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Showbiz Tonight
"American Idol" Shocker; Brand-New Jon and Kate Debate; Patty Blagojevich to Take Husband Rod Blagojevich`s Place?; Vanessa Williams on Miss California
Aired May 21, 2009 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, an "American Idol" shocker. Tonight, Kris beats Adam even though he was the big-time favorite.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDSAY POWERS, "US WEEKLY": People are really shocked that Adam Lambert didn`t win, because he had become kind of a media darling.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Why the shocking upset? A backlash because the judges were so pro-Adam? Or was Adam just too flamboyant for America?
A brand-new Jon and Kate debate. Tonight, their marital problems, the cheating scandals. Is it right for Jon and Kate to discuss this stuff in the new season of their family-friendly reality show? Will families be turned off and tune out?
And Vanessa Williams on Miss California. Tonight, the former Miss America who lost her crown over a nude photo scandal speaks out for the first time about Carrie Prejean`s seminude photos.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
Tonight, the great big "American Idol" shocker. Tonight, explosive fallout over the vote heard across the country. The heavily favored glam rocker, Adam Lambert, loses the "Idol" crown to the dark horse, Kris Allen. You`d think we were electing a new president.
No, but pretty close. I mean, with all the unprecedented hype around Adam - the magazine covers and nonstop praise from the judges, how could he possibly lose? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT spoke with "Idol" winner Kris Allen and even he couldn`t believe it.
With more than 100 million votes cast in this election, the great "Idol" shocker is making big news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN SEACREST, HOST, "AMERICAN IDOL": Kris Allen.
HAMMER (voice-over): Kris Allen wasn`t the only one who was shocked to see that he beat favored Adam Lambert to be crowned as the new "American Idol." The news seemed to shake up the entire country.
POWERS: Everyone is saying that "American Idol" was such a shock last night.
HAMMER: Even the new "American Idol" said on stage the wrong guy won.
SEACREST: How does it feel?
KRIS ALLEN, "AMERICAN IDOL" WINNER: It feels good, man. But Adam is - I`m sorry. I don`t know what to feel right now.
HAMMER: And Kris Allen continued the Lambert-praising when he talked to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ALLEN: I`m really proud of him, and I think he deserves this just as much as I do.
HAMMER: As for Lambert, he told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he has no hard feelings. It`s very overwhelming, but it`s all positive. But while the two finalists may be cool with the final results, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and all of America are asking, what led to the great "Idol" upset of 2009?
First, there`s the provocative possibility you can`t ignore. Was there a culture clash between fans of Allen.
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A married Southern churchgoer with a boy-next-door demeanor. And Lambert.
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A flamboyant, now-polished wearing glam rocker who had some speculating that, as this "Entertainment Weekly" cover story put it, he might be gay. Lambert hasn`t discussed the issue, but Barbara Walters mentioned the possibility on "The View."
BARBARA WALTERS, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": There is this suggestion, and it has been said that Adam is gay. Did that keep people, some people from voting for him?
HAMMER: And this "Huffington Post" headline was even more blunt, "Adam Lambert loses, homophobia wins."
POWERS: People were saying that - "Blue Staters, we`re going to be voting for Adam." He was, you know, a little more flamboyant. And that the Red State conservative vote was going to Kris Allen.
HAMMER: Or there may have been a front-runner`s curse at work. Lambert`s powerhouse performances on "American Idol" had many people, including the show`s judges, all but declaring him the winner months ago. At one point, Lambert even brought harsh critic, Simon Cowell, to his feet.
SIMON COWELL, "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: I want to give you a standing ovation.
POWERS: Adam Lambert definitely could have been hurt by the backlash, by all of this talk of him being the frontrunner from the beginning.
HAMMER: "Us" magazine`s Lindsay Powers tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the apparent pre-anointment of Lambert may have allowed Allen to storm his way into the winner`s circle.
POWERS: This show is really looked at as kind of the people. And they have - Simon Cowell and all the judges from the beginning, declared Adam the winner. Well, it just felt a little premature.
HAMMER: And of course, there`s the obvious possibility - more people may have simply liked Allen better.
POWERS: Kris Allen is a little bit more mainstream in the sense that he`s pop-focused. Whereas Adam Lambert seems like he has more of a home on Broadway, kind of more classic rock.
The record that Kris Allen would make would fit in, be more popular with the music that people are buying today.
HAMMER: So, sure, Lambert is now an "American Idol" loser. But keep in mind, so is Chris Daughtry, the best-selling artist of 2007, and Jennifer Hudson, an Oscar and Grammy winner. Kris Allen tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Lambert has what it takes to join that superstar group.
ALLEN: He`s going to be a huge star. He`s going to be a megastar. He`s Adam Lambert. Everyone knows who Adam Lambert is. And I mean, he would say the same about me.
