Miss USA finally has new hosts.
Todd Newton and Alex Wehrley will host the Miss USA Pageant this Sunday following Donald Trump’s offensive and disgusting comments about Mexican immigrants. Newton is a Daytime Emmy Award winner while Wehrley is a former Miss Wisconsin USA. OK! TV’s Julie Alexandria will be commentating from backstage.
The three new hosts signed after many of the original hosts, judges and presenters backed out after Trump’s inflammatory words.
“As a TV host there are few stages more iconic than that of #MissUSA. Politics play no part. For me it’s all about putting on a great show,” Newton tweeted Tuesday. The next morning, he tweeted, “We’re going to give em the show they deserve.”
The Trump scandal arose whilst he was announcing his 2016 Presidential candidacy. Trump described Mexican immigrants as “rapists” who are “bringing drugs” and “bringing crime” to the United States. Almost immediately, NBCUniversal “fired” Trump, ultimately cutting ties with the pageant. Reelz network will be broadcasting the event instead; it will also be available to view on the Miss USA website.
Stan E. Hubbard, CEO of Reelz, explained in a statement last week that,
“The decision on the part of REELZ to acquire the rights to the Miss USA Pageant was based on our belief that this special event, and the women who compete in it, are an integral part of American tradition. As one of only a few independent networks, we decided to exercise our own voice and committed ourselves to bringing this pageant to American viewers everywhere. For us, this decision is about the dreams of the contestants who come from all walks of life across the United States, the city of Baton Rouge that has proudly come together to host this pageant and the viewers who will be watching and celebrating its 54th year on television.”
A long list of celebrities have quit the pageant as a result of Trump’s actions, such as J Balvin, Craig Wayne Boyd, Cheryl Burke, Flo Rida, Jeannie Mai, Thomas Roberts, Jonathan Scott, and Emmit Smith. Mexico has pulled out of the competition as well.
Trump has sued Univision for $500 million, while NBC followed suit by “ending its business relationship” with Trump. Trump’s hosting gig for The Apprentice has also officially ended.
Via Flickr/Gage Skidmore
