On September 9, 2012, Machado was one of ten competitors on the third season of Mira Quien Baila. She again posed nude for the July 2010 issue of the Mexican edition of Playboy. The show began airing in Mexico in February 2011 and in the United States in October of that same year. Machado was cast in the comedic soap opera Una familia con suerte where she played a woman who fell in love with her brother's enemy. Machado appeared in (and on the cover of) the February 2006 issue of Playboy magazine's Mexican edition, becoming the only Miss Universe to pose nude for that magazine. On February 19, 2006, Machado debuted on the Mexican reality show Cantando Por Un Sueño ("Singing For A Dream"). In 2005, Machado appeared on a Spanish reality show called La Granja de los famosos ("The Farm").
During 2004–2005, she pursued a career as a TV commercial model with particular success in promoting a dieting product. In 2001, she had a small role on the international soap opera Secreto de Amor. In 1998 Machado had her first starring telenovela role as the title character in Samantha. Trump arranged for 80 reporters to "watch sweat" in a gym, which Machado later called "in very bad taste". After mounting pressure to lose weight from Trump and other pageant officials, Machado asked Trump to assist her with orienting toward a healthier lifestyle.
The President of Miss Universe Organization denied that the organization was considering replacing her with runner-up, Taryn Mansell of Aruba. Machado said that, when she won, she weighed 116 pounds and was anorexic and bulimic.ĭuring her reign as Miss Universe, Machado gained what she said was about 12 pounds in weight, drawing considerable press attention. While preparing for Miss Universe, Machado underwent intense dieting. Machado's reign came as American businessman Donald Trump took ownership of the Miss Universe pageant. The runner-up, Jacqueline Aguilera, also won the Miss World 1995 crown, marking the second time that two Venezuelans from the same pageant won two world titles. Early in her training, she refused plastic surgery recommended to her, notable in Venezuelan beauty pageant culture. Machado won the 1995 Miss Maracay pageant, and then the 1995 Miss Venezuela pageant representing Yaracuy state and then the Miss Universe 1996 crown in Las Vegas. Machado attended college for a year and half but left to pursue modeling and appearing in commercials. She began dancing at age 4 and acting at age 12. Machado took to performing at an early age. Her father was a toy store owner who emigrated from Spain and her mother's family emigrated from Cuba prior to the Cuban revolution.