Montel Williams Celebrates 2500th Show With Memorable Guests and Inspirational Stories

Montel Williams Celebrates 2500th Show With Memorable Guests and Inspirational Stories Veteran Talk-Show Host Welcomes Back Favorite Guests of 14-Year History to Celebrate Broadcast Milestone on Monday, November 22 (check local listings) NEW YORK, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- On Monday, November 22, 2004, veteran talk-show host Montel Williams will celebrate his 2,500th show with a little help from his friends and the inspirational stories they brought to his program over its 14-year history. The program will kick off a week-long look back at Montel's favorite moments on the air as he welcomes back several guests who have made an impact on him, his staff and his viewers with inspirational, uplifting stories that illustrate remarkable examples of promise, determination, and survival. In making the announcement, Mr. Williams commented, "In the fourteen years I have been hosting THE MONTEL WILLIAMS SHOW, I've witnessed the incredible strength of the human spirit, seen the power of forgiveness, and have heard stories that are -- quite simply -- miraculous. As we approach the 2500th show, we decided that our guests speak best for themselves. So we brought our most memorable back to help celebrate this incredible milestone with our viewers." Guests on Monday, November 22nd include: * Judy Matthew (1993): When Judy first appeared on the Show, she had been diagnosed with AIDS and had not been given much hope from doctors for a long survival. In fact, Judy had already chosen her best friend Renee as a new mother for her son Matthew. She returns to the Show to talk about beating the odds and watching her son grow up. Judy is from Sarasota, FL. * Kim Sperry, Norman Sperry & Jay Hudson (1993): Kim's father, Norman, separated her from her true love, Jay, because he did not approve of his daughter dating an African-American. Now a changed man, Kim's father and Kim return to tell the pain that they have suffered because her father judged another human being based solely on skin color. Kim & Norman Sperry are from Greensville, SC. Jay is from Virginia Beach, VA. * Latoyia Cowell (1994): At the age of sixteen, Latoyia appeared on Montel after her stepfather set fire to her home, killing her younger sister and leaving her burned over 70% of her body. Latoyia returns to the Show after 300 surgeries that have corrected some of her disfigurement. Since then, she has spoken at schools and events to promote awareness, inspiring others to move forward despite crippling circumstances. Latoyia is from Hertford, NC. * Heather Ashton & Debra Montz (1996): Debra appeared on the show with her 15 year-old daughter, Heather, after Heather nearly died from Crystal Meth use. They both return to the show, explaining that Heather's life has since been steered in the right direction and they have a renewed mother-daughter relationship. Heather & Debra are from Sonora, CA (East of the Bay Area). * JD Linares (1999): JD's mother brought him on the show in 1999 because she was tired of people thinking her son was her daughter and confusing him with his sister. JD cut his long hair on the show. Now he says his change in appearance has dramatically changed his life, and he is pursuing a career in entertainment. JD is from Boston, MA. THE MONTEL WILLIAMS SHOW is a Mountain Movers production in association with Paramount Domestic Television. Montel Williams and Diane Rappoport are executive producers. Paramount Domestic Television is part of the entertainment operations of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA) Source: Paramount Domestic Television CONTACT: Linda Lipman of LB Lipman Public Relations, +1-212-977-6990, lblipman@lblipman.com, for Paramount Domestic Television; or Manfred Westphal of Paramount Domestic Television, +1-323-956-8266, Manfred_Westphal@paramount.com ------- Profile: International Entertainment