The Bachelor Pad’s Chris Harrison Addresses Internet Rumors

 Photo by Todd Wawrychuk

By all accounts Bachelor Pad host Chris Harrison is a really nice guy. Let’s face it — every week the guy let’s a string of lovelorn reality stars cry on his shoulder. And he’s been known to let a suitor or two have it when he thinks their actions are less than honorable.

But these days it seems like Chris has lost a little bit of patience when it comes to the way magazines and blogs are reporting on the details of the show and his personal life. In a recent conference call interview, the Bachelor host remained cool, calm and charismatic but took the opportunity to make a few salient points about what he considers some questionable journalistic tactics.

Perhaps the worst culprit in the Bachelorette gossip mill has been US Weekly. They’re the rag that first leaked word that Emily Maynard was kicking Arie Luyendyk Jr. off of the show because he dated a producer. That didn’t happen. They said that Emily was in love with Chris. Don’t tell her fiancée Jef Holms. And then they switched their story to say that Maynard would only correspond with Chris via text or Twitter. Who knows why they’d need to chat on the phone anyway.

Bachelor Pad’s David Mallet Has His Strategy Laid Out

Photo byABC/Todd Wawrychuk

On Season 3 of Bachelor Pad, the producers introduced quite a brilliant twist, adding super fans into the mix. Had we known when the audition notice went out that they might accept sisters as a team, we would have been all over it. Well, in theory anyway, we’re not the bikini and hot tub kind of girls, really. But we digress.

Along with the 15 Bachelor/Bachelorette alumni, five (six if you count the twins individually, although they play as a team) super fans were thrown into the mix. Of course, everyone knew from the first second that these poor, unsuspecting fans had huge targets on their backs and the vets would pick them off two-by-two. But fan David Mallet had other plans. In a recent conference call interview he revealed his strategic moves for the game.

Size Up the Competition
As soon as Mallet arrived at the house he counted the number of fans versus the number of veterans and knew they were immediately in trouble. Five against 15 certainly was not comforting odds. Even before arriving at the show, he wondered what the producers were going to do to give the fans some kind of a chance to stay in the house and not be voted out in the first two weeks of competition. He got what he was hoping for when he and the twins won the first challenge, gaining immunity and guaranteeing at least a few more days in the house.

Be Honest to Gain Their Trust
While every in the house was scrambling around trying to figure out who to vote for, David willfully told Eric Rose he and all the fans were dropping her picture on the ballot box. He contended that she already knew his plan but was trying to see what he would do when she confronted him. He recalled, “When she came over and asked me that question, she had already known what my plan was, and I wasn’t going to lie to her face. So the only card I really thought to play is to be honest. I know I’m still guaranteed a spot for next week, so at least she may respect the fact that I was honest with her instead of trying to go behind her back and her really hating me for it.”

Announce the Plan to Flush out Your Enemy’s Supporters
And despite how it came across on TV, David swears he had another strategy in mind when he told Erica his plans. He new it was risky to make enemies with her, but he wanted to gauge the reaction of the other players. He stated, “I was absolutely putting myself in a risky position, but we had two guy newbies on the show and three girls. Even though we had won the challenge, and me and the twins were safe and we have one vote against Erica, that means nothing because we still need some veterans to come over and vote with us for any chance to be able to get a veteran out of the house.”

He continued, “I was hoping to look at everyone’s reaction. The people that were upset about it, I would be able to figure out were with Erica. The people that weren’t that upset about it, I would have a chance to work on and try to get votes on our side. Really, the main point of me telling my vote out loud to Erica was her running to the house. Everyone that came to me to try to change my mind I knew was with Erica, and the people that didn’t, I could go for them and try to persuade them to go with us.”

Pop Culture Passionistas Trivia — July 23, 2012

Pop Culture Passionistas Trivia — July 23, 2012 » Online test software

Travis Wall and His Friends Have All the Right Moves

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--> Photo by Andrew Eccles/Oxygen Media 

Gather around dance fans, there’s yet another new show on TV that you won’t want to miss. Hopefully you’ll have room on your DVR alongside So You Think You Can Dance and Bunheads for the new docu-series All the Right Moves.

