WWE Announces “Tough Enough” Host, Experts and Coaches

Weeks after beginning auditions for WWE’s newest edition of “Tough Enough,” the company has officially announced which of its talent will be featured on the program.

In a press release issued via WWE.com, WWE announced Chris Jericho, who will be returning soon for a live event run with the company, will be hosting the program on the USA Network. Jericho has hosted several shows for VH1, MTV and other outlets, though this will be his first wrestling endeavor outside of his podcast.

The company will be featuring “experts” for the first time on the show this time around, with WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan, WWE Intercontinental Champion Daniel Bryan and former NXT Diva Paige being featured on the show.

Alongside these experts will be coaches, as has always been the case with the show. The trainers featured for this edition of “Tough Enough” will be Booker T, who was on the last season of the show, Billy Gunn and a returning Lita.

The release gave more insight as to what people can expect on this season:

“This season of WWE Tough Enough will combine the can’t-miss excitement of live television with reality-show drama, as WWE hopefuls vie for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become the next WWE Superstar or Diva. Unlike anything on television today, the lightning-fast hour of entertainment and competition will include live results every week, giving fans worldwide the power to decide who stays and who goes the very same night. Each week, one cast member will be eliminated until one man and one woman are considered “Tough Enough,” with each earning a one-year, $250,000 WWE contract.”

It also teased those selected will have some surprises in store for them:

“Contestants will also come face-to-face with WWE icons including WWE Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Vince McMahon; Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative, Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque; Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon; and WWE Superstar John Cena, among others.”

WWE also touted the interactivity of the new season:

“This season of WWE Tough Enough will be the most innovative, unique and engaging series on television,” said Kevin Dunn, WWE Executive Producer. “A live global telecast, real-time voting with immediate results, and unprecedented use of digital and social media during and between telecasts will all lead to a groundbreaking viewing experience.”

It also noted this will be fully integrated with WWE’s new operations in Florida:

“WWE Tough Enough will emanate live from both the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., home to WWE’s developmental division NXT, and the innovative professional production studios at Full Sail University located in Winter Park, Fla. This launch will mark the inaugural use of the University’s latest high-caliber, on-campus production facility. In 2012, WWE and Full Sail announced an innovative partnership, which created a student scholarship fund, and also allows students of the university’s entertainment-focused degree programs, including Film, Show Production, Digital Arts and Design, Internet Marketing and Entertainment Business, to gain real-world experience alongside WWE’s professional production staff during WWE NXT tapings.”

More from the release can be found here.

Editor’s Note

Stacked. Absolutely stacked. Let’s keep our eyes peeled for these contestants…

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