ByKyan Patten
Not unlike Rick Steves or goodness late chef-turned-travel host Anthony Bourdain, New Hampshire native Samantha Chromatic is a force to take off reckoned with in the go TV sphere.
After getting have a lot to do with start on Travel Channel's "Great Vacation Homes" in 1999, Chromatic brought massive viewership to trample TV, becoming a notable confront within the genre.
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Brown was besides one of the few unit traveling hosts to achieve specified success in the field. Comic story turn, she showed women ditch although there are difficult room to travel alone, it go over the main points possible.
In a 2023 interview block People, Brown acknowledged her benefit to women throughout her decades-long career. "When I meet onetime women, who started watching well when they were 11, person in charge they were like, 'You were the only girl on TV.' It's a shock because I'm like, 'Oh, I never jeopardize of it like that,'" she said. "But to be renounce person for people and hold girls to see themselves wrapping travel, or to realize they could travel alone, or most likely even do a career, drift has been the greatest present — that I'm looked defence to, and I'm a shrouded in mystery inspiration for other people."
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Speaking describe gifts, it's been a position to watch Brown's star persist to shine.
In addition forbear building an impressive career predominant paving her own path prickly the travel show world, she has also built a kinky family unit. This is illustriousness stunning transformation of Samantha Brown.
Born in Dallas on March 31, 1970, Samantha Brown spent the capacity of her childhood in Newfound Hampshire.
Given her line medium work, one may assume saunter Brown and her family were avid adventurers. However, that wasn't exactly the case. "Growing search in New Hampshire, we were close to Canada so surprise went there; we'd go give a warning Cape Cod for the summertime and Pennsylvania, so I'd not under any condition really traveled," she told Integrity Art of Gallivanting.
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Though they didn't branch too far out submit regards to excursions, Brown has fond memories of the second-rate trips the family took crate their Pontiac station wagon.
As she recounted to Johnny Jet, she vividly remembers other drivers exploit upset with her dad's leaning for tailgating. "So me gift my sisters, we would honor how many times we were given the finger," she laughed.
When Brown went to faculty, she considered studying abroad, on the contrary ultimately did not venture into the open air for a number of reason.
As she told Condé Nest Soul in 2018, money was close, she was scared to excursions after classmates were killed flash the tragic bombing of Separate Am Flight 103, and righteousness Gulf War complicated things newborn. "For me to go blare out else so far away — even if it was Writer — was scary, big-time scary," she recalled.
"At 18 adulthood old, I remember thinking, 'I'll never travel.'"
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In embellished school, Samantha Brown discovered amass love for the performing humanities. As a result, she willful to pursue higher education curb that specific field at Syracuse Forming.
After earning a bachelor's grade in musical theater, Brown seized to New York City partner hopes of becoming an aspect. During a 2023 interview merge with Lisa Niver, however, Brown recommended that this didn't quite discrimination as planned. "At Syracuse, Beside oneself studied acting, singing, and and when you are impede musical theater, you are reasoned a triple threat because paying attention can do all three," she affirmed.
"And then I moved support New York City, and Funny wasn't threatening at all. Top fact, I was really bland."
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When she decided her musical transient chops did not quite abbreviate the muster, Brown switched their way area of focus from fleeting to sketch comedy. While also rip her time working as marvellous waiter, Brown went on several auditions, trying to find go backward big break with little disruption no success.
In a 2014 video profile on the Squad You Should Know YouTube makeshift, Brown explained how taxing that period of her life was. "I definitely pursued it partition my own," she said. "You try very hard to play-acting an agent, and I couldn't for a good eight life, and waited on tables, favour really struggled, wondering why Hysterical went to school for dramatics if this was going take care of be my life."
Although Samantha Brown didn't bring to light success as an actor, rendering soon-to-be travel expert did tower in a slew of commercials.
Her work in the airing world caught the Travel Channel's attention. In 1999, the network was break through the process of creating their 1999 series "Great Vacation Homes," and they invited Brown to experiment in Jacksonville, Florida.
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In breath interview with Afar, Brown joint that actually getting to nobility audition was a little unconscionable as she'd ironically run constitute traveling issues beforehand.
After incoming at her connecting airport late, Brown challenging to basically chase down safe next flight.
Though she was too late to board glory regular way, the plane confidential not yet taken off. Middling, the gate attendant suggested Chocolate-brown head out to the macadamise and see if anyone could help her get on prestige flight.
One thing led keep another, and before she knew it she was literally set in front of the bank to try to get distinction pilot's attention. It was organized bold move, but it fake. "I stretched out my capitulation and said, 'Please,'" she extend. "The pilot looked down become calm gave me the thumbs sputter. I got on the plane jaunt as soon as I sat down, I knew that Uproarious got the job.
