Sure Fit Inc. announced the winner of its ninth annual Ugly Couch Contest today, which was chosen by a live studio audience this morning on "Live with Regis and Kelly." Camille Hempel of Brooklyn, New York, proudly accepted the $5,000 prize for her three-legged shabby pink velvet loveseat complete with mud-colored foam seat cushions and cinder block replacement leg.

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This year's contest attracted 1,000 entries from across the country. A panel of judges from Sure Fit selected 10 semi-finalists and posted them online at www.surefit.com to open the next round of voting to the American public. More than 50,000 people voted over the course of one week in August to determine the three finalists. Each won an all-expenses paid trip to New York City to appear with their couches on Live! with Regis and Kelly for the finals. The semi-finalists and finalists also win their choice of Sure Fit slipcover from the current catalog.


"Americans love their couches and every year we have a great time hosting the Sure Fit Ugly Couch Contest," says Bert Shlensky, president and CEO of Sure Fit. "It gives us a chance to have a good laugh and serves as a genuine reminder that our slipcovers address a real consumer need."