Exclusive: Miss USA Pageant announces hosts, preliminary judges

Next month’s Miss USA contestants will be joined by some unexpected new faces.

NBC, Trump Pageants, and Miss Universe organization president Paula M. Shugart have announced the hosts of the 2015 Miss USA Pageant, as well as the preliminary list of celebrities who will judge the competition.

Dancer and choreographer Cheryl Burke will be hosting for the first time alongside returning host Thomas Roberts (MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts), veteran of the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.

As for the judges, the first group of celebrities to join the Miss USA panel includes NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith, Property Brothers star Jonathon Scott, Miss Universe 2006 Zuleyka Rivera, E! News co-anchor Terrence Jenkins, and country singer Jessie James Decker.

Jeannie Mai, co-host on daytime talk show The Real and fashion correspondent for NBC’s TODAY, will be backstage with behind-the-scenes commentary.

The 64th Annual Miss USA Pageant—set to be simulcast in Spanish on Univision for the first time—airs live on NBC on Sunday, July 12 at 8 p.m.