HAMMER: Actually, Kris, he did.
ADAM LAMBERT, "AMERICAN IDOL" FINALIST: I support him 100 percent. I think he`s so talented. Even more than that, I think he`s a really good person, so I`m really, really happy for him.
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HAMMER: So the "American Idol" winner and runner-up seem to feel like they`re both champions of the world. But many of the estimated 29 million people who watched the finale will be debating the results until the next "American Idol" contestant takes the stage.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So how did the biggest upset in "Idol" history happen?
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, June Sarpong, who`s a British TV personality and founder of PoliticsAndTheCity.com. In New York, Carolina Bermudez, senior editor for "In Touch Weekly."
All right. Let`s get right to the issue so many people have been buzzing about since this show ended. A lot of people are saying there`s this underlying bias going here, call it a culture clash, if you will.
On one side, you`ve got Kris Allen, very accessible, married, Christian southern boy. On the other side, the flamboyant rocker, Adam Lambert. There has been rampant speculation about his sexuality.
What do you think, Carolina? Was Adam`s image perhaps was just too polarizing? Do you think that played a factor here?
CAROLINA BERMUDEZ, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": If that`s the case, it`s really disappointing because it all comes down to this, A.J. It is a singing contest, OK? I don`t care what they`re wearing, what they look like. If they have the voice, if they have the pipes, they should win the talent show. That`s what it`s all about.
HAMMER: Yes, Carolina. Hold on, let me jump right in at you, though. Because it is a singing contest and that is something that Simon Cowell certainly always jumps in to say. But at the same time, it is about finding the next great pop star. And we all know, and you come from a music radio background, you know, a pop star - it`s the whole package.
BERMUDEZ: You`re absolutely right, A.J. But you know what? We`ve got to stop putting these cookie cutter musicians out into the music industry and welcome something that`s a little less traditional.
I mean, if you look at Adam Lambert - yes, he is amazing, vocally. Kris Allen cannot even hold a candle to him. And we followed all of the "American Idols" at "In Touch Weekly" and it`s so surprising to me that Kris Allen would win this, because there`s just not anything that exceptional about him in my opinion.
HAMMER: All right. Well, a lot of "Idol" fans are right there with you trying to wrap their heads around exactly how Adam Lambert could possibly have lost. And all right, keeping in mind it`s a singing competition, here are a couple reasons that so many people say Adam should have won.
He did give flawless performances. He had unbelievable stage presence - there is no question about that. And of course, he had undying praise from the judges, even Simon Cowell. You know, Simon not that easily impressed with most people. In fact, Simon was even telling people to vote for Adam.
What do you think, June? Do you think that the biggest reason that Adam didn`t pull it off in the end was because of the controversy surrounding, you know, him being this glam flamboyant performer?
JUNE SARPONG, BRITISH TV PERSONALITY: Actually, I don`t think so, because I think if it was that, then he wouldn`t have done well throughout the series. You know, people were still voting for him up until this point. I think what it was, was because everybody thought he was the favorite.
And I do think that maybe this year is the year of the underdog. You know, we go back to talking about Susan Boyle. You know, people are really supporting the underdog and I think that`s what Kris was. You know, it`s almost as if Kris is giving people hope in his kind of way, because he just wasn`t as good as Adam, period.
But I`ve said, because Adam was getting all the attention - everyone is huge - it was a shoo-in that Adam was going to win. America wanted the underdog to win, and that`s why he won. But I think Adam is the one who is going to have the career. If I was Adam, I wouldn`t care at all. I wouldn`t even be worrying.
HAMMER: Yes. He`s going to be a superstar. I actually think Kris is going to do terrifically well. But Adam is going to have a huge, huge career.
SARPONG: Yes. I`m sure.
HAMMER: And you`re talking about the fact, June, that all of this hype around Adam - it was just unprecedented. You had the "Entertainment Weekly" cover on the show. Singer Katy Perry actually got on stage and wore a cape with Adam`s name on it.
And then, even Simon Cowell - and this was a shocking moment in "American Idol." He gave a standing ovation to Adam.
SARPONG: I know.
COWELL: He never does this. The cards - all in Adam`s favor.
BERMUDEZ: (INAUDIBLE) it.
HAMMER: We watch it all - no, question about it. But you know, even Adam wasn`t certain he was going to win.
SARPONG: No.
HAMMER: That`s what he told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT right after what we thought was a shocking loss. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAMBERT: Well, you know, I knew it was going to be a close race. You know, I think Kris is incredibly talented and he`s a good person. So to me, it was like - OK, we know it was going to be close. Whatever happens, happens. We`ve made it this far.
We`ve got to do a really cool finale and we`re both going to get to do great things now in the future. And it`s not really about - for me, it`s not really about what happened tonight. It`s about tomorrow. It`s about next.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. All right. Listen to how humble he is, really taking that loss in stride. What do you think, Carolina? Does this clear upset set the stage for a massive "Idol" backlash?
