Oxygen’s plus-size reality competition Mo’nique’s F.A.T. Chance is back for a second helping!

Multi-city casting calls kick-off in Miami Sunday, March 5th, 2006

Network Cable’s First Full-Figured Beauty Competition Extends Its Reach to Five Cities – Second Season Special Premieres July 2006

NEW YORK, February 27, 2006 – Get ready for a second helping of network cable’s full-figured beauty special that takes America’s average beauty competition and repackages it for America’s average-size woman. Plus-size icon Mo’Nique (The Parkers) marks her return to the Oxygen network with national casting calls in Miami, Baltimore, Seattle, Los Angeles and New York from March 5 through March 20.  Mo’Nique will be searching for 10 plus-size women ready to vie for the title of Miss F.A.T. (Fabulous and Thick), a $50,000 cash prize (additional prizing T.B.D.), and the chance to prove that big is beautiful. Mo’Nique’s F.A.T. Chance, network cable’s beauty competition for women who know that spirit outweighs size, premieres July 2006.

Following the multi-city casting calls, 10 full-figured finalists will be flown to Los Angeles to participate in an enhanced version of the first special’s “Beauty Boot Camp,” a series of mind and body training exercises focusing on enhancing beauty and confidence building. This go-round, contestants will live together in a Los Angeles house where they will be mentored by a life coach ”den mother.” Upon completion, the finalists will compete for the title of Miss F.A.T. in front of a panel of expert and celebrity judges evaluating them on beauty, style, poise, and personality and how those qualities are reflected in each woman’s overall performance.  Last year’s judges included NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, plus-size model Mia Tyler, and Essence beauty editor Mikki Taylor.

“Mo’Nique believes in loving the skin you’re in, and we believe in her message of self-acceptance,” said Debby Beece, Oxygen’s President of Programming. “F.A.T. Chance is a hit because everything about it is big, from our successful and full-figured host to our overwhelming viewer response and we’re honored to join Mo’Nique for the second competition.”

Mo’Nique’s F.A.T. Chance was network cable’s first full-figured reality competition and Oxygen’s highest rated original program in the network’s history. The two-hour August 6 premiere received a 1.1 HH rating and had 3.8 million total viewers tuned in for the premiere and the weekend’s encore airings. The special is also a 37th Annual NAACP Image Award nominee for “Outstanding Variety (Series or Special).”

Mo’Nique serves as creator, host, and executive producer of Mo’Nique’s F.A.T. Chance. Mo’Nique is the recipient of four NAACP Image Awards® for her work on the hit UPN sitcom The Parkers, she is the first female host of the acclaimed Saturday night series, It’s Showtime at the Apollo and she served as host for the 2004 BET Awards. Her film credits include Baby Boy, Soul Plane, Hair Show, and the special The Queens of Comedy.  She was most recently seen in the 2005 motion picture, Domino and stars in the 2006 Fox Searchlight Pictures film Phat Girlz. Both Don Weiner and Steven Imes serve as executive producers for the special.  Weiner comes from an extensive reality television background. He served as theexecutive producer for both UPN’s The Player and Fox Television’s The Swan.  He was also the reality consultant for Miss America 2004. Imes is currently the associate producer for It’s Showtime at the Apollo He has executive produced Mo’Nique’s One-Night Stand for DVD, the motion picture Hair Show and the upcoming feature film Phat Girlz.

Mo’Nique’s F.A.T. Chance — is being managed by Senior Vice President Aaron Meyerson, Oxygen’s SVP of Development and Production.  Kristen Connolly Vadas, Oxygen’s Vice President of Development West Coast, serves as the Executive in Charge for the special.

Please visit http://www.oxygen.com/monique/ for more info.

About Oxygen Media
Oxygen, the only cable network owned and operated by women, is currently available in 66 million homes.  The network was launched in 2000 to fill a void in the television landscape — creating a network targeted to younger women. Oxygen is rewriting the rulebook for women’s television, with the most original programming of all the women’s networks including Campus Ladies, Mo’Nique’s Fat Chance and Talk Sex with Sue Johanson.  Geraldine Laybourne, the network’s founder, Chairman and CEO, has led the company to be a strong advocate for women.  Through programs like The Mentor’s Walk, Oxygen’s national program for bringing along the next generationn, and “Who Cares About Girls,” Oxygen’s new documentary series — Oxygen is creating The New Girls Network.