Being Miss Howard Stern sounds like a dream for a certain type of person, especially back in the early 2000s when the King of All Media was basically the gatekeeper of pop culture. For Andrea Ownbey, it wasn't just a temporary title. It became her entire identity. Most pageant winners hand over the crown after twelve months. Not Andrea. She’s been the reigning "Miss Howard Stern" since February 2002.
That's over two decades.
If you grew up listening to Howard on WXRK or followed the move to Sirius, you definitely remember the Dalton, Georgia, native. She wasn't just a face; she was a recurring character in the Stern universe. She had this bubbly, Southern energy that clashed—often hilariously—with the cynical, New York vibe of the studio. But the story of Andrea Ownbey is more than just bikini contests and radio bits. It’s a messy, real-life tale of fame, trauma, and the weird afterlife of being a "shock jock" icon.
How Andrea Ownbey Became an Instant Stern Legend
The pageant happened in Las Vegas. Andrea was only 18. Honestly, it was a different era of entertainment where "Miss Howard Stern" was a legit title people fought for. She beat out dozens of other women, and Howard immediately took a liking to her. She had this mix of innocence and "radio gold" potential that the show thrived on.
She didn't just win a trophy. She won a seat at the table. For the next few years, she was a fixture. Whether it was the "Miss Howard Stern" calendar or the legendary "Get Rocked" concerts, she was there.
The K.C. Armstrong Connection
One of the biggest reasons people still search for Andrea is her relationship with K.C. Armstrong. At the time, K.C. was the show's resident "golden boy" segment producer. Their chemistry was obvious on-air. They eventually dated, which was a huge storyline for the fans. People loved the idea of the staffer and the pageant queen actually making a go of it.
Even years later, the connection holds. In 2023, the two of them did a reunion interview on K.C.’s YouTube channel. It was a weird, nostalgic trip. You could see the years between them, but that old Howard Stern Show bond doesn't really go away. They talked about the "good old days," but there was a heavy undercurrent of how much has changed since the K-Rock era.
The Darker Side: Accidents and Arrests
Life after the peak of the Stern show wasn't exactly a Hollywood montage for Andrea. Things got scary in 2009. She was involved in a horrific car accident where she hit a telephone pole at 60 mph. She was ejected from the car and landed on her head.
It was a miracle she survived.
Her sister, Brandi, had to call into the show to give updates. Andrea ended up with a steel plate in her head. For a long time, her memory was spotty. It’s the kind of thing that changes a person's trajectory forever.
The 2012 DUI Incident
Then came 2012. TMZ broke the news that the reigning Miss Howard Stern had been arrested in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was a rough story. Cops said she rear-ended a Jeep so hard it was totaled. The weirdest part? She reportedly didn't even realize she’d hit anyone.
When the police found her, she was fumbling with her cell phone, reeking of alcohol. She blew a .178—more than double the legal limit. They found weed and pills in the car too. It was a "rock bottom" moment caught in the tabloids. For a lot of fans, it was the first time they realized that the "fun" pageant girl was struggling with some very real demons.
What Andrea Ownbey Is Doing Now
So, where does a 40-something pageant queen go from there? Andrea didn't just disappear into the woods of Georgia. She actually tried to pivot.
She went to school. A lot of schools, actually.
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- Cosmetology: She got a Master's in cosmetology from Genesis Career College around 2015.
- Real Estate: She dipped her toes into real estate appraisal.
- Acting: She has credits in some cult horror flicks like Dorm of the Dead and Horrorween.
She still identifies as the "Reigning Miss Howard Stern." If you look at her social media or her old "About.me" pages, she carries that title with a lot of pride. It's kinda fascinating. While Howard has moved on to "prestige" interviewing and a more polished image, Andrea remains a living relic of the wild, unfiltered WXRK years.
Why the "Miss Howard Stern" Title Still Matters
You've got to wonder why she doesn't just drop the name. Why be "Miss Howard Stern" at 42?
Basically, it's her brand. In the niche world of Stern superfans, she’s royalty. There is a massive community of people who archive every show from the 90s and early 2000s. To them, she’s a reminder of a time when the show felt like a clubhouse rather than a corporate broadcast.
She represents the "Wack Pack" era—even if she wasn't technically a Wack Packer. She was part of that ecosystem of "regular people" who became stars because of Howard’s platform.
The Evolution of the Show
The Howard Stern Show today is a different beast. Howard rarely does the bikini pageants anymore. He’s more likely to interview Bruce Springsteen than host a "Girls of the Stern Show" segment. This makes Andrea one of the last of her kind. She’s a bridge to a version of the show that doesn't really exist anymore.
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How to Follow Andrea’s Journey Today
If you’re looking to catch up with Andrea, you won't find her on the Howard Stern Show airwaves much these days. The show has evolved, and the "pageant" era is mostly in the rearview mirror. However, she’s still active in her own way.
- Social Media Presence: She still pops up on X (Twitter) and Facebook. She often shares nostalgic photos from her time on the show or updates about her daughter (who she famously named Beyoncé).
- Podcast Guesting: She occasionally appears on podcasts hosted by former Stern staffers. These are usually the best places to hear the "unfiltered" truth about what happened behind the scenes.
- The K.C. Armstrong Connection: Keep an eye on K.C.’s digital projects. Whenever those two get together, the stories start flying.
Andrea Ownbey’s life is a reminder that being famous—even "radio famous"—comes with a cost. She’s had the highest of highs and some pretty public lows. But through the accidents and the legal trouble, she’s remained weirdly resilient. She’s still Miss Howard Stern, and honestly, she probably always will be.
If you're a fan of the classic show, your best bet is to look up the old Howard TV archives. Watching those original pageant tapes from 2002 gives you a real sense of why she became such a big deal in the first place. You can also check out her IMDb for those early 2000s b-movies if you want to see her transition from radio to screen. The best way to support her now is simply keeping the history of that era alive by engaging with the archive community—they're the ones making sure names like Andrea Ownbey don't get lost in the shuffle of Howard's new "woke" era.