October 2007 Archives

As I was standing in the hallway last night waiting to interview Barry Manilow, I should have noticed someone was missing. Whizzing by me every few moments I saw all the celebs and their dance partners. Marie Osmond yelled out a "Break a leg" to one of her opponents, Julianne Hough gave me a hug, Sabrina Bryan flashed a smile and Derek Hough ran by with no shirt (yummy!).

I saw Jane Seymour's dance partner, Tony Dovolani (and others), wearing their 50's costumes and knew instantly the encore dance at the top of show would be the group dance. In fact, during my interview with Barry, he mentioned having spoken to Jane and how amazed he was by her body at 56-years-old. It never dawned on me that in the 30 minutes I was backstage, I never once saw Jane.

So, it was a shock when I heard she was not there and had food poisoning. Jennie Garth's tumble… Marie's collapse last week… Jane's mother passing away… Her house narrowly missing the Malibu fires… Her food poisoning… Sabrina getting voted off… What is going on this season on "Dancing With the Stars"?

My favorite holiday of the year is by far Halloween. I live in one of those crazy neighborhoods where it's three hours of non-stop costumed kids looking for a snack. This year we happen to have a gotten a box of full size candy bars for a promotional event. So, we will be re-gifting our Snickers swag and surely be the most popular house on the block.

So, last week I set up at shoot at Cinema Secrets here in Burbank. For the past 20 or some odd years they have been a one stop Halloween shop for all the studios around here. They even have their own Halloween coordinator who helped us create some fun celeb-inspired looks on a budget. The great news is if you have yet to even think about a costume, most of this stuff you can likely already find in your own closet.

Brangelina and their brood -- This is by far one of the most popular couple costumes this year. It's the simplest look to create. For Angelina all you need is a brown wig (unless of course you are blessed with her luscious locks already), a lip liner to overdraw your lips and poof out your pout, a black eyeliner to create your own tattoos, a pair of aviator sunglasses and a nice casual 'taking the kids to school outfit'. We re-created one of her looks with a simple black shirt, gray skinny jeans and black pumps. If you are not lucky enough to have your own Brad Pitt, then just get your guy a nice tight t-shirt, a trendy pair of jeans and either spike his hair up or throw on a newsboy cap. Grab a stroller and a few baby dolls and you are ready to roll. Just be on high alert for prying paparazzi.

There is a lot of great TV out there right now, they just have to save it. If the writers strike happens... if we wake up on Thursday morning and all of a sudden TV is all about Reality, Game Shows and Re-runs, it will be a very sad event. Ratings will plummet. People will get angry with TV... may start READING or something (horror!).

I just saw some great TV. I watched the season finale of "Californication" last night and it was awesome. I think David Duchovny is Emmy bound for his lost soul, fighter/writer, Hank Moody.

But as soon as the credits were finished rolling, they teased a new season "coming soon." It occurred to me, they aren't sure how soon because they may not have their writers to do the job.

The networks on top of the ratings and the cable and pay cable nets on a creative roll, are going to have to lead the way through this mess in the 11th hour. Halloween is doomsday... how ironic is that?

Guys love sports.

When Jerry Seinfeld walked into my interview room, ready to chat about 'Bee Movie,' his early days as an experimental Scientologist, our viability as a gay couple (he brought that one up; I was just flattered), I had the New England Patriots game on.

After telling Jerry I was not an across the board Boston fan (what a great time to be one), I did admit to loving the Patriots and Tom Brady. Jerry wasn't so sure Tom deserved ALL the adulation... he referenced the model juggling act Tom has recently managed in his life - Tom went from Bridget Moynahan, who he later discovered was pregnant, to Giselle Bundchen. I asked Jerry to consider the two models and all that extracurricular activity in his life and how Tom is still laser focused on the field. "We could throw in a third model, and I still think he'd pull it off."

Jerry began to come around.

For over 10 years now I've managed to dodge a bullet. In all my time in television, I've never had to cover a court case. Once as an intern at a local news station they made me go sit inside some hearing. I have no recollection of what it was for but I remember how bored I was during it. I knew I didn't want to be a local news reporter. I wanted to be an entertainment reporter. So, court for me was something I thought I would never deal with.

