March 2009 News Archive (Page 3)

Denise Richards can't find reality TV success anywhere; not in her own home, and not in front of millions on the dance floor.

The actress and her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy were eliminated last night on Dancing with the Stars. Stuck in the bottom two, the tandem performed a samba dance-off against fellow competitors Holly Madison and Dmitry Chaplin.

“I had fun! When else am I going to get to dress up like this, work with someone like Maks and be able to do a family show that my daughters can watch together,” Richards said minutes after the live results show ended.

As for Chmerkovskiy? He did his best to hide his bitterness.

“It’s fine. It’s all a show... I wish we could stay as long as we could because I could see very big improvements with her week in, week out.”

Another exciting night of Dancing With the Stars has come and gone.

Relive it with this photo montage from the most recent round of routines, as Melissa Rycroft, Gilles Marini and Shawn Johnson each earned 27 points from the judges.

Click on each picture for a larger image...

According to The Real Housewives of New York star Bethenny Frankel, anyone is capable of shedding those extra, pesky pounds.

As long as you purchase her new book, Naturally Thin: Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting, of course.

"I never thought about writing a book, but I figured out how to be thin and not obsessed, and I was like, 'Wow,' so I had to write about it," Frankel told Fox News. "I know how much my friends and I struggled. All I talked about was what I ate and I worked out all the time."

She continued:

"Women in America are going to be thinner because of this book," adding that even Oprah Winfrey - who recently admitted she weighed 200 pounds - "is going to be thinner... Nobody needs to freak out anymore."

Frankel's gems include downsizing your portions and balancing out what you eat. Truly insightful stuff.

Will the sweet, kind and genuine Jillian Harris who sought Jason Mesnick's love on The Bachelor be replaced by a man-eating, manipulative tease when she becomes Canada's first star of The Bachelorette this spring?

An insider tells OK! that Jillian is “getting her edge on” before filming starts later this month and that we may see a naughty side of her that's surprising.

“Everyone who saw Jillian got the idea that she is a goody-two-shoes,” the source says. “They will reveal that she’s capable of creating controversy."

"The producers would love it if The Bachelorette ends as dramatically as The Bachelor.” We're sure they would. And who are we kidding, so would we.

ROLE REVERSAL: Jillian Harris will be turning the tables as The Bachelorette.

Jillian Harris, a 29-year-old interior designer, was a fan favorite on The Bachelor, but a source says she may not be a fan favorite by the time she’s down to her final choice, since it’s all about ratings (maybe you noticed).

“You may see her lying to the guys, misleading them about what she’s really looking for," says the insider. We're certainly curious if this is true.

It was an evening of impressive performances (Melissa Rycroft, Shawn Johnson and Gilles Marini) and atrocious performances (sorry, Steve Wozniak).

Which stars shined the brightest last night? And who is almost definitely going home tonight?

Read through our detailed Dancing with the Stars recap to find out!

Holly Madison and Dmitry Chaplin didn't live up to the expectations they set for themselves the prior two weeks.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey will be a family affair.

The latest edition of this Bravo franchies debuts on May 12 and a pair of sisters, who married brothers, along with their sister-in-law.

Let's meet all five of the new Housewives now...

• Jacqueline Laurita: Former cosmetologist. Has a teenage daughter from a previous marriage and a son with her husband Chris.

• Teresa Giudice: Married to Joe, who owns construction company. Has three daughters. In a shocker, she adores spa treatments, shopping and spending time at her beach house on the Jersey Shore.

• Danielle Staub: Single mother of two daughters. Brags about being one of the first female American Express Black card members in New Jersey. Jacqueline are friends.

• Dina Manzo: Founder of the nonprofit charity Project Ladybug, which assists children with cancer. Her husband Tommy works with his brother (Caroline’s husband) at their family’s catering business.

• Caroline Manzo: Mother of three. Own sa real estate firm and a line of children’s accessories. Wed to Albert Manzo, brother of Dina’s husband Tommy.

Click on the pics below for larger images of each new Housewife...

Not so long ago, reality TV was the last place any self-respecting celebrity would wish to end up.

Now, though, the famous - and almost-famous - are lining round the block to get on the most popular shows, like Dancing With the Stars or Celebrity Apprentice. And it isn't for the money.

Stars on a multi-character scripted drama can make upwards of $50,000 an episode - sometimes way upward.

On reality shows, celebrities get what is referred to as Most Favored Nation status - which means nobody gets more than anybody else.

The celebs on Dancing With the Stars, for example, get $200,000 for the season, whether they're booted or not, a bonus of $100,00 if they're number one, and smaller bonuses if they're number two or three, an agent said.

So Marie Osmond made what Emmitt Smith made, what Cloris Leachman made, what Belinda Carlisle made this season - and she was the first one booted off.

Of course, every reality show is different. A celeb with a show built around his or her life is likely to get producer credit and maybe something on the back end. Participants on an existing show generally get a flat fee without residuals.

"Between scripted shows and reality shows," said a leading TV agent, "in the success scenario there's just no comparison - and that's the way it should be. On scripted shows, they have to have talent."

But, in Hollywood, there's always more than money. Especially former celebs are sniffing out any opportunity to put themselves on the map - or sell themselves in a different guise to new fans.

"It's all about the endorsements and other appearances. There's a lot of heat coming off that show," the TV agent said.

Lauren Conrad has become a mega-celebrity by committing her young adult life to video on the MTV series Laguna Beach and its follow-up The Hills.

Continue Reading...

While Melissa Rycroft continues to garner headlines for her performances on Dancing with the Stars, Gilles Marini - along with partner Cheryl Burke - sits atop the leaderboard after two weeks of the show.

How does the French actor feel about that? He recently spoke to TV Guide:

How does it feel to be on top of the leader board?
The only problem with that is there's only one thing to do — go down. It's a great place to be. It's so much pressure, especially on Cheryl [Burke]. Cheryl's a very tough professional and driven [so] it's difficult for her to go down. So we're gonna try our hardest.

You're one of our readers' favorites to win. How does that make you feel?
Wow, very surprised. I would say I'd be second [from the] bottom. Just because people do not understand why I'm on the show because I've never said it yet. It's pretty much paying respect because the country gave me so much. If I can put a smile on Americans' faces, then it's a little way of paying back. Down the line, I'll tell the story why I'm in love with this country and why I wanna be here the rest of my life.

Gretchen Rossi might have denied an affair with photographer Jay Photoglou, but we'll be curious to hear what she says about the following photograph of her and Slade Smiley.

The Real Housewife of Orange County star and Smiley have been spotted looking mighty cozy together on the beach. The two were snapped earlier this week on a boat in Newport Beach, applying suntan lotion on each other and swapping serious spit.

As loyal reality TV fans know, Smiley is the former fiance of past Housewife Jo De La Rosa. Oh, and of course:

Rossi's fiance passed away in September.

Gretchen Rossi and Slade Smiley: New couple alert!

More than 31 million votes were counted after Tuesday night's country performances and the results announced Wednesday on American Idol, with Alexis Grace, considered an early favorite by many, at the bottom of the heap.

The judges, again, had a chance to reverse this fate, but as was the case a week ago, decided her encore performance wasn't good enough and bid her adieu.

The other singers with Alexis in the bottom two were Michael Sarver (not a shock there) and while Allison Iraheta (a bit of a shock there). But they survived.

OUSTED: Alexis Grace gets a hug goodbye from Michael Sarver.