The CW Network Announces Judges, Host and Star-Studded Celebrity Guest Lineup for “Criss Angel’s Magic with the Stars”

The CW Network today revealed the judges, host, and celebrity guest lineup for the new alternative competition series CRISS ANGEL’S MAGIC WITH THE STARS, premiering Saturday, October 22 (8:00-9:00PM ET/PT).

In each episode of CRISS ANGEL’S MAGIC WITH THE STARS, two celebrities train with Criss and learn his award-winning, revolutionary magic to compete and create a mind-blowing series of magic performances. The celebrity competitors are tasked with mastering three major categories of magic which they perform in front of a panel of three judges: “the number one magician on the planet” (Las Vegas Sun), Criss Angel (“Criss Angel MINDFREAK,” “AMYSTIKA,” “RAW”), Emmy® Award-winning comedian Loni Love (“E! News“) and master magician Lance Burton. In each episode, the highest-scoring celebrity will win the coveted Golden Wand. The series is filmed on the AMYSTIKA stage in the Criss Angel Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino Las Vegas, with acclaimed comedian and actor Eddie Griffin (“Undercover Brother,” “A Star is Born“) serving as host.

Celebrity guests slated to compete in Season 1 of CRISS ANGEL’S MAGIC WITH THE STARS include model Cynthia Bailey (“The Real Housewives of Atlanta“), actor Brec Bassinger (“DC’s Stargirl“), actor Michael Ian Black (“Wet Hot American Summer“), actor Corbin Bleu (“High School Musical“), actor Miles Brown (“Black-ish”), choreographer Maksim Chmerkovskiy (“Dancing With the Stars“), four-time UFC Champion Randy Couture, former NFL tight end Vernon Davis, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Flavor Flav, singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson, R&B singer Ginuwine, Olympic athlete Lolo Jones, two-time UFC Champion Frank Mir, actor Frankie Muniz (“Malcolm in the Middle“), R&B singer Omarion, singer and performer Donny Osmond (“Donny & Marie“), pop singer Jeff Timmons (98 Degrees), actor Matt Walsh (“Veep“) and Olympic figure skaters Johnny Weir and gold medalist Tara Lipinski.

For more than two decades, Criss Angel has dominated the world of magic as “the greatest magician in history” (Vanish Magazine). From his role as star, creator, executive producer, and director of “the most successful magic television series of all time” (WHERETraveler), “Criss Angel MINDFREAK” on A&E Network, to his #1 best-selling Las Vegas stage shows “Criss Angel MINDFREAK” and “AMYSTIKA,” smash Broadway and tour runs of “RAW,” to countless critically acclaimed television specials and series, best-selling books, top-grossing retail products, music CDs and more, Angel is “the most influential and imitated magician of the modern era” (Broadway World) with over 5 billion views online alone. Hailing spectacular reviews from outlets such as Bloomberg Businessweek – who called him “the biggest name in Las Vegas magic” – Angel brings “an estimated $150 million a year into the local economy” (Newsweek) and generates a whopping “$70 million a year” personally (Businessweek), proving time and again that he ranks as one of the most successful magicians ever. He was named the “Greatest of All Time” by the largest magic publication (Vanish Magazine), honored as “Magician of the Century” by the largest international magic society, and his philanthropic passion has raised millions of dollars for pediatric cancer research and treatment.

Loni Love is a two-time Emmy, two-time NAACP Image, and three-time Gracie Award-winning host, comedian, actress, author, and philanthropist. A talk show host known for her dynamic ability to provide in-depth meaningful conversation with a hint of levity, she has interviewed top A-list entertainers such as Vice President Kamala Harris, former First Lady Michelle Obama, Idris Elba, Melissa McCarthy, Jennifer Lopez, Tracee Ellis Ross and more. From 2015-2022, Love was the cohost for the nationally syndicated daytime talk show “The Real.” In addition, from 2020-2022, she was the cohost for “E! Daily Pop” and guest cohost for “E! Nightly Pop.” Love is the executive producer of “Little Women Unfiltered: Atlanta” and was the host of the highly-rated post Salt-N-Pepa movie interview with the real legendary artists on Lifetime. Her feature film credits include “Mother’s Day,” “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2” opposite Kevin James, “Soul Plane” with Kevin Hart, the “Bad Ass” franchise with Danny Glover and Danny Trejo, and “Adopt a Highway” alongside Ethan Hawke.

Master magician Lance Burton is widely considered by his peers to be one of the greatest stage magicians of the past century. Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Burton burst onto the national stage in 1981 by making his first appearance on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.” Over the years, he racked up appearances on “Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The View,” “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” “The World’s Greatest Magic,” “Hollywood Squares,” and even acted in guest starring roles on “Knight Rider” and “Las Vegas.” In 1996, Burton’s first TV special “Lance Burton Master Magician: The Legend Begins” aired on NBC. This was quickly followed by a series of annual TV specials. While successful on TV, Burton’s greatest accomplishments have been made in live performances. Working primarily in Las Vegas, he has performed an astounding 15,000 shows in his 30-year career. Today, Burton is happily retired and lives quietly on his farm in Kentucky. He is currently working on several documentaries and narrative film projects.

Eddie Griffin is a popular comedian-turned-actor who started his career on-stage as a dare, and since then has built an ever-growing fan base since jumping onto the comedy scene in 1990. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Griffin was voted class clown three years in a row in high school. His first love was always dance and by the young age of 16, he opened his own dance studio and was choreographing the Kansas City Chiefs’ halftime shows. All of that would change when his cousin dared him to go on stage at the local comedy club Sanford and Sons one night where he was told to do a three-minute routine. He performed off-the-cuff for 45 minutes successfully. Soon after that, Griffin purchased a one-way ticket to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of becoming a standup comedian. Griffin’s credits include the hit action comedy film “Undercover Brother” and playing The Pastor opposite Dave Chappelle, Lady Gaga, and Bradley Cooper in 2018’s Academy Award-winning feature film “A Star is Born.” His comedy special “Eddie Griffin: Undeniable” debuted on Showtime in February 2018 to rave reviews. He has appeared in over 75 film and television shows.

Produced by Criss Angel Studios, CRISS ANGEL’S MAGIC WITH THE STARS is executive produced by Criss Angel, Dave Baram, Erich Recker, and co-executive produced by Peter Hebri.