Nancy O'Dell to leave 'Access Hollywood'

"Access Hollywood" is bidding adieu to Nancy O'Dell, her publicist confirms to Zap2it.

"The original member of the 'Access Hollywood' family, co-anchor and respected broadcast journalist Nancy O'Dell, has chosen to leave the show after thirteen years," reads a statement.

"Having been at 'Access Hollywood' from day one of the show, this has been an incredibly tough decision for O'Dell," continues the statement. "She will miss her 'Access Hollywood' family, but looks forward to still seeing them all on the red carpet. O'Dell will be saying goodbye this week, but she will see everyone on New Year's Day as she hosts the Tournament of Roses Parade live on NBC for the ninth consecutive year."

O'Dell, 43, is leaving for professional reasons.

"O'Dell appreciates NBC's cooperation as she begins this next chapter in her career. Even though she will be leaving for a new opportunity, this decision is based solely on Nancy's desire to take her career to the next level and is completely amicable. She will continue on with projects as a broadcast entertainment journalist."

There's no word on what the mysterious new position will be, but we wish her luck.  Check back with Zap2it for more details.

O'Dell was set to compete on the eighth season of "Dancing With the Stars," but a torn meniscus sidelined her before the competition began. She's also been a fixture on the red carpet and has co-hosted the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.

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Photo credit: Tony Duran