"WHO is she? That's was the question on lips all over town after it was revealed last week that season 11 of Tyra Banks' megahit show, America's Next Top Model, will feature a 20-year-old Charlottesville beauty named Lauren Brie.

Well, who is she? Here's a clue: If she needs protection from the throngs of admirers likely to come her way once the show premieres September 3, she won't have to look far for law enforcement support: Lauren Brie is actually Lauren Brie Harding, daughter of Linda Harding and her husband, Albemarle County Sheriff Chip Harding.

The stunning blonde, who actually goes by her middle name, Brie, is a Monticello High School grad who played basketball for the Mustangs and is now a Radford University student.

Reached on vacation in Florida, Sheriff Harding says his daughter's selection out of thousands to compete on the show has been a closely held secret "for a long time."

Citing the show's strict confidentiality requirements, Harding declines to reveal any details of his daughter's experience. Still, he admits, "We're very excited."" (Courteney Stuart, The Hook, August 21, 2008)