If you’re into this kind of show, then you’ll most likely recognize the cast. First theirs SYTYCD Season 2 runner-up-turned-Emmy-winning choreographer Travis Wall. He’s joined by his roommates a few other reality TV notables — SYTYCD Season 1 winner Nick Lazzarini, Teddy Forance and Kyle Robinson who were both recently featured on Dancing With the Stars.

But the new show doesn’t just let fans hang with them in their L.A. digs. It also follows the group as they launch their troupe, Shaping Sounds. Devotees will no doubt learn a lot about their favorite dancers, and in a recent conference call interview they admitted they discovered a few things about each other, too.

This Week's Inspirational Pop Culture Moment: Nellie Veitenheimer

 Photo by Tyler Golden/Oxygen

The clear message communicated each week on The Glee Project is “be yourself.” But that mantra is easier to follow when you’re a musical theater geek who loves to shine in the spotlight. It’s a little more difficult for someone like the recently eliminated contestant Nellie Veitenheimer.

The 20-year-old barista from Tacoma, Washington, admitted as much in a recent conference call interview when asked about being critiqued by Glee producer Ryan Murphy. “I was a deer in the headlights in part of that. And with the ‘What character you would have played?’ [question] I wasn’t sure how to put it. But I wasn’t thinking about what other character I would play because I was trying my best to embrace what I was given. And it’s unfortunate that I couldn’t find the words to express myself correctly in that conversation.”

Veitenheimer was eliminated from the show when she, once again, failed to step outside of her comfort zone and vamp it up while channeling Britney Spears. Still the young singer gave it all she had. She conceded, “It was frustrating because it showed me that I hadn’t been expressing myself well enough for them to think that I really wanted it… This is something that I have wanted for a very long time. Literally I’ve been trying to audition for the show ever since it’s been allowed.”

Zombie Wedding Cakes, Obstacle Courses and Even Bees

Photo courtesy of Oddee.com

Zombies are very hot these days. In case you aren't aware of the brewing Zombie Apocalypse, brought on mostly by the popularity of the AMC show The Walking Dead, here are a few examples of the un-dead permeating popular culture.

Our favorite, and perhaps most worrisome, is the new trend of Zombie wedding cakes. But apparently, for those couples who have found a lasting bond over their love for all things gruesome, custom cakes are being created featuring blood, guts and night crawlers. These gorgeous, multi-tiered masterpieces look very much like traditional wedding cakes but the zombie-fied dioramas on top symbolize the couples' commitment 'til un-death do they part. To see more check out this blog of the top ten zombie wedding cakes.

Earlier this month at Comic-Con in San Diego people paid money to take part in The Walking Dead Escape event. For just $75 fans could be chased by Zombies. At the end of the 30-minute to one hour course, participants were checked with a special blue light to see if they were infected. The first 10,000 people to make it through the obstacle course bite free, got a special, limited edition run of the 100th issue of The Walking Dead comic book.

And in case you thought the zombie trend was limited to just humans, think again. Evidently there is an outbreak of Zombie bees. Scientists have discovered honey bees in California and South Dakota acting "zombie-like." Symptoms include straying from the hive late at night and walking (not flying) endlessly in circles. It seems the bees have been infected with some kind of parasite which causes them to lose all physical sensation, hence the zombie appearance.

The worst part, when the poor honey makers go to that great hive in the sky, the pupae crawls out of their body and looks for another host bee to infect and colonies are dying out at an alarming rate. So the scientists need our help. Report any odd bee behavior to ZomBeeWatch.org and be careful out there.


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Noah Wyle Returns to TV in Falling Skies

This Week's Inspirational Pop Culture Moment: Vingh Rames

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Tahj Mowry Returns to TV in Baby Daddy

Photo by Andrew Eccles

We’ll always have a soft spot in our hearts for two of our favorite TV twins, Tia and Tamera Mowry, from Sister, Sister. So we were happy to talk with their younger brother Tahj about his new sitcom Baby Daddy.

