Ryan Seacrest – American Idol Host

It seems that Ryan Seacrest has a thriving broadcasting career and several ventures in media. Many believe Ryan Seacrest is at the very forefront of the entertainment industry.

This year marks Ryan’s seventh year as the successful host of the #1 TV show, “American Idol.”  Along with his winning personality, the show has become a true cultural phenomenon, making Ryan Seacrest a household name in the process.

In addition to TV, Ryan reaches millions through the world’s most popular radio countdown show, “American Top 40,” He took over the show from radio legend Casey Kasem. “American Top 40″ still remains an institution in radio. With Ryan running the show, it is heard on more stations and in larger markets than ever before.

Ryan states, “When I moved to Hollywood, one of the first people I ever wanted to meet wasn’t a movie star. It was a disc jockey, it was Casey Kasem.  Kasem is a legend, a guy I used to listen to growing up. And not only listen to, but pretended to be.”

In Los Angeles, Seacrest took over DJ role on the Top-40 radio powerhouse, 102.7 KIIS-FM. The program, “On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” which broadcasts weekdays from 5:00-10:00 AM, is now the No. 1 morning show in L.A.

On his love for radio, “I love it. I love the immediacy of it. I love the spontaneity of it, … I love the fact that every day you see something on TV that you have an opinion about and you want to talk about and the next day you can get on the air and do it.”

There has been many rumors about Ryan’s sexuality and whether he’s gay or not.

He comments, “I know a lot of gay males who I work with that are fantastic people and I love hanging out with them. But because I hang out and bring gay men into my life, does that mean that I’m gay? I promise you that I very much love women.”

Seacrest continues, “I’ve dated some women who have turned me on to some funny things that are strange for men to actually do, but these things have become part of my process. I think the things I do for my appearance help make me look better. I even colour my hair because I like how it makes me look.”




Ivanka Trump

Ivanka Trump is the daughter of former fashion model and athlete Ivana Trump and multibillionaire business mogul-cum-pop culture celebrity Donald Trump.  Ivanka was born in 1981.

She inherited both the traffic-stopping glamour of her mother and the staggering fiscal wealth of both parents — reason enough for her to be selected as one of the chief participants in the 2002 documentary Born Rich, a glimpse into the lives of some of the wealthiest young heirs and heiresses in the world — helmed by Jamie Johnson, prince of the Johnson & Johnson empire.

Trump landed on the cover of Seventeen Magazine at the age of 16, which marked the beginning of a glossy and prestigious career as a fashion model. She then attended Georgetown University and Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in economics.



As a young adult, Trump became a frequent guest star on talk programs, news magazines, and reality series such as Late Night with David Letterman, Entertainment Tonight, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Project Runway (appearing as a guest host in 2006). She also hosted the 15th Annual Miss Teen USA Pageant in 1997.

In 2005, Ivanka joined her father’s business organization, working in real estate development.

Starting in 2006, Ivanka began to appear on her father’s popular reality show The Apprentice, becoming a regular boardroom judge the following year, replacing Carolyn Kepcher starting with the sixth season of the series.




Kim Kardashian


Kim Kardashian (full name Kimberly Noel Kardashian) was born on October 21, 1980 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is the daughter of Robert Kardashian, famous attorney and she is also a socialite.

One of her best friends is Paris Hilton. Just like Paris, Kim was involved in a sex tape scandal after an unknown source sold a tape in which she and her boyfriend, Ray J, were making love. She said she will sue them.

“There is no amount of money that could ever convince me to release any tape, even if I had one. I don’t need the money.”

“I’m not poor; I’m not desperate, I would never attempt to sell a tape,” she says. “It would humiliate me and ruin my family. I don’t need the money. It’s humiliating; it’s embarrassing. It’s something I feel very betrayed by, but I’m not pointing any fingers.”

Kim Kardashian stars in Keeping Up with the Kardashians, now in its second season.

People seem to want to see how this former sex tape star and ex-best friend of Paris Hilton behaves in real life. The truth really is, that despite bringing nothing but some big breasts and a large buttocks to the table, Kardashian isn’t as annoying as most talentless celebrities.

These days, Kim Kardashian is dating NFL star Reggie Bush. She says they hope to get married one day soon.

 




Tyra Banks

Many times in Hollywood or the overall entertainment business, good looks means few brain cells. In the case of supermodel Tyra Banks, that is certainly not the case. Underneath that glamourous exterior lies a fiercely determined businesswoman. Tyra has two hit shows: ”America’s Next Top Model” and ”The Tyra Banks Show”.

But Tyra Banks is not satisfied and has lofty goals. She has designs on building a multimedia empire.  Tyra says, “”Oprah Winfrey is a mogul. Martha Stewart is a mogul. I’m probably a mogul in the making. I’m almost there”

After her unbelievable modeling career wound down, her second life was just starting. The May 2003 debut of her creation America’s Next Top Model, which has grown into a worldwide hit and is embarking upon its 10th cycle (premiering Feb. 20 on The CW) began modestly. The most recent edition was the network’s top-rated series, averaging 5.2 million viewers weekly.

