Tami Farrell On Taking Over Miss California Title: ‘I’m Stepping Into The Line Of Fire’

Miss Malibu Tami Farrell was crowned the new Miss California on Wednesday after Carrie Prejean was dethroned.

Despite the headlines that followed Prejean’s removal from the Miss California post due to what pageant Executive Director Keith Lewis said were “contract violations,” her replacement, a 25-year-old beauty queen who originally hailed from Oregon, is thrilled to represent her adopted home state.

“Obviously this is not the way that I ever would have wanted this title, but I’m honored to step in and represent our state,” Farrell told Access Hollywood. “I think that with any job, when you sign up for something, you have responsibilities and accountability and as her first runner-up I [agreed] that if she couldn’t fulfill that job, I would step in.”

Farrell, who will reign until November 22, 2009, when the next Miss California is crowned, said she is thrilled to be taking over the post.

“I’m excited because I think there are so many different aspects of the program that have been overshadowed by all the controversy,” she added.

As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, Prejean’s reign as Miss California first created headlines at the Miss USA pageant in April after she answered a question from Perez Hilton regarding her stance on gay marriage. Prejean said she believes marriage “should be between a man and a woman.”

A month after the Miss USA pageant, Prejean caught a host of media attention again when semi-nude photos of the beauty queen cropped up on the Internet. Although her pageant contract seemingly forbade such photos, Miss Universe Organization owner Donald Trump allowed Prejean to keep her crown.

Farrell said in light of all that has happened, she is very aware her reign will be well-documented.

“I think the biggest challenge is I’m stepping into the line of fire,” she said. “There’s a lot of controversy surrounding this and I want people to know this isn’t what I signed up for.”

In fact, becoming the new Miss California, almost seven months after she first competed for the 2009 title, has been a surprise.

“This was definitely a shock to me. Six months ago I competed in a pageant. Who would have thought that I would be getting this phone call? But I think everything in life happens for a reason,” she said.

The young woman said taking over the title now, though, does give her cause for concern.

“I’m nervous to see the way people see this whole situation being played out because I think that there are so [many] misconceptions of what’s going on,” she said. “People just see little bits and pieces and they assume that, that’s the whole big story, and…”

“And it’s not,” Lewis chimed in. “I think what we’ve gone through, what we’ve experienced, both of us, is the fact that information sometimes can be re-spun.”

Lewis, who said his lawyer delivered the news of Prejean’s dismissal to her lawyer, said he hopes people will turn their focus to Farrell and the next Miss California pageant.

“For us, I think it’s really important that we get back to the focus and what was so wonderful is the fact that Tami is committed to the sponsors [of the organization]. [Miss] California is [set to be] televised for the first time in a decade. We’ve got a show to put on, a television show, a two-hour live show. She’s gotta step in, she has to be a gracious host, she has to work with the sponsors, help us make sure that the dreams of all those other women that are participating in this system are realized through the work that we do.”