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Showbiz Tonight
Celebs Turn Super Bowl into Hollywood Bowl; 2006 the Year of the Splits; Fashion Week Shows Promote Causes; Critic Shares Grammy Picks
Aired February 06, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: I`m A.J. Hammer.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And I`m Brooke Anderson. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Super Bowl superstars. How the Super Bowl turned into the Hollywood bowl. Tonight, how Hollywood got into the big game on and off the field. Plus, we ask, "did you get any satisfaction?"
Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT cameras were the only ones rolling when this shocking explosion rocked "All My Children." Tonight, the amazing story of how this on-the-set blast will actually help Hurricane Katrina victims. It`s the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive everyone`s talking about.
Also, a hot copy. If you think this is Paris Hilton, you`re not alone. She`s getting the star treatment wherever she goes. We`ve got the girl who is living like Paris. But she`s no Hilton. It`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
LEANN RIMES, SINGER: Hi, everyone. I`m Leann Rimes. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Hi there. I`m Brooke Anderson live in Hollywood.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer live in New York City.
Brooke, I`m assuming you were locked in like me to the Super Bowl last night.
ANDERSON: I was indeed, A.J. I stopped by a friend`s house for a Super Bowl party, and we were joined by some 90 million people. The broadcast got huge ratings. An average 90 million viewers watched. ABC says it was the most watched TV program in 10 years.
HAMMER: And of course, the Super Bowl is not just about football, Brooke.
ANDERSON: No.
HAMMER: Last night you know what? It could have very well been called the Hollywood Bowl.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Super Bowl XL under way in Detroit.
HAMMER (voice-over): It may have been the biggest football of the year, but Super Bowl XL may have also been the biggest Hollywood event of the year.
LINDA KAPLAN THALER, IMAGE CONSULTANT: I think Hollywood celebrities and the Super Bowl are in a lip lock right now.
HAMMER: In fact, between all the pregame shows, halftime shows and the commercials, the big celebrity presence last night in Detroit was enough to make a side show.
More like a Super Bowl side show, starring Harrison Ford, Kermit the Frog, Diddy and Jackie Chan. And also starring a cast of seemingly countless other big name Hollywood celebs from the worlds of music, TV and movies.
Oh, yes, a couple of football teams were there, too.
So when you have what`s already football`s biggest event on TV`s biggest event, why do you need so many stars to lure viewers?
THALER: It behooves, you know, the NFL and ABC to say, "You know what? There`s only so many times now during the year where people cannot TiVo a program." I mean, you are not going to TiVo the Super Bowl. You`ve got this very captive audience of up to 130 million people.
HAMMER: More like 140 million. That many people watched at least part of last night`s star-studded Super Bowl telecast, which featured an interesting pregame segment narrated by Harrison Ford in the style of Dr. Seuss.
HARRISON FORD, ACTOR: Oh, the places you`ll go. You`ll be on your way up. Be seeing great sights. You`ll join the high fliers, who soar the high heights.
HAMMER: That followed a star-studded pregame show which included John Legend, Joss Stone and Stevie Wonder. And at halftime, the Rolling Stones rocked the house, more proof that TV`s big night was also a big night for music.
THALER: We know from years past that anybody who`s in a Super Bowl halftime, record sales are going to go up.
DIDDY, RAG MOGUL: He`s fresh, he`s new, the ladies love him. I got to have him signed to the label.
THALER: Big stars sold records and other products during the commercials, as well. The Super Bowl ads had no shortage of star power. In addition to Diddy and Jay Mohr, you also had Jackie Chan shilling for Pepsi, Leonard Nimoy for Aleve, Fabio for Nationwide Insurance and even Richard Dean Anderson, who dusted off his "MacGyver" TV character for a commercial from Mastercard.
ELEFTHERIA PARPIS, "ADWEEK" MAGAZINE: The role has been celebrities on the Super Bowl. Whether they`re athletes or movie stars, it`s always a showcase for celebrity endorsement.
HAMMER: But one ad expert thinks it`s not the celebrity endorsers who are the true stars of the commercials. It`s the animals, like the junior Clydesdales who starred in the popular Anheuser-Busch ad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I won`t tell if you won`t.
THALER: The real of these commercials. So even if you took all the celebrities and they went bye-bye, you`d have this huge potpourri of, you know, the Bronx zoo.
HAMMER: That may be why you had stars that are both celebrities and animals, like Kermit the frog, who did an ad for Ford.
STEVE WHITMIRE, VOICE OF KERMIT THE FROG: This brand new Ford Escape hybrid.
HAMMER: Be that as it may, the Super Bowl has and probably always will belong to stars of the human variety.
THALER: It`s really a star-studded event. It`s like the Academy Awards, except there`s a lot of fumbles.
HAMMER: Fumbles or not, having stars in the Super Bowl and its commercials can help ensure that telecast can be a huge hit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ooh, late hit.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, speaking of stars and the Super Bowl, ABC`s post game airing of the hospital drama "Grey`s Anatomy" had ratings that were indeed stellar. ABC says the hospital drama drew an average of 38 million viewers, which is a record for the young series.