Tahj is no stranger to television. He made his small screen debut in commercials and an episode of Who’s the Boss when he was just four years old. Of course he’s appeared on his sister’s sitcom and had his own hit show Smart Guy. But a few years ago, Tahj decided to leave Hollywood and go to school — playing college football on a full scholarship at Savannah State.

Now he’s back on TV in Baby Daddy. Tahj plays Tucker Dobbs, whose best friend (played by Jean-Luc Bilodeau) becomes an instant father when his ex-girlfriend drops of the daughter he never knew they had on his doorstep.

Costume Designer Ruth Carter on Whitney, Sparkle and Twiggy

Photo by JaxOnPhotoGroup.com

Next month Whitney Houston’s last film Sparkle comes out. The movie stars American Idol’s Jordin Sparks as a singer in the 1960s who starts a Supremes-esque girl group with her two sisters and they become huge Motown stars. Whitney plays their conservative, religious mother. We recently spoke with Sparkle costume designer Ruth Carter about working with the actresses and some of her other career highlights.

Ruth told us she decided she wanted to be a costume designer when she was a sophomore in college. She recalled, “I wasn't cast in a play and the director in return offered me a position as the costume designer. From that moment on, I knew that it was meant for me, because I was even more excited about being able to dress someone based on the character and research.”

And so she has spent 25 years working in the wardrobe department on films like Amistad and Malcolm X (both of which she garnered Oscar nods) as well as Jungle Fever and Frankie and Alice. She has dressed such Hollywood stars as Halle Berry, Eddie Murphy, Vanessa Williams, Morgan Freeman and Angela Bassett. And with her next film, The Butler, due out in 2013, she will add Oprah Winfrey, Nicole Kidman, Liam Neeson, John Cusack and Minka Kelly to that list.

She talked about designing the costumes for this film. “The pieces in the upcoming film The Butler range from the 1920s during the sharecroppers days and continues through eight presidents and ends with Barack Obama. It has the opulence of the 1930s and the passion of the Civil Rights Movement and the amazing story of an African American man who started off as a sharecropper to later become a butler for eight consecutive Presidents in the White House. This piece recalls significant times in history and in fashion.”

Sparkle is also a period piece, set in the 1960s.  She said that star Jordin Sparks was particularly enamored with the styles of the era. She stated, “Jordin recently lost an astonishing amount of weight and was excited about wearing the vintage clothes. With racks upon racks of 1960's clothing, Jordin saw herself fitting into the pencil skirts amongst many other fascinating pieces.”

Ruth also talked about her time working with Whitney, “Designing for Whitney Houston was an amazing experience. Whitney is a consummate professional. She allowed me to take the lead on what she wore, but she shared her experience growing up in a religious household. Whitney's mother was strict religious parent in her early years — just like her role in Sparkle.”

Heidi Klum Reveals Season 10 Guest Judges on Project Runway

  

                                   Photo by Robert Erdmann ©2012 A&E Television Networks, LLC

Even after nine seasons we can’t get enough of Project Runway. So we tuned in for the premiere of the series’ tenth installment last Thursday. And as has always been the case, the fashion design show will be calling on a long list of famous guest judges to help weed through the good and the bad styles on the catwalk.

In a recent interview with the show’s host Heidi Klum, she talked about a few of the show’s special guests. Fans who watched the season premiere saw a familiar face from Gilmore Girls and Parenthood. Klum remarked, “For our very first challenge that we did in Times Square we had Lauren Graham.”

And a famous designer joined the judges panel in Times Square as well. Klum revealed, “Obviously I can never give too many guest judges away, but some people that I was allowed to mention was Patricia Field. She has been a stylist. She has a store here in New York City. She’s very well known for doing Sex in the City, The Devil Wears Prada. She does a lot of full movies and television.”

Kimberly Cole Let’s Keith Apicary Fly His Freak Flag in Her New Video

Step aside Chris Crocker and lonelygirl15, there’s a new Internet sensation in town. His name is Keith Apicary and he has some pretty sweet moves. Okay, his name is actually Nathan Barnatt and he’s an actor-comedian but his dancing is what’s making him a star. If you’ve never seen him in action, just watch Kimberly Cole’s new video “U Make Me Wanna” (above). In a recent exclusive interview the pop singer talked about Keith’s audition, changing the concept for the project and the friendship that’s blossomed between the like-minded artists.

