New York – Andy Cohen (Watch What Happens Live) and Giuliana Rancic (E! News) will be hosting the 61st Annual Miss Universe Competition on December 19, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The live event, which is televised approximately 190 countries, will air on NBC at 8 p.m. ET in the United States with a Spanish simulcast on Telemundo.

“The Miss Universe competition heads to Las Vegas for what will be another exciting show for our fans and contestants,” says Miss Universe Organization President Paula M. Shugart. “Andy and Giuliana are the perfect duo and the ideal hosts for this show. It’s obvious they have a lot of fun on stage, which in turn makes it a great experience for the audience.”

Returning as host of Miss Universe, Cohen is the host and executive producer of Watch What Happens Live, Bravo’s late night, interactive talk show. He is also the executive vice president of development and talent for Bravo, where he oversees the development and production of more than two dozen shows such as Top Chef, The Real Housewives franchises and The Millionaire Matchmaker.

Apart from hosting E! News, Rancic also a co-host of E!’s Fashion Police and Live From the Red Carpet, as well as the executive producer and star of her hit Style Network reality show, Giuliana & Bill.

The Miss Universe was the #1 social media trending topic during last year’s telecast. More than 1 billion viewers worldwide are expected to tune in for this year’s live event.