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[via press release]

Instant Star’s Alexz Johnson Takes Center Stage as The N Premieres the Concert Special ‘Instant Star: Backstage Pass Presented by Kellogg’s(R) Pop-Tarts(R)’ January 27

NEW YORK, Jan. 17 – The N, the nighttime network for teens, and Kellogg’s(R) Pop-Tarts(R) are giving Instant Star fans the ultimate all-access pass! Fans of the hit series Instant Star can check out real life singer/songwriter/actress Alexz Johnson in her first televised concert performance — “Instant Star: Backstage Pass presented by Pop-Tarts(R)” will premiere Friday, January 27, at 9:00 p.m. (ET).

Hosted by Instant Star’s Wes “Maestro” Williams (“Darius Mills,” media mogul and head of Jude’s record label G Major) at the famous Capitol Theatre in Toronto, Canada, the half-hour concert special features Johnson performing a variety of songs from the first and second seasons of Instant Star, including “Let Me Fall,” “Skin,” “Another Thin Line” and “My Sweet Time.” Johnson rocks out alongside her fictional band from the series, Spiederman Mind Explosion (SME), which includes real-life musicians Tyler Kyte, Ian Blackwood, and Christopher Gaudet.

“Instant Star: Backstage Pass presented by Pop-Tarts(R)” also features highlights from the first season and cast interviews set in the Pop Tarts(R) Crazy Good(TM) Lounge with Tim Rozon (“Tom Quincy,” Jude’s producer), Kristopher Turner (“Jamie Andrews,” Jude’s childhood friend and current boyfriend) and Laura Vandervoort (“Sadie Harrison,” Jude’s older sister). Cast members will take the audience on a backstage tour of the Instant Star set and give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into creating the series.

Alexz Johnson plays 16-year-old singer/songwriter Jude Harrison, a teen propelled to superstardom after winning a national American Idol-style talent competition. Each episode of Instant Star features a new, original song performed by Johnson. Instant Star: Backstage Pass will give fans an all access pass into the Instant Star series to get pumped up for the second season premiering Friday, February 10 at 8:30 p.m. (ET).

In its inaugural season, The N’s original series Instant Star became the network’s second-highest rated program, behind only the network’s hit signature series Degrassi: The Next Generation. Instant Star also ranked number one among female teens in its regularly scheduled Friday premiere (8:30 – 9:00 p.m. ET) time period among all broadcast and ad-supported cable networks.

Alexz Johnson hails from Vancouver and has a four-octave range and eight years of operatic training. The sixth of 10 children, Alexz began performing when she was just six years old and went on to appear at Vancouver’s New Year’s Eve festivities at Planet Hollywood at the age of 12. Her acting credits have since included the lead in Disney’s So Weird and a principal role on the hit series The Chris Isaak Show. Named an “It Girl” in 2005 by alloy.com, Alexz has made a name for herself in the United States by playing Jude Harrison on Instant Star, which Entertainment Weekly selected as one of the hottest shows of Summer 2005. She has written and recorded several of the original songs featured in the series’ soundtrack and plays “Erin” in New Line Cinema’s feature thriller Final Destination 3, slated for release in 2006.

“Instant Star: Backstage Pass” presented by Pop-Tarts(R) is produced in association with The N, Insight Production Company Ltd., and Toronto-based Epitome Pictures, producers of Degrassi: The Next Generation. The Instant Star series was created by Linda Schuyler, co-creator of the original Degrassi series. Schuyler and Stephen Stohn serve as Executive Producers of Instant Star.

About Kellogg Company

With 2004 sales of almost $10 billion, Kellogg Company is the world’s leading producer of cereal and a leading producer of convenience foods, including cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, cereal bars, frozen waffles, meat alternatives, pie crusts, and ice cream cones. The company’s brands include Kellogg’s, Keebler, Pop-Tarts, Eggo, Cheez-It, Nutri-Grain, Rice Krispies, Murray, Austin, Morningstar Farms, Famous Amos, Carr’s, and Kashi. Kellogg products are manufactured in 17 countries and marketed in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information, visit Kellogg’s web site at http://www.kelloggcompany.com/.

About The N

The N, the nighttime network for teens, is a programming arm of MTV Networks and is currently available in 45 million households via cable, digital cable and satellite television. The N’s mission is to be the authentic voice for teens and help them figure out their lives with relevant, topical programming on-air and online at the network’s web site http://www.the-n.com/. The N airs everyday from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. (ET). The N and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.