Las Vegas Weekly

February 5, 2010 · 6:32 PM

Two state beauty pageant titles in two years for Julianna Erdesz

By Robin Leach

2010 Miss Nevada USA Julianna Erdesz and Angelica Bridges at the Golden Nugget Rush Tower Grand Opening on Nov. 23, 2009.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Green-eyed 25-year-old beauty Julianna Erdesz was the 2009 Miss Nevada in last year’s Miss America Pageant, but she didn’t win the title. Now too old for another shot at Miss America, she decided to enter the Miss Nevada USA Pageant -- and won.

That now means this May, Julianna will represent the Silver State yet again, but this time around in Donald Trump’s Miss USA Pageant broadcast from Planet Hollywood’s Theater for the Performing Arts on May 16 on NBC.

In a Vegas DeLuxe interview, the 5’9” brunette told me: “Now I am a Trump girl, and I just moved to Las Vegas three weeks ago from Sparks. So I’ll be the hometown girl for the pageant at Planet Hollywood. I am a Las Vegas resident now, so I’ll really be a local when it’s time to compete.

“It’s been hard to have a full-time job while I have been fully committed to the two national pageants, so I’ve had to have flexible jobs. Now that I’ve just about settled into my apartment here and things have calmed down a little, I would love to sign on with a modeling agency. Eventually, though, I would love to be on Broadway and be a singer in a New York show.”

Photo: DVM Photography

2010 Miss Nevada USA Julianna Erdesz.

Julianna, who is Hungarian, started out competing in beauty pageants when she was 18, and it took her six years of pre-Miss America Pageants to win the state title the first time around.

“After Miss America, which was my last year of eligibility, I thought I was done, but I love everything that the Miss USA Organization stands for, as well, so I tried this year to see what would happen, and here I am. The reason I competed to be Miss Nevada USA is because I still get to do these amazing things and be that role model and go and do wonderful things and inspire young women and young people that they can achieve whatever they want to. That’s what the crown is about; that’s what the pageant is about. To be able to be a role model and inspire people is what this is really all about.

“It’s a little unique being Miss Nevada America and now Miss Nevada USA. I am only the third girl in our state to have held both titles. The only difference really is in the preparation of the two for the national competition. Both stand for so many great things. I think with the Miss USA Organization, it is a little more glamorous than it was with the Miss America Organization, but that’s just how it is. Especially being in Las Vegas, you have to be a little bit of a celebrity person. So it’s been fun, it’s been really, really fun.

Photo: DVM Photography

Miss Idaho Teen USA 2010 Hosanna Kabakoro, Miss Idaho USA 2010 Jessca Hellwinkel, Miss Virginia Teen USA 2010 Jacqueline Carroll, Miss Nevada USA 2010 Julianna Erdesz, Miss Teen USA 2009 Shareece Pfeiffer, Miss Virginia USA 2010 Samantha Casey, Miss Washington Teen USA 2010 Camilla Cyr and Miss Nevada Teen USA 2010 Audrey Denison.

“I haven’t met Donald Trump yet, but am excited and can’t wait. I’m looking forward to welcoming all the other competitors to my new hometown. I know there are a lot of girls who haven’t ever been to Vegas. So that has will be a fun part welcoming them to the Strip and showing them what we are all about and how fun we are here and how great this city is. I’ve met about 25 of them so far because we had a special retreat in Virginia.

“The competition will be very tough. There are so many beautiful girls. I feel so lucky and fortunate to be in that same category. Like Miss America, no Miss Nevada has won Miss USA, either. We have gotten very close, but we have never won. We do have beautiful girls in Nevada, so hopefully I can change that, and we can win this year.”

Meantime, Julianna has just completed filming eight webisodes of The B Girls for MRKd.tv airing online. The multimedia show follows the lives of five titleholders as they tackle challenges including board room interviews, fitness drills, fashion and talent showcases, cooking contests and character tests. The reality show will air for eight weeks leading up to the mid-May pageant.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

2010 Miss Nevada USA Julianna Erdesz, Angelica Bridges and Thunder From Down Under at the Golden Nugget Rush Tower Grand Opening on Nov. 23, 2009.

The new reality production was launched with a party at Dal Toro Ristorante in the Palazzo with entertainment by Las Vegas’ Theory of Flight. Attendees include The Apprentice winner Stefani Schaeffer, former beauty pageant queen Kari Anne Peniche of Celebrity Rehab, Monique St. Pierre of The Girls Next Door and Erika Frasier of Momma’s Boys.

“The party was a great way to unveil the series,” Julianna said. “It also celebrated Unlocked Magazine, which is also online. It focuses on anything of interest for young women and promoting their dreams and anything that is positive for young women today.”

Vegas DeLuxe will continue to report on Julianna’s progress and the Las Vegas events leading up to the Miss USA Pageant.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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