Kimberly explained that it all started like all of her other videos had, “I have a large Twitter following so we were looking for a couple of dancers for the video and decided to do auditions. And I posted on my Twitter and my Facebook because I respond to everybody. So I do get people who ask me things about auditions or whatnot. So I put it on there.”

This Week's Inspiring Pop Culture Moment: Friends for Change

Photo by Rick Rowell/Disney Channel

Each week we take a look around our pop culture world and try to find one moment that stood out as the most inspiring. It might be a celebrity who is doing charitable things, a TV shows that inspires us to be better or a philosophy that we should all strive to live by. Here is this week's most inspiring pop culture moment.

Disney recently announced the 2012 Friends for Change initiative, to inspire kids to make a difference in their communities. The teen stars of the Mouse House channel who have signed up to be this year’s Ambassadors are Debby Ryan from Jessie, Bella Thorne and Zendaya from Shake It Up and Ross Lynch and Laura Marano from Austin & Ally. They will take part in volunteer opportunities and work to encourage kids to do their part for their neighbors and the world at large.

Friends for Change Promotes Helping in Your Community

In the PSA promoting the 2012 Friends for Change program, Ryan stated, “I am going to roll up my sleeves and help a community in need.” And Lynch added, “Friends for Change is making a huge effort to change the planet… Change has to start somewhere. It can start with you.” Thorne and Zendaya commented, “We’re going to discover what it means to be a leader and how speaking out for what you believe in can create the greatest change.”

Disney Donates $750,000 to Friends For Change Partners

Disney has partnered with three non-profits to help spread their messages with the help of the teen Ambassadors. Each organization will receive a grant from Disney to aid in the efforts with funds totaling $750,000. The initiative started to take place in three phases which began on June 29. Disney Channel, Radio Disney and Disney.com will show the teen stars in a series of interstitials as they travel the world to make it a better place.

In the first phase, running through August 16, Ryan will collaborate with Free the Children, the largest non-profit established for the purpose of kids helping kids with over 1 million youth involved worldwide. In this “Helping Communities – Volunteer” phase, Ryan will share her stories about volunteering to help build schools in India. Disney.com will chronicle her journey and encourage kids to volunteer to help someone or some group in their local community.

In later phases, Thorne and Zendaya will take part in “Helping People – Be a Leader” with Free the Children from August 17 to September 27. Then Lynch and Marano will spearhead “Helping the Planet – Green Your Scene,” in partnership with TreePeople, from September 28 to November 30.

Kids Are Encouraged to Become Friends for Change

Kids are encouraged to go to the Friends for Change website and pledge to do various actions in order to “help people, communities and the planet.” They can promise to do an outdoor makeover, volunteer at a local charity, buy organic clothes, start a kindness patrol, honor a local hero, visit at a senior center or hospital and so much more.

In a recent press release, president and chief creative officer of Disney Channels Worldwide, stated, “The bond our viewers have with our talent is deep and powerful. As ambassadors of Friends for Change, our talent can serve as a megaphone for the importance of pro-active community involvement, motivating kids and their families to discover the many rewarding ways we can all make our world a better place to live.”

For more information or to find out how to help in your community visit the Friends for Change website.

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Hollywood Movies Done in Ottoman Miniatures

Images by Murat Palta

We've been to our fair share of museums — after all our parents were both artists. And we've slept through enough late afternoon art history classes, too. Don't get us wrong, it's not that we don't like fine art. We do. In fact we have a pretty broad range of artists we admire from da Vinci and Michelangelo to Monet and Degas to Dali and Warhol. But one style that never seemed to capture our imagination was the Turkish miniatures from the Ottoman Empire. That is, until now.

Murat Palta, from Istanbul, Turkey, reinterpreted the style for his senior art thesis. And luckily, for the rest of us, shared them on his Behance page. Palta created a collection of his own Ottoman miniatures with a very western theme — Hollywood movies.

