Ann Van Elsen

Ann Van Elsen (born December 27, 1979) is a model and TV personality from Mol, Antwerp in Belgium. She was crowned Miss Belgium in 2002.

Biography

After finishing her Marketing studies, Van Elsen obtained her Masters degree in Business Economics in 2006.

Early career

Van Elsen first appeared on the cover of a magazine when that magazine had chosen a photograph of a reader to appear on the cover. This inspired her to enter beauty pageants like Miss Antwerp, Miss Belgium and Miss Universe.

Beauty pageants

In 2002 Van Elsen won both the Miss Antwerp and Miss Belgium pageants. This allowed her entrance to the Miss World and Miss Universe competitions.

Van Elsen is one of the candidates that refused to participate in the Miss World election in Nigeria in 2002, in protest of the conviction of Amina Lawal.

Television career

On television, Van Elsen has presented several programs on Belgian channels TV1 and VT4, including Mediamadammen (since October 2002), Huizenjacht, Onder Hoogspanning, De Brandkast (2005), Supertalent In Vlaanderen (2007) and Summerdate. In June 2005 Van Elsen signed an exclusive television contract with VT4, where she performed the tasks of an in-vision continuity announcer (since 2003) and hosted several other tv-shows as well.

In 2006, Van Elsen presented the first prize to the winner of the "Pinanti is Pinanti" penalty taking competition in TV1 sports program Studio 1 op zondag, football player Désiré Mbonabucya. During the ceremony in the Koning Boudewijnstadion, she showed to have some footballing skills as well.

For two years Van Elsen regularly appeared on the TV1 music show Het Swingpaleis, where she was assigned as the team captain.

Playboy

Van Elsen appeared in the January 2008 edition of PlayBoy. She only accepted the shoot if Playboy would donate the coverage fee to 'Music For Life', a goodwill initiative of the local radio station Studio Brussels.

Family

Ann Van Elsen is married to famous Belgian soccer player Gunter Van Handenhoven, who is the brother of Sandrine Van Handenhoven, a famous singer, who gained her fame by ending fourth in Idool 2004.