Well, yesterday was pretty epic…I am currently on set in San Francisco when the news started to trickle in to me. I would work, run off set and post a tweet. My Twitter feed exploded and there is no way I can respond to everyone the way I normally do. Here are 3 things to know.
1. Why didn't you confirm everyone?: I want to deliver good, truthful scoop to you. If I can't confirm a name from the sources I speak with, I won't mention it. It's my reputation on the line as an entertainment reporter, so giving you the truth is more important to me than giving you the whole list with errors on it.
UPDATE: I confirmed Derek IN, Sasha and Tristan OUT, Henry and Witney as PRO, Lindsay and Jenna in TROUPE. New confirmation…Tyne is OUT.
2. What about Chelsie or…?: I know many of you adore Chelsie Hightower, but the writing has been on the wall for a few seasons regarding her future on the show. ABC signaled a change and I think they have moved on from her at this point. Sadly, I think Louis van Amstel is in that category, too. Read my post on DWTS contracts. The UPDATE in the article gives more information on ABC's policy.
3. Why is Maks back?: Like him or loathe him, Maks is newsworthy. With Derek apparently opting out this season, ABC needs a star. I love Val, but he's not as charismatic as his controversial brother. They needed Maks back and I imagine that situation also brought a very generous contract with it. UPDATE: Derek is IN…this will be a great season. A rivalry on the dance floor is back!
This season is bringing about some big changes with Erin Andrews replacing Brooke Burke-Charvet and Harold Wheeler out and Ray Chew in. Let's roll with the changes before watching the first episode. After the season begins, then everything is fair game! See you all on AfterBuzz TV on March 18.
When The Big Lead report leaked out yesterday that Erin Andrews was going to replace Brooke Burke-Charvet as Tom Bergeron's co-host on DWTS, Twitter went nuts. Based on the responses I received, it was about 75% against Erin and only about 25% for Erin. That's not a good place to start. However, I am going to give her a chance, here's why:
1. Behind the Scenes: Even though Tom is more than capable of running the show himself, ABC clearly wants to showcase the behind-the-scenes interviews and he can't be everywhere. That's where Erin will come into play.
2. Interviews: I know that I made a remark more than once last season on AfterBuzz TV about Brooke's interviewing skills. Sometimes, I cringed. Erin is an excellent sports journalist who will bring her reporter skills to the table. I'm looking forward to some solid questions this season instead of "How do you feel?"
3. Personality: Look, I get it. Erin is a guy's girl. She works in a tough industry for females and she has a harder edge to her. However, she will bring some sass and snap to the table. Erin doesn't have a soft and fuzzy warmth, but I think she will have us all talking on Tuesdays about what happened the night before.
So, let's give her a chance. We haven't seen what she is capable of yet, but I welcome the change and the season debut of DWTS.
What do you think about Erin Andrews new gig? Let me know in the comments below.
In the last few years, our country has endured a rough economy, layoffs, and a weak real estate market, but not in Hollywood. When a female star's career is waning, there is one key thing she can do to revive interest in her cooling career: get pregnant. A baby bump has become a hot commodity in Hollywood and here are the ways a star can make money from having a baby:
1. Paparazzi Photos: Yes, this is Hollywood's dirty little secret, some stars (I'm looking at you, Lindsay Lohan and Jennifer Love Hewitt!) call their favorite paps and let them know where they are going to be. Once the photographer sells that photo to media outlets, the star gets a cut of the sale.....and nothing sells better than a baby bump these days.
2. Sponsored Baby Shower: Yep, if you were famous, you could have sponsored baby shower filled with every trendy baby product on the market, all of your celebrity friends will attend (You probably have never met half of the attendees, but hey, they are famous celeb moms too!), and People will cover every precious moment. You will go home with all of these free products and your baby nursery is now fully stocked.
3. The Magazine Cover: If the celeb is of A-List wattage, then several magazines will battle for that first sweet cover of mom, dad, and baby posing together. Take a look at this article, it breaks down some of the numbers for celebrity babies: The Brangelina Twins rang in $14 million, The Lopez-Anthony Twins were worth $6 million, and little Sean Preston Spears-Federline was worth $500,000. Some of the celebrities donate the money to charity and some keep it all to themselves.
4. People's Celebrity Baby Blog: This is where the stars prove they are just like us! They nurse, change diapers, have sleepless nights, and then get paid to blog about it! If you look over the list of celebrity baby bloggers, you will find everyone from current TV stars to a few names you haven't heard of in years. It's a great way to get your name back into the public eye.
5. Weight Loss Contract: There is nothing like eating your way through your pregnancy then receiving $4 million to lose those 70 lbs. from Weight Watchers like Jessica Simpson. The pressure is on because she has to lose 20-30 lbs. by a certain date so they can film the first commercial. Mariah Carey did the same for Jenny Craig last year. I'm sure we would all like to get paid to lose weight, at least there is an incentive built in.
6. Hollywood Moms' Club: This is currently a show (Now called Hollywood Moms Night.) on the TV Guide Network hosted by Alison Sweeney and Ali Landry. However, this club started out as a non-televised neighborhood event with the duo plus Denise Richards, Lisa Rinna, Candace Cameron Bure, Brooke Burke, and Nancy O'Dell. In fact, it was considered so cliquey and exclusive, that a few famous women who lived in the neighborhood started trying to get pregnant just to join the clique. It sounds like junior high all over again. Well, now this club is televised after a bit of a rift between the group (It's good gossip!), but the show goes on with only Alison and Ali and a few guest moms each week.
Don't you wish your baby bump garnered as much money and attention? What are your thoughts on Hollywood's baby boom? Join the conversation in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Google +.
My own disclaimer, I love babies, they are cute. I am sure lots of celebrities have babies because they want to start a family, but I am just disclosing ways they also make money from this endeavor.
Join me tomorrow for my first video version of Behind The Red Carpet! I've been taking your questions at all of the usual social media outlets listed above, so I hope you will join me tomorrow!
