Los Angeles, June 26: Jerry Springer and Melanie Brown will co-host the 2008 Miss Universe pageant, which will air live from Nha Trang, Vietnam, on July 13.

Springer, 64, is host of NBC`s "America`s Got Talent," and Brown, 33, is a special events correspondent for "Access Hollywood." (Brown is also known as Mel B of the Spice Girls.)

The pageant will be televised on NBC and the network`s Spanish-language channel Telemundo.

Contestants representing 80 countries are judged in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and interview.

Riyo Mori, a dancer from Japan, won the 2007 Miss Universe contest in Mexico City. She has traveled the globe as an advocate for HIV/AIDS education, research and legislation.

Bureau Report