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Showbiz Tonight
Encore Presentation: Showbiz Tonight Reviews the Best of 2006
Aired January 01, 2007 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: Tonight, the best in SHOWBIZ 2006. Headline Prime`s very own Nancy Grace makes the cut, with an on-set surprise that made Richard Simmons weak in the knees. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
SIBILA VARGAS, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT names the most controversial celebrity of 2006. I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: Tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the out of control paparazzi craziness. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT stays up all night long and we take you along for an exclusive and wild ride with the king of the paparazzi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s a performance sport. You either get the photos or you don`t.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The incredible lengths celebrity photographers will go to to get that money shot. But are they out of control?
Tonight why we say curvy is in and skinny is out. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes a stand saying, once and for all, ridiculous super skinny stars have got to go. Tonight the SHOWBIZ Weight Watch that`s making women everywhere say, right on.
VARGAS: Hello everyone. I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Buckle your seat belt, because we are about to take you on a wild ride. It is a ride to the incredible stories and interviews of 2006, the best in SHOWBIZ. And what better way to begin than the night we stayed up all night with the so-called king of the paparazzi as he went on a big game mission to hunt down Hollywood`s biggest stars. Here is our own Brooke Anderson with a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
E.L. WOODY, PAPARAZZI: I think I see a Rolls Royce here. Let me see who`s here.
ANDERSON (voice-over): It`s just another night for Hollywood`s most famous paparazzi, E.L. Woody. By the end of tonight, as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT rode along, he`ll have captured shots of Kirsten Dunst, Lindsay Lohan and Ashlee Simpson. We`ll show you how that played out in a moment.
But first, who is E.L. Woody? He let SHOWBIZ TONIGHT into his world.
WOODY: I had predicted that there would be no wedding. I`m eating in the right place at the right time. I get the night they broke up.
ANDERSON: We`re inside Woody`s home office in Hollywood. And the shots he`s pointing to have all shown up in hundreds of magazines across the globe.
WOODY: Here`s a good one: "Jamie`s (ph) sexy wild night with Bill Clinton."
This was Kiefer with a stripper that I got up on the Sunset Strip. Here`s the Britney wedding. You know, isn`t it strange how everybody knows about everything?
ANDERSON: Here`s the secret. Woody says many of those photos are planned. He says the paparazzi is called when a star wants to get some publicity.
WOODY: That`s what we do. Here`s when the phone rings, then run, fast as we can where we`re going, at a legal speed.
ANDERSON: He got a call that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes would be at Los Angeles hot spot The Ivy. Here`s the shot he caught. He claims it was all staged.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When`s the big day, Tom?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re just stalling (ph).
ANDERSON: But it`s the exclusive photos, the ones no one else has, that make the most money. And Woody has gotten many. He calls himself the king of the paparazzi.
WOODY: It`s a performance sport. You either get the photos or you don`t. If you get them, then you`re the top guy.
ANDERSON: To be the top guy, you need to know what`s club is hot what night of the week. And that`s constantly changing. It`s 11 p.m., and it`s time to Cruise, and he`s taking SHOWBIZ TONIGHT along.
WOODY: We`re going to take a Cruise of the hot Sunset Strip.
You really have to be economical in how you use your time in this business. The real secret is to go out for 20 minutes and get the right exclusive photograph of a desirable star doing something that will sell.
ANDERSON: Woody`s gotten some of his best shots on the Sunset Strip.
WOODY: Fire water and actors is like fire water and everybody else. You just never know what you`re going to get.
I got Mick Jagger coming out of the Body Shop strip club right here one night. That made me some money.
Here comes the Roxy in the Rainbow Room. That`s where I got a picture of Christina Aguilera in a little -- a little sexy outfit, the lingerie with the whip was right there.
I got people everywhere that call me and give me tips. This is the business of information.
ANDERSON: Woody has had the same phone number for 15 years. He says everybody knows it and everybody calls it. Woody gets a call. We don`t know from whom.
WOODY: What`s going on? Hello, I`m heading up to Hollywood Boulevard. Why don`t you guys come up there?
ANDERSON: It`s midnight, and now we`re heading to L.A. hot spot Nuked (ph). It`s new, and Woody says it probably won`t be hot for long.
WOODY: We`re going right down the middle of the Walk of Fame.
ANDERSON: Woody sees someone from the club.
WOODY: What`s up, man? How you doing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good.
WOODY: What`s going on?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How did that work out the other night for you?
WOODY: Which one?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paris.
WOODY: You know, like always, Paris is great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good.
WOODY: Anybody here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes. Yes.
WOODY: I`m ready.
Everybody wins when we get a picture. The store they`re shopping in, the club they`re partying in, the celebrity, the project they`re working on. We get a couple of bucks, too. It works great for everybody.
If they`re in line, they`re not important.
ANDERSON: Woody meets one of his photographers. After 30 years in the business, he has a handful of employees.
WOODY: This is Henry. He`s my videographer. He`s the guy that Tommy Lee threw down and broke his pelvis in four places. You can see he`s still out here shooting. The bravest guy you`ll ever see.
ANDERSON: Here`s the video shot that night. It`s a dangerous business.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, Tommy.
TOMMY LEE, MUSICIAN: (expletive deleted)
WOODY: Tommy came at him and attacked him. He never said a word to him. He just came out and found the smallest guy in the crowd and threw him down and broke his pelvis. One of 20 different photographers out there. But he was the smallest one in the whole crowd.
