Lauren Podell joined the Local 4 News Team in December of 2007. Podell started her career at WDIV as a part of the Local 4 News Morning Team but the start of 2009 brought new opportunities.

Lauren has expanded her role here at WDIV as the traffic and general assignment reporter during the 4 p.m., 5 p.m., and 6 p.m. newscasts.

Lauren?s first big break came in December of 2009 when she helped cover the attempted Christmas Day bombing at Detroit Metro Airport. From hard news to features, Lauren covers a wide range of stories. She?s interviewed actress Kim Catrall, former prosecutor Star Jones and basketball star Irving ?Magic? Johnson, just to name a few. Each year, Lauren becomes the official reporter for Friday Football Frenzy on Local 4 News Morning where she hosts a live pep rally with thousands of students at different high schools across metro Detroit.

In 2011 Lauren was voted ?Best Hair in Detroit Television? by Metro Times.

She graduated from Oakland University with Departmental Honors and earned her Bachelors degree as a Communications and Journalism major.

During her education career at Oakland, she was an anchor at OU TV and hosted her own local radio show on 88.3 WXOU for four years.

Lauren is no stranger to the world of television; She started as an intern in Southfield with the Fox 2 News department and even interned right here at Local 4 before she took the reins as Traffic Reporter.

She was born in West Bloomfield, but she spent her early child hood in Cleveland, Ohio. Lauren returned to Michigan and calls Macomb Township home.

Lauren is a huge sports fan, has a weakness for shopping and is recently engaged! When Lauren is not busy working, she is busy planning her dream wedding!

Favorite Book: The Hunger Games

Favorite Movie: Steel Magnolias

Favorite Rock Bands: Aerosmith, Shinedown, The Beatles

Favorite Restaurant: Osaka, Brio & No.Vi Chophouse

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To contact Lauren, e-mail her at lpodell@wdiv.com.

Follow Lauren on Twitter @LaurenPodell.