Little did I know that in entertainment news we would wind up covering court cases anyway -- Winona Ryder, Courtney Love, Anna Nicole Smith, Pamela Anderson, Paris Hilton and the countless others who find themselves in court in front of cameras capturing their every move. I've always managed to stay away from those stories, by choice (and a little bit of whining and complaining that I didn't want to do it).

Until today.

I was asked to go down and cover it for our first test of live streaming technology from a breaking news event. Team Web at Access Hollywood has been amazing to me, and for that reason, I just could not say, "No."

The funny thing is, I kind of enjoyed it. It has its downfalls, for sure, like the endless downtime between activity but what a rush of adrenaline you get when the chaos happens. I sort of got thrown into the fire when we determined that on our live stream we should have some commentary. Then MSNBC called and wanted me to do some live shots. So, I was right in the middle of Cirque de Britney.

Paris Hilton is no longer going to Rwanda because the two people who founded Playing For Good have split their ways. Maria Bravo, a dedicated philanthropist who joined forces with Scott Lazerson, a former executive Director of the Larry King Foundation and equally dedicated philanthropist. Paris attended the Playing For Good Philanthropic Summit this past summer in Mallorca, Spain at the behest of Scott who met her through a mutual friend. He came away from their first meeting seeing a woman ready to change. Maria came away hopeful but a bit skeptical.

I was supposed to attend the same summit over in Mallorca and was asked to emcee the final gala on Saturday night. I told Maria and Scott I could not share a stage with Paris Hilton, casting the spotlight on her as a philanthropist, without having the simultaneous opportunity of interviewing her. There were questions, I contended, that she needed to answer.

I wanted to follow up on the many altruistic promises she made on Larry King during that groundbreaking post jail interview. Her words to Larry: "I feel like, you know, being in the spotlight, I have a platform where I can raise awareness for so many great causes and just do so much with this, instead of, you know, superficial things like going out. I want to help raise money for kids and for breast cancer, multiple sclerosis and..."

She's given the world a sex tape, bad movies, jail time; but the appearance in Spain would be her first step into helping others... although it WAS a party. Suffice it to say, I felt like a report card was in order. Still do... and its coming. Although, with it plain and clear that peoples' standards for Hilty are low, why bother, right?

So, last night I met up with my two favorite plastic surgeons... not the real MD kind but the "Nip/Tuck" kind. I missed the big premiere party last Saturday, so it was good to get my Julian McMahon and Dylan Walsh fix even if it was brief.

Season five begins on Tuesday and F/X has this fun promotion up at the Hollywood and Highland complex here in LA. That's the big tourist trap which houses the Kodak Theater and Mann's Chinese Theater. Level Two has this great hologram where it looks like you are actually watching the docs perform a procedure. Last night was the big unveiling where the guys got to see it for the first time. The media was invited and a red carpet was rolled out. Fans and tourists got to gather around to watch the festivities. This posed a problem for the media outlets who were their to cover the event as they were encroaching on our interview space. Do you feel a tale from the field coming on? Of course, this is the Dish of Salt blog. That's what I do!

The press was asked to stay behind the velvet ropes they had set up for us. As usual there was very little room for each crew, so I was told my camera man and I could step out of our spot to interview Dylan and Julian. Some guy said they would set up stanchions and block us off but it would take a second to get the stanchions after they arrived. It seemed like a lot of work for nothing. So, I said we would just take two steps outside of the rope when the interview started.

Marie Osmond fainting on "Dancing with the Stars" is by far the most shocking thing to happen on this show. It's also surprising it hasn't happened sooner to the contestants. The show is at the half way point through the season. Right about now is where everyone has reached their breaking point of exhaustion. The pressure, the travel, the rehearsals, the interviews and the show tapings.. its a lot of work. I mean sure they are getting paid to be there but even the toughest cookie would start to crumble after a couple of months of this intensity.

