated from Emerson College in Boston.
- The youngest person to ever co-host Entertainment Tonight (1981) (2001) (age 22).
- Worked as an international correspondent for Channel One News.
- Played basketball in high school.
- Is part of the 14th season of Dancing with the Stars (2005) partnering with Derek Hough.
- Sang in her church choir from grade school to college.
- Holds the elite distinction of being the youngest person to ever co-host the Today (1952) Show.
- Has left Access Hollywood (1996) to become co-hostess on Extra (1994) [September 2011].
- After seeing her boyfriend for 19 years, Keven Undergaro proposed while the two were on the Howard Stern show.
- Avid sports fan - most especially Boston sports. Personal friend of New England Patriot's quarterback, Tom Brady, and Boston Celtic's captain, Paul Pierce.
- When a contestant in the Miss Teen USA Pageant in 1996, representing the state of Massachussetts, Miss Menounos was asked by pageant host Bob Goen what she would like to do when she "grew up." Her response was "I want to work with you at E.T., Bob!". Her wish came true when she joined Entertainment Tonight (1981) six years later as a correspondent for the show. She also answered viewers' questions about celebrities at the E.T. website (etonline.com), where her page was called 'Maria's Mailbox'.
- Founded umbrella-like charity "Take Action Hollywood" as a result of supporting so many causes. Her most sacred include diabetes research, pet over population and adoption, animal cruelty prevention, worldwide AIDS relief and awareness, general support and relief of allied troops and their loved ones.
- Inducted into the Hair Fan's Hall of Fame in 2006.
- One of her favorite singers was Whitney Houston.
- The youngest person to ever report for NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (1970) (2011).
- Co-hosting The Eurovision Song Contest (2006) and the Semifinales in Athens, Greece with Sakis Rouvas. (May 2006)
- Resides on a rare Southern Victorian estate with her adopted dogs.
- As March 9, 2016. Announced engagement to her long-term boyfriend Keven Undergaro.
- Joined Entertainment Tonight (1981) on April 30, 2002 as a correspondent, reporting on film, television, music and fashion. She left ET in 2005.
- Menounos has been named the 2014 CES Entertainment Matters Ambassador for her innovations in digital broadcasting through her creation of AfterBuzzTV and her digital talk show titled "Conversations with Maria Menounos". AfterBuzzTV boasts an astounding audience of 20 million a week to over 100 countries and provides after show analysis of over 200 series.
- Helped induct friend, Bob Backlund, into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 6, 2013 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Other inductees were Donald Trump, Trish Stratus, Bruno Sammartino and Mick Foley.
- Wedding to Keven Undergaro was officiated by Steve Harvey during the Fox's New Year's Eve broadcast from Times Square in 2017.
- Ranked and Voted #8 by AskMen.com's Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2007.
- Ranked #79 on the FHMOnline's Sexiest 100 Women in the World of 2003 list.
- Ranked and Voted #5 by AskMen.com's Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2006
- The youngest person to ever co-host the Today (1952) Show (2006-2007).
- Ranked #70 on Maxim magazine's Hot 100 list of 2009.
- Holds the elite distinction of being the youngest person to ever co-host Entertainment Tonight (1981) (age 22).
- Ranked #71 on the FHMOnline's Sexiest 100 Women in the World of 2009 list.
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