Behar, Henner among judges for 90th Miss America

[December 09, 2010]  LAS VEGAS (AP) -- "The View" co-host Joy Behar and actress Marilu Henner are among seven judges who will decide the next Miss America in January.

Judges for the beauty pageant in its 90th year also include country singer Mark Wills, "Desperate Housewives" creator Marc Cherry and Miss America 1990 Debbye Turner Bell.

"Dancing With the Stars" choreographer Tony Dovolani and shoe designer Taryn Rose are also on the panel.

The selections include plenty of ties to ABC, the network airing the pageant live Jan. 15 at the start of a three-year deal. The pageant hasn't aired on network television since 2004, when ABC dropped it after record-low ratings.

The judges were revealed during Wednesday's episode of "The View." Behar, a comedian, won a daytime Emmy in 2009 for outstanding talk show host.

Henner, 58, is a five-time Golden Globe nominee who starred in the sitcoms "Taxi" and "Evening Shade." She has also appeared in more than 30 films and six Broadway shows.

Judges are picked for their varied expertise to assess the pageant's 53 beauty queens in swimsuit, evening gown, talent and interview competitions.

The event at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas includes several days of preliminary competitions, including interviews with the judges.

Chris Harrison, host of ABC's "The Bachelor," and "Dancing with the Stars" co-host Brooke Burke will host the pageant.

This year's winner was Caressa Cameron of Fredericksburg, Va.

[Associated Press; By OSKAR GARCIA]

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