ANDERSON: But those famous images don`t come easily.
WOODY: A lot of this business is just standing around, being bored.
ANDERSON: But here comes a car.
WOODY: Let me see what`s going on here now.
ANDERSON: It`s Kirsten Dunst.
WOODY: There`s not a star in the world that wants to get out of the car and not be recognized by the crowd, even though they`re not going to pose. Let`s see what we got.
ANDERSON: Here`s the secret: Woody says the shot is not worth anything unless there is another celebrity in the picture.
WOODY: If it`s her and Brad, however, I`d be right at the front.
ANDERSON: The paparazzi swarms the club tonight, but so do fans, waiting to get their shots.
WOODY: So who are you guys looking for? Who do you think is going to be here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lohan, Jessica Simpson.
ANDERSON: Another car approaches. It`s Ashlee Simpson.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you so much. I go to all your concerts.
WOODY: Look up! Look up! Hello, gorgeous!
They need us more than we need them.
Well, it`s starting now.
ANDERSON: It`s after 12, and the action has begun.
WOODY: Here we go.
ANDERSON: Here comes Lindsay Lohan. She`s no stranger to the paparazzi. She poses for the photographers.
WOODY: That was Lindsay Lohan, the troublemaker of the week.
ANDERSON: But Kirsten, Lindsay and Ashlee don`t make a good night.
WOODY: They`re all absolutely worthless photos, every single one of them. Had one of them shown up with a guy, it might have been worthwhile. But you know, a photo of a star alone is worth 10 bucks, tops.
ANDERSON: But the night`s not over. There still could be some action ahead.
WOODY: Hey, we`re on Hollywood Boulevard, folks. Red light`s flashing, something`s going on. If we`re in luck, it`s a movie star being arrested somewhere.
ANDERSON: We`ll find out in the morning.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Well, A.J. we couldn`t look back at 2006 without talking about controversy -- the good, the bad and the ugly -- coming up from Mel Gibson to Anna Nicole to Britney Spears, there were lots of choices. We`ll tell you who we named the most controversial celebrity of 2006. That`s ahead at 44 after the hour.
HAMMER: Also tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT declares super skinny is out. Curvy is in. We salute stars who aren`t giving in to the pressure to be rail thin. We also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD SIMMONS, WEIGHT LOSS GURU: Oh, my god. Oh, my god. Oh, my god.
HAMMER: Here come the tears.
SIMMONS: Oh, my god!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Oh my god, a very dramatic moment when Headline Prime`s very own Nancy Grace made a surprise appearance on our set. That`s still ahead on the best in SHOWBIZ.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, best in SHOWBIZ. Danny Bonaduce started out as a child star, but it`s his battle with addiction that has plagued his career and his marriage. Danny, and his wife Gretchen, married seven hours into their first date. Sixteen years later their marriage is full of drama, much of it is played out on their VH1 reality show, Breaking Bonaduce.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson sat down with Danny and Gretchen Bonaduce and it was an unforgettable interview that eve Danny agreed was the perfect fit for TV`s most provocative entertainment show.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANNY BONADUCE, ENTERTAINER: We said this was the most provocative entertainment show, I didn`t realize until probably you introduced us. We are provocative.
ANDERSON: Indeed it is. You`re very provocative.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: And that`s why you`re - that`s why you`re here.
And - and Danny, I want to ask you, you`ve always been very open about your addiction.
D. BONADUCE: Right.
ANDERSON: But now you guys are also very open about troubles in your marriage.
D. BONDAUCE: Right.
ANDERSON: Why in the world would you want to put yourself out there like that? So - so many people would say, That`s so personal, that`s so private.
GRETCHEN BONADUCE, DANNY BONADUCE`S WIFE: Well, I really wanted to help people. And I thought we had a tremendous opportunity to do that. And I also felt like if we didn`t stay honest and we tried to whitewash it, we wouldn`t help anybody.
And so I felt like we should keep it all in and keep it real. And that`s what we did.
ANDERSON: Yes, a lot of people can probably identify.
D. BONADUCE: And I did it for the money. I actually, 100 percent - I did it for the cash.
ANDERSON: That`s it.
D. BONADUCE: I can put that money, you get to see everything you want to see. And they said to me, they - they asked me to do a couple things - they were scared to ask me. And I said, Listen, I`ll make you a bet. I said, I`ll do something that you won`t have the guts to put on television well before you ask me to do something I won`t do.
And the show turned into, I must admit, insanity.
G. BONADUCE: Yes.
D. BONADUCE: And did have ramifications (INAUDIBLE) that were rather serious. But I - you know, in the long run, Gretchen turned out to be right. We`re on MySpace - and this is the weirdest thing - I would - how many letters do you think we get a day after a show airs? Hundreds in a day?
G. BONADUCE: Oh probably. Hundreds. And.
ANDERSON: And - and you say you get you advice when you`re out in public, too. People..
(CROSSTALK)
D. BONADUCE: Oh constantly. But the letters I get - because it`s anonymous - I get - I got one today - this morning from a 16-year-old who`s been cutting herself.
ANDERSON: Oh no.