Our personal favorite has to be The Shining — since we often joke that we are the scary twins in the hall. Palta has depicted them, alongside Jack Nicholson axing the door down and little Danny riding his tricycle down the hall.

The series started with Ottoman Star Wars and after getting rave reviews, Palta decided to keep going. Go to Palta's profile to check out The Godfather, Terminator II, Scarface, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Inception, Goodfellas, Alien and A Clockwork Orange.

Palta writes on his Behance profile, "Combining global with local, traditional with contemporary and adding a bit of humor, made it a fun and rewarding experience for me. According to my marks that I got from the project, the teacher's opinion were the same." We hope that means he got an A+. That's what we would have given him.

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Fred Willard Hosts Trust Us With Your Life

Photo by ABC/Nick Ray

When we were kids there was nothing we liked better than an adult comedian, who played simple-minded characters with a surprisingly multi-layered spin. We didn’t like the ones on kids’ shows who pandered to childish sensibilities. We liked the ones that we’d catch when we’d sneak down stairs after our parents went to sleep and we’d watch our older brother and sisters’ shows. We couldn’t help but be drawn to guys like Herb Tarlek on WKRP in Cincinnati and Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

But our all-time favorite dopey sidekick was Jerry Hubbard on Fernwood Tonight. Fred Willard played Barth Gimble’s (Martin Mull) Ed McMahon on the fictitious Ohio-based talk show. Even as kids, we knew that he took on the part better than any one else ever could. So we’re very excited that he’s coming back to weekly television in the improv show Trust Us With Your Life.

Paul Fisher Wants to Change the Industry One Role Model at Time

Photo by Patrick Wymore/The CW

This past January the CW show Remodeled came and went with a bit of a whimper. But someone took notice. The series, which takes an inside look at the fashion industry legend Paul Fisher and his new venture The Network, recently won a Rocky Award at the Banff World Media Festival. The little show that could was up against the big boys like The Apprentice and Storage Wars. And now the CW is giving Remodeled a second chance, by replaying the first six episodes and airing two unseen shows this summer.

In a recent exclusive interview, we spoke with Paul and Meghan Wiggins, the star model to surface from the series this season. Paul’s passion and enthusiasm for his work and his love for each and every model he represents is palpable… even through phone lines. His energy is infectious and his hope to change the modeling world is admirable and inspirational.

Paul made his name in the fashion world representing the stars like Naomi Campbell, Carla Bruni and Carol Alt. The Network is Paul’s brainchild. He has united 50 mom and pop modeling agencies around the world into one big community. Together they represent 14,000 models globally. On Remodeled we see Paul hand pick and transform some of the agencies from flailing businesses without a point of view to successful big time contenders. He personally helps select the “kids,” as he calls them, to be part of The Network and chase the dream of becoming a star.

But to Paul it’s not about becoming a famous face. To him there is only one reason to create this Network. His goal is “to force the top decision makers in the fashion industry to take social responsibility for the images that they’re putting out their into the world.” It’s an uphill battle for Paul but one he’s willing to fight ‘til the death. He wants to protect the young girls who are so frequently taken advantage of in a difficult industry.

He explained his vision, “We’ve aggregated our models’ social media accounts underneath one banner, on one platform. We believe by March or April of this coming year we’ll have about one hundred million followers in our community. And at that point in time if these magazines and if these designers don’t stop using super skinny girls and super young girls and airbrushing, etc, and if they don’t start taking responsibility for the images they’re putting out there, our goal is to tell our one hundred million followers to stop buying their clothes.”

Pop Culture Passionistas Trivia — Week of Month July 9, 2012

Pop Culture Passionistas Trivia — Week of Month July 9, 2012

Our picks from this week's Pop Culture Passionistas' interviews and celebrity headlines.

Pop Culture Passionistas Trivia — Week of Month July 9, 2012 » online quiz

Carli Davidson Photographs Animals Like Never Before

Photo by Carli Davidson

There's a collection of photos making its way around the Internet lately. At first they seem slightly grotesque, until you realize what they are. Carli Davidson's images are are those of animals mid-shake. That she even caught these high-speed, typically invisible, moments is extraordinary, but the shots are beautiful works of art and highly entertaining.