BERMUDEZ: You know, you never know. I know a lot of people every season they`re never going to watch this show again. But the numbers are out now, A.J., and they had 29 million viewers. This was the lowest season finale ever for "American Idol."
HAMMER: Yes.
BERMUDEZ: They could be losing the theme. They`re not the juggernaut that they used to be. So I think time is going to tell, but eventually, I think people are going to get sick and tired of seeing the most talented people fall to the wayside.
HAMMER: Well, we all get some time out from "American Idol" for a few months. I think that`s pretty welcome as well. June Sarpong, Carolina Bermudez, thank you very much.
Let me turn it over to you. Our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day is this - "Kris Allen Wins `American Idol`: Did America get it right?" Let us know at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can also E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Well, America will tune in to "Jon and Kate Plus Eight," right? Or will they? Tonight, a brand-new "Jon and Kate" debate - their marital problems, their cheating scandals.
Tonight, I`m asking, is it right for Jon and Kate to discuss this stuff in the new season of their family-friendly reality show? Or will families actually tune out?
All right. Impeached Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich wasn`t allowed to do a reality show. So is he sending his wife in his place, seriously? You`ve got to hand it to this guy. Yes, somebody has to pay the bills, right?
Also, Vanessa Williams on Miss California. Vanessa had to give up her crown because of nude pictures. Tonight, for the very first time, she`s speaking out about the Miss California seminude picture controversy. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Farrah Fawcett`s son Redmond transferred to new jail to begin drug treatment. Carrie Underwood is top-earning "American Idol"; worth an estimated $14 million.
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SHANE HURLBUT, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: I was looking at the light.
CHRISTIAN BALE, ACTOR: Oh, good for you. And how was it? I hope it was (EXPLETIVE DELETED) good, because it`s useless now, isn`t it?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Christian Bale`s rant on the set of "Terminator Salvation" sparked a firestorm of controversy. So, now that the movie`s out, will the box office be Bale`s salvation?
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, the film at the center of the Christian Bale rant controversy finally hits theaters. Bale and his co-stars are hoping that all of the bad press over his on-set tirade does not turn fans away.
Will it make you want to track down Christian bale to say to him, "Oh, good for you"? Well, we`ll see. That`s not the only film you might want to check out this Memorial Day weekend.
Joining me tonight in New York, with the "Picks and Pans," "People" magazine film critic Lea Rozen.
So, big Memorial Day weekend is upon us, Lea. We`ve got to talk about "Terminator Salvation." We`ve all heard the rant. You`ve seen the movie. Lea, is it good enough to overshadow all of the controversy over the big Bale rant?
LEA ROZEN, FILM CRITIC, "PEOPLE": Hey, all is forgiven. It`s a lot of fun actually. I mean, this is - if you want to feel old, it is 25, 26 years since the first "Terminator," which is back in 1984.
This one steps right in, the John Connor character, which is the role Christian Bale plays, is now a grownup. He`s leading the fight against the machines who are in control.
You`re stepping right back into that "Terminator" mythology, which is fairly complicated. It sort of takes you a while to kind of remember what it is or decide it`s not important enough that you have really follow.
But the film does well in terms of ranking summer movies. You know, it`s not quite as good as "Star Trek" but it`s a whole lot better than "Wolverine."
HAMMER: You know, Lea, some people are worried because they think this is the first "Terminator" without Arnold. Is that true?
ROZEN: Au contraire. Arnold shows up in a digital cameo, that`s all I`m going to say.
HAMMER: Another big movie for the holiday weekend we`ve got to talk about, Lea, "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian," starring Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams - the list goes on and on.
Lea, I`ve got to tell you, I`ve seen only the trailers for it, but it actually looks funnier than the first one. Do I have that right?
ROZEN: Yes, you have that right, A.J. You are correct. You know, I`m actually - I`m surprised. The first one I just found loud and aggressive. And this one, much to my surprise - maybe it`s the ex-history major in me - I really liked.
It`s a lot of fun. It`s loosey-goosey - all these historical figures like Abe Lincoln and Amelia Earhart come to life. I think kids are going to kind of be intrigued. And if you`re really lucky, they`ll go to the biographical section of the library or at least make you drag them to the Smithsonian.
HAMMER: All right. Well, I know the next film happens to be one of your favorites. I want to go back to "Star Trek" for a moment. You mentioned it a moment ago. And we`ve talked about it before. But everybody should go and see this perfect summer movie.
ROZEN: Yes. This is a perfect holiday weekend. If you haven`t seen it once, go again. This is what you want in a summer popcorn movie - great special effects, a smart, clever script, a lot of wit, attractive young cast. And it absolutely sets up what I assume is going to be years of more "Star Trek" films.