ANDERSON: And I was one of those viewers.
OK. Now we want to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Super Bowl musical acts: were they disappointing? Go to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Send us e-mail at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`re going to read you some of your e-mails later on in the show.
HAMMER: Well, tonight, we have some -- what are some startling comments that we want you to hear about the war in Iraq. They come from an actor who just got a big a role in the "Spider-Man 3" movie. James Cromwell told us that he`ll play the father of Gwen Stacy -- Bryce Dallas Howard is cast in that role -- in "Spider-Man 3."
Well, tonight Cromwell is making some other news because of what he told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We caught up with him at an event in New York City with the animal rights group PETA and we got to talking about the war in Iraq and his reaction to injured ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff. Listen to what Mr. Cromwell told us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES CROMWELL, ACTOR: We have more casualties in this country because of that war that go unreported. People don`t understand the cost. It takes a newsman to stick his head up in Baghdad, out of the turret of an Iraqi vehicle that has no armor.
So I thought it was appalling that he`s there. It really is a stunt in order to draw attention for the purposes of ratings, and those of us in the media all know that. So it`s a shame that the man was wounded, but, holy mackerel, it`s war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Certainly not shy about what he had to say. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did reach out for comment from ABC News. As of show time tonight, we have not heard from him.
"Spider-Man 3" begins shooting this month.
ANDERSON: Tonight, Hollywood breakups. The latest is a real shocker. Rocker Sheryl Crow and seven-time Tour De France champion cyclist Lance Armstrong just broke off their engagement. Armstrong proposed in August.
And they aren`t the only celebs who are using the new year to make some new changes. Even though it`s only February, major breakups are making major headlines. So why is 2006 already the year of the split? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Turns out Lance Armstrong might just not be strong enough to be her man. Hollywood is buzzing about the announcement from golden couple Sheryl Crow and former fiancee Lance Armstrong. They released a joint statement saying, quote, "We both have a deep love and respect for each other, and we ask that everyone respect that privacy during this very difficult time."
Crow and Armstrong met at a charity event about 2 1/2 years ago and seemed to be the perfect couple. "Newsweek`s" Nicki Gostin tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the news was a real surprise.
NICKI GOSTIN, "NEWSWEEK": She went with him on tour when he was winning the Tour De France, and they just seemed really devoted together. And there was that age difference which made them unusual, but they didn`t care. So they were just this cool couple and it was just surprising.
HAMMER: Bye-bye love is right. It`s not even Valentine`s Day and already 2006 is quickly becoming the year of shocking celebrity break-ups. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is hot on the trail of Hollywood heartbreak, and it`s not pretty.
The first shock of the new year: Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards. They got back together after separating, but it obviously didn`t work out. In early January, they said they`re getting divorced.
A few days later, once hot newlyweds Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson put their house on the market. 2006 will be the year their divorce is final.
Another so-called perfect Hollywood couple, Oscar winning actress Hilary Swank and Chad Lowe said they are separating after eight years of marriage.
Relationship expert Dr. Judy Kurianski came to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT studios to tell us why broken hearts are stacking up.
DR. JUDY KURIANSKI, RELATIONSHIP EXPERT: It has a syndrome name. It`s post holiday blues, just like the preholiday blues. And this is a time after the holidays. Some people put off breaking up or announcing it because they want to go through the holiday and have things calm. It`s enough stress. And then after the holiday`s over, it`s the time for a new year.
HAMMER: And in this new year love stinks. Life wasn`t a beach for "Baywatch" star David Hasselhoff and wife Pamela Bach. They married in December `89, have two teen daughters and announced their split in January.
And "Melrose Place" sweethearts Josie Bissett and Rob Estes split after 13 years of marriage in January.
Another Melrose alum fell out of her long marriage. Heather Locklear filed for divorce from rocker husband Richie Sambora after 11 years of marriage just last week.
Doctor Judy told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that for some, a new year means a new you.
KURIANSKI: Real people are making assessments about their life and saying, well, I want to be happier. That`s a typical new year`s resolution. And so then that leads them to say, "Well, am I happy with this person?"
ANDERSON: The answer to that question last year caused one of the most talked about break-ups in Hollywood history. It was last January when Hollywood golden couple Brad and Jen called it quits.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: But of course, A.J., as both "Newsweek`s" Nicki Gostin and Dr. Judy pointed out to us, it`s not just celebrities. Real people tend to make real changes to their love lives early in the new year, too. But we just don`t hear about most of them.
HAMMERS: Also, of course, when the so-called "real people" break up it doesn`t wind up in the newspapers or on page 6.
ANDERSON: They have a bit more privacy. Right?
HAMMER: Thank goodness.
Well, coming up, Brooke, it`s a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT fashion frenzy at Fashion Week. Tonight, why stars like Lindsay Lohan, Sheryl Crow and Leean Rimes all are wearing red on the catwalk.
