Rachel Hunter (born September 9, 1969) is a New Zealand model, actress and reality TV show host.

Biography

Born in Glenfield, Auckland, New Zealand, Hunter began modelling by age 17 and rose to prominence after posing as a Sports Illustrated model in 1989. She appeared on magazine covers, including Cosmopolitan and on the 1994 "Dream Team" cover of Sports Illustrated's annual swimsuit issue.

She was paid a reported $1.8 million to pose nude for Playboy magazine in 2004. She also replaced Penny Lancaster, the wife of Hunters's ex-husband Rod Stewart, as the face and body of Ultimo, a Scottish lingerie house. In 2006, Hunter was replaced by Helena Christensen.

Hunter guest starred in a 1997 episode of The Drew Carey Show as herself, the spokesmodel for fictional beer brand, Cap-beer-chino.

Trying to develop a career in acting, she has taken a series of acting lessons and appeared in several independent movies, including 1999's A Walk in the Park and 2000's Two Shades of Blue, an erotic thriller with Marlee Matlin. She had a brief appearance as a sexy soccer mom in Dennis Dugan's The Benchwarmers (2006) and also played a sultry, bikini-clad mother in the music video for Fountains of Wayne's 2003 song "Stacy's Mom".

Hunter appeared on a 2005 celebrity episode of Lingo, where she and her partner Trista Rehn split $30,000 for charity. Hunter is an ambassador to The Born Free Foundation, and established the Rachel Hunter Lowland Gorilla Fund. Hunter also appeared as herself in the 2004 Christmas Special of The Vicar of Dibley.

Hunter is signed to Select Model Management in London, and Chadwick Models in Sydney, Australia.

Celebrity feuds

On January 18, 2006 Hunter had a "mental breakdown" while doing publicity appearances at Sirius Satellite Radio. She prematurely ended her interviews before appearing on the Martha Stewart Channel and the Howard Stern Show. After claiming suddenly that she was not “camera ready” she walked out of the building slighting both Stewart and Stern. While Stewart has not commented on this incident, Hunter lashed out at Stern and Stern took great offense to this saying she “is a nobody” a "cow" and "her only accomplishment was marrying Rod Stewart.”[http://www.marksfriggin.com/news06/1-16.htm#rachelcunter MarksFriggin.com - Stern Show News - Archive ] Of notable mention is that this is the first time Stern broke his no cursing rule on his Satellite channel.

Reality TV

She has been a contestant on the United States reality television series Dancing with the Stars and The Real Gilligan's Island, and appeared on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing,and presently is on NBC's "Celebrity Circus"

She was a judge on the ABC reality competition Are You Hot? with Lorenzo Lamas. It was cancelled after one season.