IT'S TIME TO DECK THE BALLS WITH HOLIDAY CHEER FOR "WIPEOUT'S" FIRST-EVER CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!

New Co-host Vanessa Lachey to Make Anticipated Debut

"Winter Wipeout: Deck the Balls" - On this very merry special episode of Winter "Wipeout," contestants will show their holiday spirit as they battle the Nutcracker Sweet, Santa's Workshop and The Jingle Balls! It'll be a Pain in the Ice for "Captain Christmas," "The Human Kazoo" and a festive "Penguin" as they all compete for the ultimate Christmas Bonus. Viewers will also see the much anticipated debut of new co-host Vanessa Lachey. Will the all-new Wipeout Zone will be naughty or nice to contestants who are trying to bring home the ultimate present�a $50,000 grand prize? Hosted by John Anderson (ESPN's "SportsCenter,"), John Henson (E! Entertainment's "Talk Soup") and co-hosted by Vanessa Lachey (ABC's "True Beauty"), "Wipeout" airs SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network. (Rebroadcast. OAD 12/8/11)

Each week, 24 energetic new contestants of all ages, shapes and sizes go head to head through four rounds of demanding but hilarious obstacle courses to win the title of "Wipeout Champion" and the $50,000 grand prize. In the end, only one contestant will be victorious, while everyone else will Wipeout!

"Wipeout" executive producers are Matt Kunitz ("Fear Factor" "101 Ways to Leave a Game Show") and Scott Larsen. Shye Sutherland, Kevin Wehrenberg, Trice Barto and J. Rupert Thompson are co-executive producers. The series is produced by Endemol USA. David Goldberg is the chairman of Endemol North America.

About Endemol USA

Endemol USA is a leading producer of television programming specializing in reality and non-scripted genres for network and cable television. The company produces the break-out hits "Deal or No Deal," "Wipeout," "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "Big Brother." Endemol USA is a division of the Endemol Group, a prominent international content developer, producer and distributor of television and online programming. The company, headquartered in the Netherlands, has subsidiaries and joint ventures in 25 countries, including the major European markets, the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. Endemol is owned by a consortium consisting of Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, Mediaset Group and Cyrte Group. For more information, please visit http://www.endemolusa.tv. Endemol is a privately held company.

"Wipeout" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5/1 channel surround sound. A TV parental guideline will be assigned closer to airdate.

For more information on "Wipeout," visit ABC.com