Celebrity Gossip From Las Vegas With Robin Leach | Luxe Life Digest

Vegas brunette Michelle Nunes (pictured), who has worked for Hooters restaurants for nearly 4-years, won last night's 10th annual Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant. The 23-year-old, who currently works at the new Hooters Casino Hotel, placed in the top 10 last year -- but didn't win. "I was really hoping after missing out last year that I'd get it this time," she cried joyously. Green-eyed Michelle, 5'8", is the first Hooters representative of the casino to win the pageant.

Her modeling career was already underway: she was featured in this year's military issue of Hooters Magazine, has appeared in 3 Hooters TV commercials and is one of the Hooter girls featured in the casino's in-room video. She also represented the company on Jay Leno's 'Tonight Show.'

Michelle beat out 123 beauties from 430 Hooter properties worldwide. She won the $50,000 cash prize but will also collect another $100,000 worth of prizes, including starring solo for 1-year in the Hooter's commercials. The judges, who included rocker Vince Neil, TV personality Brooke Burke and NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. were unanimous in their vote for her. The3-hour telecast from the Performing Arts Theater at the Aladdin resort hotel was sent live via closed-circuit satellite to Hooters restaurants worldwide.

She admits that the Buffalo Chicken sandwich is her favorite Hooters menu item and says Rick Springfield's song 'Jesse's Girl' best describes her. A workout enthusiast, Michelle is fluent in American sign language to communicate with the hearing-impaired and hopes one-day to be a professional artist too. "I didn't believe it when they announced my name. I still don't believe it, but obviously its the most thrilling moment of my life," she told Luxe Life seconds after the victory!

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