The buzz has already begun that Tori Spelling's development deal for a talk show on ABC is in jeopardy due to her "poor health" and "low weight," but I have new details from behind the daytime drama, including a proposed onscreen pairing with anchorman Thomas Roberts. (FYI: Thomas cornered me the other night -- three years after the fact -- in a bar/restaurant in Chelsea to "discuss" you-know-what, and while I won't go into what he said to me right now, other than his acknowledging the photos were of him -- um, I know -- let's just say I get the feeling that he might be "related" to Kelly Killoren Bensimon. The whole thing was so bizarre, in fact, that my friend Jay texted me the following morning: "I cannot believe I had to leave so quickly after your Thomas Roberts 'Housewives' reunion moment. ... I kept waiting for Andy Cohen to pop up with a fistful of cards and start reading blog reader questions.)My sources tell me that Tori was slated to be a guest host on "The View" back on June 14 as part of ABC's efforts to get the audience used to her as a talk show host. But if you check her tweets leading up to that scheduled appearance, you will see that she "took sick" on Monday night, and ultimately did not show up. I'm told that Tori never bothered calling the ABC executives -- the word is that getting her out of bed before 1 p.m. is frequently a challenge in and of itself -- leaving them to instead follow the tweets, wisely lining up a backup. (Kassie DePaiva was called in at the Eleventh Hour to fill her shoes.) Meantime, Thomas Roberts is said to have been tapped as a potential sidekick for this "Will & Grace" type chat show, in part because he's gay and "straight acting" (whatever that means), but, as my source put it, "just devoid of enough personality so as not to steal the spotlight" from Candy's little girl. You may recall that ABC put Roberts on "The View" last week as part of a male-themed week of fill-ins. I'm told this too was part of a plan to try him out in the talk show format. I'm also hearing that they deliberately arranged that controversial "hot topic" -- about gays donating blood -- so he could, in essence, "come out" again, this time to the daytime audience so ABC could gauge Peoria's reaction. (Several friends have commented on how awkward the whole exchange was.)
Admittedly, Donna Martin was able to overcome many obstacles at West Beverly before she finally graduated. But even if Tori pulls herself together long enough to get this show off the ground, does this sound like something anyone would watch? With three best-selling memoirs and a long-running reality show under her belt, it sounds like ABC is betting the answer is yes.
He's a beautiful-looking guy but I found his VIEW stint painfully awkward. He is not suited to casual banter. I think he is better as an anchor. Or naked somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI hate to say this since I have worked with Thomas and like him, but he has always been his own worst enemy. Everyone at "The Insider" was completely behind him when the scandal broke, yet he still wants so badly to believe that those photos "ruined" his career there. The truth is he was clearly out of his league, yet instead of working harder and trying to get better at his job, he did everything he could to get fired (I've actually heard substance abuse was his downfall).
ReplyDeleteI hope he's in a better place now (he acted like he was in that Advocate puff piece awhile back). But if he's still running around confronting people about something that no one but him really remembers or cares about, somehow I doubt he is.
I've said this from the beginning and I will say it again: He should be FLATTERED that the blogosphere would even want to post naked photos of him. Now if only Anderson Cooper had been stupid enough to let some slip out on the Internet!
Stop! You know what straight acting is!! He's no Carson from Queer eye. And don't tell me you don't find a straight acting guy hotter than some Britney queen prancing around. Lets me honest here. I did see him on the view and it wasn't awkward. I saw Mario Cantone on The View also and to me that was awkward. Straights seem to accept us when we are clowns and over the top but throw a Thomas Roberts in the mix and all hell breaks loose. I know way more Thomas Roberts than I do Mario Cantones.
ReplyDeleteHe's pretty. I'd do him.
ReplyDeleteI'd totally watch the Tori and Thomas Show. I like Tori in the strangest way. After all these years, we're still talking about her. When was the last time you heard anything about Gabrielle Carteris?
ReplyDeleteWith any luck, Tori and Candy will have another reconciliation just in time for the show's premiere. Tori will arrange for Candy to meet Stella live on the air. Again. Then Candy won't show up. Again. Tori will cry and Dean will dash onstage to comfort her and oh my God, I'm setting the DVR already.