Things I Heard

BROOKE BURKE ON DANCING! Former Dancing with the Stars winner Brooke Burke has signed on to be the new co-host of the show. It was announced on Good Morning America Monday that Burke will join existing host Tom Bergeron to help conduct backstage interviews with celebrities and keep the show moving along. The 10th season of the show kicks off March 22nd and features Kate Gosselin, Pam Anderson, Reno 911 star Niecy Nash and more.

FAWCETT NOT HONORED AT THE OSCARS! Farrah Fawcett was not featured at this weekend’s Oscars during the In Memoriam tribute to stars that have died. According to the Associated Press, a spokesperson for the awards said that they have to choose who is in the slideshow and “it’s an unfortunate reality that we can’t include everybody.” Patrick Swayze, Brittany Murphy, Michael Jackson, Natasha Richardson and more were honored during the tribute.

BETTY WHITE TO APPEAR ON SNL! Betty White has confirmed to People that she will appear on Saturday Night Live in the near future. Details about what part she’ll play on the show are yet to be announced. Recently, a Facebook page was created to get Betty White to host Saturday Night Live and more than a half a million people have joined.

HUNKY VIRAL VIDEO! Jimmy Kimmel showed a clip called the Handsome Men’s Club on his show Sunday night. The video featured Patrick Dempsey, Matthew McConaughey, Tony Romo, Josh Harnett, Taye Diggs, Lenny Kravitz, Sting, Ben Affleck, Keith Urban, Matt Damon, John Krasinski and more! You can find this video right here at Kate's Dish.

NFL STAR HIRES LAWYER! According to www.ProFootballTalk.com, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has hired the same lawyer who helped NFLer Ray Lewis get acquitted of murder in 2000. The lawyer’s name is Ed Garland and he is based out of Atlanta. Roethlisberger is currently under investigation in Georgia after being accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman in a nightclub bathroom this past weekend.

ALICE ON ABC FAMILY! ABC Family has purchased the rights to show Alice in Wonderland on their TV channel. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Walt Disney Pictures film will air on ABC Family in 2012, though the channel hasn’t yet decided whether they’ll air Alice in 3D or 2D. Alice in Wonderland opened this weekend, making 116.3-million dollars in the U-S.

ROB THOMAS AT THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony just got a little bit better. Rob Thomas took to his Twitter account to say that he will be performing at the event, which takes place on Monday in New York City. The matchbox twenty frontman wrote that it will be “much fun!” Follow Rob at www.Twitter.com/ThisIsRobThomas.

MADONNA GETS MAD

Reports are coming out of Hollywood that Madonna had a little meltdown at Elton John’s pre-Oscar party over the weekend. According to British paper The Mirror, the party was sponsored by Grey Goose, and Madge got angry when she wasn’t able to get a drink made with her personal vodka preference, Belvedere. A source says that Madonna was “dropping F-bombs like they were going out of fashion” and manager Guy Oseary had to calm her down. The source also says that actress Jane Fonda said hello to Madonna, but she was in such a bad mood that she didn’t even turn around to acknowledge her. Learn more at www.Mirror.co.uk.

TRAIN IS IN WINE COUNTRY

Train is going to be playing a series of shows in the Napa Valley of California, better known as Wine Country. The shows are private, but the San Francisco rockers are giving you a chance to win tickets to see them perform! Head to www.TrainLine.com to learn more now.

GREEN RIVER ORDINANCE HITS THE ROAD

Green River Ordinance are hitting the road this spring. It was just announced via press release that the “Come On” rockers will kick off their tour on March 26th in Oklahoma City and wrap it up on May 6th in Los Angeles. Learn more about the trek and see if the guys are coming to a town near you, at www.GreenRiverOrdinance.com.

LEONA LEWIS IS HAPPY THE COVE WON AN OSCAR

The film The Cove won Best Documentary at the Oscars on Sunday night, and Leona Lewis is absolutely thrilled that it did. The movie shows people who are trying to stop dolphins from getting brutally murdered, and since Leona is such an animal lover, she took to her Twitter account to offer a big congratulations. The “Bleeding Love” singer called The Cove “inspiring and moving,” and wrote that you can help protect the animals by texting “Dolphin” to 44144. Learn more at www.Twitter.com/LeonaLewisMusic.