I can tell you as a TV reporter, my level of tolerance for the show has reached a crescendo. Sitting through the taping in the green room, watching the live feed and then spending the next hour interviewing each couple back to back each week is exhausting. It doesn't sound like it's a hard gig but at least when you watch the show at home you can watch commercials, get some food or switch the channel. All we see is a black screen during breaks.

Plus, as the couples get dwindled down you wind up standing around for lengths of time that seem interminable waiting to interview them. You can see it in the eyes and body language of everyone there from the dancers, the the crew to the media and beyond that they are tired. I had this conversation with someone last night who works on the show. They assured me that every single season at the half way point is where this happens. She also assured me that by next week the energy will return as everyone will start getting excited as we move towards the finale.

Personally, I just think there are two to many celebrities on the show. The number keeps creeping up. First it was six, then 10, then 11 and now 12. 10 seemed like the magic number but they wanted two more weeks out of the season so they stretched it even further.

By the way this same exact phenomenon happens during "American Idol." Their two of my favorite shows but I sure wish their seasons were just a little bit shorter.

The Malibu fires are awful....while it does sound odd to speak out for "those poor people in Malibu", loss and sadness excludes nobody. I think of Suzanne Somers having to evacuate her temporary house, temporary because the last fire claimed her home, and I feel terribly.

There are other areas where the fires rage on and there are less well-off people suffering. My resolve is to help whomever needs it. Today, I need to find a way.

I still think of myself as an East Coaster but having lived in the LA area for three years, maybe it’s time to understand that this has affected my community. And communitarianism is truly American in my book.

Do I even need a reason to talk about how the airwaves are peppered with attractive men on this season's new Fall shows?

Nope. I don't.

So, I will.

Penn Badgley, “Gossip Girl” -- By far the most buzzed about new show for the hip and trendy set. It was the first one to get a full season pick up. Lots of girls are getting hot under the collar for newcomer Chace Crawford, especially since he's been seen making out with Carrie Underwood recently. He's just a little too pretty boy for me. I see a future in horror films for him. My money is on Penn, who plays good guy Dan Humphrey. While good looking, he's not pretty and perfect. He's like your best friend’s older brother that you have a major crush on and secretly always wanted to hook up with behind her back. I see a future for him starring in a movie opposite Tom Cruise someday.

Taye Diggs, “Private Practice” -- I'm sorry ABC chose to cancel his very intense drama, "Daybreak," last year but happy they found him a spot on "Private Practice." Dr. Sam Bennett is certainly a lot less brooding than his down and out detective stuck in a "Groundhogs Day" nightmare, but as long as they provide opportunities for him to take off his shirt… who cares.

Alex O'Laughlin, “Moonlight” -- This Australian cutie who plays Vampire Mick St. John can take a bite out of my neck anytime!

By Dan Gomez

Much has been made in the press and in the court of public opinion about the Ellen DeGeneres doggy-gate debacle. I know that we here at Access Hollywood have had much discussion about it. In our recent Web polls, our viewers have overwhelmingly come out in favor of Ellen. And why not? Everyone loves Ellen. She is quite arguably one of the nicest and most talented people in the entertainment business.

Face it, no one had ever heard of Marina Baktis, the poor woman from the pet adoption agency, before any of this happened. Now, I believe that this molehill of a story has been made into a mountain of needless controversy and this Blog really isn't about that. I just want to pose a question: what if it wasn't Ellen at the forefront of this story? What if it were, let's say, Paris Hilton?

Same situation: Paris adopts a dog from a pet adoption agency, gives the dog to a hairdresser friend, the agency takes the dog away and Paris makes a tearful plea to have the dog returned. If this had been the case, we would look at Paris' tearful plea as just another empty ploy by the heiress to garner public sympathy for yet another flagrant disregard for the rules. The media would call Marina Baktis a hero for what she did for taking a helpless dog and placing it with a family who would love it and not use it as an accessory. We would all be behind Marina because we all share a common contempt for Paris.

