Pageant News Bureau - Kandace Krueger

Q: Here’s a question that must be on every pageant fan’s mind Are you related to Bob Krueger?

A: No.

Q: Have you ever been asked that question?

A: No, you’re the first person who’s asked.

[For those readers who are scratching their heads, Bob Krueger was a U.S. senator from Texas in the early 1990s.]

Q: Have you spent your whole life in Texas?

A: Yes, I was born and raised in Austin. But I left there to go to Texas A&M.

Q: Does anyone ever call you Kandy?

A: Actually, through grade school, they called me Kandy. When I started college, I switched to Kandace. It sounded more sophisticated. I really don’t care for Kandy anymore.

Q: You have Miss Universe as a roommate. Do the two of you talk much about pageants when you have a little spare time?

A: No, never.

Q: What do you talk about?

A: We really don’t have much time together to talk about anything. When she’s not traveling, I’m traveling. She’s in Switzerland now. But when we do get a chance for conversation, pageants are the last thing we talk about.

Q: You’re studying to be a journalist. Is there a story of the last 10 years or so that you would like to have covered?

A: I want to do sports broadcasting, so I’ll talk about sports stories. One big story would be any of the Super Bowls, or any of the big college games. I’m a huge football fan.

Q: Are you a Dallas Cowboys fan?

A: I’m a Cowboys fan, even though we haven’t been doing so well lately.

Q: You’re a great admirer of Barbara Walters, whose career has ranged from old-fashioned news to soft-focus people interviews. Do you think entertainment news should be covered as rigorously as old-fashioned "hard" news, like wars or elections? Or is it really just fluff?

A: I don’t think it should be covered as rigorously as wars, but it should be covered thoroughly, because it's an important part of what people are interested in.

Q: Do men or women, boys or girls, seem most excited when they meet you?

A: Some people are very excited, and that’s great. When I see that, I don’t ever want to take off my sash! I couldn’t even say who gets most excited. Children probably top the charts.

A: Yes, I do have a Great Dane, and I miss him. But he has to stay back in Texas, because he weighs 152 pounds.

Q: How often do you hope to be getting back to Texas during your reign?

A: It will be hard to get back there often. Until Miss Universe is past, I don’t even have much time to think about it.

Q: There has been a lot of talk this year about the Miss USA Pageant and how it was presented. Do you think it was too sexy and glitzy, or not sexy and glitzy enough?

A: I think it was a good combination, a happy medium. A little sexy, a little glamorous. They really showcased the women’s intelligence. But you can never have too much glitz and glamour. That’s what people watch pageants for.

Q: Do you ever slip out incognito, put on dark glasses and just catch a bus?

A: Oh, I’m very average [in much of her routine]. I just got back from the gym. I didn’t wear my crown. It’s a normal life, except when I’m making appearances.

Q: Are you eager to compete for Miss Universe?

A: I’m excited about going to Puerto Rico again. I just returned from an eight-day trip there.

Q: Is there anything about your home state of Texas that people don’t understand?

A: There’s a misconception that we are all cowboys, that we ride horses a lot in everyday life. Most of my friends don’t even own boots.

Q: Tell us a few exciting things that happened to you in the past week.

A: I had court tickets for the Knicks game. That was a blast. I went to an Oscars party in New York. That was fun . . .

Q: Did any of your Oscar favorites win?

A: Yes, Russell Crowe, Julia Roberts . . . I’m glad "Gladiator" won best picture. I loved it.

Q: "Gladiator" was about competition, though it’s a little different from pageant competition.

A: It’s different. We have a little more control over how well we do.

Q: You don’t have to face tigers?

A: No.

PNB interview:

Small talk with a tall Texan

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