HAMMER: Yes. Keep it coming. Lea Rozen, thanks as always. Have a great weekend.
ROZEN: You`re welcome.
HAMMER: For more "Picks and Pans," get a copy of "People" magazine on newsstands, Friday.
Well, I`m getting word that our "Showbiz on Call" phone operators are working on a blockbuster movie themselves - really. It`s called "Smooth Operator." Here`s what they got for us tonight. Tons of calls about "Jon and Kate Plus Eight."
Our viewers are just fired up over whether or not they should stop doing this reality show for the sake of their marriage and their kids.
We got a call in to "Showbiz on Call" from Pat in Florida. Pat thinks it`s time to unplug those cameras.
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CALLER: I`ve watched the show for many years, and I think it`s a great show, except - well, Kate is not the star. The children are supposed to be. I`ve never heard her say she`s sorry about anything. Her whole mantra is that everything is for her children.
I do not believe that any longer. I think it`s for Kate. She`s rude to Jon and everyone else. This is not a good thing. It`s not a good example for her kids. Think about that, Kate, and maybe turn off the camera for a minute.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thanks, Pat. I appreciate your call. We also heard from Michael calling in to "Showbiz on Call" from New Jersey. And Michael thinks Jon and Kate`s TLC show has destroyed their family.
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CALLER: Yes, I think money changes everybody. Once Jon and Kate got into their business and the reality show, I think that`s what really killed this marriage. She`s going off doing other things. She`s barely home and money will do it very time.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Michael. Thank you for your call. Please call us at "Showbiz on Call" and let us know what you think about this or anything else. The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are open all the time. This is the number - 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899. Just leave us a voicemail so we can play your call on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And your calls to "Showbiz on Call" are also now online right there on our homepage, and that is CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
I`ve got to tell you, a lot of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT viewers think Jon and Kate should put that kibosh on their show. We`re hearing it from so many people.
Here`s what has me scratching my head. Jon and Kate plan on talking about their marital problems, their cheating scandals. But "Jon and Kate Plus Eight" is a family show. Kids watch this thing. So will families actually tune out as they start getting into their alleged affairs and all that stuff? We`ve got that coming up.
Also, the incredible "Idol" shockers. You`ve got Kris beating Adam. You`ve got Bikini Girl back with, well, something brand-new. And an "Idol" judge shows off her body.
Also, we have this reality show shocker. You have impeached Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. He wasn`t allowed to do a reality show, right? So what is he doing? He`s sending his wife in his place. Seriously? You kind of got to hand it to this guy. He`s got some serious chutzpah. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Average American watches 153 hours of TV every month at home, up 1.2 percent from last year. "Gossip Girl" spin-off not picked up on the CW`s fall schedule.
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HAMMER: Oh, go ahead, feel free to stare. Brad Pitt, Angelina - A-listers doing what they do best, looking absolutely fab on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival in France.
The crowd just went wild for Brangelina at the premiere of Brad`s new movie, "Inglorious Basterds." And check out that dress Angelina is rocking. Can she believe she was pregnant with her twins at Cannes just last year?
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been right there at the 62nd Annual Cannes Film Festival. It has been some wild ride - big movies, serious glam, plenty of Hollywood A- listers. And right there on the red carpet with Brangelina, Quentin Tarantino. He directed Brad in "Inglorious Basterds." We caught up with Quentin and we go him to reveal what he likes so much about Cannes.
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QUENTIN TARANTINO, DIRECTOR: That`s what I think is so wonderful about Cannes is the fact that it`s almost like a cinematic Olympics. You know, all the great filmmakers on the planet earth, you know, whether it be from America, whether it be from England, whether it be third world countries.
If you make a movie and you can get it done in time for Cannes and it gets accepted into Cannes, you know, that`s the goal. And then all of us here, together, showing their movies against each other, critics arguing, liking, debating - all that stuff. There`s no place like it.
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HAMMER: He said Cannes - I said Cannes. It really is just a unique film festival. OK. About his very hyped movie, which is a fictional story about Jewish allied soldiers led by Pitt who will take down Hitler in World War II, Quentin says we`re going to be surprised by the finished product which Brad himself calls outrageous.
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TARANTINO: One of the things that I think is kind of fun about is - and I was kind of getting a kick as I`m like editing the movie as I`m hearing all this speculation about it`s going to be like this. It`s going to be like that. I go, "It`s not like any of those things."
But you know, part of my thing is to just throw twist and turns in the film. And you know, you`re watching a movie. You don`t quite know where it`s going. And all of a sudden something happens that makes it about this. And something happens that turns the corner and changes everything.
And I just like that type of storytelling help, you know. I think it`s engaging as opposed to images just blazing over you. You`re actually - as a viewer, you`re engaged in what`s going on in the thriller movie.
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HAMMER: "Inglourious Basterds" hits theaters on August 21st.