ANDERSON: Plus, when is a Hilton not a Hilton? Coming up, we`ve got the Paris impersonator who`s paid big bucks to fool everyone. Live, it`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And...
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was the only entertainment news show there when this blast rocked the set of "All My Children." Tonight, how this explosion will actually help Hurricane Katrina victims. That`s coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. You are watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
Tonight, it`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Fashion Frenzy." It is the very first night, the first official night of New York`s fall 2006 Fashion Week. Already, celebrities out in droves, not just to see the latest fashions but also to raise awareness about causes that are close to their heart.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas, joining us live from Bryant Park, where Fashion Week is being held here, all the excitement here in New York City -- Sibila.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All the excitement is definitely here at Fashion Week.
I`ve got to tell you, A.J., there`s certainly a new trend out this year. It`s not about the clothes but about causes. It all started at the very star-studded fashion show, the Red Dress Collection. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS (voice-over): These aren`t your usual models strutting their stuff on the catwalk. Sheryl Crow, Lindsay Lohan, Leann Rimes. Leeann tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they are all here for fashion and all here for a good cause.
RIMES: It`s for heart disease. And I think it`s really important we come out and raise awareness for heart disease and show women that they need to get out and really take care of themselves and really educate themselves on heart disease.
VARGAS: You heard her. All these women are here to raise awareness for heart disease, which kills more women than any other disease.
AMERIE, SINGER: I think we all kind of focus on breast cancer and other cancers, but it really kills more women than all the other cancers involved. And I think that`s something that people should know because we kind of attribute that to a men`s disease.
VARGAS: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was front row and center at the Red Dress Fashion Show, where red is a symbol of support. Some of the hottest women in the music biz decked out by red dresses made by top designers like Donna Karan and Kenneth Cole.
Kelly Rowland showed up with the mom of Beyonce Knowles. Beyonce and Kelly were part of the group Destiny`s Child. Kelly gave SHOWBIZ TONIGHT a sneak peek at Beyonce`s much anticipated fashion line and tells us that, with her fame, comes the big responsibility to help others.
KELLY ROWLAND, SINGER: We have a huge influence. I think that it`s important to use that for good, and it`s important to basically bring women about -- aware about what`s going on now with their health and how they can prevent heart disease and tell everybody about what`s going on.
VARGAS: Designer Kenneth Cole tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Kelly is right on.
KENNETH COLE, FASHION DESIGNER: Celebrity is a very resource. It`s very inspiring. It`s very aspirational (sic).
VARGAS: Cole isn`t just part of the Red Dress Campaign. He heads up amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. He tells us fighting AIDS is one of his top priorities.
COLE: The problem is that 95 percent of the people in the world, I have learned, that have HIV don`t know they have it.
VARGAS (on camera): There`s no doubt that Kenneth Cole`s influence goes much deeper than the fashion world. And when it comes to fighting AIDS, he uses that influence and his celebrity friends to make his message clear.
(voice-over) He`s behind this ad campaign called "We all have AIDS." He brought together some of the most famous powerful celebrities and icons in the world, from Nelson Mandela to Tom Hanks to Will Smith.
COLE: To the degree you can bring these role models and these heroes in many people`s lives together and who they themselves can stand united behind a single message, it`s very, very powerful.
VARGAS: Another celebrity sending a powerful message during Fashion Week, "Stacked" star Pamela Anderson. She threw a huge bash with designer Stella McCartney for PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
PAMELA ANDERSON, ACTRESS: It`s exciting that people like Stella actually have a whole beautiful, you know, gorgeous line of clothes that isn`t made of any animal product and that is stylish and gorgeous. And she`s right up there with everybody else. And it`s just really inspiring.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: And we`ll be here all week, bringing you the very latest in the trends and all the news from the fashion and celebrity world.
And tomorrow night we`re going to focus on Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and his empire and how he got the fashion community to take a very close look at his clothing line. That`s coming up tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
A.J., back to you.
HAMMER: Sibila, you just have to figure out what to wear every day to the fashion shows and I`m sure that`s a challenge, isn`t it?
VARGAS: It is a challenge, that`s true. But I am picking up some tips. So maybe, you know, it will be good tomorrow. I hope.
HAMMER: We`ll look for your fashion tomorrow. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas, live in Fashion Week in New York City. Thank you very much.
Brooke, we`ve got some big news today about Kelly Clarkson that comes from the pop star himself -- herself. Brooke, I`m sure you remember that movie that -- well, shall we say, it wasn`t very successful. She did it with Idol run-up Justin Guarini. What was it, "From Justin to Kelly"?
ANDERSON: How could I forget about that, A.J.? I admit, I have seen the film. I caught it when it aired on television. I didn`t pay for a ticket. But I`m relieved to hear that she herself didn`t think it was very good. But A.J., from what I understand she was really backed into a corner, wasn`t she, in terms of doing the film?
