Reality Rumors

NBC announced Today Show and Access Hollywood correspondent Maria Menounos has been tapped to host Clash of the Choirs, a new reality competition series that will aim to find the country’s best amateur choir and air live over the course of four consecutive nights beginning with a special two-hour premiere on Monday, December 17 at 9PM ET.

“I’m delighted to be a part of such a great show, it’s just what the holidays are all about - family-fun and giving,” said Menounos. “I use to be in a choir myself growing up and I can’t wait to see these hometown choirs come to life on stage.”

Clash of the Choirs will begin with five celebrities — former Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica co-star Nick Lachey; Nashville Star judge Blake Shelton; Michael Bolton; Patti LaBelle; and Kelly Rowland — traveling back to their hometowns to assemble an amateur singing group consisting of everyday people.

The hometown choirs will then compete against one another in-front of a live studio and home-viewing audience, tackling a variety of musical genres that range from pop, rock and gospel to holiday classics and current hits.

Home viewers will be able to vote via phone, text messaging or the Internet to determine which choir wins the competition. The winning choir — as well as the celebrity that organized them as a group — will receive the opportunity to select a prize that will help their hometown.

After its two-hour premiere on December 17, NBC will air a one-hour episode of Clash of the Choirs on Tuesday, December 18 at 9PM ET followed by another two-hour episode on Wednesday, December 19 at 9PM ET. The show’s one-hour finale is scheduled to air Thursday, December 20 at 8PM ET.

Michael Bolton, Patti LaBelle, Nick Lachey, Kelly Rowland and Blake Shelton are set to compete on the new U.S. reality show “Clash of the Choirs.”

The series is slated to premiere Dec. 17 and will air live over four consecutive nights from New York.

In it, the five entertainers will return to their respective hometowns to discover, nurture and direct dynamic groups of musically gifted, but amateur singers, NBC said in a statement.

After assembling and rehearsing their singers, the choirs will fly to New York where they will perform live on stage in a musical “sing off” competition as America watches and judges from home.

The winning choir, along with the hometown celebrity musician, will choose a prize to help their community — anything from renovating a school gym to constructing a new neighborhood playground.

NBC said it will announce a host for the show shortly.