D. BONADUCE: .since she was 13. And she wants to know my opinion. Apparently somehow, I have gotten to be - if you have a huge problem, I must know something about it. I get - these - these letters - I mean, it was getting too depressing. I had to put some funny messages up just to change it. I got 200 letters that start like this - almost all of them - Dear Danny, I love husband very much, but every time he drinks, he beats me. What do you think I should do?
And at first, I just - they were so sad, I started to weep. And I came up to my wife, and I said, I am not qualified for this.
ANDERSON: Well, I think a lot of people can probably identify.
G. BONADUCE: They do.
D. BONADUCE: Apparently they do.
ANDERSON: With struggles in general.
G. BONADUCE: Absolutely.
ANDERSON: You know? And that.
G. BONADUCE: We - just get so much mail. And I feel vindicated that we did help people.
D. BONADUCE: Yes.
G. BONADUCE: Because I`m certain in the beginning, the producers were totally, Oh, you`re so cute with your little reality show, going to help people.
D. BONADUCE: And we have.
G. BONADUCE: And - and it has. And I`m so proud of it.
D. BONADUCE: Proof positive. We get - we get mail all the time.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: It`s been turbulent, as a lot of people`s lives are very turbulent.
Danny, you were in rehab. Gretchen kicked you out of the house. But then what? You`re back in the house, but in the guest house, right?
D. BONADUCE: In the guest room, yes.
ANDERSON: In the guest room.
What`s it been like for you?
G. BONADUCE: Difficult.
D. BONADUCE: Difficult at the very least, you know? But when things come down to getting too difficult, I`ve been known to take matters in hand, and that`s exactly what I did.
And got very comfortable down in the guest room until, you know, I finally worked my way back into her affections. I am now sober for the longest time in my entire life.
ANDERSON: Congratulations.
D. BONADUCE: And - thank you very much. I appreciate that.
I still don`t feel qualified to give out all this advice. So I don`t really do it. I tell them what I would do, but I also tell them, I`ve been failing at getting sober now for 10 years.
ANDERSON: Right.
D. BONADUCE: Keep them in mind.
ANDERSON: Yes. Well - well - well.
D. BONADUCE: But Gretchen and our pastor both said - and this freaked me out - this was - I was surprised at this answer. They said, How do you know this wasn`t your calling the whole time? Like, dude, I`m a clown for a - I`m a juggling bear.
ANDERSON: It`s something to think about though.
D. BONADUCE: It`s too much to think about.
G. BONADUCE: But I - I think it`s very true.
ANDERSON: Yes.
G. BONADUCE: You know, I think that Danny has been put in a - in a position to help a lot of people because he`s been there. You know, a lot of people that are psychiatrists, they haven`t had the drug problems or the alcohol problems. And I think for someone like Danny to have gone down that road, really has some very good advice on how to not go there.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Well, and speaking of helping people, you know, you have a perspective of someone who still struggles to keep it under control.
D. BONADUCE: That`s the point exactly.
ANDERSON: Yes, and your partying.
D. BONADUCE: If I had my way, we`d be doing this interview really drunk, and then I`d try to talk that lady into sex.
ANDERSON: But luckily, we`re not doing it that way.
G. BONADUCE: Exactly.
ANDERSON: And you`ve been sober - exactly.
(CROSSTALK)
D. BONADUCE: Those days are over.
ANDERSON: But, you know, you started your partying when you were very young. Some, you know, of what you`ve learned over the years when you see young Hollywood stars carrying on like they have been recently - Britney, Lindsay, Nicole - when you look at them, do you see a bit of yourself out there?
D. BONADUCE: No. First of all, there`s not nearly enough Nicole Richie to see a bit of myself in.
But no, I don`t. I never took the celebrity - I have - I have a lot of problems because I`m really rich and famous. You know, I look at a real skinny girl who`s getting real high and getting in trouble, and I think, That`s too bad. Chad (ph) too far.
I don`t know. I just can`t raise it up to care a whole lot about a really rich girl who won`t snack. Now I know it`s a disease. It`s one of the few maladies I`ve never had, so maybe I`m unsympathetic. But I`m telling you, there are bigger problems in the world than Nicole Richie, and I care about them.
ANDERSON: Gretchen, what advice would you give to those stars? Because you`ve learned a lot through.
G. BONADUCE: Right.
ANDERSON: .seeing Danny struggle.
G. BONADUCE: I feel so bad for them, because so many people would trade places with them in a minute. You know, they`ve got the world at their feet. And to throw it away like that is amazing.
And I don`t understand how people that own bars out here - they know they`re underage. I don`t understand why they let them in. That`s (INAUDIBLE) to me.
ANDERSON: Yes. Lindsay Lohan, 20 years old.
(CROSSTALK)
D. BONADUCE: Because Lindsay Lohan is good for business.
I - I will tell you this: the thing that I couldn`t get out of my head, because I - I really have no emotional interest in Nicole Richie at all. I don`t want to know her.
ANDERSON: We have established that.
D. BONADUCE: I don`t - I don`t want to go to the place she goes.
ANDERSON: Right.
D. BONADUCE: I don`t want to hang out with the people she hangs out with. But I`m a huge fan of her father`s. And when I heard the news.
ANDERSON: As I am.
D. BONADUCE: I could not shake the idea of seeing Lionel Richie sitting down at the piano playing piano at his daughter`s funeral.
