rochell.d..thomas

From Nicole Richie, The Simple Truth

Breakup or no breakup, the reality show must go on. Which is why former best friends Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton can be seen trading places with adventurous housewives on E!'s The Simple Life: 'Til Death Do Us Part (new episodes air Sunday at 10 pm/ET). Here, Richie sets the record straight. TV Guide: So far this season you've asked a mom if you could give her child sleeping pills, offered to have sex with a pregnant woman's husband and got a good Muslim kid to go bad. Why are you such a troublemaker?Nicole Richie: It's a character. Paris plays the bombshell who doesn't know a lot of things, and I play the jokester. That's what the show's about. But it's Sea

Mon, Jul 10, 2006

Amazing Hippies Make Bucks, Not War!

Brains beat brawn when BJ Averell and Tyler MacNiven won the $1 million prize in The Amazing Race 9. But it turns out the close friends' fun-loving hippie image almost did them in — off camera. How? Read on. TVGuide.com: We never really saw you guys having to go through customs, but you obviously had to. Did you ever get delayed?Tyler MacNiven: In Japan we got held up in customs because we fit the hippie stereotype. Often you'll have hippie guys try to smuggle in drugs because they're very hard to get in Japan. In customs there we had to go into this backroom to get strip-searched — and it was all in Japanese, like some movie where these officers were getting us naked and going through our bags.BJ Averell: Dogs were sniffing through our bags. Tyler: That

Wed, May 24, 2006

Amazing Race Loses Its MoJo

They tried and tried, but last week Team Mojo lost its, um, mojo in Thailand when Monica collapsed under the pressure of racing for 28 days and dropped a few too many clay pots. Now, in tonight's season finale of The Amazing Race 9, three teams run for the border and the $1 million prize. Who'll crack next? "Frat Boys" Eric and Jeremy get the Arkansans' vote. "They're the best, most consistent team — so fit and smart," Monica says. "They deserve to win." TVGuide.com: Did you think you'd make it to the final four?Monica: We thought we had a pretty good chance to make it to the final three! TVGuide.com: And what happened?Joseph: S----y cabdrivers happened! TVGuide.com: True, a lot of The Race is out of your control, w

Wed, May 17, 2006

Tracee Ellis Ross: Listen Up, Girlfriends!

Don't hate Girlfriends' Joan Clayton because she's beautiful. And has a successful business. And a great house. And, according to recent episodes, a great hookup for free clothes. When tonight's season finale gets under way (at 9 pm/ET on UPN), the lawyer-turned-sports-bar-owner will be a heartbroken mess because, well, after Joan dumped two of the three — yes, three! — guys she was dating, she got kicked to the curb by the third. Will Toni, Maya and Lynn be around to pick her up? Girlfriends star Tracee Ellis Ross dishes (sort of) about her character and (definitely) her own opinions on life. TV Guide: This has been some s

Mon, May 8, 2006

Tracee Ellis Ross: Listen Up, Girlfriends!

Fran-Barry Squeezed on Amazing Race

Fran and Barry didn't need CBS' The Amazing Race (Wednesdays at 8 pm/ET) to add more stamps to their passports. In the 40 years they've been married, the couple — who became the seventh team eliminated — have visited 45 countries, setting foot on almost every continent and in every hemisphere in the world. A 63-year-old retired doctor and a 61-year-old retired accountant with grown children, they also didn't need the money. So why did they run? "It was all about the competition," Barry told TVGuide.com the day after their elimination episode aired. "We weren't just happy to be there. We thought we had a chance to win!" Here's what else they thought of the greatest race on earth. TVGuide.com: You two may be a lot older, but you've also se

Wed, May 3, 2006

Are Race's Castoffs Fighting Mad?

Lake and Michelle of CBS' The Amazing Race (Wednesdays at 8 pm/ET) have been called this season's Jonathan and Victoria. Argumentative. Snappy. They pecked at each other almost right up to the moment they were eliminated in Greece. Married for almost 15 years, the Mississippi dental team — he's a dentist, she's his office assistant — swear they're a lot nicer to each other in real life. No, really. TVGuide.com: Your accents are so charming — except for when you're mad!Lake: Well...Michelle: When else do you get to hear us talking? [Laughs] TVGuide.com: Speaking of that, Lake, you were really mean to Michelle. At one point in Greece you even said something like, "Bitch, just shut up!" How did you explain tha

Wed, Apr 19, 2006

Revenge of the Amazing Race Nerds?

