Miss Universe Organization Announces Thomas Roberts ("MSNBC Live") And Mel B ("America's Got Talent") As Hosts For The 2013 MISS UNIVERSE® Competition

NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- NBC, Donald J. Trump, and Paula M. Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, announced today that Thomas Roberts and Mel B will host the 62^nd Annual Miss Universe^® Competition airing Saturday, Nov. 9 (9-11 p.m. ET/PT) from Crocus City Hall in Moscow. The global event will also air with a Spanish simulcast on Telemundo.

Thomas Roberts is an award-winning journalist and host of "MSNBC Live" at 11a.m. weekdays. Roberts also serves as a fill-in host and contributor on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and NBC's "Today." He received a 2002 Emmy-nomination for his work on the documentary "Parvo Puppies" and also received an Edward R. Murrow Award in 2001 for a documentary he produced titled "When Parents Don't Pay."

Melanie Brown recently appeared as a member of the NBC family as a judge on the eighth season of the hit summer show "America's Got Talent."  The global superstar, known best to audiences as "Mel B" of the Spice Girls, is a chart-topping musical artist, actress, author and television personality. Mel B's brazen persona was at the core of the Spice Girls' worldwide success, racking up worldwide record sales of $55 million. Recently Mel B returned to her musical roots with her first single in almost a decade, "For Once in My Life."  She previously hosted the MISS UNIVERSE^® Competition when it was held in Vietnam in 2008. 

Veteran MISS UNIVERSE commentator, Jeannie Mai, also returns to take viewers behind-the-scenes to engage with contestants, talent and fans throughout the telecast. Mai is best known as the host of Style Network's two-time Emmy Award-nominated makeover series "How Do I Look?" and is also recognized for her fashion segments on NBC's "Today."

Panic! At The Disco is set to perform during the MISS UNIVERSE broadcast. They recently released their fourth studio album, "Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!" which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The album features the single "Miss Jackson (feat. LOLO)," which debuted at #9 on the iTunes Top Singles Chart. Since its release, the official video has reached over 5.5 million YouTube views. The Grammy-nominated group's 2005 double-platinum "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out" featured the global smash "I Write Sins Not Tragedies." Panic! At The Disco is set to tour Europe in November and will embark on a national US headline tour in January.

International recording artist EMIN will also take the stage during the pageant. EMIN spent much of this year traveling the globe promoting his hit single "Amor," which has already been released in Russia, Great Britain, his native Azerbaijan and is set for wide release this year. The reigning Miss Universe Olivia Culpo is also featured in the popular music video that has had more than 4.5 million views on YouTube since its release. EMIN will debut "In Another Life," the new single from his upcoming CD, for worldwide release in early 2014.

This will be the first time in the pageant's 62-year history that the competition will be held in Russia. Barry Adelman of dick clark productions (dcp) will be returning as executive producer of the pageant, which marks his third year producing the show.  The MISS UNIVERSE telecast is broadcast in approximately 190 countries and an estimated 1 billion viewers worldwide are expected to tune in. Contestants will be judged in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and interview as they vie for the coveted title of Miss Universe 2013. Culpo will crown her successor at the conclusion of the two-hour telecast. 

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ABOUT THE MISS UNIVERSE^® ORGANIZATION

The Miss Universe Organization, a Donald J. Trump and NBCUniversal joint venture, is a global community empowering role models of beauty, health and leadership for young women of today. The organization is dedicated to partnering with charities around the world, and to increasing HIV/AIDS awareness by focusing on women's health issues. For more information, visit: www.missuniverse.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/officialMissUniverse; Twitter and Instagram: @MissUniverse.

SOURCE The Miss Universe Organization