Pretty much everyday at Access Hollywood my job involves me delving into the personal lives of celebrities. I ask them about whom they are dating, when they are going to have a baby, what was it like in rehab or how was their wedding and honeymoon. It's all very personal information that frankly, is none of my business -- but because they are in the public eye it becomes information for public consumption. So, I ask and sometimes they answer… and, sometimes they don't. I've always said that, if put in this position, I'd be the type that would blabber on forever about my personal life. If you read my Blogs regularly, I do a little bit of that, but mostly it relates back to my work. Today, I got a dose of my own medicine, and to be perfectly honest, I didn't really enjoy it.

Just as I walked out the door this morning, I got an email from a co-worker congratulating me on moving in with my boyfriend. She hadn't read my Blog from a couple of days ago talking about our dog issues. No, she and one million other people had heard Ryan Seacrest talking about it on the radio here in Los Angeles on KIIS-FM. My boyfriend, Nate, works as a producer on his morning show, and my guess is someone (behind his back) told Ryan that he and I were moving in together. So, Ryan coyly asks him how his girlfriend is doing and Nate instead of just saying "fine" and realizing he was being set up, busts out with the information that we are moving into together this weekend.

Portia signed the contract for her and Ellen....

The contract states that if the home situation doesn't work out, the responsible owner must return the pup to the adoption agency. Also, that all children in the home must be at least 14 years old. Little Ruby is 12. Statistics show that one half million adopted animals end up in shelters in their lifetime, hence the stringent policy.

So, contractually forbidden to redistribute Iggy the dog via her own discretion, Ellen did it anyway. Is she saying that in HER and Portia's situation the contract should not apply?

She may be right, when you look at the case realistically.

In fact, it’s become pretty clear to me that Iggy would have been happy in the home Ellen found for him. But, have a few pups been misappropriated by people who couldn't deal with it in the past? It’s at least imaginable. So, it’s understandable that this adoption agency would stick by the book and choose to follow their own guidelines, no exceptions. Less headaches. Fewer bad adoptions.

There has been more debate over Ellen DeGeneres' adopted dog than the last well… Presidential debate. Not since Old Yeller or Rin Tin Tin has a dog become this famous. The media has even decided to coin a silly name for the controversy, "Iggy Gate."

Americans sure do love a good juicy Hollywood tale… actually make that "tail" -- the battle just keeps getting uglier and uglier and little Iggy is caught in the middle. I've now heard both sides of the story and can honestly say I'm confused. I'm not sure who to side with on this one.

Marina Baktis, the owner of "Mutts and Moms," told Access Hollywood she was getting death threats from all of this and she was scared for her safety and the safety of her dogs. If you've watched the video of her interview on our Web site you see her get emotional when she gets out of her car.

The question is -- just how genuine is this woman? Her tears do seem a little forced when you compare them to Ellen's breakdown yesterday. She also stood out in front of the camera crews holding one of her rescue dogs, Winky, who only has one eye and needs a new home. It seems like a lapse in judgment to me. I'm glad she finally spoke out and told her side of the story but don't then turn it into an advertisement.

What happened to Ellen DeGeneres is a truly sad situation for all parties involved. Watching her breakdown on national television talking about Iggy the dog, whom she adopted and then gave away to her hairdresser and his family, is hard to watch. The organization, "Mutts and Moms," is basically being maligned by the media [based on Ellen's side of the story]. For their sake, I hope someone is smart enough to come forward and defend themselves.

All in all, it comes down to a situation handled poorly. It angers me when I see pet message boards filled with rantings from animal lovers about people who have to give up their pets. It's not something I agree with, but of course, there are so many situations where it is the only option. You don't know anyone's situation until you walk a mile in their shoes.

Ellen's situation was that even after spending around $3,000 to properly train Iggy, the dog could not get along with her cats because it was too hyper. Could she have come up with a better solution? Possibly. She could have isolated the dog to a certain portion of her house [but any dog lover would find this to be unfair]. Rather than do what many cruel pet owners do and drop the dog off at a shelter and let others deal with it, Ellen went ahead and found a new home for the puppy. She not only found them a home, she found them a loving home with a great family who were taking great care of Iggy. To top it off, she constantly checked with the family to make sure the dog was doing well. Her biggest mistake was not alerting the rescue agency.

by Mike Marson

After yet another long week of chronicling every move of our girl Spears from my role as a producer here at Access (she got her kids for one night, but is way overdue for a manicure, etc.), Friday night I received a frantic text from my 16-year-old daughter.