HAMMER: Well, yes. And we actually are hearing that for the first time from her mouth. There`s this new magazine article out today in "TIME" magazine, this interview where she talks about some pretty shocking stuff, actually. And I want to read what she actually says about why she had to do this movie. And you`re right; it sounds like she had no choice.
She said, "Two words: contractually obligated. I knew when I read the script it was going to be real, real bad, but when I won, I signed that piece of paper, and I could not get out of it. Seriously, I never thought I could act, but I knew I could sing. Not to sound cocky, but I can."
Now, I want you to take a look at this picture. Sure looks like little sweet miss has all grown up here. Kelly does talk about in this article wanting to be a rock star and move away from the pop genre that people have gotten to know her by.
Even a, quote, "big old fight" with RCA records over her "Breakaway" - - "Breakaway," which is her current multi-platinum album. Kelly says she battled to get six self-written songs on the CD and wants to include more of her own material on an upcoming album. She talks about actually having to sort of come to an agreement with the master, Clive Davis, who worked with her on that album.
ANDERSON: Kind of negotiate there. I know songwriting is a passion of hers. And A.J., Kelly also responded in the article to the recent controversy, the "American Idol" controversy about the use of her songs, too.
HAMMER: Right. And I actually had contended all along that it was much ado about nothing, and in turn it turns out to have been just a big misunderstanding, according to Kelly Clarkson, saying that as soon as she was asked for the songs, she was allowing them to use them.
ANDERSON: Yes.
HAMMER: Well, coming up, music`s biggest night is two days away, the Grammy awards. In tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Guide," "People" magazine picks who`s going to walk away with Grammy gold.
ANDERSON: And a hot copy. Think this is Paris Hilton? Well, think again. We`ll speak live with the girl who makes a living pretending to be Paris Hilton. It`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Plus...
HAMMER: The blast that rocked the set of "All My Children." Only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the video and the story of how this fiery explosion actually will help Hurricane Katrina and Rita victims. That amazing exclusive story is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: It is a big week for fashion. And a big week for music, too. Tonight, in a special edition of the "SHOWBIZ Guide," "People" magazine gives us its predictions of who will win gold at the 48th annual Grammy awards this Wednesday night.
Live in Hollywood with the details is "People" magazine`s executive editor Peter Castro.
Peter, good to see you.
PETER CASTRO, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Good to be here, Brooke.
ANDERSON: All right. Let`s start with the biggie, album of the year. And I have to say, Kanye West won best rap album for his debut album. Didn`t win album of the year that time. He wants to win this. He wants it badly. But he`s got stiff competition: Mariah, Paul, Gwen, U2. Who`s your pick and why?
CASTRO: Well, there are two picks here. The person that should win is indeed Kanye. He came out with a very complex album, and I think it`s richly deserved.
However, I don`t think the voters are going to give it to him. They`re going to probably give him a consolation pry, which is going to be rap album. But this is Mariah Carey`s year, and I think she`s going to take the top prize in this category.
ANDERSON: She is the comeback story.
OK, moving now to record of the year, Mariah, Kanye both in this category, as well. You`ve also got the Gorillas, Green Day, Gwen Stefani again. Who`s going to take this one?
CASTRO: I think Green Day will take this for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams."
ANDERSON: Really?
CASTRO: I mean, I think, you know, Mariah will come out with some trophies. I don`t think it`s going to be a clean sweep. And this is one of the categories I don`t think she`ll prevail in.
And frankly, Green Day has a better record in terms of the production. This is a pretty great record. It came out quite awhile ago. That might work against them. But I think they`re going to come away with it.
ANDERSON: OK, Peter. Let`s take a look at the ladies for a second. Best female pop vocal, Mariah, Kelly, Sheryl, Bonnie and Gwen. Some really strong singers here. Who do you predict?
CASTRO: Very strong singers, but I think this is going to be Kelly Clarkson`s category. I was actually at the rehearsal yesterday, and she did an amazing version of "Because of You." And she hit a note that the other women in this category will be hard-pressed to hit ever in their careers.
And it -- and you know, this song, "Since You`ve Been Gone," I still can`t get it out of my head. It was a ubiquitous tune.
ANDERSON: It`s pretty catchy.
CASTRO: It`s a catchy tune, but it`s also a great tune. It`s a great pop record. Some would say it`s a great rock record. And Kelly Clarkson is proving that she is the real deal after "American Idol."
ANDERSON: Kind of separating herself from that "Idol" label.
CASTRO: Absolutely.
ANDERSON: OK, Peter Castro, thank you so much for your predictions.
CASTRO: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And as always, for more "Picks and Pans," you can pick up a copy of "People" magazine and don`t miss SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s live Grammy gold coverage this Wednesday. We will be live in Los Angeles at the Grammy awards 7 and 11 p.m. Eastern.
HAMMER: Thousands come out to say goodbye to Coretta Scott King, including Oprah Winfrey. The emotional thoughts, coming up.
Plus...
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was on the set of "All My Children" during that explosion. And tonight, the unbelievable connection between that blast and a great charity event.