SEE THE RUNAWAYS, HELP A GOOD CAUSE

Sara Bareilles is helping to put on a special screening of The Runaways, the new movie about the lives of Joan Jett and Cherie Currie that hits theaters on April 9th. The “Love Song” singer is screening the film tonight in Los Angeles, and if you buy tickets, proceeds go to benefit Rock n’ Roll Camp For Girls Los Angeles, which is a new non-profit that aims to empower girls through music education. Learn more and be a part of the special event, by heading to www.BrownPaperTickets.com.

BILLY IDOL ANNOUNCES TOUR

Billy Idol announced a world tour yesterday. The “White Wedding” singer kicks off the trek on June 5th in Moscow and will crisscross throughout Europe until July 11th, when he winds down in Holland. During his time on the road, Billy will perform in countries like Germany, Switzerland, Serbia, Macedonia, the Czech Republic and his native U-K, where he'll play at the Download Festival. Once his overseas trek finishes up, Idol plans to tour in North America. Get all the European dates and stay up to date at www.BillyIdol.com.

The EMS interview with the creator of NBC's Trauma.

CONAN O’BRIEN SHOW! Ticketmaster is selling tickets to a stage show in Phoenix, Arizona featuring Conan O’Brien. There is no word on what type of set or show O’Brien will perform, but tickets go on sale today to see the funnyman on April 30th in Phoenix. Head to Ticketmaster.com to take a gamble and see what with former Late Show host will do.

NO PLEA FOR CHARLIE! According to Radar Online, the district attorney involved in the Charlie Sheen domestic assault case will not accept any plea deal from Sheen’s camp. That means that Sheen may have to go to trail and face his one felony and two misdemeanor charges after an incident involving a knife at Christmastime.

BABY NEWS! Despite previous reports that Rebecca Gayheart had already given birth, actor Eric Dane and Rebecca officially became parents this past week. The couple had a baby girl and according to their publicist, the whole family is doing great. Head over to www.News.Yahoo.com for more.

THE OFFICE BABY! On Thursday night, people who watched The Office got to see “Pam” and “Jim’s” baby girl arrive. The TV couple named their baby “Cecelia.” Jenna Fischer, the actress who plays “Pam,” told www.People.com that she chose the name after her niece, who happened to have been born the same day she was filming the birth scene for the show.

PRIVATE FUNERAL. There will be a private funeral held today in Utah for Michael Bryan, the son of Marie Osmond. Bryan died in late February of a reported suicide. Learn more at www.EOnline.com.

GET READY FOR STEAMY ECLIPSE! Chris Weitz, the director of New Moon, got his hands on the new Twilight script Eclipse. The director said he thinks the new film will get pretty steamy! Weitz is not directing the third vampire film, rather David Slade is. Eclipse is set to hit theatres June 30th.

DANCING PHOTOS! Head over to ETOnline.com to see the celebrities of Dancing With the Stars all dressed up and posing with their partners. Kate Gosselin is featured in a long, tight, white dress, Shannen Doherty is seen in a ‘40s style short, silver dress, and Pam Anderson is shown in a short silver and black dress. Check out www.ETOnline.com/Gallery to see all the stars dressed to impress.

AVATAR STOLEN? A Chinese author is claiming that James Cameron stole 80 percent of the plot for his epic movie Avatar from his book Tale of The Blue Crows. The author wants 145-million dollars from Cameron for the alleged theft. Learn more at www.DigitalSpy.com.

SOMEONE LEAVING DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES! Drea de Matteo is leaving Desperate Housewives in May. According to www.EW.com, the actress is parting ways with the show so she can spend more time with her child and head back to New York. Drea played “Angie Bolen” on the show for just this season.

SKATING WITH THE STARS! ABC is thinking about doing a version of their Dancing With the Stars show on ice. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the proposed series would be an on-ice version of their Dancing show. FOX previously tried this with their 2006 show Skating With Celebrities, which lasted only one season.

KATY PERRY, THE SMURF?

Katy Perry is going to be a Smurf? Well according to Variety, the “I Kissed a Girl” singer has been tapped to voice one in the forthcoming big screen adaption of the hit TV show. Perry will be voicing “Smurfette,” the only female Smurf. Variety also reports that Neil Patrick Harris, George Lopez and Alan Cumming have already signed on to the project, which is set to begin shooting next month.

LADY GAGA LOVES FISH AND CHIPS

What do you do when you’re in the U-K? Well you eat fish and chips of course, and if you’re Lady Gaga and her crew, you get a lot of it. According to British paper The Daily Star, the pop star ordered more than 200-dollars worth of fish and chips while in Cardiff, Wales last week, and, according to a source, has become obsessed with the local cuisine, and is even trying to find the right recipe to have her chefs in America make it when she comes home from touring.

