BRAVO'S "SHEAR GENIUS" IS BACK FOR A THIRD SEASON WITH 12 CUTTING EDGE STYLISTS

Series Premieres Wednesday, February 3 At 11 PM ET/PT

NEW YORK - December 2, 2009 - Bravo's creative hair-styling competition series "Shear Genius" is back for its third season with a whole new look, premiering Wednesday, February 3 at 11 p.m. ET/PT. International model and handbag designer Camila Alves makes her hosting debut alongside new series judge Jonathan Antin, celebrity stylist and former star of Bravo's hit series "Blow Out." Famed stylist Kim Vo returns as a judge for his second season, and new to the series, accomplished stylist Orlando Pita adds his voice of expertise as mentor to the contestants.

Joining the expert panel each week, stars from the hair world and beyond serve as guest judges to determine who makes the cut, including Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Estelle, Tabatha Coffey, star of "Tabatha's Salon Takeover," renowned hair guru Ken Paves and celebrated stylist, Oribe. For a sneak peek of the third season of "Shear Genius," go to: www.bravotv.com/shear-genius/videos/this-is-shear-genius.

"Shear Genius" has gone international for the first time ever and after combing the world in search of top stylists, Bravo has assembled 12 remarkably talented individuals who will raise the level of competition as never seen before. The winner will receive $100,000 in prize money furnished by Nexxus Salon Hair Care, an apprenticeship with Nexxus and the chance to style hair for an Allure magazine photo shoot.

The world of styling is much bigger than just a salon - and Bravo's "Shear Genius" offers a glimpse into that captivating and little-known arena. This season the challenges are more glamorous, the hair more knotty, and the competition more fierce, as the contestants attempt to demonstrate that their style is a cut above the rest. Throughout the course of the series, the stylists' skills are put to the test as they find themselves working behind the scenes at an iconic hotel, styling a celebrity at a glamorous home in the Hollywood Hills, and even in a rural barn.

Following are the 12 stylists competing on the series:

� Adee - 36, Hometown: London, England

� Amy - 25, Hometown: Toronto, Canada

� April - 42, Hometown: New York, NY.

� Arzo -35, Hometown: San Francisco, Calif.

� Brian - 37, Hometown: New York, N.Y.

� Brig - 33, Hometown: Simi Valley, Calif.

� Faatemah - 36, Hometown: Minneapolis, Minn.

� Giacomo - 43, Hometown: Austin, Texas

� Janine - 28, Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.

� Joey - 29, Hometown: Melbourne, Australia

� Jon - 38, Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.

� Matthew - 38, Hometown: Denver, Colo.

In each episode, the stylists compete in a short cut challenge - testing technical hairstyling skills, and in the elimination challenge they test creativity and advanced skills. From styling a risqu� runway show where the hair must artfully cover areas the outfit does not, to a romance novel shoot that begs for the hairstyles to evoke fantasy, the competition get fierce as the stylists strive to prove their work is "Shear Genius."

"Shear Genius" is produced by Reveille for Bravo. Mark Koops, Howard T. Owens and Teri Kennedy serve as executive producers.

Bravo is a program service of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Bravo has been an NBC Universal cable network since December 2002 and was the first television service dedicated to film and the performing arts when it launched in December 1980. For more information, visit www.BravoTV.com. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BravoPR.