Plus, living like Paris. Tonight we go one-on-one with this lady, but it`s not actually Paris. It`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And you are watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
A.J., this is very interesting. There is a gal who looks so much like Paris Hilton that she gets the first-class treatment wherever she goes, whether it`s in an airport or restaurant, this week at Fashion Week in New York City. I mean, people are asking for her autograph. She`s even paid to impersonate Paris Hilton at times.
HAMMER: Brooke, there she is right now. I wasn`t going to show you the shot, but it`s so freaky I had to show it to you. OK.
ANDERSON: And we`ll talk to her -- you will talk to her coming up about what it`s like to live like Paris, right?
HAMMER: That`s right. We`re going to get into that in just a couple of minutes.
ANDERSON: I`ll find out.
HAMMER: Also, you`ve seen the explosion, Brooke? It was on the set of "All my Children."
ANDERSON: I have.
HAMMER: Now, it`s an explosion that was supposed to take place. It was a stunt. It`s all part of a plotline that`s going on, on the soap opera. A couple of people did get hurt. We`re going to talk about that. But also we`re going to talk about how this story line in a fictional setting is doing some good in the real world. That`s on the way in just a couple of moments.
First, in Atlanta today, Oprah Winfrey was among thousands who paid their respects to Coretta Scott King. Winfrey took a moment by the casket to say goodbye to the widow of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. And at a musical tribute at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Winfrey spoke about King`s legacy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: Every time I sat with her, whether she spoke or not, I came away wiser, knowing more about how to live and what it means to be a real woman. I felt blessed always to be in her presence. She leaves us all a better America than the America of her childhood.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Coretta Scott King died January 30th. She was 78 years old. The funeral is scheduled for tomorrow, and Winfrey will be there, along with Stevie Wonder, Maya Angelou, President Bush, and former Presidents Clinton, Bush and Carter.
ANDERSON: It is time now for tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
In New York, police want to talk to rapper Busta Rhymes about the fatal shooting of his bodyguard. The bodyguard was shot outside a Brooklyn warehouse where a video was being filmed. New York`s police commissioner says Rhymes and several other witnesses left the scene before police got there, and they want to interview them.
And in what we at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT are calling the bizarre story of the day, Michael Jackson may record some songs by the late pope. A company that specializes in church music says that Jackson may sing some prayers written by Pope John Paul II. The company owns the rights to 24 of the prayers and wants to put together a group of artists to set them to music, and Jackson is interested.
And those are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
And, A.J., speaking of hot, let`s meet that lady behind the shades there in New York, your guest.
HAMMER: Yes, let`s talk about this, Brooke. What we`re about to find out is what it`s like to be Paris Hilton. But we`re going to find that out from somebody who looks so much like her, everyone actually thinks she is Paris Hilton.
Model Natalie Reid, who has used her uncanny resemblance to Paris to get all the perks fame has to offer posing as Paris. Now, you`re seeing her in video courtesy of TMZ.com right now during Fashion Week.
She`s gotten free stuff. She`s gotten into nightclubs, VIP rooms, restaurants. This week, hanging out at the fashion shows, which are very exclusive, hard to get into in New York City. Most impressively, she has done it all apparently without ever having to say she`s not Paris Hilton. Natalie Reid joining me here in New York.
It`s nice to meet you, Natalie.
NATALIE REID, PARIS HILTON LOOKALIKE: Thank you.
HAMMER: In all of your glitter and your shades. Now, can you look right into this camera right here?
Well first, can we put that picture of Paris Hilton up? This is the real Paris Hilton and side by side with you. That`s pretty good. That`s pretty good. I can understand why you get the attention. When you were walking into the CNN lobby here in the building, did people assume you were her?
REID: Yes, everywhere I go.
HAMMER: Everywhere you go. And it started out because you actually get paid by a company to go out to corporate events as an impersonator of Paris, but then you all of a sudden started to dress up as her and go out in public just any time at all?
REID: Exactly.
HAMMER: And pretty quickly you found out that people were willing to give you free stuff or to let you in places because they thought you were her?
REID: They love it.
HAMMER: Now, you never say, "I`m not her. I shouldn`t be getting this free stuff. I shouldn`t be getting into this club"?
REID: No, I never say that, but I don`t claim to be her, either.
HAMMER: So you never actually say, "I am Paris Hilton"?
REID: No, never do that. I don`t need to do that.
HAMMER: All right. Well, I want to throw up the video we were just taking a look at from TMZ.com. Let`s take a look here. Here you are at Fashion Week. I believe that`s David Lee Roth. Now, is that the real David Lee Roth or a David Lee Roth impersonator, or are you not sure?
REID: That was David Lee Roth. He thought I was Paris Hilton for the whole fashion show.
HAMMER: And you`re being interviewed by a reporter. Is that reporter interviewing you because they think you`re Paris?
REID: Yes.
HAMMER: And you at no time said you weren`t Paris?
REID: No.