GAGA TALKS DRUGS AND FAME

In an interview with the New York Times, Lady Gaga talked about her past drug use and fame. The singer said that her fans helped her move past drugs. Gaga stated, “It's no secret that I have had problems with drugs in the past. And some places represent to me things in terms of my mental and physical health, so you learn to move on, to preserve what your mission in life is, and my greater mission is my fans." Gaga goes on to say while she uses the concept of fame as a motif in her art and music, she does not like the idea of “celebrity” and how some stars “devour fame.” Lady Gaga just wrapped a tour of the U-K and will head to New Zealand and Australia starting on Saturday.

GIVE TRAIN A CALL

Train has a new phone number and they want you to give it a call. They may not pick up every time, but they do want you to leave a message with ideas for the band, or just say hello. Also, the group will be leaving news updates for you to hear when you call as well. Start dialing the San Francisco rockers now at (415) 658-9236. Head to www.TrainLine.com for more info.

LEONA LEWIS LOVES ANIMALS

Leona Lewis is a huge supporter of animal rights, and the singer-songwriter was just in a public service announcement for the World Society For The Protection of Animals. Check out the video of Leona standing up for her furry friends on YouTube now.

DIRECT LINK:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0ZojgErGJs

RIHANNA KISSES A ROBOT?

During the ECHO Awards in Berlin, Germany, Rihanna did something on stage that we’ve never seen her do before. While performing her number one hit song, “Rude Boy,” Ri Ri decided to show some love to a robot on stage. Check it out on YouTube now!

DIRECT LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxxQk4QOHMk

MCR PART WAYS WITH DRUMMER

According to a post on My Chemical Romance guitarist Frank Iero’s blog, drummer Bob Bryar has left the band. The post revealed that Bryar and the group parted ways four weeks ago and that the decision was “painful” and “not taken lightly.” MCR go on to wish Bryar the best of luck in his future endeavors. The band’s follow-up the their. Black Parade album is due out later this year.

Our Survivor discussion of Heroes v. Villains for March 5th.

MORE JACKSON STUN GUN NEWS! L-A County social workers were at Katherine Jackson’s home again yesterday to continue their investigation into the stun gun incident. Earlier this week, Jermaine Jackson’s 13-year-old son Jaafar was accused of trying to stun gun Michael Jackson’s 7-year-old child Blanket. Hit up TMZ for all the updates.

MORE OSCAR PRESENTERS. Current Oscar nominees Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock, Matt Damon, Anna Kendrick, Carey Mulligan and Quentin Tarantino have been added as presenters for the 82nd Academy Awards. They join previously announced presenters Gerard Butler, Bradley Cooper, Tom Ford, Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Pine, Keanu Reeves, Ryan Reynolds, Kathy Bates, Barbra Streisand, Charlize Theron, Sean Penn Kate Winslett, Penélope Cruz, Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Queen Latifah and John Travolta. Sacha Baron Cohen, Jason Bateman, Steve Carell, Tina Fey and Ben Stiller have joined Tyler Perry, Miley Cyrus, Zac Efron, Taylor Lautner and Kirsten Stewart. The 82nd Academy Awards will be handed out this Sunday at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, and will be televised live on ABC at 7 PM.

STALKER ARRESTED! A man who allegedly threatened Dr. Drew Pinsky and his family has been arrested on charges of felony stalking. The man sent Dr. Drew threatening e-mails and said he would kill and eat his wife and kids…yes, eat. As of press time, the man was being held on 150-thousand dollars bail. Learn more at www.TMZ.com.

NEW JOHN HUGHES FILM? According to Canadian site Jam! Showbiz, Paramount Pictures has purchased the rights to a never-before-filmed John Hughes script about a Chicago family that loses all their money. John Hughes left show business in 1994, and died on April 6th of last year. Learn more at www.Jam.Canoe.ca for more.

SARAH PALIN REALITY SERIES? According to Entertainment Weekly, Sarah Palin and super producer Mark Burnett are shopping a reality series to TV networks. E-W is reporting that the show would feature Palin and her family and also show a lot of Alaska.

NEW DeNIRO FILM! Robert DeNiro and Bradley Cooper are set to star in a new movie called The Dark Fields. According to Variety, the film is set to begin shooting in May in Philadelphia. Cooper is said to play a writer, while DeNiro will portray a financial mogul.

PAM TOO TOP HEAVY? Previous Dancing With the Stars winner and Olympic medalist Apolo Anton Ohno is saying that Pam Anderson might be too top heavy to win this year’s Dancing contest. Ohno is betting that ice skater and Olympic gold medalist Evan Lysacek will be crowned champ. Learn more at www.People.com.

