The Bush family hasn't completely retreated from the national spotlight. George H.W. is in retirement and George W. is out of office, but nobody elected Billy Bush - the elder Bush's nephew - and so he could be hosting Access Hollywood for life.

Unlike his first cousin, famous for his tongue-tangling one-liners while in the White House, Billy has always demonstrated the gift of gab.

Born Oct. 13, 1971, Billy grew up in Maine and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies and Government at Colby College, where he was also captain of the lacrosse team.

This impressive dual degree seemed to indicate a career in international trade or the foreign service, especially with Bush's high-profile connections. Instead, he became a radio disc jockey, starting in afternoon drive time at WLKZ-FM in Wolfeboro, NH (assuming there is a drive time in Wolfeboro, NH).

Witty and imaginative, Bush parlayed on-air glibness with a proclivity for wacky stunts to rise through the radio ranks, moving to a couple of Washington, DC stations (WARW and WWZZ) and creating "Billy Bush and the Bush League Show" at the latter stop. That earned him a spot behind the mike at WNBC in New York, where he first hooked up with Access Hollywood as its East Coast correspondent.

Bush's national debut as an on-air "face" came with a short stint as host of "Let's Make A Deal," and was promoted to co-anchor of "Access Hollywood" in 2004.

More than anything else, Bush has demonstrated skill in the very specialized area of hosting, where his DJ experience left him adept at adapting to changing circumstances and filling dead air. His gregarious personality also helped him schmooze with entertainment stars, who saw him as one of their own. Obviously, given his familial background and close connections with two U.S. presidents, Bush was not inclined to be awed by celebrity.

Thus, Bush has hosted the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants and the Golden Globes during his career. He also replaced Meredith Viera for a week on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire."

He has also come to epitomize a new breed of reporter who blends journalism with show business, reporting on the Academy Awards, Emmys, and even the Beijing Olympics for NBC.

Not everyone, it should be noted, is a fan of Bush's breezy style. Comedian Billy Crystal once called him "the most annoying man in show business."

Bush's ascending career has been on an almost eerily similar parallel with that of another creature of radio, Ryan Seachrest. Like Seachrest, he moved from East Coast DJ to Hollywood. And both eventually returned to their roots -- in Bush's case, to host "The Billy Bush Show" on KBIG-FM in Los Angeles, syndicated on Westwood One.

Bush married Sydney Davis in 1998. The couple has three children.