In addition to competing on the current season of Trump's "The Celebrity Apprentice" on NBC, Stone is a master chef, best-selling author, television host and entrepreneur with his own line of kitchen utensils, accessories and glassware.
Morales joined the cast of the "Today" show in February 2006 as co-host and correspondent. Hispanic Magazine named Morales one of the "Top Hispanics to Watch" in 2005 and one of the "Top Trendsetters" in 2003.
Adkins, a member of the Grand Ole Opry with 27 charted singles and 14 Top Ten hits, will debut his latest single, "This Ain't No Love Song," during the evening gown portion of the competition. In addition, BLG will perform their new song, "Heart Heart Heartbreak" for the first time during the swimsuit competition.
The comedic mother-daughter duo of Joan and Melissa Rivers will be backstage giving viewers a sneak-peek at the chaos behind-the-scenes.
Throughout the competition, each contestant, representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia, will compete in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and interview.
Miss USA 2009, Kristen Dalton, will crown her successor at the conclusion of the two-hour live telecast. During her reign, Dalton has traveled across the country as an advocate for breast and ovarian cancer education and awareness. Miss USA 2010 will continue this work throughout her reign.
Viewers can see images of all the contestants and vote for the 2010 Miss Photogenic USA® at www.nbc.com. The award is given to the contestant who best exemplifies beauty through the lens of a camera. The winner of the online vote will be revealed during the live telecast.
NEW YORK, April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- NBC, Donald J. Trump and Paula M. Shugart, President of the Miss Universe Organization (MUO), announced today that Curtis Stone, internationally-renowned chef and current "Celebrity Apprentice" contestant and "Today" show co-host and correspondent Natalie Morales, will host NBC's "2010 Miss USA® Pageant." The 59th-annual competition will be broadcast live from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 16 (7-9 p.m. ET). The telecast will feature performances by multi-platinum country music superstar Trace Adkins and pop rock band Boys Like Girls (BLG), as well as color commentary by Joan and Melissa Rivers.
"We have 51 of the most beautiful women in the country competing in one of the best live shows on television," said Trump. "I know Curtis and Natalie will do a great job hosting and with Joan and Melissa backstage, anything can happen! It's going to be a fantastic show!"
Chet Buchanan is a longtime radio and television personality, with outstanding ratings and numerous awards throughout his career. He is currently the host and creator of 98.5 KLUC's "Chet Buchanan and the Morning Zoo," one of the highest rated and most beloved radio shows in Las Vegas. Buchanan appears frequently on local and national television, and hosts numerous charity, corporate, and civic events as well as many state, regional and national pageants.
Kristen Dalton is the reigning Miss USA. Prior to winning her current title, Dalton attended East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., where she represented her school as class president for two years and served as the vice president of the National Leadership Honor Society.
A relative renaissance woman, Dalton is also an accomplished singer, actress and dancer. She has appeared on hit television shows, including "One Tree Hill," and has performed the national anthem at numerous sporting events.
As Miss USA, Dalton is a spokeswoman for the official causes of the organization, which include breast and ovarian cancer education, research and legislation - a platform that is close to her heart. She enjoys traveling nationwide as an advocate for organizations such as the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, the National Breast Cancer Coalition, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Nevada Cancer Institute and Gilda's Club, among others. After her reign, Dalton aspires to be a motivational talk show host and a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations.
Billie Causieestko is a world traveled artist-turned-celebrity stylist known for textures and color combinations, who completed a B.A. in Fashion Design & Merchandising from Virginia Commonwealth University. Before moving to New York City in 1997, her love of theatrical costuming and affinity for high fashion inspired her to travel to many countries throughout Europe. While living in Germany, she found much inspiration in the beauty of the rich countryside. She also found herself inspired by the fashion in the metro cities of Cologne and Dusseldorf where she traveled extensively to produce and direct stage fashion shows for the "it" designer of the time, Christina Borhneman-Heim.
Chip Lightman has been an integral part of the entertainment community for more than two decades. He has managed Tina Turner and for 18 years guided Danny Gans' career as he became Las Vegas' most popular and successful headliner. Lightman produced Gladys Knight's mega-successful multi-year run in Vegas, during which she won numerous awards, including two Grammys. Currently, Lightman produces the award-winning "Donny and Marie" show.
PRELIMINARY JUDGES
HOSTS
Colleen Grillo has spent the past 25 years working in all aspects of talent relations. She's been a script reader, a film development executive, a network executive at ABC for Specials and Reality TV, and a producer for HBO's "Dennis Miller Live," where she booked and pre-interviewed A-list celebrities and politicians on a weekly basis, earning four Emmy nominations during the show's decade-long run. Colleen is also a supervising producer, talent executive, talent scout, reality casting producer, and segment producer. She has headed up talent departments for many shows including "The Bronx Bunny Show," "Crank Yankers," "Too Late with Adam Carolla," "The Los Angeles Film Festival," "Iron Chef USA," "The Republican National Convention," and "The Golden Globes Red Carpet Special (annually)." Currently, she is booking celebrity and reality talent for three new shows.