She's his "hottie boombody with the naughty pilates" and he's her own personal music man. Meet Lori and Dave, aka the lovable nerds from Kansas who smooched their way around the world — but didn't get to embrace victory — on CBS' The Amazing Race (Wednesdays at 8 pm/ET). TVGuide.com: So it wasn't your day in Siracusa.Lori: No, it was not, but we ran a really good leg.Dave: We just didn't get there fast enough. TVGuide.com: A lot of teams got lost in Italy. How'd you do?Dave: We weren't that lost. Lori: We were just exhausted and had a hard time staying awake. We switched drivers three times on our way to Catania, so that put us behind. And it was such a short leg that there was no way for us to catch up. TVGuide.com: Dave, you seemed a little bit

Wed, Apr 12, 2006

Double-Ds Denied on Amazing Race

Last week Danielle and Dani — "the Double-Ds" — became the fourth team to be eliminated from CBS' ninth edition of The Amazing Race (now airing Wednesdays at 8 pm/ET). But before the Staten Island bartenders got the boot, they raced from Colorado through Brazil, Russia, Germany and Italy — in five days. Oh, what a ride! The day after their swan song aired, the gals talked to TVGuide.com about their Amazing ups and downs... and why the slacker frat-boys team gets their vote. TVGuide.com: How did you sell yourself during your Amazing Race audition?Dani: Our line was, "We're competitive bitches and we look hot in bikinis!" TVGuide.com: Ah. Then later you were nicknamed the D

Wed, Apr 5, 2006

Dancing Star Details Her Dieting Secrets

Truth be told, Tia Carrere didn't mind being the fifth celeb kicked off ABC's Dancing with the Stars (Thursdays and Fridays at 8 pm/ET). "I get to spend time with my baby," she says of her 4-month-old daughter, Bianca. "It's the hardest thing leaving her." Besides, Carrere already won the best prize of all — a newly svelte body, losing 25 pounds in the two months she fox-trotted for the cameras. In addition to practicing prancing "six hours every day," what helped the 39-year-old buff her new-mom bod? TV Guide asked her for the complete skinny on her weight loss. TV Guide: You're looking really svelte. What's your secret?Tia Carrere: Well, I'm doing this food-del

Wed, Feb 22, 2006

Dancing Star Details Her Dieting Secrets

The Linz Kids are Race's First Family

"I loved every minute of it!" Tommy Linz, 19, says of The Amazing Race: Family Edition, which sent him, his brothers Alex, 22, and Nick, 24, and sister Megan, 21, zipping through 50 cities in three countries in 25 days. TVGuide.com talked to the foursome the day after their long ride officially ended. TVGuide.com: Congratulations! For a while there I thought God might help the Weavers win. If that had happened, what would you have done? Nick Linz: We would have congratulated them! They were a strong team and very competitive. TVGuide.com: Now that you've won $1 million, what will you do with it?

Tue, Dec 20, 2005

Our Pick to Win Biggest Loser Is...

Flying under the radar has its advantages. Just ask Seth Word and Suzy Preston — two of the finalists who will vie for the $250,000 prize during The Biggest Loser's Season 2 finish (airing tonight at 8 pm/ET on NBC). Genuine nice guys, the hardworking pair managed to survive on the show's fat farm by succeeding without standing out. As for third finalist Matt Hoover? Well, the wrestling champ cried a lot. (Sorry, Matt!) Here the trio weighs in on their Biggest achievements. SETH WORD, 24: Lost 87 pounds in 100 daysHis new priority: "Keeping up with my son, Linkin. He's 2." The next step: "After the show I'm going to become a personal trainer. I learned so much from this experience that I think it would be horrible not to share."Trainer vs. trainer: "Jillian's in your face.