I got the whole story later, which goes something like this: my daughter and her friend decided they needed a little tan tune-up before yet another very important party, so they pulled into a tanning salon early in the evening (actually hearing “Gimme More” as the last song on the radio when they turned off the car)

They were the only ones in the salon except for the young girl at the desk, and settled into their private booth.

Suddenly they heard men yelling and screaming just outside their door.

I am 36 today. But I feel young, vibrant and sexy.

Last night, I interviewed Julia Roberts at the American Cinematique Awards. . . .

I found myself hoping to be charming so I could hear that explosive laugh at least once.

It's week three of the new Fall TV Season. This is right about the time when network executives are figuring out which new shows are making the grade and which shows are failing. This season, most shows are losing an average of at least a million viewers week-to-week and noone has really broken out of the gate. Together with our TV ratings guru, Dan Gomez, I've compiled a look at whether or not your favorite shows are in danger of being on the chopping block.

Monday

"Chuck" - With major buzz surrounding this spy games show thanks to the nerd herd (I say that with love) pre-launch, it was a pretty sure bet it would attract any audience off the bat. It brought in a solid number for an 8pm show it's first week out with 9.2 million viewers but has since lost two million viewers. It's a good companion show to "Heroes" though which may help NBC decide not chuck "Chuck."

"Journeyman" - This time travel show also started out with a decent 9.2 million viewers but has since dropped down to 6.9 million. Both Dan and I hope NBC gives it some time because we like this show. I'm sad to say I think its journey may be over before it every really started though.

"Big Bang Theory" - Surprisingly to me this show actually builds on the audience of "How I Met Your Mother" (which I love) by about a million viewers but it's nowhere near "Two and Half Men's" loyal 13 million audience. My theory is that most likely CBS will give this sitcom the green light for a full season pickup. I mean they brought back the annoying "Rules of Engagement" for goodness sake.

"K-Ville" - The fourth week into the show viewership is down 3.5 million viewers since its' debut to only 5.3 million. Dan says.. K-Ville is definitely struggling. Hopefully FOX will keep it around for the whole season, if only for the people of New Orleans. Fox may cut its losses on this one and it could potentially be the first show to get the ax.

by Whitney Frink, Access Hollywood field producer

Last night, I had the pleasure of interviewing Meryl Streep for the first time. She wore very little makeup (what does SHE have to prove?), gave intelligent answers, and humored me when I asked if she could remember a cheer from her cheerleading days. I do realize that I basically asked Meryl Streep if she would "give me a G!," and for that, I am a little ashamed.

But, that's my job.

Unfortunately, my job is also to write pieces (for the last two weeks, every single day) on Britney Freakin Spears. And here are the things about her, and what I do here at Access Hollywood, that really irk me:

1. I perpetuate the chaos. I take full responsibility (okay, part, and I'll give part to my show). Because of the landscape of entertainment news, we have to buy paparazzi footage -- the same footage that I loath watching, but our viewers apparently love -- and continue to feed the beast. Its a sad animal to be a part of.

It's times like yesterday where I wish my family lived out here with me on the West Coast and not back East. Maybe it’s because I've been doing this job for so long now… or maybe it's because I'm not a teenager anymore… that I take things for granted like hanging out with the Jonas Brothers at a tour rehearsal. I would have loved to have my two young cousins here with me so I could have brought them to meet the cute trio... especially since when we first arrived they were still rehearsing with Miley Cyrus. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to shoot any of Miley since they want to keep the tour details secret for the fans.

I've never met the guys before but, of course, I have heard all about them and how cute they are. The first thing that struck me when I was first introduced to them was their hair. These kids have the best hair. Those curls on Nick and Kevin are insane. "Compliments of our mother" says Kevin.

The second thing that hit me was how incredibly nice, humble and down to earth they all are, which they say they owe to having great parents and surrounding themselves with people who are positive influences. I spoke to their father Kevin who has a mantra he taught to the boys which was taught to him by his father, "Even if you are at the top, live like you are at the bottom."