ANDERSON: He`s (INAUDIBLE).
D. BONADUCE: That - that - that`s the picture that`s in my mind.
ANDERSON: Well he`s a father, and - and you`re a father. You know, you have (INAUDIBLE)
(CROSSTALK)
D. BONADUCE: An extra-strength Vicodin, which is what she had taken - I believe she said she took three - they are this big. That is not a third of her body weight.
ANDERSON: Yes.
D. BONADUCE: OK, she can`t live through this kind of behavior.
G. BONADUCE: And I`m just happy she didn`t hurt someone, you know? I mean, going the wrong way.
D. BONADUCE: She did hurt someone.
G. BONADUCE: Well, I know. But, you know, it could have been much worse.
D. BONADUCE: She hurt every teenage - she hurt every teenage girl that looks up to her. She hurt her father. She hurt a lot of people.
Just because I happen to be a recovering alcoholic and a drug addict doesn`t mean I have a lot of sympathy for us.
ANDERSON: Right.
D. BONADUCE: I think - I - I believe somewhat in the medical theory that I have a disease that I can`t help. But I also, at some point have to realize, there are things that I do that are a blatant lack of character. And if I were a better man, I wouldn`t have done them.
And so it`s hard for me, if I`m going to be this hard on myself, to be any easier on anybody else that has everything going for them and is going to throw it away. Because I got to tell you right now.
ANDERSON: Understandable.
D. BONADUCE: I don`t know exactly what Nicole Richie actually does for a living. But I`m telling you this: the clock`s ticking fast on her 15 minutes. And if you think being rich and famous is a good reason to take drugs, wait till you`re 24 and nobody cares who you are.
ANDERSON: From someone`s who`s been.
D. BONADUCE: You`ll be taking bowls of Vicodin like - like breakfast cereal.
ANDERSON: From someone`s who`s been through a lot. Yes.
D. BONADUCE: From someone`s who`s been there.
ANDERSON: Well.
D. BONADUCE: I used - I - you know, I was on "The Partridge Family," and then I lived between the drMD+IN_rMDNM_umpsters at Grauman`s Chinese.
ANDERSON: Yes.
D. BONADUCE: So I`m telling you, the famous life is a little bit...
ANDERSON: It`s understandable. And at least you recognize.
D. BONADUCE: Yes.
ANDERSON: You know, the - the issues that you`re dealing with. Congratulations on your sobriety.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: We are going to have to end it there.
D. BONADUCE: I didn`t mean to be mean. I`m pleased (INAUDIBLE), I would love to help you.
ANDERSON: Danny and Gretchen Bonaduce, thank you so much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Well, A.J., we took the lead in 2006. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT declared our love for flabby men, and we also love you too, A.J. And Hollywood was listening. That story is still ahead. And we also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIMMONS: Oh, my god. Oh, my god. Oh, my god.
HAMMER: Here come the tears.
SIMMONS: Oh, my god.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Priceless come to mind, Richard Simmons in rare form. It was a bit of a dramatic moment when Headline Prime`s very own Nancy Grace made a surprise appearance on our set. You won`t want to miss this.
VARGAS: And the emotional interview that had all of us reaching for the kleenex. American Idol Kellie Pickler opens up about the mother who abandoned her. It`s the interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, best in SHOWBIZ. It was certainly one of our favorite stories of 2006. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT declaring that flabby men are fabulous. Now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the proof, in Hollywood and right there on the big screen, the whole buff body thing, it`s out. Flab is in.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL FERRELL, ACTOR: Hey honey!
HAMMER (voice-over): OK, listen up: that right there, gentlemen, is now sexy in Hollywood.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is here to tell you: chiseled, buff bodies are out. And let`s see, how do we say that? Man flab is in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man flab is in?
HAMMER: Yes, it`s in. Trust us. From real life to show business...
JACK BLACK, ACTOR: Keep up if you can.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right.
HAMMER: Men with more in the middle are making a comeback.
That`s right. Just listen to this guy. He`s the author of "The Average American."
KEVIN O`KEEFE, AUTHOR, "THE AVERAGE AMERICAN": The average American wants to see an average-bodied person on the big screen without a doubt, because they see men that are trim, and they think that those men are spending too much time in the gym, not enough time with their female mates. And women don`t want guys that are weighing less than they are.
BLACK: Big dudes...
HAMMER: Love handles are taking hold in Hollywood.
Just look at this summer`s blockbusters. You`ve got Jack Black in "Nacho Libre"; Tom Hanks in "The Da Vinci Code"; and Vince Vaughn in "The Break-Up."
VINCE VAUGHN, ACTOR: I don`t have any idea what`s happening.
HAMMER: What do they have in common? A leading man with a little more, well, substance.
O`KEEFE: And that`s part of the Vince Vaughn attractiveness, is that he`s a guy who looks like can go - go out and have a good time, have a few beers, have a few burgers. But not go crazy. Not to obesity land. Love the Bond guy.
HAMMER: OK, he loves him. But do you?
We sent out SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producer Kerri Hill (ph) to find out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You didn`t know man flab is in?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn`t know that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, are you happy about it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not particularly, no.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`re won over by a couple extra pounds?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. It`s nice to have a little flab, a little cushiness to sleep on. It`s always nice to see somebody and say, Hey, you know what? I could - I could get that, you know?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Man flab is in. What does that do for you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s really gross.