Tue, Nov 29, 2005

Amazing Race's Paolo Clan Peters Out

Oh, the Paolo family. They fight like enemies. But when the chips are down, Tony, Marion, D.J. and Brian always manage to pull it together like best friends. TVGuide.com talked to the family from Carmel, New York, the day after they were eliminated from The Amazing Race: Family Edition. TVGuide.com: You got eliminated just when it was starting to look like you could win.Brian Paolo: We thought the same thing. I mean, we were in the final five and we were doing so great and we thought we actually might have a shot at this.D.J. Paolo: The one thing you have to realize, though, is that being in first place doesn't mean anything. [The difference] between first and last is only a matter of 40 minutes, tops. TVGuide.com: When you applied to the show, you told CBS you didn't think your mom would last ve

Mon, Nov 14, 2005

Family's Race Was Calm Before the Storm

Call it embarrassing, ironic or hitting them where it hurts. The Schroeders of New Orleans — Mark, 40, Char, 39, Stassi, 17, and Hunter, 15 — were practically in their own backyard when they were eliminated from CBS' The Amazing Race: The Family Edition (just like New York's Frank and Margarita from Season 1 and San Fran's Will and Tara from Season 2). But unlike any other team before them, the Schroeders' biggest adventure started after the race ended. TVGuide.com: You got lost trying to find a park that, by your own admission, was one mile from where you used to work. One mile!Mark: Yeah. I'm not a big park-goer. I had no idea that park was there.Char: Nor did I. None of us blame Mark for not knowing the

Tue, Oct 25, 2005

The Aiellos' Shrimp Are Cooked on Race

There are times when having four strong men on your team would be a plus, like if there's heavy lifting to be done or fighting involved. This week on The Amazing Race: Family Edition, however, was not one of those times. As the combined body weight of the uniquely formed Aiello family — father-in-law Tony, 57, and his three sons-in-law, Kevin, 31, Matt, 31, and David, 26 — not only pushed them down in the mud, it shoved them out of the race. TVGuide.com: Four men on the ultimate road trip. What did you all pack? Kevin: We took about four days' worth of clothes and toiletries. But looking back, we all wished we'd packed a hell of a lot less.Matt: Because we really didn't have time to change. Tony: One time, when we were crossing the Delaware, I just turned my socks inside out because t

Mon, Oct 17, 2005

Rogerses Over and Out of the Race

Looks like the sky wasn't blue for the Rogers family after all. The troop from Shreveport, La. — father Denny, 47, mother Renee, 42, sister Brittney, 23, and son Brock, 19 — were eliminated in Middlesburg, Va., after they got lost on the way to Washington, D.C., went to the wrong reflecting pool, then couldn't' make up time at the Civil War reenactment grounds. The day after their elimination they talk to TVGuide.com about their misadventures in The Amazing Race: Family Edition. TVGuide.com: If you happened to bump into that guy who said "You can't miss it," then proceeded to give you directions to the wrong reflecting pool, what would you say to him?Brock: I'd slap him. TVGuide.com: OK, for the record: How do you get to D.C.?Renee: Um, 80 East.Denny: 80 West. And since I seem to be the villain here, I'll say I made the decision to go

Mon, Oct 10, 2005

Who's Who and New on Alias?

Sydney Bristow's team at APO will be getting bigger when Alias returns for its fifth season on Sept. 29 (the show's new time slot is Thursdays at 8 pm/ET). Producers are adding three new characters to the hit ABC spy series — and that's not counting star Jennifer Garner's soon-to-be-born child, who will also be written into the action. (Yes, Syd is pregnant with Vaughn's baby. That much is certain in the secret-filled, perpetually uncertain Alias world.) For starters, French actress Élodie Bouchez has been tapped to play a cohort from Vaughn's shady past, which had been just barely hinted at prior to last season's horrific car-crash finale. "She and Vaughn share a history," says executive producer Jeff Pinkner, "and in our season finale we started to tease the audience with what that history is and what secrets

Thu, Sep 1, 2005

Tarantino Bugged This CSI Star

Usually, when an actor learns that his character is going to be buried and covered with fire ants, he has a few questions: "Buried? Live ants? On my body?" But not CSI's George Eads. When the actor read that his character, Nick Stokes, would be kidnapped by an angry father and buried alive in the show's season finale, Eads says, "I pretty much kept my mouth shut. I gave [guest director] Quentin Tarantino no calls. The producers? No calls. The way the whole season started... I just wasn't asking." Eads is referring, of course, to last summer, when he and costar Jorja Fox were fired during contract negotiations. They were eventually rehired, but the dispute created tension. "You're made to feel like, 'Hey, there's somebody right behind you who can take your place. You're not important,'" Eads tells TV Guide. "It brought out the fire in me to work that much

