Ricki Lake is the New Headmistress of VH1's Third Installment of Charm School

Ricki Lake is the New Headmistress of VH1's Third Installment of Charm School

With the help of Deans Alani "La La" Vazquez and Stryker, Lake Puts a New Class of VH1's Most Memorable Ladies From "Rock of Love Bus with Bret Michaels" and "Real Chance of Love" Through Charity 101

SANTA MONICA, Calif. Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The third installment of 51 Minds and VH1's "Charm School" is going to a whole new level and showing a side of the girls from "Rock of Love Bus with Bret Michaels" and "Real Chance of Love" you've never seen before...the compassionate side. That's right, these once love struck reality beauties will now learn self-improvement through selfless acts. Legendary talk show host, documentary film producer and author Ricki Lake will try to tame the wild ladies by asking them to do...gasp...charity work, in "Charm School 3 with Ricki Lake," premiering in Summer 2009.

Ricki will not be alone in her quest to help these ladies; she will be flanked with the support of the new school deans Alani "La La" Vazquez (TV Personality) and Stryker (Radio Host). This teams' mission for the new season is not only to teach the ladies about which fork to use, but also to stress the importance of using themselves for good.

VH1.com will offer an exclusive sneak peek of the premiere episode prior to the show's on-air premiere and will house the show's episodes for on-demand viewing. There will be additional online and mobile elements and content launched throughout the run of the series. Additional details will be announced closer to the premiere of the series this summer.

"We are thrilled to have Ricki spearheading this new take on Charm School. Our audience knows her, loves her and respects her. And Ricki certainly knows a thing or two about taking big, loud characters and bringing them to a place of new emotional understanding," said Jeff Olde, Executive Vice President, Original Programming and Production, VH1. "The transformation of the women on the show is always an interesting journey to watch, and the new twist on this season should bring the entire experience to a whole new level."

Ricki Lake has worked in the entertainment industry for over twenty years, starting her career as an actress in the original John Waters' film Hairspray. Later, the actress transitioned into the world of daytime as host of the long running talk show, "Ricki Lake." Recently, Ricki has taken the role of executive producer for the documentary The Business of Being Born, producer for CBS' recent movie of the week Loving Leah and, now, executive producer of Charm School. She is also adding author to her resume with the upcoming book, Your Best Birth. Both her documentary and book examine the world of natural childbirth and birthing options, which is a community Ricki has become a vital part of. She is on the Board of the non-profit organization the New Space for Women's Health in New York City. Ricki now brings her non-profit experience to VH1's "Charm School 3 with Ricki Lake."

VH1's "Charm School 3 with Ricki Lake" is created and executive produced by Mark Cronin and Cris Abrego for 51 Minds Entertainment, LLC. an Endemol Company, who also produce the record-breaking series "Rock of Love," "Flavor of Love," "I Love New York," "The Surreal Life," "For the Love of Ray J," "I Love Money" and much more. The production teams' programming launched VH1 into their highest ratings ever and their ratings continue to outperform their previous successes. Ben Samek and Matt Odgers also executive produce for the series and the company.

Jeff Olde, Jill Holmes, and Kristen Kelly oversee the series for VH1.

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 95 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, VH1Games and extensive broadband video on VH1.com. Connect with VH1 at VH1.com.

VH1 is a registered trademark of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom International Inc. MTV Networks also operates and offers joint ventures, licensing agreements and syndication deals whereby its programming can be seen worldwide.

Contact: Nyle Washington/VH1 Chris Delhomme/VH1

212-846-5576 310-752-7638

Source: VH1

CONTACT: Nyle Washington, +1-212-846-5576, or Chris Delhomme,
+1-310-752-7638, both of VH1

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