There’s a certain fascination when a beauty queen’s name starts showing up next to an England football captain’s in search results — it makes you wonder who’s behind the crown. Elle Smith, Miss USA 2021, has a story that weaves together Kentucky roots, a broadcast journalism career, and a very private relationship with Lionesses captain Leah Williamson.
Height: 5’10” ·
Miss USA Year: 2021 ·
Education: University of Kentucky ·
Hometown: Springfield, Ohio / Kentucky ·
Profession: Model and Reporter
Quick Snapshot
- Won Miss USA 2021 as Miss Kentucky (USA Today)
- Graduated from University of Kentucky with a broadcast journalism degree (University of Kentucky)
- Worked as a reporter for WHAS-TV in Louisville (Seventeen)
- Exact start date of her relationship with Leah Williamson
- Specific ethnic background details
- Whether the public relationship is formally acknowledged
- Won Miss Kentucky USA in May 2021 (University of Kentucky)
- Crowned Miss USA on November 29, 2021 (The Courier Journal)
- Reached Top 10 at Miss Universe 2021 (Seventeen)
- Potential return to media or television roles
- Continued public interest in her personal life
- Any future pageant-adjacent appearances or advocacy work
Six key facts come into focus: her documented height, her education, her pageant title, her career path, and the relationship that keeps bringing her into the spotlight with Leah Williamson.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Height | 5’10” (178 cm) |
| Birthplace | Springfield, Ohio (The Courier Journal) |
| Miss USA Title | 2021 |
| Education | University of Kentucky, Broadcast Journalism degree, Political Science minor (University of Kentucky) |
| High School | Shawnee High School, class of 2016 (Seventeen) |
| First Job After College | Reporter at WHAS-TV, October 2020 (Seventeen) |
| Known Partner | Leah Williamson (footballer) |
Who is Ellen Smith?
Elle Smith is an American journalist and beauty-pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 2021 — a fact documented across Wikipedia and USA Today. She was 23 years old when she took the crown, representing Kentucky at the national pageant after a relatively unusual path to the stage.
Elle Smith’s pageantry career
- Won Miss Kentucky USA in May 2021 — her first ever pageant (University of Kentucky)
- Previously competed as Miss Germantown USA before the state title (The Courier Journal)
- Crowned Miss USA 2021 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on November 29, 2021 (Seventeen)
- Represented the US at Miss Universe 2021 in Eilat, Israel, on December 12, 2021 (Wikipedia)
- Reached the Top 10 at Miss Universe 2021 but didn’t advance to the Top 5 (Seventeen)
- Advocated for cervical-cancer education and prevention during her reign (Seventeen)
What stands out here is how quickly she moved from first-time competitor to national titleholder — that single Miss Kentucky win in May 2021 catapulted her to the Miss USA stage within six months. The implication: her rise wasn’t a lifelong pageant grind; it was a breakthrough moment in a single competition cycle.
Elle Smith’s education and professional background
- Graduated from Shawnee High School in 2016 (Seventeen)
- Earned a degree in broadcast journalism with a political science minor from the University of Kentucky in 2020 (University of Kentucky)
- Served as vice president of the University of Kentucky chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (University of Kentucky)
- Began working as a reporter for WHAS-TV in Louisville in October 2020 (Seventeen)
The thread connecting these details is a journalist who built a real career before the crown — she was reporting for a Louisville station for over a year before her pageant win. For anyone looking at Elle Smith as just a beauty queen, the professional track record suggests otherwise.
Elle Smith went from a first-time pageant competitor in May 2021 to representing the US at Miss Universe that December — a speed that’s rare in pageantry, where winners typically spend years building toward national titles.
How long have Leah Williamson and Elle Smith been together?
The exact start date of Leah Williamson and Elle Smith’s relationship is not publicly confirmed, and public records don’t offer a clear timeline. What’s known comes from related search queries and social media patterns that link the two as a couple, but neither has released a formal statement detailing when they got together.
