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CELEBRITY CONTESTANTS FROM TELEVISION, MUSIC AND SPORTS PLAY FOR THEIR FAVORITE CHARITIES WHEN "WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE" RETURNS TO ABC PRIMETIME AUGUST 9thTO CELEBRATE ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY
Guest Stars Include Lauren Conrad, Snoop Dogg, Patricia Heaton, Shawn Johnson, Steve Nash, Katy Perry, Rachael Ray, Sherri Shepherd, Vanessa Williams, Wynonna and a Surprise Guest
A star-studded roster of actors, singers, athletes and other celebrities will bring even more sparkle to next month's 10th anniversary celebration of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" when host Regis Philbin and the smash hit return to ABC for a two-week primetime event. As a special feature, each episode will conclude with a celebrity player taking the hot seat, hoping to correctly answer a single question worth $50,000 for his or her favorite charity.
The "Millionaire" event premieres SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) and will air for 11 nights, Sunday-Thursday at 8:00 p.m., with the finale on SUNDAY, AUGUST 23 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET).
The diverse lineup of celebrity guests -- known for their differing work and styles across television, music and sports -- reflects the broad-based format of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," where questions encompass various aspects of popular culture and other fields. In alphabetical order, the celebrities and their chosen charities are:
o Lauren Conrad ("The Hills), playing for the M. Powerment Fund
o Rapper Snoop Dogg, playing for the Snoop Dogg Youth Football League
o Patricia Heaton (ABC's new comedy, "The Middle") playing for the Westside Pregnancy Clinic and Lighthouse Medical Missions
o Shawn Johnson, Olympic gold medalist and champion of "Dancing with the Stars" playing for Blank Children's Hospital
o NBA star Steve Nash playing for The Steve Nash Foundation
o Chart-topper Katy Perry playing for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital
o Rachael Ray, TV personality, author and cook, playing for Yum-O Organization and ASPCA
o Sherri Shepherd, co-host of "The View," playing for the March of Dimes
o Vanessa Williams ("Ugly Betty"), playing for The Maria Torres Emerging Artist Project at the Amas Musical Theatre
o Country star Wynonna playing for Backpack Mission Ministries
o � and a special surprise guest
CNN's senior political correspondent Candy Crowley joins the previously-announced roster of experts for 10th anniversary's "Ask The Expert" lifeline: Wolf Blitzer, Connie Chung, Sam Donaldson, Gwen Ifill, Ken Jennings, Bill Nye, Jodi Picoult, Cokie Roberts, Mo Rocca and George Stephanopoulos. "Ask the Expert" and the substantially faster gameplay featuring time limits on every question are imported from the daytime version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, hosted by Meredith Vieira. The 10th Anniversary edition will continue many of the strongest elements of the original show, along with some of the more recent modifications to the format that were streamlined over the show's lifespan in syndication. For example, the "Fastest Finger" element will return, and the lifelines will include perennial favorites "Ask the Audience," "Phone a Friend," and also "Double Dip" (which originated during "Super Millionaire").
"Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" is produced by Valleycrest Productions Ltd. Michael Davies is executive producer.
For more information on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," visit www.abc.com.
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