Time now for the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT lineup. This is what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
The "American Idol" shockers we can`t stop buzzing about. Kris beats Adam. Bikini Girl back with an all-new bikini bod. And Kara takes her clothes off.
Jon and Kate`s cheating scandals. Tonight, I`ve got to ask, if they talk about this stuff on their family-friendly show, will families tune out?
Also, Miss America speaks out about Miss California. Vanessa Williams who gave up her crown because of nude photos opens up about Carrie Prejean`s seminude photo scandal. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Chad Lowe and girlfriend Kim Painter have first child, Mabel. Fashion designer Giorgio Armani recovering after getting hepatitis from poisoning.
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HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "American Idol" shockers. The underdog upset - Kris beats Adam. Bikini Girl`s barely there showdown with Kara. The "oh, no," and "uh-oh" moments that made the season finale so shocking.
Plus, the all-new Jon and Kate debate. Their unbelievable cheating scandal is now a very real part on their family-friendly reality show. But does America really want to see the couple`s dirty laundry on TV?
Vanessa Williams on Miss California. For the very first time, the former Miss America reveals what she thinks about the seminude photo drama more than 25 years after losing her own crown over nude photos.
Plus, more stories breaking from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker."
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
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Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
Tonight, we have got reality show shockers. I`m talking brand-new twists and turns, highs and lows, the "are you kidding me" moments in reality shows that are making big news right now.
New tonight, "American Idol" shockers. Kris Allen`s surprise win, a total upset here. Plus, what`s up with Simon Cowell? Why didn`t he join the standing ovation when Allen won?
And what`s different about the Bikini Girl? I can`t quite put my finger on it.
Plus, here`s a shocker. Why the heck is the wife of ousted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich going to take his place on the reality show "I`m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here." Can somebody please explain to me how this woman is a celebrity, anyone? Viewer?
And did you hear about "Jon and Kate Plus Eight"? Jon and Kate are going to air their dirty laundry on the new season of their TLC show. They`re going to dish on their marriage woes, the cheating, everything. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT wants to know, is this really appropriate for a family show?
Joining me tonight in Hollywood, Ken Baker, who`s the executive news editor for "E!" And tonight in New York, Carolina Bermudez who`s a senior editor for "In Touch Weekly."
We must begin, Ken and Carolina, with the "American Idol" shocker, so many shocking moments. And yes, I`m going to continue to use the word "shocking" because it applies here.
Wholesome Kris Allen makes an unexpected win over glam rocker Adam Lambert. I need reactions right off the bat. Carolina, were you shocked, upset, surprised at the win here?
BERMUDEZ: A.J., I was not shocked. I feel like the writing was on the wall the past couple of weeks. You know, Simon has always supported Adam Lambert. He`s had a lot of great, you know, compliments from the judges.
And I think people kind of looked at that and said, "This guy thinks he has it in the bag. We`re going to throw him for a loop." So fact that Kris Allen hadn`t been in the bottom three for a while, I think that really said a lot about him.
But in my opinion, I don`t think that the best person won for the competition. But hey, you know, sometimes you have to lose.
HAMMER: Ken Baker, what about you? Because I`ll tell you, one guy who was certainly shocked - it was Kris Allen. He did not see this coming. He really didn`t expect it.
KEN BAKER, EXECUTIVE NEWS DIRECTOR, "E!": Yes. Kris Allen has been giving interviews saying, "I have to admit that Adam deserves it. I didn`t deserve to win." And you know what? I agree with him.
I went to a show of "American Idol" a couple weeks ago and clearly, Adam stole the show. The audience he had in the palm of his hand every time he performed.
But I think at the end of the day when you look at who`s been the most successful "American Idols" - Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. They are very main stream. And just simply, you know, Adam is not mainstream like that. And so it would make sense ultimately that he wouldn`t win.
HAMMER: Yes. He`s still going to have wild, wild success. But let me point out what I thought was another big "Idol" shocker last night. You have to check this out. Can we roll this piece of tape? Kris Allen winning "American Idol." Everybody jumps to their feet, giving a standing - look at Simon Cowell right there. He`s sitting - he looked stunned. Everybody else is on their feet. And you know, Simon is just kind of sitting there.
What the heck was going on, Carolina? You know, Simon has always been rooting for Adam Lambert. Do you think he`s being a big, old sore loser there?
BERMUDEZ: No. You know, I don`t think that he`s being a sore loser. I mean, you can practically see the steam coming out of his ears. The one thing that Simon has always done is maintain the integrity of the show. He`s always been very honest. I think that people really value his opinion, and I think he made it very clear that he did not agree with America. And that was his way of showing it.
HAMMER: He looked like the anger is just going to be enhanced from now on. All right. Here`s a nice little shocker for you. I`ve been waiting for this one all night. Hello, Bikini Girl. They brought back the "American Idol" contestant famous for trying out for the show in her bikini.