HAMMER: Did you sign any autographs? There you are signing autographs. Let`s see what you`re writing. You`re writing "Paris."
REID: But then I signed "not," so I didn`t exactly sign...
HAMMER: Oh, a little tricky thing.
REID: Yes.
HAMMER: And when you walk up to the Fashion Week and the red ropes, they just clear the way and let you in?
REID: Yep. I just came back from BCBG fashion show.
HAMMER: And nobody finds you out?
REID: No, the paparazzi are all over me.
HAMMER: Really? And they`re screaming, "Paris, Paris," and you turn to them and they take your picture?
REID: Yes.
HAMMER: And you get free stuff out of the deal?
REID: A lot of things I`ve gotten, like, amazing therapy treatment, I`ve gotten free dinners at very expensive restaurants. In Miami, I was with all my friends, and they comped everything for us. And it was a lot of fun.
HAMMER: You have no guilt associated with any of this? You feel good about the fact that...
REID: It`s fun. Why should I be guilty? I`m not doing anything wrong.
HAMMER: What would you say the best part about being Paris Hilton or people thinking you`re Paris Hilton is?
REID: The treatment that I get from everybody and how much they love -- they love it.
HAMMER: What about the worst part?
REID: Well, yesterday we were in Times Square and we were shooting live, and I got bombarded by tourists. And I got so scared. It was very scary, actually. I`ve never experienced that before.
HAMMER: Well, that`s part of the deal, too. I imagine there are people -- you know, Paris may have a few enemies out there. Aren`t you at all worried that you might be targeted by her enemies? I mean, do you have security with you?
REID: No, I don`t usually carry security with me, but after Sunday night it was very scary. I might consider it.
HAMMER: And you could have imposter security guards with fake guns, maybe, I don`t know. Have you ever met Paris Hilton?
REID: I met her at Marquee once. But it was...
HAMMER: And how did that go?
REID: I mean, she was in a hurry, and she was running out of the door with Nikki and Stavros and her bodyguard, so she didn`t really have time to talk, but she looked at me and she just kind of giggled. And she said, "You look just like me. That`s hot."
HAMMER: So she didn`t -- of course, she said, "That`s hot." She had no idea that you`re the person running around town getting free stuff because people think you`re her?
REID: I don`t think so. I think she`ll find out soon though. I`d love to meet her. I`m sure she`d love to...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: If she were to ask you to stop doing it, would you stop?
REID: I don`t think she would ask me to stop doing it. It`s just making her fans happy. It`s making her fans love her even more and think that they ran into her.
HAMMER: And is life as Paris better than life as you knew it, before you started dressing up as Paris?
REID: Yes, definitely.
HAMMER: It is? All right. Living vicariously through Paris Hilton, it`s certainly fascinating. Thank you very much. We appreciate you stopping by, Natalie.
REID: Thank you.
HAMMER: Natalie Reid -- Brooke?
ANDERSON: Hey, does Natalie ever take the glasses off? I don`t want to make her uncomfortable but...
HAMMER: Do the glasses come off at all? Would you mind taking off the shades? Still pretty good. It`s still pretty good.
ANDERSON: You`re right, still pretty good.
HAMMER: Still bizarre, but it`s still pretty good.
ANDERSON: All right, thank you, Natalie.
(LAUGHTER)
OK, moving now to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Super Bowl musical acts: Were they disappointing? Keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight and write us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. Your e- mails are coming up at 55 past the hour.
HAMMER: Well, it was instant messaging before instant messaging was cool. But now the telegram has stopped. We`re going to send that story your way just ahead.
ANDERSON: Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was the only show there when this explosion rocked the set of "All my Children." Tonight, the story you haven`t heard and the charity connection behind the scenes. That`s coming up.
HAMMER: And Madonna answers one of the great questions of philosophy. What`s the difference between a pop star and a terrorist? It`s something only Madonna would say, and that`s on the way.
And now for your consideration a look at some of this year`s Grammy nominees. The winners going to be announced during the Grammy Awards ceremony on Wednesday night.
Tonight, we`re taking a look at who`s up for record of the year. And this category gives us another excuse to play "Gold Digger." Kanye West nominated for this hit from "Late Registration." He`s up for eight Grammy awards this year.
ANDERSON: Also nominated, Mariah Carey`s "We Belong Together." Mariah is also nominated for eight Grammys. This track is off "The Emancipation of Mimi" album, which was the best-selling disc of 2005.
HAMMER: Gwen Stefani is nominated for "Hollaback Girl," the ubiquitous single of 2005. Stefani has five nominations this year. And an interesting sidenote: The same mixing engineer, Phil Tan, is nominated in this category twice, for this song and for Mariah`s "We Belong Together."
ANDERSON: Green Day is nominated for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" from "American Idiot," which has gone quadruple platinum. This song is one of the album`s two top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, the other being "Wake Me Up When September Ends."
