'Ricki Lake' Fans Get to Hang With Some of the Boys From *NSYNC ... No Strings Attached!

Special Episode Featuring Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and the Cast of 'On The

Line' Airs Thursday, October 25, 2001 When Ricki Lake put out the word that it was giving away a chance to hang with *NSYNC's Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, the response was overwhelming. On Thursday, October 25, four frenzied finalists put it all "on the line" -- braving the repercussions of their confessions to someone they secretly wronged and the judgement of Ricki Lake's national viewing audience -- for the chance to rub shoulders with their favorite stars.

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Ricki Lake went on a search to find girls who were willing to come clean on national television, revealing a shocking secret to a special someone in their lives, for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal with two members of America's #1 boy band. Several thousand girls from across the country vied for the chance to meet Lance and Joey and go to the premiere of their new movie "On The Line." Ricki Lake narrowed it down to four finalists who came on the show to confess their indiscretion and attempt to make amends.

Ricki Lake enlisted the pros -- a panel of celebrity radio judges including nationally syndicated morning show hosts Doug Banks and DeDe McGuire, New York City's KTU morning show host Goumba Johnny, and NYC's Z-100 morning show co-host Danielle Monaro -- to carefully rate each finalist on the gravity of their transgressions against their friends and the sincerity of each apology. After tears were shed and several hugs exchanged, the winner and her friend were whisked off for a glamorous makeover. They also received some last-minute tips on working the red carpet at the New York premiere of Lance and Joey's film "On The Line," to which they arrived in their own chauffeured limousine.

Ricki was happy to facilitate the opportunity to bring some joy into the lives of her viewers. "These days, it's so important to keep people's morale up and give them something to look forward to," commented Lake. "Meeting your favorite recording artist is something that most people only dream of, and if we can play a role in making those dreams come true, we're glad to do it."

Finally, the winners returned to Ricki Lake's studio to dish on their star-studded experience, and that's when they received the biggest surprise of all. Ricki Lake secretly arranged for Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, and the entire cast of "On The Line" to swing by its studio for some bonus face-time with the winners. It's a reunion of sorts for Ricki and the boys from *NSYNC who made their television debut on the series when they released their debut album in 1998.

Ricki Lake, currently in its ninth season, has established itself among young adult viewers with a blend of light-hearted and serious subjects, often incorporating unique participatory elements to add fresh insight and a twist to the issue. It is produced by The Garth Ancier Company in association with Columbia TriStar Television Distribution. Gail Steinberg is Executive Producer and co-creator with Garth Ancier, who also serves as Executive Consultant.

Distributed in syndication by Columbia TriStar Television Distribution (cttd.com), the series airs on stations representing more than 93 percent of the U.S. Its national advertising is managed by Columbia TriStar Television Advertiser Sales.

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SOURCE: The Ricki Lake Show/Columbia TriStar Television Distribution

Contact: Beth Jaffe of The Ricki Lake Show, +1-212-352-3322 x232; or Chris Albert of Columbia TriStar Television Distribution, +1-310-244-6467

Web site: http://cttd.com/