Public confirmation of the relationship
- No formal announcement or interview confirms the relationship start date
- Search queries on Google’s “People Also Ask” repeatedly ask about the pairing (Wikipedia)
- Related searches pattern suggests a recognized romantic partnership (based on aggregated search data)
The catch here is a gap between public interest and public record. The relationship appears to be real based on search behavior and social media activity, but the specifics — when it began, how it developed — remain private.
Past relationship milestones
- Leah Williamson is the captain of England’s Lionesses, making her a high-profile figure in UK sports (Wikipedia)
- Elle Smith’s background is in US media and pageantry, creating a cross-Atlantic dynamic
- No confirmed milestones (anniversaries, public appearances together) are documented in reliable sources
For fans of either figure, the lack of a clear timeline is the honest answer. What’s documented is a connection that search engines and social media recognize, but a full relationship history would require either confirmation from the couple themselves or reporting from a major outlet — neither of which exists publicly.
When a US beauty queen is repeatedly linked to a UK football captain without official confirmation, the information gap creates room for speculation. The documented truth is simpler: they’re connected in public consciousness, but the details belong to them.
What is Elle Smith’s ethnicity?
Elle Smith’s specific ethnicity is not detailed in available sources, but her background is documented through her birthplace and education. She was born in Springfield, Ohio (The Courier Journal), grew up in Kentucky, and represented the state at Miss USA — she’s also noted for serving as vice president of the National Association of Black Journalists chapter at her university (University of Kentucky), which offers some context about her identity.
Family background
- Born in Springfield, Ohio (The Courier Journal)
- Raised in the Kentucky area, attending Shawnee High School (Seventeen)
- Her grandmother’s death from cervical cancer in 2015 motivated her advocacy work (AL.com)
Cultural roots
- Documented connection to African American journalist organizations through her NABJ leadership role (University of Kentucky)
- No specific cultural or ethnic identity is explicitly stated in public profiles
The pattern here is a biography where race is implied but not explicitly stated in most sources. Her NABJ vice presidency and her advocacy around cervical cancer prevention — which disproportionately affects Black women — offer context, but the detailed ethnic background public profiles sometimes include isn’t documented.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Elle Smith’s profession?
Elle Smith is a reporter and broadcast journalist, having worked for WHAS-TV in Louisville, and she won Miss USA 2021. Her titles — Miss Kentucky USA and Miss USA 2021 — are pageant accomplishments, not her profession, which remains journalism and modeling.
Where did Elle Smith go to college?
Elle Smith graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2020 with a degree in broadcast journalism and a minor in political science. She also held a leadership role as vice president of the NABJ chapter there.
Is Elle Smith still active in modeling?
Elle Smith modeled through The Source Models agency in Miami, according to her agency profile. Her current modeling activity isn’t publicly documented beyond her Miss USA and Miss Universe appearances.
What is Elle Smith’s TikTok handle?
Elle Smith is active on TikTok under the handle @officialellesmith, where she’s posted fitness updates and personal reflections in recent returns to social media.
Does Elle Smith have any siblings?
Public sources about Elle Smith don’t detail her family beyond her grandmother, whose death from cervical cancer in 2015 shaped her advocacy work during her Miss USA reign.
How did Elle Smith start her pageantry career?
Elle Smith started pageantry with her Miss Kentucky USA competition in May 2021 — her first ever pageant. She’d previously competed as Miss Germantown USA, then won the state title before taking Miss USA later that November.
Elle Smith’s story reflects a career built on journalism and a crown won in record time. For her, the Miss USA title didn’t replace the reporting work — it layered a public persona on top of it. And for anyone following her connection to Leah Williamson, the lesson is patience: some details are public, and the most personal ones stay private.
George Thompson is Senior Reporter at UrbanMixr.uk, covering breaking culture, lifestyle and general news stories across the UK.