And The Tyra Banks Show — a broad mix of women’s issues and frothy fare — is now a talk-show force to be reckoned with: 4.3 million adult female viewers tuned in weekly this past November sweeps, and, with a median age of 40.

Full article




Donald Trump

Who hasn’t heard of Donald Trump? Although he’s better known as that entrepreneur with the funny hairstyle, he’s so much more. Trump has been in the news as much as anyone these days, maybe not always for the right reasons. His well publicized media battle with Rosie O’Donnell was both intriguing and pathetic. Whether you love or hate Donald Trump, there’s no denying he’s a one-man PR machine.

Donald made a public mainstream name for himself as a real estate developer and a celebrity on the television show “The Apprentice”, and is now passing on his know-how through the Trump University, which offers a range of on-line courses and books.

Born in 1946 to a wealthy New York real estate developer, Donald Trump undoubtedly had a head start for his own real estate business – but it takes more than a foot in the real estate door to rise to the level of success of “The Donald”.

A true businessman and entrepreneur, he overcame financial difficulties in the 1990’s through ambitious real estate developments including Trump World Tower and Trump Place, and is a major real estate player in the United States. He is also CEO of Trump Organisation and founded Trump Entertainment, which operates a number of casinos.

His fame and notoriety raised even further with the television reality show “The Apprentice”, in which Donald Trump is both host and executive producer.

His success can be largely attributed to his entrepreneurial vision, hard-hitting business tactics and just the fact that he has set himself some BIG goals. But more than that, he has a burning desire to be a success – and this desire is what keeps him motivated to achieve.

Is “The Donald” your success role model? Find out his own success secrets through Donald Trump University, which was established in 2005 to share Donald Trump’s entrepreneurial know-how with the world through a variety of courses, programs, books and audios. Their mission is to ‘teach success’ by giving people the knowledge needed to succeed and by adopting a hands-on approach to learning – after all, most of us learn better by ‘doing’ than by reading or listening alone.




Joy of Watching Famous People Self Destruct

We’ve all done it at some point in our lives. The rolling of the eyes, the shaking of the head, or just outright laughter as another celebrity hits rock bottom. Whether it’s a DUI, drug conviction, stint in rehab, cheating spouse and subsequent high profile divorce, there’s something that brings us joy in watching a famous celebrity self destruct and meltdown before our eyes.

“There can be no joy in either being smug over the trials of the rich-and-famous or laughing at their addictions,” said Dr. Patricia A. Farrell, a well-known psychologist and author. “What have we become that we eagerly seek out joy in destruction? Is this just the modern version of ‘bread and circus?’ The frenzy that accompanies the current coverage of celebrities like Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, female rappers and TV actors is spiraling upward. My concern is that it will result in serious physical and mental harm to these individuals as well as innocent bystanders.”

Journalistic archives or “morgues” are full of the stories of the final moments of the famous. “Many of the stories tell about stars committing suicide and provide graphic detail or how they’ve spiraled into addiction. As I’ve said before, who wouldn’t want to escape from the constant pursuit? Do you think a fox in a fox hunt actually ‘enjoys’ the chase? And what happens at the end of the hunt, just before they go to those elaborate buffets? Does the fox come along and laugh about all the near-misses or stumbles of the horses?

These people hunt for what they believe is ‘sport’ of a type and they’ve recklessly rode over people’s property without consideration of the owner’s rights. They believe they have the right to ‘hunt’ and that no one can deny them that pleasure.

“Now, we have a hunt of a different type and the fox often lives to see another day, but in no better shape, mentally. The hunt also has a tradition where the first hunt for a rider is celebrated by smearing blood on the collar of this rider’s jacket. So, the whole intent is blood sport, not riding. I wonder how the papps celebrate their first ‘kill.’ Entertainment is a part of life that all of us need to help us maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“Perhaps it is the war or the present sorry state of the economy,” Dr. Farrell concluded, “but one thing is for sure and that is that things are getting worse, more reckless and the people in the stands watching this chase seem to be giving that ‘thumbs down’ gesture. They don’t seem to want to see a happy ending and that’s not just sad, that’s disturbing.”

Dr. Farrell is the author of “How to Be Your Own Therapist” (Barnes & Noble, 2007, ISBN: 0-7607-9184-8), a licensed psychologist and medical disability consultant. She has appeared on major TV shows such as The Today Show, The View, Good Morning America, Anderson Cooper 360 and is quoted in national newspapers, magazines and news services.




Simon Cowell

Simon Cowell

As American Idol gets ready for another season, there’s no doubt that Simon Cowell and his brash personality, at times overshadows the singing contestants. Along with the other two American Idol judges (Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul), Simon has brought American Idol into mainstream pop culture and every day water cooler chat.