HAMMER: OK, so it looks like the jury is still out on this one. But let us tell you, there is a certain security that comes with someone who`s carrying a few extra pounds.
O`KEEFE: There`s a certain security and a - and a certain level of caring that - that comes with this person that is average, and that has a little bit of a midsection. It`s that that person isn`t spending enough time - is spending too - isn`t spending too much time in the gym, isn`t spending too much time worrying about themselves.
HAMMER: Yes, just take it from this guy. He just finished a hot dog when we caught up with him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got to have a little extra (INAUDIBLE) something to hold onto, you know what I mean? You can`t be all skin and bones. I think that stuff - yes, that`s old.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don`t want him to have a flatter stomach than us.
O`KEEFE: I truly believe that this is the century of the average American, and that Hollywood is just starting to catch up. I mean, you could say it`s shaping up to be the true century of the average man. Literally shaping as far as the midsection in Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: You know, it wasn`t just men as the focus of this body image debate. 2006 became the year of curves. Coming up, a salute to the female stars who didn`t give in to the rail-thin Hollywood mold. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIMMONS: Oh, my god. Oh, my god. Oh, my god.
HAMMER: Here come the tears.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Yes, he`s a little excited. A very dramatic moment when Headline Prime`s very own Nancy Grace made a surprise appearance on our set. Richard Simmons in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: I`m starting to get weepy thinking about that already. A lot of people got weepy seeing this picture. We couldn`t look back at 2006 without talking about controversy. From Mel Gibson to Anna Nicole to Britney Spears, there were lots of choices. We`re going to tell you who we named the most controversial celebrity of 2006. That`s coming up.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. This is a special edition of TV`s most provocative entertainment news show: "The Best in SHOWBIZ 2006."
HAMMER: Well, in 2006, we introduced "The SHOWBIZ Weight Watch," and all year we covered of Hollywood and body image like nobody else. We took a stand: we are sick and tired of super-skinny models and actors sending a horrible message to their fans - especially kids who look up to them as role models.
So listen up, Hollywood, because we are saying shapely is super.
Here`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Listen up, Hollywood: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s here to tell you size really does matter. And we are officially declaring that we have had it with super-skinny stars like Nicole Richie and Kate Bosworth sending a terrible message. It`s time to salute the women who are comfy with their curves -- women like Jessica Simpson, Penelope Cruz and Beyonce Knowles, who loves her curves so much she wrote a hit song about them.
(SINGING)
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s A.J. Hammer sat down with Beyonce, who told him how she handles all the pressure to be thin.
HAMMER: You seem to have a real healthy attitude.
BEYONCE KNOWLES, ENTERTAINER: Yes.
HAMMER: ...about body image.
KNOWLES: You have to love yourself. And, you know, every one has their own personal body weight that -- that is their natural body weight and that looks good on them. And you have to accept that. Some people are naturally thin; some people are naturally -- naturally curvy.
ANDERSON: And you can`t mention curvy without talking about Beyonce`s co-star in "Dreamgirls," Jennifer Hudson.
(SINGING)
ANDERSON: Just like Beyonce, the former "American Idol" contestant combines confidence and curves -- two things we just can`t get enough of.
JENNIFER HUDSON, SINGER: It`s about feeling good about yourself, not about who - I mean, if -- if it feels good to be a size 0, then be that size 0. Whatever you makes you feel good. But don`t do it for somebody else.
I`ve been hearing it all my life, but it`s - it`s nothing wrong. I - I`m - I`m satisfied. I like -- I like my thickness. I rather be thick any day.
ANDERSON: The message that "bony is beautiful" seems to be everywhere in Hollywood. Just look at Nicole Richie, who at just over 5 feet tall, admits to weighing an alarming 85 pounds.
Then there`s the incredibly shrinking Kate Bosworth, who has gone from fit and fab in "Blue Crush" to frighteningly thin following her starring role in "Superman Returns."
The message that these women send have a terrible influence on young women everywhere, who go to so-called "thinspiration" Web sites and try to emulate their favorite stick-thin stars. One study reveals 80 percent of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat -- 80 percent.
SHERYL CROW, MUSICIAN: I`m - I`m a real advocate of health, and a - health first, obviously. You know, I love being fit. I -- I don`t think skinny is beautiful.
ANDERSON: Jennifer Lopez goes down as one of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s all- time favorite curvy celebrities. We`ve always given her credit for flaunting her hourglass figure, and giving women a new reason to love the bodies they`re in.
GWYNETH PALTROW, ACTRESS: You -- you want to sort of set a good example for young women who aspire to body shapes that they see.
ANDERSON: That`s why we want to see more women like Mariah Carey and Scarlett Johansson. More women like America Ferrera, the beautiful star of ABC`s hit show "Ugly Betty."
AMERICA FERRERA, ACTRESS: (INAUDIBLE) what I really thought, because the (INAUDIBLE) looked great the way she was.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT just loves the message that America sends to all Americans: that family, hard work and hope make you beautiful, not your weight.
FERRERA: Oh, I think that the important part is to show the differences in life and the differences of -- of the different definitions of what beautiful is and what woman is and -- you know, and -- and I think that for every negative image out there, there`s got to be two positives images to counteract that.
