Posted 6/23/11 1:26 pm ET by Kelli B. Bender in The Challenge, Top TV Shows
Last night we got our first full look at "The Challenge: Rivals," a carefully crafted competition that pairs cast members with their most incompatible partner. It’s basically like putting a hurricane and a tornado together and asking them not to destroy anything. The premiere included some disputes, but also a surprising number of handshakes and hugs. Still, just because things started off fairly friendly doesn’t mean it's going to stay that way. In fact, we're kind of hoping it doesn’t, which is why we went ahead and picked the duos we think might be able keep their hands to themselves (and their FUs in their mouths) all the way to the end. Check 'em out and see if you agree!
1. LEROY and MIKE: Leroy’s original partner, Adam, stayed true to his roots and was booted out of the house for fighting before he even had a chance to test out his mattress with Jenn. After his quick exit, Leroy was worried that he would have to say good-bye too; instead, his "Real World XXV" buddy Mike became his new teammate. Being BFFs instead of mortal enemies is an amazing advantage, and if The Jungle caters to both brain and brawn this team could be set.
2. JONNA and JASMINE: Fresh out the gate and straight into the wilderness, Challenge newbies Jonna and Jasmine proved they have what it takes to outlast some of MTV’s major veterans. The duo dominated by winning the first challenge and securing an automatic in for next week’s show. Cancun was crazy, but it looks like Jasmine and Jonna might be able to put it behind them.
3. EVELYN and PAULA: Every avid Challenge watcher knows that Paula has been pretty unlucky when it comes to these competitions, but statistics say that she has to win at some point in her life. And after her and Evelyn’s performance in The Jungle, Paula and her partner proved that this might be the one. If these ladies were able to knock out Aneesa and Robin, they might just be unstoppable.
4. CT and ADAM: Major things have happened to CT since we last saw him. As he shared last night, his brother was murdered and he himself suffered a bullet in the back. The tragic event appears to have transformed CT into a calmer competitor and could allow he and Adam to form a winning bond. If these head-butting bros can continue to peacefully put their minds together, we're looking at a serious force to be reckoned with.
5. MANDI and JENN: These former feuders stayed on the down-low for most of the first episode, opting for serving up body shots instead of making waves in the competition. But keep your eyes on them, because they appear to be getting along just dandy. Jenn even seemed to show genuine concern when Mandi took a tumble in the middle of Adam and Ty’s fight. So what does this mean? Well, if we learned anything from the premiere, it's that getting along with your worst enemy can be your best shot at the gold.
+ Who do YOU think is looking prime for the finish line? Sound off in the comments!
Posted 6/23/11 12:30 pm ET by Rebecca Brown in 16 and Pregnant, Top TV Shows
New mom Allie had an overwhelmingly difficult struggle on Tuesday's season finale of "16 and Pregnant." Between her absent parents, verbally abusive relationship with Yolanda and disinterested baby's father, she couldn't catch a break. By the end of the episode, things only got worse between her and Aydenn's dad, Joey. She had no choice but to break up with him, leaving her with another huge challenge: learning how to be a strong parent all on her own.
Before they called it quits, Allie had a lot of faith that Joey would step up. In this bonus scene, Joey goes out on a job interview so he can begin to try to provide for his family. Allie is there with him to provide encouragement, and she definitely does her best to nudge him in the right direction. Take a look:
Posted 6/23/11 10:55 am ET by Rebecca Brown in The Hills, Top TV Shows
Throughout the past few months, we've been piecing together bits of information regarding Heidi Montag's new VH1 series, "Famous Food," and now that we understand what the reality show is all about, we're kinda/sorta/maybe looking forward to it. Come on, it caters to the restaurant biz (who doesn't love eating?) and the Garden State's biggest drama queen, Danielle Staub, is in it! Talk about a recipe for tasty TV!
In the competition, reality stars vie for a chance to run a West Hollywood eatery by taking on a variety of operational tasks. In this clip from the upcoming premiere (which airs July 10 at 10/9c), Heidi's assigned to bartend. She claims that Tom Cruise is a big influence of hers, but judging by the amount of booze that she spills onto the floor, she really didn't pick up any of his skills from "Cocktail." At least she's having fun!
Posted 6/22/11 11:00 pm ET by Lisa Chudnofsky in The Challenge, Top TV Shows
Back in October 2010, pro BMX rider and "Challenge" host TJ Lavin took a terrible spill that landed him in a coma for two weeks. When he woke up in the hospital's intensive care unit, he was incredibly relieved to hear that his body wasn't permanently paralyzed, but he knew there would be a long recovery ahead due to other serious injuries. It took him quite a while to regain his balance and refine his speech, but with a ton of hard work and determination, within a year he was back at "The Challenge" to put the rivals to work.
We caught up with TJ in Costa Rica right before the first competition kicked off, and he expressed much gratitude for the family, friends and fans that supported him during such a trying time in his life. Check out our interview with him below to find out where he's at now in terms of physical progress, as well as the reason he decided to return to the show.
Posted 6/22/11 10:59 pm ET by Lisa Chudnofsky in The Challenge, Top TV Shows
He broke a record in Las Vegas by being sent home the earliest in "Real World" history (Mom must be proud), and now Adam Royer joins the likes of CT and (the other) Adam by getting kicked off "The Challenge: Rivals" in its first episode.