The "Shake" Collection makes up just a small portion of Carli's portfolio. An experienced animal trainer, her website is full of images of all kinds of animals, and not just in motion. As a freelance photographer for the Oregon Zoo some of her subjects include porcupines, owls, elephants and snakes. She also has a series on pets with disabilities and another called Pride Northwest, featuring members of the LGBT community and their four-legged friends.

At the very least be sure to visit her site and check out the images online, but we're betting you'll have a hard time resisting the opportunity to own one of Carli's images for yourself. For just $35-50 you can buy an 10 x 14 print all your own and 10% of all proceeds goes to her selected charity of the month. Right now it's Best Friends Animal Society hoping to stop the epidemic of homeless animals.

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Kimberly Cole from Competitive Roller Skater to Pop Star

Kimberly Cole has been on the fast track to stardom over the last few years. First came her 2010 album Bad Girls Club. Then the track “Smack You” was used to promote The Bad Girls Club and hit #4 on the Billboard Dance Chart. She’s been on the road with acts like Katy Perry, LMFAO, Cobra Starship and Shiny Toy Guns. And she’s dedicated her time to entertaining the troops – headlining a U.S. tour with a group of high profile comedians to give back to the Marines.

On top of all that, Cole’s latest video for “U Make Me Wanna” has become a viral sensation thanks in part to an appearance by comedian-actor-dancer Keith Apicary (aka Nathan Barnatt). But that’s another story, for another blog (check back next week for that one).

Getting to the top in the cutthroat music industry takes dedication. And Kimberly’s willingness to keep her eyes on the prize can be traced back to her childhood. In a recent exclusive interview she told us about a very unique talent that has helped her keep on track.

Steve Sievers and Dahveed Take Fans on a Supa Pirate Booty Hunt

 Courtesy of Supa Pirate Booty Hunt

If you haven’t seen the animated series Supa Pirate Booty Hunt yet, you might want to check it out. The show follows the misadventures of Captain Zack Stevers and his sidekick, Daniel the turtle. It’s the brainchild of Smorgasboard Productions founder Dahveed (aka David Kolodny-Nagy) and Steve Sievers from Level 27 Media. But be forewarned — these raunchy pirate tales aren’t for the lily-livered cowards who shy away from bawdy humor.

As the title suggests Captain Zack, who was named after Zack Morris from Saved by the Bell, and Daniel travel the seven seas in search of all kinds of booty. As Dahveed noted, “I wanted a name that said everything so — Supa Pirate Booty Hunt. What’s he about? What’s he doing? And he’s hunting for booty – both treasure and ladies.”

And no one has a way with the wenches like Captain Zack does. We asked the show’s creators if they had a favorite pick-up line from their lady loving, if not landlubbing pirate. Steve picked, “My favorite captain Zack pick-up line is definitely, ‘X marks the spot and then I see my treasure.’ That one’s really funny.” While Dahveed went with, “Hey baby, how’d you like to walk my plank and hoist my sail?”

Clean Break's Steven Helmkamp on Courage, Passion and Elvis

For anyone stuck in a dead end job and dreaming of following their passions, a few episodes of Fuel TV’s Clean Break might provide a little inspiration. Steven Helmkamp is one of three guys, removed from the reality of their day-to-day grind and dropped in remote parts of Hawaii for the adventure of a lifetime. The three strangers — Steven, Chase Penny and Luke Rogers — were asked to swim with sharks, scale steep mountains, surf double overhead waves and mountain bike downhill at more than 25 miles per hour.

Sounds like a piece of cake for an outdoorsy guy like Steven. He grew up in Florida and loves to surf and hike. He considered himself pretty athletic until this challenge came along and pushed the term athletic to new heights. But sick of his job as a medical salesman, Steven was ready for the experience of self-discovery.

In a recent exclusive interview we asked Steven the most valuable insight he got from all this. He replied, “I was most surprised to learn that when I don’t want to do something I’m quick to say, ‘No, I don’t want to do it. It’s not for me.’”