And Ryan Seacrest pointed out that we know what she`s been up to since the tryouts. You could possibly say she`s breast in show. It got even better when "Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi joined Bikini Girl onstage. Let`s roll that.
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Wow, it`s bikini madness on "American Idol." Ken, what`s up with all the "Idol" shenanigans this year? I mean, let`s face it. That was a lot of gratuitous bikini shots. And I`m not sure that they pulled that singing number off.
BAKER: Well, maybe that`s what Adam done. He should have showed more skin. You show skin, you win. But you know, Kara really - hey, she looked great. It was fun. It was very goofy. I thought, overall, it was a really entertaining great show. But it was just that the wrong guy won.
HAMMER: I like your theory. You show skin, you win. That doesn`t make any sense at all, Ken. All right. Let`s move on to another very shocking reality show moment. Ousted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich - you know, the one with the hair - his wife is filling in for him on the reality show, "I`m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here."
If you remember, a judge actually barred him from doing this show since he`s got that small matter of corruption charges to deal with. So why did his wife Patty decide to do the show? For the money, of course. Take a look at what she said on the "Today" show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATTY BLAGOJEVICH, WIFE OF ROD BLAGOJEVICH: I would say that, first and foremost, we would like to keep our commitment to NBC. And in this, you know, terrible economic time, I feel it`s necessary to go to work and help support my family. So, yes, that`s a primary reason for doing the show.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. So, she`s doing the show for the money. Carolina, let me ask you this, because it certainly still begs the question, is this woman actually a celebrity? I`m confused.
BERMUDEZ: No. Translation, that`s paying for their legal fees right there. This woman is a disposable contestant. They need a couple of those in these reality shows.
I would say she`s not going to last for the whole season. But she`s going to be one of those ones. First, Janice Dickinson will do something crazy to her, and she`ll be voted off right away. So, we won`t even need to pay attention to her.
HAMMER: All right. So, let me run down what`s going on here. They`re dropping this Illinois housewife down into the jungle to fend for herself with the likes of Janice Dickinson and Sanjaya from "American Idol." Meanwhile, her husband is being indicted for corruption, and she`s implicated in some of these allegations. Ken, that`s your reality show. You can`t make this stuff up.
BAKER: Yes. I mean, really, the reality show I want to see is Rod Blagojevich back in Illinois and like, what kind of life does he have and this woman who has to live with him?
And by the way, you said you referred to Blagojevich as the guy with the hair. I`m not convinced that it`s actually hair. I just wanted to correct you on that. It appears to be hair. We`re not sure.
But really, they`re going to have to change the name of the show to "I`m the Wife of a Guy Who is Kind of a Celebrity but Not Really, Get Me Out of Here."
HAMMER: Maybe his hair can have its own reality show if it`s indeed hair. Let`s move on to another reality show shocker, "Jon and Kate Plus Eight." Now, in the new season that`s about to begin, Jon and Kate are going to bare their souls about all their marriage woes that we`ve been seeing unfold for weeks now. And there has been a lot of buzz that Jon was cheating on Kate, Kate was cheating on Jon.
Carolina, let`s rewind a little bit to last season. This is a family show. You have parents and kids of all ages watching this thing. Is it OK for Jon and Kate to talk about this kind of stuff on really what has always been a family show?
BERMUDEZ: I don`t think so. I think they may want to shy away from that subject if they were smart. I mean, how are you going to explain to little Billy what a sex tape is and why Kate and Jon fighting about that, you know. Not exactly what you want to be watching with your little son or daughter.
And it`s not family television. That`s the only thing that I think they can get into the marital infidelity issue. But as far as going into the cheating scandal and everything, I think that`s taking it a little bit too far.
HAMMER: Yes. Ken Baker, what do you think? I mean, because through all of this talk over the past few weeks about all of their problems and all of this alleged scandal, it really seems like it has gotten away from the family-friendly aspect of the show.
BAKER: Well, really. I mean, the show was never glossed-over Pollyanna. This show always showed the gritty side of what it means to raise that many kids in a family and it was really harsh and ugly.
In fact, I was just there in Pennsylvania. I spent two days looking into all this. And I have to tell you that people around there are just sort of not surprised that things aren`t really working out perfectly for this family because they`ve seen the train wreck happening in their neighborhood for the last several years.
HAMMER: Yes. And actually, we have seen quite a bit of that on the TV show in the past as well. Ken Baker, Carolina Bermudez, thank you both.
And you can catch the all-new "E! News" special all about Jon and Kate that`s going to on "E!" on Friday, May 29th.
So, we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Kris Allen Wins `American Idol`: Did America get it right?" Keep voting at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Tonight, a former Miss America reveals that she thinks Donald Trump got it right by not firing Miss California. For the very first time, Vanessa Williams opening up about Miss California`s seminude photo scandal. This is more than 25 years after her own nude photo shocker cost her the crown.