Guy McCarter is the Managing Director of Green Room Entertainment, the Branded Entertainment unit of OMG Entertainment & Sports. Green Room develops, negotiates and activates entertainment properties in television, film, digital and music on behalf of clients like Pepsi, Visa, Lowe's, Absolut, the City of Las Vegas and Travelocity. Guy is a recognized leader and pioneer in the branded entertainment arena, and is a two-time recipient of Mediaweek's Most Creative Use of Media award as well as an Ad Age Media Maven and an Adweek Media All-Star.
Leigh Rossini started her career in 1993 working as an apprentice for Louis Licari before later on becoming Louis Licari Salons first In House Publicist. Working side by side with Licari and his teams in New York and Beverly Hills, Rossini is responsible for organizing all media. She recently landed a contract putting Licari on NBC's "Today" show weekly, in addition to a blog on iVillage and The Huffington Post.
Rich Thurber has been in the entertainment business for over 20 years, circling the globe with superstars like Janet Jackson and touring with Michael Jackson's "Dangerous" worldwide tour. He has been road manager and producer for Howie Mandel for the last 17 years, and most recently he has produced television shows such as "Howie Do It" and the smash hit "Deal Or No Deal." Currently Rich is working on "America's Got Talent" for NBC.
Scott F. Lochmus is a multiple-award-winning director and producer. The founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Storyland Pictures, LLC, Mr. Lochmus is responsible for producing and directing, and provides a wide range of interlocking production services to the film, television, and the audio and visual industries, from feature films to documentaries, and from live concert television to music videos. Lochmus has directed and produced videos and events with many acclaimed stars, including Celine Dion, Barbara Streisand, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, N'SYNC, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Santana, Usher and Neil Young.
TELECAST JUDGES
Johnny Weir - At the age of 25, 3-time U.S. Champion and 2-time Olympian, Johnny Weir is one of the superstars of figure skating and an emerging pop culture icon. Fans all over the world love his elegant yet edgy style on and off the ice. Johnny has put his fame to good use, appearing at various benefits and charity events across the country while balancing skating shows throughout the world. Currently, he is the star of his own reality series, "Be Good Johnny Weir," on Sundance Channel.
Melania Trump - She began her modeling career at the age of sixteen, when she signed with a modeling agency in Milan. After obtaining a degree in design and architecture at University in Slovenia, Melania was jetting between photo shoots in Paris and Milan, finally settling in New York in 1996. The Slovenian-born brunette has appeared in high profile ad campaigns, and has worked with some of the top photographers in the fashion industry, including Patrick Demarchelier, Helmut Newton, Arthur Elgort, Ellen Von Unwerth, Peter Arnell, Antoine Verglas and Mario Testino. She has graced the covers of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, British GQ, Ocean Drive, Avenue, In Style, New York Magazine. Her major layouts include the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Allure, Vogue, Self, Glamour, Vanity Fair, and Elle. She married Donald Trump in 2005.
Oscar Nunez - best known for playing Oscar Martinez on NBC’s "The Office," for which he has won numerous awards, including an Emmy. Oscar has appeared in the features "The Proposal," "Beethoven’s Big Break," "The Italian Job" and "When Do We Eat?" and on numerous TV shows, including "24," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Reno 911," "Mad TV" and "Malcom in the Middle." Oscar can soon be seen in the Nickelodeon feature "Fred: The Movie" and the upcoming independent film "Language of a Broken Heart."
Paula Deen - She is the quintessential American success story, a best-selling author, a television show host and a tastemaker to the stars and to the everyday housewife and family. She is Paula Deen, a down-home, strong-willed mom who overcame personal tragedy, long odds, financial and physical challenges to carve one of the most effective and wide-ranging entertainment brands that exists today. Currently, Deen has four shows running concurrently on the Food Network as well as partnerships with numerous global brands, including Wal-mart, Smithfield, Universal, Harrah's and Cooking.com.
Phil Ruffin - He and The Ruffin Companies represent diverse real estate, lodging, manufacturing, energy and retail enterprises, employing more than 5,000 people across the country. Ruffin owns 100 percent of each company and is the sole stockholder. Ruffin's diverse business career has run the gamut from owning a dairy, a bank, and more than 4 million square feet of commercial real estate, which included shopping centers, office buildings and strip centers, to expansive holdings in the hotel and gaming industries. In 2007, Ruffin and Donald Trump formed a joint venture to build the 1,283-room Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas, which is now open. In 2009, Ruffin purchased Treasure Island in Las Vegas from MGM Mirage for $755 million, where he continues to serve as its owner and top executive.
Tara Connor - On April 21st, 2006, a worldwide television audience of millions watched as Tara Conner's "biggest dream ever" came true as she was crowned Miss USA 2006 at the conclusion of the 55th Miss USA telecast live from Baltimore, Maryland. The Russell Springs, Kentucky, native is the first woman from Kentucky to win the title of Miss USA®.
Since the end of her reign, Tara has pursued a career in entertainment, hosting several shows for MTV, including the pilot "Singled Out," and the series "Girls of Hedsor Hall" and "Pageant Place." She also appeared on "Pretty Smart" and A&E's "Fame and Recovery." In addition, she is a singer/songwriter.