ANDERSON: We couldn`t agree more. That`s why we are asking Hollywood to embrace women with meat on their bones -- women like Jennifer, Beyonce and Mariah, who show us how perfect curvy can be.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Well, like the beautifully curvy Jennifer Hudson, there has no shortage of success stories from "American Idol" in 2006. After finishing sixth in season five on "American Idol," Kellie Pickler released her very first, very personal album, called "Small Town Girl."
In an emotional interview with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson, Pickler broke down in tears as she talked about her mother, who abandoned when she was only 2 years old. She also told us what she loves most about her newfound fame.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLIE PICKLER, SINGER: It`s amazing. I went from a roller skating waitress at Sonic, roller skating burgers out for a living. And went from that to finally living out my dream, you know, and being a part of "American Idol." And it`s just - it`s - it`s everything and more that I could hope that it had been. So.
ANDERSON: What`s the best part and the worst part of living your life in the spotlight?
PICKLER: The best part is that for once in my life, you know, for once in my life -- I know I haven`t lived a very long life, but, you know, for 20 years, you know -- I wouldn`t necessarily say that I was a really depressed person, but, like, I was miserable because I was not doing what I loved, you know?
And so, for once in my life, I`m just so happy. And I`m just so content with everything. And I`m just so at peace with everything. And I`m just really happy. So I guess that`s the best thing about everything is that I`m finally happy. And I have a job that I love. I wake up every morning and I can`t wait to go to.
ANDERSON: That`s great to hear. That`s great to hear.
PICKLER: It`s awesome.
ANDERSON: On your album, you have a lot of very personal songs. And one of them is called, "I Wonder." And it talks about dealing with the absence of your mother your entire life. She abandoned you when you were just 2 years old.
PICKLER: Yes.
ANDERSON: Let`s take a moment to listen to that for a second.
PICKLER: All right.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
(SINGING)
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The only thing you ever gave to me at all, these brown eyes. The song brought tears to my eyes the first time I listened to it. It must have been incredibly difficult - you`re crying right now. I know, it`s hard.
PICKLER: I`m sorry.
ANDERSON: It`s hard.
How difficult was it to sing about your mother and what you went through?
PICKLER: It was really hard.
ANDERSON: Yes.
PICKLER: I really...
ANDERSON: It`s OK.
PICKLER: I think it`s -- probably, it was definitely the hardest album - the song on the album to record. And I - it`s sad that I have to sing those words. And it was a hard choice for me to make.
But, you know, I think it`s just important that, you know, with the fans, you know, that I`m honest with them as much as I am with myself. And, you know, I just -- I wanted this album to be about my life. And I`m trying to put a piece of my life into each one of these songs. And yes, that was the hardest song to do. Sorry.
ANDERSON: That`s OK. It`s understandable.
PICKLER: But I think that -- you know, we all have, like, obstacles that we have to overcome in life. And we can either choose to dwindle down that same path, you know, or we can choose to be a witness for other people that might be going through the same problems. So.
ANDERSON: That`s a great way to look at it.
PICKLER: You know, if I could -- if this album -- regardless if it sells one copy or 10 million copies, if the one little boy or one little girl that bought this album, if it touches their life, and, you know, lets them know that - that I`m relatable to them and that it`s OK and it`s not their fault of - of their -- you know, you don`t choose your parents. You don`t choose your family.
And I, you know, I just -- I just want to be a witness for other people that are going through the same problems. And yes, it was really hard to put that on the - on the album. But there - you know, for once in my life, I`m not ashamed of where I came from. I`m very happy to say, I`m Kellie Pickler. And, you know what I mean? This is me.
ANDERSON: Accept me.
PICKLER: Yes. And everyone knew it from "Idol." You know, they -- that was a big part of the show. And so everyone knew pretty much the basics of my life.
And I just felt that was important to reflect on the album. That way, you know, the fans, they invest money in us as artists. You know, they -- they`re the ones that buy our albums and sell out our concerts, and you know, pitch tents in front of "The View," or whenever we`re going to be there, you know? Just to see us. And it`s just important that, you know, I`m honest with them like I am with myself. And.
ANDERSON: And I`m sure they appreciate that.
PICKLER: Yes, because, I mean, I just -- I think it`s great when they get to know me more on an intimate, personal level. And you know, I mean, I just -- it`s really important to me. And this album -- if I can describe it in two words -- I can`t say one, because it`s two words, it`d be an open book of my life.
And it - and it really is. And all the songs were very personal to me. From, you know, "Red High Heels" is fun and sassy, to, "I Wonder," and "My Angel," the song that I write to my grandmother. And, you know - I`m just - I`m really proud. And.
ANDERSON: You should be.
PICKLER: It`s a storybook of my life. And.
ANDERSON: You should be proud. It is very admirable that you`re so open and honest. And I wish we had a tissue.
A tissue anybody? Here we go.
Here`s a tissue right here.
Well let me ask you this. You`re good friends with Katharine McPhee...
PICKLER: Yes.
ANDERSON: ...who was also on "American Idol" with you, a fellow finalist. And - and after "Idol" ended, she revealed that she struggled with bulimia.
PICKLER: Yes.
ANDERSON: It was - it was a big surprise to us.
Were you as surprised or were you aware of that?