We caught up with the shamed slugger in Costa Rica the day after producers yanked him out of the house. He was headed back to The States in a few hours as punishment for punching Ty and eager to apologize to Leroy for messing up their (rather good) chances of sweeping the competition. The duo did, after all, win the first challenge!
Check out his mea culpa in the video below, plus take a look at a bonus clip after the jump, where dude admits to having a huge crush on Jenn. He says that missing out on hooking up with her is really the only reason he regrets his bad behavior--a total contradiction to what he stated in the previous video! This guy seriously has to work on getting his stories straight.
Posted 6/22/11 10:58 pm ET by Lisa Chudnofsky in The Challenge, Top TV Shows
There's a reason why Leroy got an "I Survived XXV" tattoo after being a part of "Real World: Las Vegas." His name is Adam Royer. Adam, with his propensity to slam down full bottles of vodka and then smash stuff in the suite, was the only roommate who ever got under Leroy's skin, so you can imagine how Leroy felt when he got to Costa Rica and found out that he was paired with his rival! What you don't have to imagine is how he reacted to Adam getting sent home--we were in Costa Rica when it happened and took a few minutes to speak with the discouraged challenger. Check out a clip from our interview with Leroy, where he vents about his former roommate's antics while anxiously waiting to hear who his next teammate will be. (Little did he know that his buddy Mike was on a plane that very minute.... Score!)
Posted 6/22/11 10:57 pm ET by Rebecca Brown in The Challenge, Top TV Shows
Normally on every "Challenge," we watch the veterans completely outwit/outplay/outlast the newbies, but tonight's season premiere of "Rivals" totally flipped the script. The pros talked a good game, but when it came time to compete during the waterfall long-jump challenge, Evelyn and Paula—arguably one of the most seasoned female duos—performed the worst. And the guys ran into a similar scenario--all-stars Kenny and Wes DQed! The teams that dominated? That'd be rookies Jasmine and Jonna, and Leroy and Adam. WTF?!
It was pretty fun to watch TWO unprecedented ass-whoppings, but we're wondering if perhaps the rookie wins were just a fluke. Can little Jasmine and Jonna continue along this victorious path? Will Leroy's new partner, Mike, help or hinder his game? Take the poll and tell us whether or not you think these kids have an actual shot at taking this whole thing!
Posted 6/22/11 10:56 pm ET by Rebecca Brown in The Challenge, Top TV Shows
No one seemed particularly ecstatic to make nice with their mortal enemy on tonight's premiere of "The Challenge: Rivals," but we were actually surprised how civil Aneesa and Robin acted toward each other. Guess even the rowdiest of people can learn how to behave themselves when money's on the line!
Despite their decent athletic performance and veteran accolades, the two cougars were voted into The Jungle, where Evelyn and Paula sent them packing. Check out this exclusive interview with Robin and Aneesa on their first day in Costa Rica, where they talked to us about strategy--evidently, they thought being strong-willed man-eaters would work to their advantage. Oh well.
Posted 6/22/11 6:06 pm ET by Rebecca Brown in The Hills, Top TV Shows
It was no surprise this morning when we walked by the newsstand and spotted the always fit Audrina Patridge showing off her toned bod on the cover of Shape magazine's July issue. 'Drina's never been one to shy away from sporting a skimpy swimsuit--her enormous Bongo bikini billboard spanned the entire length of an office building in West Hollywood earlier this year--so it made perfect sense that she'd share her beach-body secrets with the national fitness mag.
When it comes to finding the right poolside gear, the former "Hills" star said that it's important to try on all sorts of styles. "So many women will buy one [suit] they see a celebrity wearing, thinking it'll look good on them too. But often it doesn't flatter their figure." Easy for her to say, she'd look amazing in a potato sack. Even a really ugly potato sack.
Photo courtesy of Shape Magazine
Posted 6/22/11 12:54 pm ET by Rebecca Brown in The Hills, Top TV Shows
Earlier this morning we learned that Lauren Conrad, whose empire continues to grow at an astounding rate, locked down a writing gig at Forbes Lifestyle. She'll be sharing her tips on how to successfully run a business and website, write a book and produce a fashion line (not all at once, we hope). Since we're simply in awe of her burgeoning career (and slightly curious about why so many of her former costars are now on the self-help circuit), we've rounded up other past "Hills" casties who've dabbled in the advice game.
Spencer Pratt
Roughly two years ago, sharp-tongued Spencer hung up his reality star towel and took a stab at being a columnist. He nabbed a spot on the writing roster at Nerve.com, serving up tasty dating advice to lovestruck readers. (And who can forget his life-changing instructional guide, "How To Be Famous"?...it's probably to blame for the birth of Sparah!)
Whitney Port
The fashion-forward designer wrote an advice book for her peers called "True Whit: Designing A Life Of Style, Beauty And Fun," in which she spilled all of her precious beauty and home furnishing secrets, like how to decorate on a budget.
Lo Bosworth
After joining Twitter, Lo became addicted to connecting with fans and talking to them about her tried-and-true makeup tips. Soon after, Lo developed a larger platform to engage with interested readers called TheLoDown.com, a website brimming with helpful life tips for young women.
Kelly Cutrone
When wasn't the brazen boss lady putting in her two cents about better/smarter/quicker ways that her colleagues and subordinates could be doing things? Her sassy self-help book, aptly titled, "If You Have To Cry, Go Outside...And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You," is the "Art Of War" for the fashion set.
+ Which of these former Hillzies' advice would you follow? Sound off in the comments!
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images
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