1. Voted Number 56 in FHM HOT 100 Sexiest Women in the World – 2008
2. Voted Number 98 in HEAT HOT 100 – 2008
3. Voted Number 4 in SIMON RADEMAN’S best dressed women in SA – 2008
4. Nominated Best New Comer – YOU MAGAZINE Stars of 2008
5. Nominated for Best New Comer – PEOPLE MAGAZINE Crystal Awards 2008
6. Nominated for Best Dressed Presenter – PEOPLE MAGAZINE Crystal Awards 2008
7. Nominated for Best TV Presenter – PEOPLE MAGAZINE Crystal Awards 2008
8. Top 8 Finalist in  Shape Magazine Cover Girl Search -  2007.
9. Voted Best Team Player – Shape Magazine Cover Girl Search – 2007
   
10. 12 years School Attendance without Absence (Northridge Primary School & PTA Girls High)

She may be have been a new face for Season 5 of MNET Idols and only the second woman in the world to present Idols, but Liezel van der Westhuizen has only been working in the home-grown entertainment industry for 2years, starting out on TV as an SABC 3 continuity presenter as well as the presenter of SABC 3’s live lunchtime talk show – Lunchbox.

Liezel is also a presenter on Jacaranda 94.2. It was on the latter station that Liezel’s ability to reach audiences, with her finely tuned, warm and hugely likeable presenting skills, earned her a strong following amongst the province’s radio listeners. “I began my radio life at Tuks FM and was well and truly hooked on the joys of being able to use media to connect with people,” she says.

Those early days as music manager at Tuks FM whilst still studying led to a job offer at EMI Music South Africa, where Liezel held the position of International PR Manager working with an impressive array of global music stars, including Lenny Kravitz, Atomic Kitten and Blue

It’s no surprise that Liezel is so at ease when talking to an audience: this Pretoria raised-girl has a Masters Degree in Communication Management from the University of Pretoria and, since 2000, has been a member of Toastmasters International, having received her Advanced Toastmaster Bronze certificate in 2005.

“I’ve always loved speaking in public and conveying my point of view to a broad audience,” Liezel says of her Toastmaster experience. In fact so committed is she to the benefits of this form of communication that last year she taught public speaking and communication at Abraham Kriel Childrens Home as a volunteer. “I’m passionate about young South Africans being able to stand up and speak, confidently and with knowledge, about the issues that move them,” Liezel says simply. And in addition to her Toastmasters experience, Liezel is a recognised voiceover artist, having done an array of television and radio voiceover work.

That Liezel is so focused on her own passions is entirely consistent with her personality: after all, this is a woman who, as a learner at Pretoria Girls never once missed a day of school, in her entire 12 years spent in the education system!

In fact, Liezel is no slouch when it comes to the other pursuits that she can’t live without: sport and health. “I train five days a week and follow a very healthy lifestyle.  And I’m crazy about golf!” That - and swimming, running, cycling, spinning and scuba-diving! It’s a head-spinning array of physical passions that, when combined with Liezel’s model-looks make it easy to see why she was a Top 8 finalist in the 2007 Shape magazine Sanex Cover Girl competition.

In 2008, Liezel received best new comer nominations for both PEOPLE MAGAZINES CRYSTAL AWARDS as well as for YOU MAGAZINES STARS OF THE YEAR. Liezel was also received a series of recognitions in 2008 by being voted in at 56 in the FHM HOT 100 Sexiest Women in the World , as well as voted Number 98 in HEAT HOT 100 and showed off her style by being voted Number 4 in SIMON RADEMAN’S best dressed women in SA.