ABC ANNOUNCES CELEBRITY CONTESTANT AIRDATES FOR THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF "WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE"

Guest Stars Include Lauren Conrad, Snoop Dogg, Patricia Heaton, Shawn Johnson, Steve Nash, Katy Perry, Rachael Ray, Sherri Shepherd, Vanessa Williams, Wynonna and a Surprise Guest

A star-studded roster of actors, singers, athletes and other celebrities will bring even more sparkle to next month's 10th anniversary celebration of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" when host Regis Philbin and the smash hit return to ABC for a two-week primetime event. As a special feature, each episode will conclude with a celebrity player taking the hot seat, hoping to correctly answer a single question worth $50,000 for his or her favorite charity.

The "Millionaire" event premieres SUNDAY, AUGUST 9 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) and will air for 11 nights, Sunday-Thursday at 8:00 p.m., with the finale on SUNDAY, AUGUST 23 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET).

Following is a list of appearance airdates for the previously announced celebrities playing for their favorite charities, as well as the Expert who will be on the other end of their "Ask the Expert" lifeline:

8/9 Chart-topper Kate Perry ("I Kissed a Girl"), playing for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Expert: Sam Donaldson

8/10 Vanessa Williams ("Ugly Betty"), playing for The Maria Torres Emerging Artist Project at the Amas Musical Theatre - Expert: George Stephanopoulos

8/11 Sherri Shepherd, co-host of "The View," playing for the March of Dimes Expert: Wolf Blitzer

8/12 Lauren Conrad ("The Hills), playing for m.powerment by mark Expert: Cokie Roberts

8/13 Shawn Johnson, Olympic gold medalist and champion of "Dancing with the Stars," playing for Blank Children's Hospital - Expert: Candy Crowley

8/16 Rachael Ray, TV personality, author and cook, playing for Yum-O Organization and ASPCA Expert: Connie Chung

8/17 Patricia Heaton (ABC's new comedy "The Middle"), playing for the Westside Pregnancy Clinic and Lighthouse Medical Missions - Expert: Jodi Picoult

8/18 Country star Wynonna, playing for Backpack Mission Ministries Expert: Gwen Ifill

8/19 Rapper Snoop Dogg, playing for the Snoop Dogg Youth Football League Expert: Ken Jennings

8/20 NBA star Steve Nash, playing for The Steve Nash Foundation Expert: Mo Rocca

8/23 Surprise guest Expert: Bill Nye

"Ask the Expert" and the substantially faster gameplay featuring time limits on every question are imported from the daytime version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, hosted by Meredith Vieira. The 10th Anniversary edition will continue many of the strongest elements of the original show, along with some of the more recent modifications to the format that were streamlined over the show's lifespan in syndication. For example, the "Fastest Finger" element will return, and the lifelines will include perennial favorites "Ask the Audience," "Phone a Friend," and also "Double Dip" (which originated during "Super Millionaire").

"Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" is produced by Valleycrest Productions Ltd. Michael Davies is executive producer.

For more information on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," visit www.abc.com.