Simon Cowell has worked in the music industry for 27 years. He started in the post room at EMI Music Publishing. After starting his own label at the age of 23, Simon joined BMG in 1989 and began a relationship that has now lasted for 20 years. During his time at BMG, Simon has sold over 150 million records and has had over 50 number one records. His artists have included Westlife whose first 7 singles all went to No 1 and most recently Il Divo, whose first 2 albums have collectively sold 15 million copies around the world.

Simon first became a household name in England as a judge of the singing competition Pop Idol. When that hit how was brought to the U.S. as American Idol, well the rest is history. He also wrote the book titled, “I Don’t Mean to Be Rude, But…”.  Beyond his role as a judge,  Simon has produced the following reality TV shows CupidAmerican InventorAmerica’s Got Talent, and Celebrity Duets.

When asked about American Idol’s popularity, Cowell answered “No. 1, it’s a great TV show. The second reason is that it only runs once a year so I don’t think the public is bored with it. Thirdly, it’s probably the most realistic reality show I’ve seen on American TV.  There are so many under the banner that have no reality in them. My idea is to make the audience believe that they are looking through the keyhole. That is the true definition of reality TV.”

When asked who his role model is, “I actually really like Donald Trump. I think he’s entertaining. There are so many unhappy billionaires, and he’s a happy one with a great sense of humor. I didn’t think I’d like him. I like people [who] don’t take themselves too seriously.”

So behind the famous Cowell scowl, is a multi-talented entertainer who has the knack for finding winning shows and winning singers.  Some people hate him and think he’s too harsh. But with his long string of successes, my bet is he’ll be around for a long, long time.




Alicia Keys, Fighting Her Way Back

The beautiful Alicia Keys has released her third album, titled “As I Am.” The talented singer-songwriter is interviewed by Entertainment Weekly, and discloses her personal battles and hitting rock bottom.

Alicia has always been a shy, private person. “Ever since I was little, I always felt like if people knew about me, they’d be able to use it against me.”

Her talent is incredible and success has followed closely behind. Keys has 9 Grammys and sold 11.5 CD’s and collaborated with countless industry giants such as Usher, Eve, Bono and Ray Charles. Even with her success, she was depressed, “‘I discovered a lot about myself I didn’t like,” she says. ”I would look in the mirror and I didn’t know who that person was. I didn’t like my eyes; I didn’t like what they said. I couldn’t sleep. I was uncomfortable all the time, and irritated and frustrated.” Full article




Penelope Cruz

Penelope Cruz

She’s made a dynamic leap from European actress to Hollywood superstar – but for Penelope Cruz the sudden rise to fame and fortune hasn’t come without a price.

“The most difficult thing in the world is to start a career known only for your looks, and then to try to become a serious actress. No one will take you seriously once you are known as the pretty woman.”

The exquisitely beautiful Spanish star was romantically involved with Tom Cruise, but was accused of breaking up his marriage with Nicole Kidman. Their relationship ended after nearly four years.

“I am amazed about how everyone wants to know about my love life. They whisper to me, ‘Tell me the truth? Is it true?’ Who cares? Because we have this job, we are to say to everybody what we do, or with whom we sleep? It’s a bit absurd, but that’s why everybody.”

“I have stepped off the relationship scene to come to terms with myself. I have spent most of my adult life being ‘someone’s girlfriend’, and now I am happy being single.”




Christina Milian

In 2000, Christina Milian made her first official musical appearance on Ja Rule’s second studio album Rule 3:36, performing guest vocals on his song “Between Me and You”. Released as the album’s lead single in 2001, the track managed to peak at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, building Milian’s reputation as a singer.

Christina Milian continues, “When I go home, I still have to clean my room, I still have to do the dishes. We have somebody come every now and then to do that stuff, but my mom still makes me clean before she comes.”




Keira Knightley

Keira Knightley appeared in the print ad for the Chanel fragrance Coco Mademoiselle. The ad features her naked and covering her chest with a bowler hat. Her modest cleavage was digitally enhanced in the ad.

“Those things certainly weren’t mine. I was like, ‘OK, fine. I honestly don’t give a shit.’ I don’t have any tits, so I can’t show cleavage.”

In May 2007, Keira revealed she was hurt by recent allegations that her thin frame was promoting anorexia and she was considering quitting acting as a result.

“People said to me, ‘How does it feel to be called anorexic?’ I had no idea that I was. I’m not saying there aren’t people in the film industry that suffer from it [anorexia], but I’m quite sure I don’t have it.”

“At parties, I stand on my own, grinning aimlessly. I can never think of a thing to say. I wish I was Sienna Miller. I watch that girl and she is just fabulous. She talks to everyone and laughs and smiles.”

Keira did all of her own stunts in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. She was thrilled that she actually got to sword fight in this one. In the first one she begged for a sword fight, but they did not let her have one.