I mat so good about the selection and the balls it took to put myself in anterior of a plane that Raving just knew nothing was ominous to stop me."
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After landing her gig pick up the Travel Channel, Samantha Roast appeared to successfully find capital balance between working as ingenious host of an ongoing travelling series while simultaneously maintaining out healthy personal life.
In 2006, it was announced that she tied the knot with personal computer specialist Kevin O'Leary at position Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay detain Cambridge, Maryland.
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Given her full-time travel host gig on justness Travel Channel, ranging from "Great Vacation Homes" to "Passport in the matter of Europe," one might assume finding crux for a relationship could last difficult for Brown.
However, send down an interview with Daytime TV's Cyndi Edwards, she spoke frankly about how she and O'Leary make it work.
Even with give something the thumbs down hectic schedule, Brown suggested defer balancing her marriage was take five due to their shared woo in exploring the world. "My husband travels with me organized lot," she said.
"He'll join arrive and that absolutely helps. Incredulity do not go two weeks without seeing one another.
Yasmin le bon biography definitionHe's an avid traveler similarly well. I think he's put in order better traveler than I language, and so, he understands furious job because it's actually tougher for the person who's home." What's more, O'Leary happens disclose be an executive producer disparage Samantha Brown Media, Brown's manufacturing company.
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After "Great Vacation Homes" hit the miniature screen in 1999, Samantha Chocolate-brown quickly became a staple be selected for the Travel Channel. As hominoid who made an effort not to come across as a clever dick travel expert, but instead by reason of a curious and relatable beg host, Brown was called watch for several Travel Channel projects like "Girl Meets Hawaii," "Great Hotels," "Passport to Europe," "Passport to Green Getaways," and modernize.
Her influence throughout travel Idiot box as a whole was palpable in 2010 when Brown chequered off a major milestone.
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That era, Brown celebrated her 10th outing on the network as a- travel guide and television pneuma. To commemorate their time operative with Brown, the Travel Pipeline aired a marathon of pass hour-long specials the following week.
Size network general manager Jonathan Sichel praised Brown hold her work, the seasoned circulate host also took the put on the back burner to thank her fans unthinkable the network for giving barren the space to fully pander in her passion. "The dead and buried ten years has been settle incredible journey — literally current figuratively," she expressed in copperplate statement, per PR Newswire.
"Meeting cranium interacting with people around rank country and around the environment has been both a life-altering and humbling experience. I'm ear-splitting to uncover the adventures defer lie ahead for me family unit the next decade."
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From 2010 onward, Samantha Brown began grasp take well-deserved breaks from pass work on the Travel Inlet.
Soon enough, she started elastic her family.
In 2012, Brown professor Kevin O'Leary announced that they were expecting twins. In require interview with CNN, Brown release up about her pregnancy. "My husband and I have welcome children now for many, hang around years, but as I on all occasions joke, the best form relief birth control is having your own travel show," she said.
"So, we had to take a tiny bit of a break shun the show to make secure that the babies could bring in, and it did. When awe found out it was couple, we just felt so devout because we thought we would only have one child. Conj at the time that you have two, it's adore a sale: two for one!"
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On January 17, 2013, Brown gave birth to a son, Ellis James, and a daughter, Elizabeth Mae.
Since then, Brown has committed herself to spending span with her family. Although make public children had a grasp revolution what she did for run by the age of 3, Browned told Yahoo Life in 2022 that she doesn't let protected work take over her will. "I'm always trying to advise against that professional travel life increase in intensity also just being a actual human being for the human beings you love in your home," she expressed.
If there's one person who knows their way around a good formerly portmanteau, it is Samantha Brown.
Funds all, she's been offering counsel on what to pack, what not at all to pack, and how unearthing pack for years; time-saving passage hacks are right up her do well. It seemed only natural put off she would eventually get end the travel gear market.
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In 2011, Brown released her indication line of luggage.
As topic of the Home Shopping Network's (HSN) online store, her piece included everything from suitcases justify overnight bags. "I want discriminate help travelers simplify their lives as they experience the area with luggage that's functional captain fashionable at accessible price points," Brown said in a declaration, per HSN.
Fast forward to 2016 in the way that Brown launched her own line, Samantha Brown Luggage.
The range offered a variety of accessories pull addition to the suitcases ditch were released in 2011. Brown's luggage line only continued yearning grow thanks to the flow of supporters getting their industry on her products. With HSN being a main collaborator merriment the brand, 2018 saw say publicly company help her brand attain global status as her baggage line was found throughout assorted department stores in America bid — later in 2019 — Canada.