BABY NEWS! Chef Jamie Oliver and his wife are expecting their fourth child. The baby is expected in September and will join its sisters Poppy Honey, Daisy Boo and Petal Blossom Rainbow. Olive and his wife married back in June 2000. Learn more at www.People.com.

WALKEN IN NEW BROADWAY SHOW! Most people know Martin McDonagh as the Oscar-nominated screenwriter who penned In Bruges, however, McDonagh is first and foremost a playwright and his latest show, A Behanding in Spokane, just opened on Broadway. The comedy stars Christopher Walken as man who has spent the last 47 years looking for his left hand. We Are Marshall star Anthony Mackie and up-and-coming actress Zoe Kazan play lovers who try to con him, with hilarious results. Sam Rockwell also appears in the play, which you can get tickets to or learn more about at www.BehandingInSpokane.com.

KELLY CLARKSON ADDED TO LILITH FAIR

If you thought the lineup for this year’s Lilith Fair couldn’t get any better, than think again. It was just announced via press release that Kelly Clarkson, Suzanne Vega, The Bangles, the Courtyard Hounds - which is Emily Robison and Martie Maguire of the Dixie Chicks - and others, will be joining an already impressive list that includes Sarah McLachlan, Sara Bareilles, Sheryl Crow, Ingrid Michaelson, Ke$ha and many, many more. See the complete list of performers now at www.LilithFair.com.

MICHAEL BUBLE AND THE JUNO AWARDS

Michael Buble has been nominated for five Juno Awards in his native Canada. The singer-songwriter up for Single of the Year, Album of the Year and Artist of the Year at Canada’s version of the GRAMMYs. Michael is also up for the Juno Fan Choice award, and you can help him win it by voting for him! Get all the details now at www.MichaelBuble.com.

ANOTHER NUMBER ONE FOR GAGA

Lady Gaga’s new single “Telephone” has gone to number one on the Billboard Pop chart, giving the pop star her sixth single in a row to top that chart. It joins “Poker Face,” “LoveGame,” “Paparazzi,” “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance” as her hits that have reached number one. Gaga wrote on her Twitter that all of her fans should “celebrate” the occasion. Learn more at www.LadyGaga.com.

JESSICA SIMPSON OPENS UP TO OPRAH

Jessica Simpson went on The Oprah Winfrey Show on Wednesday, and she really opened up about John Mayer referring to her as “sexual napalm.” Simpson told the talk show queen that she was “disappointed in him” and that he did apologize to her, but she won’t accept it. Simpson elaborated, saying she doesn’t resent him, but that part of her life “is over.” Read what else Jessica had to say, at www.USMagazine.com.

THE SCRIPT ARE IN THE STUDIO

The Script have arrived in New York City from their hometown of Dublin, Ireland, and the guys will spend time in the studio while in the Big Apple. The rockers have been posting pictures on their Twitter account of them recording, so head to www.Twitter.com/TheScript to check the shots out now.

BLACK EYED PEAS STILL NUMBER ONE!

The Black Eyed hold down the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for a second week with "Imma Be." Young Money moves up to number two with “BedRock,” and Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now" climbs two notches to number three. Ke$ha’s "TiK ToK" drops two spots to number four, while Lady Gaga slides one space to number five with "Bad Romance."

THERE WILL BE NEW PUSSYCAT DOLLS

Some new information about the status of the Pussycat Dolls has finally been revealed. According to an interview with MTV News, lead singer Nicole Scherzinger said that there will be a “new cast” of ladies joining her in the Dolls, and that she’s “excited” about it. She also gave an update on the status of a new PCD album, saying that fans can expect it “late this year.” Learn more at www.MTVNews.com.

UNPLUGGED IS BACK!

CMT, MTV and VH1 are bringing back the award-winning music series Unplugged with eight new episodes, which will begin rolling out online on March 10th with VH1’s Unplugged: Adam Lambert. Upcoming Unplugged episodes include sets from Phoenix, The Script and Reba McEntire.

SEE WEEZER ON YO GABBA GABBA

On Tuesday, Weezer will make an unusual appearance on the kids show Yo Gabba Gabba. The band will be performing a track titled “All My Friends Are Insects” on the “Bug” episode. The show will also feature a special remix from Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker. Details are at www.YoGabbaGabba.com now.