PICKLER: I knew about it because Kat and I were really -- I mean, it was crazy, like, the short amount of time that Kat and I knew each other, we bonded like sisters. And honestly, I still look at her like a big sister. And I miss her. I haven`t seen her since the tour ended.
But we talk. She`s called me today. She called me yesterday, you know, because the album came out, and just to congratulate me. And we are just so happy for each other. We`ve been with each other since the beginning of "Idol." And it`s exciting to watch each other grow.
And, you know, we just -- I can`t wait to get in line at stores and buy her album. And I - she`s already bought mine. And so it`s just.
ANDERSON: You`re supportive of one another.
PICKLER: We`re very supportive of each other.
ANDERSON: And she`s doing great now?
PICKLER: She is doing great. And, you know, I think that it`s -- it`s so common these days for...
ANDERSON: Again, it`s so admirable that she is honest.
(CROSSTALK)
PICKLER: And it`s important because, you know, like I`m a witness for people that might grow up without their parents...
ANDERSON: She`s a witness as well.
PICKLER: She`s a witness as well for people that are dealing with eating disorders.
ANDERSON: Well, Kellie Pickler...
PICKLER: It`s so common these days, you know? With guys and women.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Well, since its release in October, Kellie Pickler`s album, "Small Town Girl," hit the Top 10 of Billboard`s Top Country Albums chart. Go girl.
HAMMER: Well, 2006 will definitely go down as a year for star scandals. Mel Gibson and Michael Richards went on racial rants. Anna Nicole Smith had lots of drama in the Bahamas.
But who will SHOWBIZ TONIGHT name as the most controversial celebrity of 2006? You`ll find out next.
We`ll also have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD SIMMONS, FITNESS GURU: Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh - oh my God!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT makes a dream come true for Richard Simmons. It`s one of our favorite interviews of 2006, coming up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stand by to your break. Roll it now, and effect black.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Music under. Stand by, Sibila. Open 7. Dissolve L.A. Go.
VARGAS: Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Best in SHOWBIZ."
From Britney to Mel to Tom Cruise, in 2006 the biggest stars provoked some of the biggest controversies we`ve ever seen in a single year in Hollywood. But who was the most controversial?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has gone through all of 2006 headline makers -- and believe me, there were a lot of them - and picked one and only one star as the most controversial celebrity of 2006.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson tells us who it is.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Marriages and breakups and crazy racist rants.
ANDERSON (voice-over): 2006 was one big year for celebrity controversy. You had Mel Gibson and Michael Richards` racial rants, Tom Cruise`s continued flirtation with total career self-destruction and Anna Nicole Smith`s never-ending string of dramas.
FRANGELINA, COMIC DUO: Just a cornucopia of wrong and crazy!
ANDERSON: But even with all of those celebs and all that controversy, there was one person who was unrivaled for generating jaw- dropping headlines all year long.
Which is why SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of 2006 is Britney Spears.
FRANGELINA: Oh, Britney.
ANDERSON: No matter how you slice it, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT says 2006 was the year of Britney. From the home videos of her that ended up all over the Web.
BRITNEY SPEARS, ENTERTAINER: I want to go watch that movie and just drink at home.
ANDERSON: . to her mommy mishaps, to her pantyless partying.
FRANGELINA: I`ve seen Britney`s (INAUDIBLE) more than my own.
ANDERSON: Celebrity watchers tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Britney Spears was all anyone could talk about in 2006.
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": I think we love Britney Spears because she is so trash-tastic.
AMY ARGETSINGER, "WASHINGTON POST": You don`t see Tara Reid getting this much attention for similarly bad behavior.
ANDERSON: Tara Reid? Amateur. This is Britney Spears` world. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tells you what it was that made us choose her as the most controversial celebrity of 2006.
For one, no one generated more discussion or outrage than Britney.
ARGETSINGER: She`s given us a lot to talk about.
ANDERSON: It all started in February, when she was photographed driving with her baby Sean Preston in her lap instead of a car seat.
Then there was her nude pregnancy photos for "Harper`s Bazaar" magazine that made headlines world wide, even in Japan.
Then came this home video of her, shot by her soon-to-be ex-husband, Kevin Federline, that was posted on the website YouTube.
SPEARS: Is that possible? To time - travel speed?
ANDERSON: That clip was recently named the most-watched celebrity Web video of the year by ViralVideoChart.com.
SPEARS: Huh?
ANDERSON: And then came the earth-shattering day that K-Fed became Fed-Ex. Britney announced her split from Federline soon after she gave birth to the couple`s second child.
Not that it surprised anyone.
FRANGELINA: Did any of us really think this was going to work out, seriously? Even the baby came out of the womb going, Yes, this ain`t going to last. I should probably stay attached to the nanny. That`s who I`m going to bond with.
Right. Right. Right.
ANDERSON: But the divorce news, which broke on Election Day, was so huge, it even knocked the Democrats` takeover of Congress off the front page.
But the best was yet to come.
ARGETSINGER: Everyone was watching, fascinated by her next step, which was to go out in public a lot, with the likes of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and other role models, and sometimes forget to wear underwear while she was getting out of cars.
ANDERSON: Oh, yes, Pantygate 2006.
Britney`s pantyless partying with Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, with her kids nowhere in sight, dominated the headlines.
FRANGELINA: Britney, Fed-Ex, K-Fed, OK?
ANDERSON (on camera): About their divorce.
