Van Elsen was born in Mol. After finishing her marketing studies, she obtained her master's degree in business economics in 2006. She spread her studies over several years to accommodate her professional career.
Van Elsen first appearedon the cover of a magazine when that magazine had chosen a photograph of a reader to appear on the cover. This inspired her to enter beauty pageants like Miss Antwerp, Miss Belgium and Miss Universe. In 2002 Van Elsen won both the Miss Antwerp and Miss Belgium pageants. This enabled her entrance to the Miss World and Miss Universe competitions. Van Elsen is one of the candidates who refused to participate in the Miss World competition held in Nigeria in 2002, to protest the conviction of Amina Lawal. Van Elsen appeared in the January 2008 edition of Playboy. She accepted the deal on account that Playboy would donate part of the photo-shoot payment to Music For Life, a goodwill annual charity of radio stationStudio Brussel.
Media career
Television
On television, Van Elsen has presented several programs on Belgian channels TV1 and VT4, including Mediamadammen, Huizenjacht, Onder Hoogspanning, De Brandkast, Supertalent in Vlaanderen and Summerdate. In June 2005 Van Elsen signed an exclusive television contract with VT4, where she performed the tasks of an in-vision continuity announcer and hosted several other TV shows as well. In 2006, Van Elsen presented the first prize to the winner of the "Pinanti is Pinanti" penalty taking competition in the TV1 sports program Studio 1 op zondag, football playerDésiré Mbonabucya. During the ceremony in the Koning Boudewijnstadion, she tried to show she had some footballing skills as well. For two years Van Elsen regularly appeared on the TV1 music show Het Swingpaleis, on which she was the team captain. In 2013 she presented the TV show Singles on Vijf.
Radio
In January 2008 Van Elsen went to work for Radio Donna for the Sunday Match program. She presented between 20.00h and 23.00h. After the reestablishment of Donna as MNM she presented together with Dave PetersThe Ann & Dave Show. In early 2012 she also presented the Monday early morning program MNM Request. Since 2010 she continues to co-host various programs on MNM, including a summer period mid-morning to noon program.
