Stacey Dash has scored a spot on Fox News as a paid contributor, and the actress has more than one reason to be excited to join the news team — her crush on network co-worker Bill O’Reilly.

The former Clueless star made an appearance on Wednesday’s Access Hollywood Live and admitted her crush on the O’Reilly Factor host to Billy Bush, Kit Hoover and guest co-host Brooke Burns.

“I’m just a huge fan. He is [my celebrity crush],” she gushed. “[I’m attracted to] the strength, the power, the intelligence, the wit.”

Dash‘s new gig with Fox News came about after she experienced a backlash on social media for backing Mitt Romney for President over Barack Obama.

“[The backlash was] because I didn’t back the black guy, and I’m black,” she said.

“Were the Tweets mostly from black people do you think?” Bush asked.

“Yes – I don’t ‘think,’ I know. It’s absurd,” she replied. “I don’t respond. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but I’m still going to stand for what I believe in.”

.@REALStaceyDash opens up about her new role as a Fox News contributor: http://t.co/vADFJcr0xR (via @TheInsider) pic.twitter.com/cZUO1aYRmr

— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 9, 2014

"I tweeted my opinion and when I woke up the next morning my life had changed" @REALStaceyDash http://t.co/rexNiNQdaC pic.twitter.com/fsIB8SXRUN

— ELLE Magazine (US) (@ELLEmagazine) July 6, 2014

The actress said her Twitter account blew up with hate-filled responses after coming out in support of Romney, but it didn’t daunt her in the least.

“People told me to kill myself, stuff like that. But I’m from the South Bronx – I don’t scare easily,” she said.

It’s amazing what one tweet can do.

“I tweeted my opinion and when I woke up the next morning, my life had changed,” the 47-year-old conservative told Elle magazine. “And since then, anything I say has been newsworthy. I say something and then it’s newsworthy.”

Image via YouTube