He continued, “What I learned through this trip was that I’m really capable of doing a lot more than I thought. I’m really able to do all these extreme sports that I’ve never tired before. I’ve never tried stand up paddle boarding or tried rock climbing like this and I’m in my head thinking, ‘Can I really do this? What if I can’t?’ But I’m a pretty good all around athlete I have to say, for just going out the first time and trying to do it.”

Steven also walked away from Clean Break with another valuable thing — lifelong friends. Before the show Steven, Chase and Luke were complete strangers, in fact they didn’t even meet until they landed in Hawaii. But having shared this difficult, and sometimes even frightening, adventure together they have a bond none of them expected.

Steven said, “Those guys are like brothers. We still talk. We still hang out even after the show… I’m so glad that I was able to do this with two other guys rather than by myself because having these two other guys to experience and to share all these adventures with was awesome.”

Wayne Brady Returns to Improv on Trust Us With Your Life

 Photo by ABC/Nick Ray

Wayne Brady first hit the scene as the bubbly, singing improv star on the U.S. version of Who’s Line Is It Anyway? After that show ended he spent the intervening years hosting a self-titled talk show and the game shows Don’t Forget the Lyrics! and the new Let’s Make a Deal.

But he never wandered too far from his first love — improv. He made appearances on the BBC2 show Fast and Loose and did a guest spot on Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza on GSN. And he’s done live shows with his friend and Let’s Make a Deal announcer Jonathan Mangum.

Now Wayne is heading back to prime time with Trust Us with Your Life. On the improv show Wayne and his pals will riff on key moments lived by celebrities like David Hasselhoff, Ricky Gervais, Jack and Kelly Osbourne, Serena Williams and Mark Cuban.

It all starts when a star shares his or her life changing moments. Then the improv geniuses take over, utilizing a number of techniques including comedy scenes and game show formats to recreate the celebs memories.

Brandy Norwood on Her New Album, Finding a Purpose and Whitney

Photo by Annette Brown/Lifetime

To some Brandy Norwood is better known by a single moniker and a singing career. Others think of her as a TV star from shows like Thea and Moeshe. And after a turn at reality TV with her brother Ray J, Brandy returned to series television and singing. Last season she was on three episodes of Drop Dead Diva and now she’s back again this year for two more playing Parker’s ex-girlfriend and the mother of his child. She is also just weeks away from releasing a new video, to be followed by a new album. The CD will be called 211 — in honor of her own birthdate and coincidentally the day that marks the death of her idol, Whitney Houston.

Brandy has had a lot of ups and owns in her life, but she has remained resilient and has learned and grown a lot through the process. She is grateful for the fans, who she calls stars, that have stuck by her during her journey. She steps into her fears, sometimes literally as with her appearance on Dancing with the Stars, and tries to ignore the pressures of being famous. In a recent conference call interview she addressed all of this and more.

On Naming Her New Album 211
“That’s the day that I was born and every year I grow and I evolve and I become a different person, everyday actually. But you celebrate the day you were born and you try to get better and better. And it's also the day that I lost my idol, [Whitney Houston], but gained her as an angel but lost her in the physical. So that day has really become so special to me and I just dedicate my life to just living my purpose and doing what I'm supposed to do.”

On Missing Whitney Houston
“I really miss her. I miss her so much and I love her so much. And this is the person that I looked up to and she was the possibility for me. She was everything in terms of singing. [Because of her, I believed] everything could happen for me at one point in my life, she was the reason. And her spirit was infectious… I can't even put into words what her voice meant to me and what she meant to me as a person. And she will forever be loved and missed.”

On Her Upcoming Video ‘Put It Down’
“You can expect a video in July. I'm really excited about it. It's my first single since four years ago. So it's great to be back on the music scene. It's great to have a song with Chris Brown and it's going to be an amazing run… I can't tell you who's directing it. It's so sad, because I want to tell you so badly. But it's going to be a great video. The treatment is great. And just the extra addition with Chris Brown it's going to be an epic video. I hope so because I haven't had one of those in a long time, so to be on this path it just feels really great.”