HAMMER: And "Feel Good, Inc." by Gorillaz featuring De La Soul is also up for record of the year. Gorillaz are touted as the first virtual hip-hop group, with visuals by the creator of the comic "Tank Girl."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We are TV`s only live entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer.
It`s February sweeps on television right now. Now, this is the time of year when your favorite shows pull out all the stops just to get you to tune in. And this doesn`t take place exclusively in primetime. The soaps subscribe to sweeps in a big way.
Daytime star Susan Lucci extended SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the all-access pass to Pine Valley. That`s the fictional town in "All my Children." And we got the exclusive scoop on the storyline, featuring lots of pyrotechnics, which will benefit charity.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the only television show allowed access to the set of "All my Children," to shoot this amazing explosion. The explosion is part of the soap`s latest storyline centered around a charity masquerade ball thrown by Susan Lucci`s character, Erica Kane.
There`s the explosion. It was so dangerous that only professional stunt people were allowed on set. Now, despite all of the precautions taken, including a fire chief and emergency medical workers on the scene, four stunt people did get hurt and were sent to the hospital. They`re all fine now.
And only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there to get this exclusive video showing exactly what happened. The explosion takes place at the masquerade ball, which is a tribute to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. "All my Children" worked hand in hand with the American Red Cross, whose disaster relief fund is at the heart of some of this week`s episodes.
Lucci filled me in on the details.
SUSAN LUCCI, ACTRESS, "ALL MY CHILDREN": "All my Children" decided to have this incredible Mardi Gras ball, and the audience can interrelate with us. At the time that the show is on the air, audience can call in and make pledges to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
Hi, I`m Susan Lucci.
HAMMER: Lucci also taped this public service announcement to tell viewers how to make donations.
LUCCI: Together, we can save a life.
HAMMER (on-screen): Every now and then in the soaps we do see reality, we see the real world and the soap world kind of collide, and this is one example, that you`re throwing your Mardi Gras ball.
LUCCI: We`ve done some spectacular things on "All my Children," and the show has really been a groundbreaking show.
HAMMER (voice-over): This is a first for "All my Children," raising money like this. And Lucci, who is involved with several charities outside the show, says it is important for celebrities to use their star power for a good cause.
LUCCI: I think Oprah Winfrey has set the bar very high. She uses her celebrity better than anybody I think who`s ever come down the pike. And I just think, "How can I do better? You know, how can I do more?"
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Now, this particular storyline`s going to run on "All my Children" through this week and next.
Now, Brooke, this was not my first visit to Pine Valley.
ANDERSON: No, it wasn`t.
HAMMER: I don`t know if you remember, I went last year. Can we role this video?
ANDERSON: I do remember.
HAMMER: Because Susan Lucci has slapped many people in her career, and I wanted to learn how to take a slap. But if you were watching closely, you saw I didn`t take that very well. She went to show me the fake slap, and I smacked my head against the lamp. I was very upset by that.
This time around, I said, you know, "You got to try this again on me. I think I can nail it." So let`s roll this video and see how it went a little bit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUCCI: And then you`re going to sell it, right, big time? You`re going to act like you really got slapped.
HAMMER: Well, first of all, I really disagree with the way you went about that whole thing.
LUCCI: Well, that`s just too bad. This is "All my Children," and this is for you.
HAMMER: Better? Better?
LUCCI: Better, yes!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: What do you think?
ANDERSON: A.J., you sold it. I have to ask, you`ve perfected the slap...
HAMMER: Yes.
ANDERSON: You`ve been part of a soap stunt gone wrong. You`ve got a smoldering look about you at times. You`re not going to leave me for daytime, are you, A.J.?
HAMMER: Well, let me make it through the next 13 minutes and we`ll talk about it.
ANDERSON: OK, we`ll talk later.
OK, I`ve got a question for you, A.J. What is the difference between a pop star and a terrorist?
HAMMER: I don`t know, Brooke. Why don`t you tell me?
ANDERSON: Well, the answer is, you can negotiate with a terrorist. But those are not my words. They are Madonna`s words.
We got our hands today on a fascinating interview with her in "Harper`s Bazaar" magazine. Madonna opens up on everything from marriage and fame to bad habits and some great photos.
On her marriage to director Guy Ritchie, Madonna tells "Harper`s," quote, "It`s not easy being married, to have a successful career, to have children, to be with someone who is as strong-willed and ambitious as I am. Guy`s not a house-husband, and I`m not a typical wife. So you can imagine we have our clashes."
Here are some more photos of Madonna. And on female role models she says, "In the world that I`m in, the entertainment world, I don`t find a lot of women to look up to. There are loads of great actresses and singers, but I don`t find a lot of women visionaries, people who take risks, who are revolutionary in some way. Those are the kinds of women I am inspired by."
That`s Madonna in her own words. And there`s more in "Harper`s Bazaar." It hits newsstands later this month, on the 21st.
HAMMER: Well, before BlackBerries, Brooke, and before the e-mail, you know, there were smoke signals, there were even carrier pigeons, the Pony Express. Tonight, we sadly have to say goodbye to another form of communication. In fact, you can say this would be the great-great- grandfather to the text message.