Plus, Michelle Obama on why her family life is better than ever and it`s all because of her new address. We go behind the scenes of the White House and find out what the president calls "Michelle time."
And Robert Downey Jr. taking a trip back in time and taking us along for the incredible thrill-a-minute ride. We`ve got your showbiz first look at "Sherlock Holmes." This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Steven Spielberg`s MLK, Jr. film on hold as kids of civil rights hero work out deal. Will Smith to produce movie about Hurricane Katrina hero.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: the new Miss America is Vanessa Williams, Miss New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That was Vanessa Williams 26 years ago, getting crowned as the first African-American Miss America. Her reign came to an abrupt end after a photo scandal forced her to resign. Certainly come a long way since then.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Tonight, Vanessa Williams obviously now a huge star. She`s won tons of awards for her acting and for her singing. But once the huge scandal over this year`s Miss California hit the headlines, well, people just couldn`t wait to hear what Vanessa had to say about the whole controversy.
New right now, Vanessa Williams speaking out about Carrie Prejean. What does she think about Donald Trump`s decision to let Carrie Prejean keep her crown despite the seminude photos of her?
Also new right now, Carrie Prejean makes her broadcast debut. She`s testing the waters by co-hosting a San Diego morning show. Does this mean Carrie is on her way to superstardom?
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, June Sarpong who`s a British TV personality and the founder of "PoliticsAndTheCity.com," an excellent site. And joining me tonight in New York, Laura Lane, who is a senior reporter with "OK!" magazine.
So, we all remember Williams had to give up her 1984 Miss America title after those provocative pictures surfaced. They were later published in "Penthouse" magazine.
And a lot of people, obviously, have been waiting to hear about Williams` thoughts on the whole Carrie Prejean photo scandal. Well, listen to what Williams told CNN`s "LARRY KING LIVE" when asked if Miss California`s photo controversy brought back bad memories. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANESSA WILLIAMS, FORMER MISS USA: Not at all, because it`s a whole different system. I mean, I know USA and Trump and it`s a - Miss America is a completely different system. Again, I won 26 years ago. It`s been 25 years, so it didn`t really stir up anything for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, Vanessa Williams says this was a long time ago. It certainly is an obvious comparison that came to everybody`s mind when Miss Cali`s scandal broke. But June, is it completely ridiculous? Because really, it was, as she pointed out, a whole different generation.
SARPONG: Yes. Oh, it was so long ago, like she said. You know, it`s over 20 years ago and it`s a completely different system. So I don`t think you can compare the two.
And also, I mean, no one should be surprised that Donald Trump let Carrie Prejean off the hook. He`s kind of got a history of doing that, hasn`t he.
HAMMER: Yes.
SARPONG: If you`re pretty, controversy-causing pageant contestant, you can kind of do anything you like if Donald Trump is in charge of it. So, you know, I don`t think you can compare the two at all.
HAMMER: Yes. That wasn`t really shocking at all, was it?
SARPONG: No.
HAMMER: Well, I`ve got to tell you, the comparison did not escape our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT viewers. A lot of people saying that, you know, since Williams lost her crown, Miss California deserves the same treatment. We heard from Shawnda calling in to "Showbiz on Call" to say, fair is fair.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: I just wanted to say that I think that it`s only fair that she relinquish her title the same way they made Vanessa Williams relinquish her title in 1984, because she knew the rules when signed the paperwork and she also knew that she had those photographs and eventually, one day, they were going to come out.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thanks a lot, Shawnda. What do you think, Laura Lane? Do you agree with Shawnda?
LAURA LANE, SENIOR REPORTER, "OK!": I really don`t agree. And while somebody who wants to be a role model really shouldn`t be taking those pictures, you also have to say that - I mean, Vanessa Williams` pictures were a lot more risque.
And top of that, Miss America and Miss USA are completely different. Miss America has their talent portion. Miss USA is completely a beauty pageant. So it makes perfect sense there are going to be a lot more understanding when it comes to these scandalous modeling photos.
HAMMER: Yes. And look at what has happened. You know, since the whole Miss America scandal, it`s not like Vanessa Williams has been sitting around crying. What a career she`s had. I mean, really, it`s been unbelievable.
Now, it looks like Carrie Prejean is trying to get on the same track. Also new right now, Prejean just got her big TV break, appearing on a local San Diego morning television program. And this comes a week before she is reportedly going to be on a national cable morning show.
She has said she wants a career in broadcasting. What do you think, June? Because of this controversy that surrounds her, do you think maybe she comes with a little too much baggage? Or do you think people will ultimately clear a path for her as much as they have done for Vanessa Williams?
