People who relocate to a new city are often called “transplants,” and they often bring varied outlooks on their new surroundings. Ones that are different from natives and longtime residents.
Chelsea Haynes, a Houston native who arrived in St. Louis in May, says she has already fallen in love with her new home. She’s been enjoying the cuisine, the city’s diversity and its beautiful landscapes.
Haynes is viewing St. Louis with a new set of eyes, and she will share experiences on her lifestyle show, Studio STL, which premieres on Fox 2 on September 7.
“I get to experience all of what the Gateway City has to offer through a new perspective and I can’t wait to share it with the Greater St. Louis area,” Haynes said.
Haynes’ description of Studio STL sounds like a cross between Tamron Hall and Wendy Williams’ shows, but with a younger, fresher flair. She describes it as “fresh, funky and fashionable.”
“I’d like to think I’m fabulous so I’ll be bringing in a little of my fabulousness, Texas girl swag to the TV screens in St. Louis.” Haynes said.
In addition to a “shoe cam” and fashion talk, Haynes said the show will serve as a lunchtime getaway for viewers to take a breather and relax from work.
“I just want to encourage people as well. It’s gonna be a place where people can come and get a little bit of encouragement,” Haynes said.
“Get a breather away from everything that’s going on in their work life and sit down and tune in to get a good laugh.”
For a midweek pick me up, Haynes’ “Wind Down Wednesday” segment will feature trending topics and offer a time to relax at the middle of the business week.
Haynes, a self-proclaimed foodie, will also have a segment called “Chow with Chelsea,” where viewers can email her recommendations about their favorite restaurants or suggestions on places she should feature. All inquiries can be sent to Chelsea.Haynes@tvstl.com.
The options seem endless when it comes to great local restaurants, and Haynes, while still fairly new to the region, has already crowned her favorite place.
She favors the Broadway Oyster Bar as one of her favorite food spots “because again I’m from Houston and I love seafood.” She also noted that she has family in Louisiana.
Hosting a lifestyle show comes easy for Haynes, who had worked at WATE-TV, a Nexstar affiliate television station in Knoxville, Tennessee. She was a reporter and alternate co-host of Living East Tennessee.
While at WATE, she reported on a variety of stories ranging from lung cancer and sickle cell disease survivors to untold gems about the African American community. Each of the stories, she said, “were near and dear to my heart.”
Her passion for reporting on subjects that make people happy will play a role in how she approaches Studio STL.
“I’m ready to be here in St. Louis,” Haynes said.
“I’m ready to continue to grow in St. Louis and to not just grow in St. Louis but to grow with St. Louis.”
Haynes graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia journalism school where she majored in broadcast journalism and Spanish. She also studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain for six months.
She recalls flying out of St. Louis Lambert International Airport to travel home for the holidays. Although she’s somewhat familiar with the city from those trips, she’s eager to immerse herself with the local scene as a resident.
“I’m just excited to see where my career will take me,” Haynes said.
“I’m really excited to be here in St. Louis. It feels like I have had a homecoming kind of in a sense in a way since I went to school in Columbia. It feels good to be back in the state that trained me for sure.”
Studio STL will air noon-1 p.m. weekdays on Fox 2, www.FOX2Now.com and on the FOX 2 St. Louis App starting September 7.
“We are excited to bring this fast-paced, festive hour to St. Louis viewers on both sides of the river,” Kurt Krueger, vice president and general manager of KTVI FOX 2 and KPLR 11, said.
Follow @insidestudiostl on Facebook and Instagram for updates about the show.
For viewers interested in learning more about Haynes before the show debuts, they can check her out from 5:45-9:30 a.m. Fridays in August on Fox with Tim Ezell.