My daughters have wore me down... they have done this twice before and that is why we have two cats running around our house.

On Sunday, we have a puppy coming to join our family. I think the girls want to name her Sandy. The name of the breed is too embarrassing to say (it just sounds very emasculating), so I'll say it starts with an "sh" and ends with a "oo."

The truth is my wife is making these moves and using my daughters as deal closers. After all, what kind of dad says 'no' to his 3 excited, little girls over a puppy?

Not this guy.

Now, if I hear any pining for a pet pig, my foot is coming down.

Who would have thought that Wayne Newton's fans wouldn't carry him through for a few more weeks on 'Dancing with the Stars.' The guy’s a legend! I mean, come on… even Master P stuck around longer despite his low scores. Clearly all his fans must have been too concerned with taking their Geritol then picking up the phone to vote.

After the show I talked to Wayne -- all the dancers were gushing about how sweet he is and how he will be missed. I've only met the man one other time but he put his arm around my waist and pulled me in close last night as he said this goodbye: "I'm gonna miss the other people on the show. They truly are the best group of people I've ever been around."

As for his fans, Wayne wasn't quite sure what went wrong but wasn't convinced it came down to not voting, " I don't know that they didn't. I mean you know there is no way that we know any of that. I know that my fans have supported me , which is why I'm still here. It's not death it's just you know, on to the next thing

So, yesterday I was invited to be a guest on the panel of "The Chelsea Lately" show. The show airs on "E" late nights and is doing really well for the network even beating out "E News" some nights for ratings. There is definitely some buzz building for the show and for its host, Chelsea Handler. Men especially really like her biting humor. She is definitely one that tells it like it is. At the top of each of her show's she does a panel discussion ala "The View" with three guests who gossip and crack jokes about the entertainment stories of the day. Usually its a comedian, an entertainment journalist and a C or D list celebrity. You can guess which one I am.

After sitting through an hour of hair and makeup with an amazing gal who won an Emmy for her work on the "Tyra Banks" show, I felt like a movie star or at the very least one of those people who get makeovers on the Tyra show and then walk out strutting their stuff like a champ. I didn't know my hair could look like that. I'm so used to having to do it myself. Then I'm taken into the green room where I introduce myself to Shanna Moakler who is on the panel. She doesn't' remember me from backstage at "Dancing with the Stars." Then again she reminds me she was voted off on week two which she is bitter about still. Then the other panelist, comedian Greg Proops comes in followed by Chelsea.

People always tell me I'm intimidating and I finally met someone who made me feel that way. Chelsea is like the popular girl in high school that you really want to try and impress. She owns the room when she walks into it and you just have to try and keep up. She thinks out loud. So, whatever comment whether naughty or nice pops into her head she just says it. Her first comment to me was "thanks for bringing your boobies with you. " I was wearing a red corset like silk top. So, "the girls" as my friends like to call them were pushed up a little bit. I tried to be funny by saying "the girls go with me everywhere I go." I think this went over like a bump on a log.

A tremendous night in Guadalajara spent mingling with donors and then dining and having fun at a huge Mariachi restaurant. Different bands, sometimes 25 deep, would take the stage while revelers celebrated. It was loud and fun.

Dr. Bill Magee, the founder of Operation Smile, and a true humanitarian, showed us you can help serve the global community, and still be the life of the party.

We are up early and heading back to the hospital to check in on our overnight patients. I followed two boys through the whole process, from beginning to end. Oscar and Juan...both babies.

What is amazing is how quickly I bonded with them and how excited I am to see them.

What an amazing day in Guadalajara with some amazing plastic surgeons from around the world. I have never been more proud to be a member of Operation Smile's Board of Governors.

Put yourself in Guadalupé's shoes. This quiet woman traveled 9 hours by bus to get her 3-month-old son, Juan, the cleft lip surgery he needed. I am there with a camera. I spoke to her at length and soon she became comfortable with me...The Founder of Operation Smile, Dr. Bill Magee, did the surgery on her son. When she found out it was him she became emotional.

Parents are not allowed into the O.R....you can imagine the various reactions to seeing your child anesthetized and operated on, so it’s a good thing. But during this perfect surgery, I kept thinking about her.