Here comes CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, wired up for one last time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Western Union stopped sending telegrams, stop.
(on-screen): Oh, gee.
(voice-over): Telegrams now history, stop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do feel like I missed out. I would have liked to have had a telegram.
MOOS: Better enjoy them in movies, stop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop being a sap, stop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lonesome for you all, stop.
MOOS: By the way, "stop" was used because stop is easier to signal in Morse Code than periods are.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Morticia in danger, stop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can remember mom and dad, if they got a telegram and a man knocked on the door, somebody was dead.
MOOS: E-mail was the last nail in the telegram`s coffin. Ironic that the news surfaced on Western Union`s Web site.
(on-screen): Did you ever get a telegram?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
MOOS: Never?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Never.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never.
MOOS: Never?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never.
MOOS: Kind of depressing. Me neither.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kind of.
MOOS (voice-over): Talk about depressing. The very first telegraph message sent by Samuel Morse was, "What hath God wrought?" But old time performers like Evelyn Page (ph) remember getting nice telegrams.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, it`s good luck, and good wishes, and break a leg, and all that sort of thing.
MOOS: How about this telegram George Burns sent to Bob Hope? "I heard on the radio that you`re 88, so I`m sending this wire. If you`re not, send it back and I`ll send it to you when you are."
Jazz singer Robbie Robinson still has the telegram a friend sent her.
ROBBIE ROBINSON, JAZZ SINGER: "Unable to make your opening, stop. Please forgive me." And it worked. I forgave her.
MOOS: Some major celebs...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paging Mr. Ellis...
MOOS: ... have had roles delivering telegrams, from Harrison Ford to Madonna.
MADONNA, SINGER-ACTRESS: The deal is off, stop.
ELTON JOHN, MUSICIAN: I got a telegram from George Harrison, and I couldn`t believe it, saying, "Congratulations on a great album, love George Harrison." And you know how much that meant to me? That stayed with me forever and ever.
MOOS: Gone forever are the Western Union routers on roller skates. The company has also killed its singing telegrams.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): I am your singing telegram...
MOOS: This is the swan song for the telegram. Ask a kid these days how a telegram works.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A messenger comes on a horse or whatever.
MOOS: And know they`ve never had a telegram.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ve had Golden Grahams.
MOOS (on-screen): What`s a Golden Graham?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cereal, you know?
MOOS (voice-over): Unlike Golden Grahams, the demise of the telegram is heart to digest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody`s dead, I hope.
MOOS: Just the telegram, stop.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, stop.
And, Brooke, you have to realize there`s a whole generation of people -- of young people; I can`t believe I used that expression -- who only know that the telegram existed because of this story.
ANDERSON: That`s right, possibly. And, you know, we may be saying bye-bye to snail mail of any kind. It seems e-mail, online bill-pay getting more and more popular. A.J., my mom even e-mails now, and that`s saying a lot.
HAMMER: Not just the young people.
ANDERSON: That`s right, all generations.
OK, there is still time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Super Bowl musical acts: Were they disappointing? Go to CNN.com/showbiztonight or write us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. We are going to read some of your thoughts live. That`s coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Throughout our program tonight, we`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." We`ve been asking: Super Bowl musical acts: Were they disappointing?
Here`s the vote so far: pretty one-sided, with 85 percent of you saying yes; 15 percent of you saying no. A bunch of e-mails on the topic, too.
In fact, we heard from Sheldon. He`s in North Carolina. And he writes, "The musicians were for the older generations. There was nobody for ages 18 to 25."
We also got an e-mail from Chuck who`s in Nevada and writes, "The music was great, but it was one of the worst sound mixes I have ever heard for a high-budget program."
Yes, Chuck, but it was in high-def and it looked pretty cool.
You can continue to vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight.
ANDERSON: It is time now to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. So for that, we go to what is called the "Showbiz Marquee." Marquee Guy, it`s all yours.
MARQUEE GUY: Tomorrow, Mariah Carey. Her road to Grammy gold was paved with some tough times, but she`s riding high now on eight -- count them, eight -- count them eight -- Grammy nominations for "The Emancipation of Mimi." Mariah tells us all about her amazing year, tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, come on, now, who`s your Diddy? The artist formerly known as P. Diddy produces more than raps. He`s got a clothing line, and now you can smell like Diddy, too, with his new fragrance. Diddy tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about the sweet smell of success as we Diddy on tomorrow.
This is the Marquee Guy, but you can call me "M. Diddy."
ANDERSON: M. Diddy.
HAMMER: Not going to call him M. Diddy.
ANDERSON: Maybe not.
HAMMER: Well, that`s all I got, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Me, too.
HAMMER: That`s all I got.
ANDERSON: We`re going to leave it on that note.
HAMMER: You called me smoldering, and I haven`t recovered yet.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: You are smoldering.
HAMMER: That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I am A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Thanks for watching. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
END
