BET Heats up the Winter as Sexy Duo Mehcad Brooks and Selita Ebanks Host BET's 'RIP THE RUNWAY 2011' on Saturday, February 26 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York

NEW YORK, Feb. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- It's lucky number 7 for BET's annual fashion celebration, RIP THE RUNWAY. This year's show promises to be the hottest yet when supernatural stud Mehcad Brooks joins forces with supermodel Selita Ebanks to host the annual mashup of music, style and fashion on Saturday, February 26 from the legendary Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.

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Energetically mashing live music with hot fashion, BET's RIP THE RUNWAY showcases the hottest designers, musicians, and models. RIP THE RUNWAY tapes on Saturday, February 26 and premieres on BET Monday, March 21 at 10 p.m.*

Host Mehcad Brooks is an actor and model, most recently seen on HBO's True Blood, and currently the face (and body) of Calvin Klein X underwear campaign. Also hosting is supermodel Selita Ebanks, best known for her days as a Victoria's Secret Angel and recent turn as a Phoenix in Kanye West's Runaway.

Past hosts have included Eva Pigford & Fonzworth Bentley ('05), LL Cool J & Gabrielle Union ('06), Chris Brown & Ciara ('07), Nelly & Lauren London with Diddy as Master of Ceremonies ('08), Joy Bryant & Derek Luke ('09), and Nicki Minaj and Pooch Hall ('10).  

For up-to-the-minute and archival press information, visit BET's press-only web site at www.bet.com/pr. Follow RIP THE RUNWAY at #RTR and/or #BETRTR.

*All times are ET/PT.

About Mehcad Brooks

Mehcad Brooks continues to rise as one of Hollywood's most promising stars.  This summer, Brooks can be seen in USA's new drama "Necessary Roughness," in which he portrays Terrence "TK" King. In addition to acting, Brooks is also one of the four new faces of the notorious Calvin Klein underwear advertisements which are seen worldwide. Audiences recently saw Brooks star as the much talked about "Eggs" on Alan Ball's HBO hit series "True Blood." He is a SAG Award winner for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series on the ABC show "Desperate Housewives," playing the role of Alfre Woodard's son. It was his portrayal of character 'Matthew Applewhite' which led to an Image Award nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance and his inclusion in Daily Variety's "Ten Young Actors to Watch" feature in August 2005. Brooks recently wrapped shooting "Blood Is Blood," a feature film thriller set in Baton Rouge, Louisiana directed by Fred M. Andrews.

About Selita Ebanks

Selita Ebanks is one of the most sought after and respected supermodels in her generation. She has worked on campaigns including Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie & Fitch, Levi's, and Tommy Hilfiger. Selita's career aspirations came true when she was chosen to be a Victoria's Secret Angel. She made her debut in the 2005 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, working as an Angel until early 2009. Selita has graced the covers of Maxim, Esquire and Hampton Style, been featured in Sports Illustrated and Vanity Fair and was chosen as one of People's "Most Beautiful People" in 2007. Selita founded the Women's Coalition for Empowerment and Opportunity (WCEO) to support women's educational and professional programs in Sierra Leone, and lends her support to Shine On Sierra Leone. She is a supporter of the New Yorkers of Children, which benefits young adults in the New York's Foster Care system.

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

SOURCE BET Networks