Nearly a decade after competing in the Miss USA pageant, Kelsey Swanson is returning to the competition stage. This time, however, she will be helping choose the winner. The Real Housewives of Rhode Island star is set to judge Miss Teen USA 2026, marking a new chapter in her pageant journey.
Kelsey Swanson will judge Miss Teen USA 2026 nearly a decade after competing
The 32-year-old former beauty queen was announced as one of the judges for this year’s Miss Teen USA pageant. The pageant announced the news on its official Instagram page, @themissteenusa, on Monday, Aug. 24. At the time, Kelsey, who is from Cranston, Rhode Island, had already made her mark in the pageant world, having been crowned Miss Rhode Island USA in 2017 and competing in Miss USA that same year.
Swanson told Us Weekly, “Being asked to judge is incredibly special to me. Miss USA was such a defining chapter of my life, and I have so many memories of being on the other side of that stage.” She added, “To come back all these years later in this role during the 75th diamond anniversary really does feel like an incredible full-circle moment.”
Swanson first competed for the Miss Rhode Island title. However, she was a runner-up for two consecutive years before winning the crown in 2017. Later, the RHORI star stepped away from pageants but continued working in the beauty industry. She owns Miss Makeup RI, a beauty company specializing in pageants, photoshoots, and weddings.
Meanwhile, her connection to the pageant world continued through mentoring and coaching young women.
For the upcoming competition, Swanson will join the Miss Teen USA judging panel with former Miss Ohio Teen USA 2022 Kylan Darnell, Miss Teen USA alums Ki’ilani Arruda and Kaliegh Garris, Boss Babe Models owner Marie P. Anderson, and celebrity designer Bessie Besana.
The Miss Teen USA 2026 finals will take place Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 8 p.m. ET on Queen Beauty Network.