FRANGELINA: And then decide to not wear any panties?
ANDERSON (voice-over): Even the formerly trouble-prone singer Courtney Love issued Britney a public tsk, tsk on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
COURTNEY LOVE, ENTERTAINER: When my daughter was -- you know, when she was under a year, I didn`t go out much.
FRANGELINA: When Courtney Love starts giving you parenting advice - - and she`s right - and she`s right -- you know you`re doing wrong. You have messed up. You have messed up.
ANDERSON: So in the end, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT chose Britney Spears as the year`s most controversial celebrity because no one could come close to matching her non-stop string of controversies that began at the start of the year and continue to this day.
PIAZZA: It wasn`t just one scandal; it was a consistency of scandal throughout 2006.
ARGETSINGER: Britney -- you know what? She had a baby. She had a divorce. She ran around a little underdressed. It`s fairly minor stuff, in terms of the annals of young Hollywood bad behavior, and -- but we were fascinated because every move and every step she makes, because she is Britney Spears.
ANDERSON: And now she`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of 2006.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, I wouldn`t really call Richard Simmons controversial. But I would definitely call him one of my favorite guests of 2006. Not only does Richard get excited about - well, every thing, but particularly helping people lose weight - he also gets really excited - I mean, really excited about meaning some of his favorite celebrities.
Richard is a huge fan of Headline Prime`s very own Nancy Grace. And wait till you see his reaction when I set up a little surprise visit for him.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: I know you`re also a huge fan of television. You enjoy watching television.
Do you watch the "NANCY GRACE" program here on Headline Prime?
SIMMONS: You better stop it right now.
HAMMER: She happens to be a big Richard Simmons fan.
SIMMONS: You better stop it.
HAMMER: Would you like to meet Nancy Grace?
SIMMONS: You better stop it right now. OK, don`t do this.
HAMMER: Because - because, Richard Simmons, we`d like to introduce you.
SIMMONS: Oh no. I can`t.
HAMMER: . to Headline Prime`s Nancy Grace.
SIMMONS: Oh no, please, don`t -- no.
HAMMER: Welcome to the program.
SIMMONS: Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh -- oh my God!
HAMMER: Here come the tears.
SIMMONS: Oh my God! Oh, hi. You`re so teeny. Oh my God!
NANCY GRACE, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: I have to tell you a story about you.
SIMMONS: Oh, my God, she`s next to me. I thought I`d never meet her because I never committed a crime.
GRACE: Listen, this weekend -- this weekend, I was on the treadmill trying to run. I made it to three miles. And I was about to quit. And you came on the Fit Channel. And you -- it showed your workout club, and you had fat people, you had regular people, you had skinny people, you had old people, regular people like me, working out. And -- and they interviewed you, and you teared up, and it made me tear up, and I ran four miles because of you.
SIMMONS: Oh, Nancy Grace is here, everybody.
HAMMER: We`re - we`re going to get you a pair of these shorts, Nancy.
(LAUGHTER)
SIMMONS: I don`t know what to say.
GRACE: I have a question. I have a question.
How do you give people hope? I try to do that, and you do it so well.
SIMMONS: You do a great job, Nancy. I watch your show.
And what`s so good about you, girlfriend, is that you love everybody and you want the truth. And that`s what I try.
I want people in 2006 to be honest with each other. I want people to be honest about their weight, how much they have to lose, their goals and their dreams.
As a little fat kid in New Orleans eating mufalattas (ph) and fried oyster sandwiches, I used to dream about what I wanted -- you know, what I wanted in life. And all I wanted to do was help people and make them laugh.
So now I`m a court jester. And that suits me fine. Look, I`m sitting next to...
HAMMER: Maybe Richard can autograph those for you.
GRACE: Would you? I called my father right before I came on the air...
SIMMONS: How is mom?
GRACE: Quick, quick, quick, make sure you turn on...
SIMMONS: How is mom?
GRACE: They`re great.
SIMMONS: OK.
GRACE: My father works out five times a week.
SIMMONS: Oh my God. Do you believe this, A.J.?
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Well, you know, you get a little New Year`s gift from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Richard.
GRACE: Can I have a kiss? Dare I ask? Wait -- just a tiny one, just on the cheek? Happy New Year.
SIMMONS: Happy New Year`s.
HAMMER: I`ve got less than 30 seconds left. Is there something you want to ask Nancy?
GRACE: OK.
SIMMONS: No questions for Nancy. I think what she does is --s help people understand a lot that they don`t understand. We sort of kind of do the same work. We try to be honest, help out, be inspired, and love all people.
HAMMER: It`s great to see you, Richard. Happy New Year to you.
SIMMONS: Oh, A.J., thank you.
HAMMER: We`ve got to wrap it up. Nancy, thanks for dropping by and making this happen.
GRACE: Thank you. And happy new year, friend.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: There - there are no words. There are no words.
The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special, "Best in SHOWBIZ," coming right back.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: .go Camera 3. Ready split. Open both mikes. And dissolve. Go.
HAMMER: Thank you, Gnarls (ph).
And that is a wrap for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I am A.J. Hammer in New York.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. Good night, every one.
HAMMER: We can`t leave you yet though.
First, a little hats off to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT staff, my heroes. These are the people who bring you TV`s most provocative entertainment news show each and every night. And I salute them all.
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