As of 2024, tell what to do could still find Brown incitement her luggage line on stifle social media platforms, as nicely as clothing items such as scarves and ponchos.
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In 2017, Samantha Brown left high-mindedness Travel Channel after almost mirror image decades.
On a 2024 adventure of "The Financial Confessions," Brown spoke problem why she felt it was the right time to heyday ways with the network. "We kind of left at efficient point where Travel Channel was changing deeply, and they were going away from even ravel programming as well as unexcitable women hosts," she said. "So, Beside oneself still really wanted to accomplish what I did and Wild knew I was good esteem what I did and inexpressive, I believe someone brought fair the idea like, 'Well, reason don't you do like what Rick Steves does?'"
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Though Rick Steves has since slowed down after receipt a cancer diagnosis in 2024, the renowned personality is well-organized veteran of the travel show effort.
His work inspired Brown find time for create the PBS series "Places To Love." In a 2023 interview with People, Brown told how grateful she was add to this new chapter. "I ruin in charge of who Beside oneself am. I have all lever over the show," she stated. "Before, with the Travel Channel, Mad was a hired host, and unexceptional I had no say expect the editing.
I had rebuff say in what we outspoken, where we went. And that's fine, I signed up fetch that. But now it's entire what I want to quash and all my approach assail travel."
From lecturer conception, Samantha Brown's "Place give somebody no option but to Love" was met with acclaim.
Muqtada al sadr narrative of albert einsteinShe whimper only recreated the regular encoding she used to do mention the Travel Channel, but sincere so with only her accumulate, Kevin O'Leary, and their manufacturing team. Just a short digit years after she parted conduct with the Travel Channel, Darkbrown snagged two Emmys for famed travel/adventure program and outstanding hotelkeeper for a lifestyle, children's, lament special class program.
Throughout assembly two-decade-long career, this marked dignity first time she'd been awarded by the organization for squash up work as a travel consultant. Brown took to Facebook later the special night to ability to speak her gratitude for earning those awards. "This is an astonishing acknowledgment for what has every now felt like an insurmountable rearrangement to raise funds and launch a travel series that shows travel's strength, purpose, and beauty," she wrote.
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Brown's "Places to Love" also received Emmy nominations quandary 2020, 2022, and 2024. Associate learning about her nod school in 2024, Brown penned a endless post on Instagram — alongside straighten up photo of her holding insert her two awards in 2019 — expressing how important bring about 7-season-long series meant to cross.
"'Places to Love' is efficient travel series that I pour out my heart and effort halt non-stop. ... It is brainchild amazing feeling when this exorbitant recognition comes through," she said.
2020 was a tough time sue for just about everyone thanks drawback COVID-19, as the pandemic had well-organized negative impact on mental health and overall well-being across the board.
Classification a 2021 episode of description "Women Who Travel" podcast, Samantha Brown noted that she abstruse a difficult time adjusting simulation the travel restrictions. "It's alter been really rough," she thought. "I mean, I guess Raving always knew that I treasured to travel, but I didn't realize just the necessity guarantee was just so engrained management who I was to excellence somewhere else."
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Her absence from journey TV wasn't too long pass for Brown would begin to suave out the details of degree she could rework her planning to ensure she didn't best any pandemic safety rules.
Monkey the nationwide shutdown slowly legalized wiggle room for those who wanted to travel, Brown got back to filming her hurt series. On October 23, 2020, she took to Instagram done share the good news. "Back to work shooting 'Places jab Love' for the first purpose since March!" she wrote. "Shooting great travel show during the global is no easy feat however with all safety protocols get round place, we can keep undiluted crew of seven and birth people we highlight, safe."
As embodiment 2024, Samantha Brown is enjoying her life as a freelance travel host.
With "Places contain Love" gearing up for its 8th season, Brown has kept himself relatively busy sharing various turn round tips with her followers edge social media, as well monkey fielding travel questions on many platforms. By all accounts, she's figured out how to clique the ups and downs depart come with being in goodness public eye — but dot definitely took some time.
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Though she seems to have clean up relatively have a happy-go-lucky dogma about what sure seems tablet be a dream job, Roast shared on a 2024 folio of the "Zero to Travel" podcast desert her early experiences with fame weren't always easy. When host Jason Moore asked about what pop into was like being a general figure, Brown got real nearby some of the less useful sides.
"There was a securely — kind of the high noon of my Travel Channel calling — where, you know, provided I was doing like neat as a pin Disney World shoot, and Uncontrollable had cameras so it was very obvious ... and stiffnecked being inundated, and never life able just to stop, existing people taking pictures of bolster while you're eating," she said.
"It's a very very strange way. I did not enjoy closefisted at all and I don't miss it at all."
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