Alison Ann Sweeney is an American actress, reality show host, director and author. Sweeney is best known for her portrayal of Samantha “Sami” Brady on the NBC soap opera “Days of Our Lives,” a role she has played under contract with the show since January 6, 1993. Take a look below for 23 more awesome and interesting facts about Alison Sweeney.

1. In her role in “Days of Our Lives,” she has earned a Daytime Emmy Award nomination, four Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Fan Voted Daytime Emmy Award.

2. In 2007, she became the host of “The Biggest Loser,” and left the series at the end of the sixteenth season in 2015.

3. She also co-stars in “Heartland.”

4. Sweeney is of Irish descent.

5. She has two brothers.

6. She studied Economics at UCLA but left due to her commitment to “Days of Our Lives.”

7. On July 8, 2000, Sweeney married David Sanov, after dating for nearly three years.

8. The couple has two children: a son born on February 25, 2005, and a daughter born on January 12, 2009. The family currently lives in Los Angeles.

9. Her television debut was at age five in a Kodak advertisement.

10. A few years later, she was in the episode “I Can’t Help Saying Goodbye,” of the horror series “Tales from the Darkside,” playing a young girl who could sense when others were going to die shortly before their deaths.

11. In 1998, she appeared on the short lived ABC sitcom “Family Man,” and the following year, was cast as Christy McCray on “Brand New Life,” a miniseries from future “X-Files” creator Chris Carter that aired within NBC’s “Magical World of Disney” in October, 1989.

12. On January 6, 1993, then 16 year old Sweeney first appeared in the role of Samantha “Sami” Brady in the NBC soap opera “Days of Our Lives.”

13. In the 1990s, Sweeney struggled with her weight.

14. She eventually was a U.S. dress size 12, not obese by medical standards, but still larger than her television peers.

15. She documented all the tabloid talk and personal anguish in her 2004 memoir, “All The Days of My Life (So Far).”

16. In 2002, she appeared on a celebrity episode of the NBC reality game show “Fear Factor.”

17. She has appeared in other NBC shows such as “Friends,” where she played an actress on “Days of Our Lives,” and “Las Vegas.”

18. In 2007, she joined the “Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon” as a co-host for the live television broadcast. She returned to her co-hosting duties for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 telethons.

19. In 2007, Sweeney took over hosting duties on “The Bigger Loser,” replacing Caroline Rhea since the fourth season. She was surprised but happy to be offered the role, where she is able to cheer on contestants and share their victories.

20. Sweeney has written three books: “The Star Attraction”, “Scared Scriptless: A Novel” and “Opportunity Knocks.”

21. In July 2013, Sweeney appeared in “Second Chances,” a Hallmark Original Movie, alongside “Days” co-star Greg Vaughan. The movie was filmed before Sweeney and Vaughan became siblings on “Days of Our Lives.”

22. On July 9, 2014, it was announced that Sweeney would be joining “General Hospital” behind the scenes as a director, starting later that month.

23. Beginning on October 13, 2017, Sweeney will reprise her long-term role as Sami Brady on “Days of Our Lives,” over 24 years after her first appearance as a teenage Sami Brady.