SARPONG: I think she`s going to have a great career. I think she`s going to probably act. She`ll have a clothing range. And then, she will have a talk show with Sarah Palin on FOX News. I think it`s kind of a done deal, don`t you?
HAMMER: I don`t know. I don`t know. I think we`re going to have to wait and see, because there is the point that a lot of people are making that, you know, perhaps this thing is going to hang over her head.
Laura, what do you think? You know, is the great Miss USA scandal of 2009 going to become a footnote in Carrie Prejean`s career much in the same way Vanessa Williams` controversy is for her?
LANE: I don`t think you can at all compare Carrie to Vanessa Williams. They are 100 percent different. First of all, Vanessa won her pageant. And second of all, she has talent. She can sing amazingly. All that we know of Carrie is all of this scandal that we`ve been seeing. With Vanessa, she had served almost her entire term as Miss America.
HAMMER: Laura, may I thank you for pointing that out. I couldn`t agree with you more. I think they are so completely different. And I don`t want to see them compared anymore. We`re done with that. June Sarpong.
LANE: She`s going to have to be a lot more.
HAMMER: Laura Lane - I`ve got to end it there. Moving on tonight, Michelle Obama reveals the single best thing about her family living at the White House. It`s not having a personal chef. It`s not having a mom there with her, even Bo the dog.
The first lady says the best thing is the family time that she`s getting to enjoy for the very first time in a long time. In a brand-new interview with "Time" magazine, Michelle Obama says, quote, "It has been the greatest single benefit of this for us as a family. It means that we see each other every day. And that hasn`t happened for most of the kids` lifetime. It`s rare for most families to have dad at home for dinner. That`s been terrific."
And it`s not just the Obama children who are getting more attention. The president reveals that he has what he calls "Michelle time." That`s when Michelle heads to the West Wing with Bo or the kids for a brief diversion from the pressures of being the leader of the free world.
Well, Robert Downey, Jr. is kicking it old school in his new role as the world`s most famous detective. But there`s absolutely nothing old about the big screen adaptation of "Sherlock Holmes." We`ve got your SHOWBIZ first look next. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Michael Douglas moderates D.C. panel on dismantling nuclear weapons. Wayne Allwine, voice of Mickey Mouse since 1977, dies at age 62.
It is time now for "Making It Work." This is where we reveal the secrets of how stars make their relationships work in Hollywood and beyond.
Tonight, it`s Fergie. The Black Eyed Peas singer who is newly wed, tying in January with actor Josh Duhamel. These days, Fergie`s not just singing. She`s branching out with movies, including the upcoming musical, "Nine."
So when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with Fergie, we just had to ask, how does she make it work?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FERGIE, SINGER AND ACTRESS: I love it. I love it. It`s really natural and organic.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).
FERGIE: No. No, no, no. He actually just left yesterday to go to Canada to film his new movie, so I`m in deep work mode. We`re fine. We`re back into work mode.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) what`s going on.
FERGIE: Oh, yes. Yes, it is, but it`s good. You know, we both like to work a lot. And you know, that`s part of the reason we`re attracted to each other, so it works.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The Black Eyed Peas new album is called "The End," and it`s out on June 9.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. And tonight, we`ve got your SHOWBIZ first look at "Sherlock Holmes." The action-packed throwback stars Robert Downey, Jr. as the legendary English detective and Jude Law as his sidekick, Dr. Watson. But let me tell you, this isn`t your dad`s Sherlock Holmes. Here`s your showbiz first look at "Sherlock Holmes."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (INAUDIBLE) request. Someone always sees Sherlock Holmes.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Mr. Holmes, you must want your case. You underestimate the gravity of coming in. Tomorrow at midday, the world as you know it will end.
ROBERT DOWNEY, JR., ACTOR (as Sherlock Holmes): Well, there isn`t any time to waste then, is there?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: The witness stated that he saw Lord Blackwood rise from the grave.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I want you to find and stop him.
DOWNEY: I have to give every ounce of my not-inconsiderable experience.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: It might be a hobby to you, Mr. Holmes, but I do it for a living.
DOWNEY: It does make a considerable (INAUDIBLE) to me having someone with me on who I can thoroughly rely.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Always nice to see you.
DOWNEY: (INAUDIBLE) my methods before.
JUDE LAW, ACTOR (as Watson): I never complain. When do I complain about you practicing the violin at 3:00 in the morning? Or your mess? Your general lack of hygiene or the fact that you steal my clothes.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Holmes, does your depravity know no bounds?
DOWNEY: No.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: What the - what have you done?
DOWNEY: Madam, I need you to remain calm and trust me. I`m a professional. But beneath this pillow lies the key to my release.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Madonna`s ex-husband, Guy Ritchie, directs "Sherlock Holmes." It opens everywhere on Christmas Day.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. You can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and in the morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern on HLN. Thanks for watching.
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