The Operation Smile Silver Anniversary Gala was a big success. The Beverly Hilton was full of laughs and tears...the best kind.

Jessica Simpson blew off the teleprompter and ended up teary eyed when reflecting upon her mission to Kenya. Nobody knew where she was going... She burst out into 'Amazing Grace' and then offered an off the cuff prayer for all the children in the world suffering from cruel facial deformities. It was a heavy moment.

Organizers were freaking out as to whether she'd find her way out of this award introduction. As the Emcee, I advised, "move the prompter to the last paragraph so she knows where to go in the end". They did. She wasn't finished yet. She prayed on stage in front of all those people a deep prayer. She sang acappella beautifully. She wore her heart on her sleeve. It was not just good. It was great!

It seems like forever and a day ago that the McNamara/Troy offices were open for business on FX's stellar series "Nip/Tuck." Soon the wait will be over though as the series returns this month. The boys have chucked it all and are moving their Miami practice to Hollywood. If you happen to be in Los Angeles, starting October 25th, they have a great little gimmick going over at our resident tourist trap, the Hollywood & Highland complex which houses the Kodak Theatre and the Mann's Chinese Theater. You can swing by level two where the doctors are all settled in at their new Los Angeles "offices." Actually Julian McMahon and Dylan Walsh are there in Hologram form only but I was on the set when they filmed it and it looks pretty cool. So, go check it out. Here's the info http://mcnamaratroyla.com/

The show has moved away from the super dark side and has a much lighter more comedic feel for season five. I've seen the first two episodes and let's just say things are not going smoothly with their transition to LA. The doctors have dropped millions of dollars on a brand spanking new state of the art surgery center in Beverly Hills only to find themselves without any clients. Remember this is the land of plastic surgery. Beverly Hills has more plastic surgeons per capita than any city in America. It's a tough town and all of sudden the hot docs from Miami are not so hot anymore. Enter publicist to the stars, Lauren Hutton, to help. She tries to get them on the right track by making them consultants on a TV show called "Hearts and Scalpels." Think of it as a 'not meant to be funny but its so over the top it is' version of "Grey's Anatomy."

Well, you could have fooled me last night. I was convinced that billionaire boy Mark Cuban was going home. I give him props for his spunky attitude but his dancing and his facial expressions need work and lots of it. Instead, it was the curse of the models as cutie Albert Reed was sent packing. Despite that fact that judge Len Goodman called him the dark horse of the competition, even Albert knew it came down to the fact that he had no fan base.

I had the first interview with Albert backstage, last night, who told me the first thing he is doing today is going surfing. He also he filled me in on his future plans, "Well we have been discussing theater and movies for a long time. I have been studying film for quite a while and doing independent films and stuff so hopefully maybe that is my calling, also might do a album."

So Albert can sing? I tried to get him to sing a few bars but he shot me down! Turns out his musical aspirations lie in the country, blues and jazz area.

Back to Mark who I sort of pissed off when I jokingly suggested maybe he paid for a few call centers with some of his billions. He calmly responded, "No money cannot buy you votes but hopefully a big smile and a good routine can."

Well, it was only a matter of time. I've become one of them. Yesterday, in a meeting before my "Dancing With the Stars" shoot a group of producers here talked about whether or not it was appropriate to ask the dancers what their thoughts were on Britney losing custody of her children. I felt it was in poor taste being that it's such a tragic situation. I mentioned I knew "the other shows" would not hesitate to ask. So, we decided we would take the high road and not ask. An hour later I received an email that minds were changed and we do need to ask about Britney. My stomach dropped as I thought about how I was going to approach this touchy subject.

Flipping through the channels in my car, on the way to the studio, all I heard on every radio station between songs was people talking about Britney Spears. Everyone had an opinion. Everyone had a theory. So, maybe asking this intrusive question wasn't so terrible. I gingerly approached the celebrities who are parents themselves. The only one who shot me down with the look of death was Mel B, who clearly had already been asked by other outlets because I barely got the question out when she sniped, "I am not commenting on Britney because it is none of my business."