Thu, Jun 16, 2005

Biggest Loser 2's Big Gender War

The Battle of the Bulge will become a Battle of the Sexes on The Biggest Loser 2. When NBC's hit weight-loss competition returns on August 9, chubby contestants will be divided into two seven-member teams with fitness guru Bob Harper training the women and Jillian Michaels working with the men. The male-vs.-female gimmick fit The Apprentice, but on this reality show, it's a twist that some fear will give the guys an unfair advantage. "There's this myth out there that men lose weight faster and better than women," says executive producer Dave Broome. "We're going to test that myth." Actually, it's not a myth. It's a fact. Thanks to years of research, weight-loss experts know that most male bodies burn more calories than female bodies because men have more lean muscle mass. "Lean muscle tissue is the driving force for metabolism," explains Dr. James M. Rippe, author of Weight Watchers Weight Loss That Lasts. "So me

Thu, Jun 2, 2005

The O.C.'s Swingin' Spring Break

O.C. fans, sit down, 'cause the Nana is in love. And this week, Grandma Cohen's (Linda Lavin) decision to marry a younger man will find Sandy (Peter Gallagher), Seth (Adam Brody) and Ryan (Benjamin McKenzie) flying to Miami — at the height of spring break madness — to meet the fianc&eacute;. As one of TV Guide's O.C. fans, I hopped a flight to Florida for the taping. My mission: use my press pass to meet the boys, pump creator Josh Schwartz for inside info and find out what it's like to be an extra on the set of TV's hottest teen drama.8:30 am I can see the O.C. spring break set from my hotel room window. The stage. The banners. The pool. Wait a minute. Pool? Suddenly, the outfit I brought seems oh-so-inappropriate. What was I thinking? Cue my inner scream.10:40 "It's the Nana. The Nana!" Linda Lavin laughs as she tells me about the previous day's encounter with a group of screaming O.C.

Thu, Apr 21, 2005

Apprentice Winner: Where's Bill Now?

The dashing cigar-business owner with the big, toothy grin has come to the end of his $250,000 year as Donald Trump's first Apprentice. And Bill Rancic, 33, wanted TV Guide to be the first to know what he plans to do next.TV Guide: We hear you have big news for us.Bill Rancic: After weeks of negotiations, I've signed on for one more year with Trump. TV Guide: What will you be doing?Rancic: I'll continue to work on the Trump International Hotel &amp; Tower project in Chicago and I'll also be working on other projects, like Donald's new golf club development in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. TV Guide: So you'll spend one more year as a sponge.Rancic: Without a doubt. For me, it's about learning. Watching Donald work has been great. TV Guide: So how did you talk your way into a second year with The Donald?Rancic: It was tough. I mean I had to

Tue, Apr 19, 2005

Old Stars Back on 24

What's old is new again on 24. Already this season, former CTU head Tony Almeida (played by Carlos Bernard) made a surprise appearance to save Jack Bauer's life. His wife, Michelle (Reiko Aylesworth), showed up a few episodes later. And other classic 24 characters will soon pop up, namely President Palmer (Dennis Haysbert), who is expected to return in April, and then maybe even Jack's beleaguered daughter, Kim. "We're not done writing the season," executive producer Joel Surnow says. "We may have something for [Kim] toward the end." But as of now, Elisha Cuthbert, who plays Kim, has not been asked to set aside time. "[Producers] usually call to check availability or to gauge interest. But I haven't heard anything yet," says her agent, Chuck James. And, as with all things 24,

Tue, Mar 8, 2005

24's Culture Clash

There's a controversy brewing on 24. And its name is Dina Araz. Brilliantly played by Iranian actress Shohreh Aghdashloo — an Oscar nominee for 2003's House of Sand and Fog — Dina heads a family of sleeper terrorist agents hell-bent on attacking the Yankee Empire.How determined is she? After her son's girlfriend discovered their lair, Dina ordered him to "take care of this." Knowing that he wouldn't shoot her, Dina preemptively poisoned the girl's tea. "I am so disappointed in you," she hissed at her son. It was one of 24's trademark cold-blooded moments. But it's scenes like that one that have outraged members of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which has protested the series' portrayal of American-Muslims. "They're showing an entire family — the mother, the father, the son — all involved in a terrorist plot," says CAIR spo

Thu, Feb 3, 2005