As she lay in a hospital bed recovering from a reaction to radiation treatment for breast cancer, Leslie Ezelle began to ask herself, “What do I want to be when I grow up?”

    Weary after having endured two years of what she calls “the good kind of cancer” – in which patients undergo six weeks of radiation with weekends off – the former Meridian resident who now resides in Dallas, Texas, was ready to move forward and pursue a lifelong dream: to be host of a TV design show.

    “It just came back to me loud and clear. Not only do I want my own design company – which I have and it’s very successful – but I love entertaining, I was a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader,” she said. “So with the combination of bringing my art – I’m a painter and a designer – and my love of entertaining, I decided it was time to live my dream.”

    She submitted her portfolio to “Design Star,” HGTV’s top-rated reality competition which features 12 competitive and creative finalists executing ingenious designs, as well as an illustrious judging panel of acclaimed HGTV interior designers (Genevieve Gorder, Candice Olson and Vern Yip) and special celebrity guests. The finalists, who include professional interior designers, contractors, stylists and artists, must navigate innovative design challenges and dazzle the judges with creativity and ingenuity until one wins their own show on HGTV.

    “Jan. 15 was the deadline date – I got my stuff in on the deadline date,” she said, laughing while still in disbelief. “Two days later, I had a call from HGTV. Next thing I know, I was in New York being interviewed and then the next thing I know I was filming in March.”

    She credits her drive and ambition to her parents, Jerry and Ann Espey Ezelle, who grew up in Meridian and now reside in Scroggins, Texas.

    “My dad is a huge motivator, always asking what is your purpose and how you are going to make a difference,” she said. “My mom has known of my dream for awhile and really pushed me to submitting my portfolio. Whenever I would ask, ‘What if I don’t win?’ she would always reply, ‘If you don’t try, you won’t ever know.'”

    Ezelle brings to the show a wide variety of design experience, ranging from remodels to home staging for real estate agents. Describing herself as “fun with a larger-than-life personality,” helps her clients “tame their domain” and believes that a stress-free, organized home offers the happiest and healthiest environment.

    “My style can be described in three words: sophisticated, elegant and simplistic. I believe that less is more, I always want a room to feel sophisticated and elegance makes you feel relaxed and at home,” she said. “Regardless of where you buy an item – even if it’s something from Salvation Army that you redid – I want it to feel like you are sitting in a million dollar room.”

    Being part of a cast of ingenious designers has been an exciting experience with many surprises.

    “It is the most bizarre thing; it’s like the ‘Survivor of Design’ or ‘Design Bootcamp.’ At one point, I felt like Goldie Hawn in ‘Private Benjamin’ when she’s running and crying, ‘This is not what I signed up for!’ At one point I was running down the streets of New York in high heels screaming those exact words.

    “It’s super intense, on a very tight and really busy schedule. You wake up at 7 in the morning, work until 7 or 8 in the evening and go to sleep around 10 p.m.,” she said. “The reality part of it is that you wake up in the morning with the camera in front of you and then they give you time to do these individual projects and each week they eliminate somebody … It’s intense, but I’m loving it.”

    Now in its sixth season, “Design Star” airs Monday nights on Channel 38 on Comcast Meridian. Five episodes have already aired; those who missed them may watch the full episodes by visiting the website www.hgtv.com And for even more background on the episodes, Ezell encourages everyone to visit her blog at lesliechristinedesigns.com

    During her two-year battle with breast cancer, Ezelle said she was often in denial and had little to do with causes associated with the disease. However, since going on “Design Star” she has become very active with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the most widely known, largest and best-funded breast cancer organization in the United States.

    “For my premiere party for ‘Design Star,’ which was July 11, I raised $29,000 in three-and-a half weeks for Susan G. Komen for the Cure,” she proudly notes. “And since then I’ve been named honorary chairperson for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

    The wife and mother of four is optimistic about her chances of winning on “Design Star.”

    “I went into it to win it,” she asserts.

    But should she not win the coveted prize, Ezell said she still has won.

    “This whole ‘Design Star’ has development into something so much greater,” she said. “When I was going through my cancer, I denied it and didn’t want to have anything to do with Susan G. Komen for the Cure or anything pink. But now I’ve absorbed myself and I am embracing the pink to give back to the organization that was there for me when I denied it  … As I said to my dad during my first motivational speech, I’ve finally figured out how I’m going to make my mark, how I’m going to help change the world. And I’m going to do it with the help of all the people involved in this wonderful organization committed to saving lives.”