ROCK HALL INDUCTION CEREMONY PERFORMERS ANNOUNCED

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place on the 15th in New York City, and the Hall has just announced who will be performing at the event. Chris Isaak, Faith Hill, Ronnie Spector and Maroon 5’s Adam Levine are among the musicians who will take the stage. This year’s inductees include Genesis, The Hollies, The Stooges and ABBA. Learn more at www.RockHall.com.

WHY LENNON FOOTAGE WAS USED IN CAR AD

Footage of John Lennon is currently appearing in a car ad overseas and the Beatle’s son Sean has responded to criticism and explained why his mom, Yoko Ono, allowed the material to be used. On his Twitter site, Sean wrote that it had nothing to do with money, rather they wanted to keep John in the public eye. Sean stated, “No new LPs, so TV ad is exposure to young.” You can see the ad, which is for Citroen DS3, by searching YouTube for “Citroen DS3 Lennon.” Read more from Sean at www.Twitter.com/SeanOnoLennon.

DIRECT LINK:

http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=4Ph4rZU0Ns4

"Troy" from Community talks to the Early Morning Show!

This woman's grave is in the median of a highway outside Indianapolis, she really wanted this to be her final resting place.

DON’T TAZE BLANKET, BRO! According to TMZ, Jermaine Jackson’s 13-year-old son Jaafar ordered a stun gun online and tried to taze Michael Jackson’s youngest son, Prince Michael Jackson the second, a-k-a “Blanket.” Security guards took away the stun gun before “Blanket” was tazed.

BRITTANY MURPHY’S WILL! According to www.People.com, Brittany Murphy’s will leaves everything in her estate to her mother, Sharon. According to TMZ, Murphy’s husband, Simon Monjack, is not surprised about being left out of her will. Monjack told the outlet he asked Brittany to leave him out altogether.

IN RELATED NEWS! Brittany Murphy’s mother Sharon has put her house up for sale. This is the same place where Brittany died on December 20th. The eight-thousand square-foot house is listed for 7.25-million dollars and is in Hollywood Hills. Britney Spears was the previous owner of the mansion.

AX MEN CHILD DIES. The four-year-old daughter of a cast member of The History Channel’s Ax Men show has died. The girl was attacked by one of the family Rottweilers and died. Her father, Jesse stars on Ax Men as the owner of Browning Logging company. Learn more about the sad news at www.TMZ.com.

ANDREW KOENIG’S PRIVATE CEREMONY! Growing Pains actor Andrew Koenig will be remembered by his family and friends in a private memorial service taking place soon in California. According to EOnline.com, people invited to the service are being asked to keep the details private. The 41-year-old actor was found dead last Thursday of an apparent suicide.

PATTINSON & STEWART’S PDA? According to the New York Daily News, New Moon stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart were seen showing some public displays of affection Monday night in New York City. The two stars, who have consistently denied that they are dating, were seen at a bar sitting very close to each other, touching and rubbing each other’s arms.

MORE OSCAR PRESENTERS! Gerard Butler, Bradley Cooper, Tom Ford, Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Pine, Keanu Reeves, Ryan Reynolds and Sam Worthington will present at the 82nd Academy Awards. Everyone but Jake and Keanu will be making their debut appearance on the Oscar stage; It will be Gyllenhaal’s third appearance and Reeves’s fifth. They join Oscar-winners Kathy Bates, Barbra Streisand, Charlize Theron, Sean Penn, Kate Winslett and Penélope Cruz, as well as former Oscar nominees Robert Downey, Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Queen Latifah and John Travolta, as well as many others, as presenters. The 82nd Academy Awards will be handed out on this Sunday at the Kodak Theatre and will be televised live on ABC at 7 PM.

LIFEHOUSE IS NUMBER ONE ON iTUNES

Lifehouse’s brand new album, Smoke & Mirrors, hit shelves yesterday, and the band had a very good first day. The effort was number one at iTunes, and the group went on Twitter to thank their fans for this honor. Chris Daughtry also wrote on the social networking site that he already picked up the album and it is “killer music.” Smoke & Mirrors is in stores now.

GAGA INSPIRES THE MUPPETS?

Is Lady Gaga going to influence a major character in the upcoming film The Greatest Muppet Movie Ever Made? According to www.HollywoodLife.com, the movie, which is being penned by Forgetting Sarah Marshall star Jason Segel, is going to give different takes on many of the classic Muppets, and a source told the Web site that Jason’s idea for “Miss Piggy” is that she “ends up becoming like a Lady Gaga-esque character living in Europe.” No word yet on when the new Muppets movie will begin filming.

IS JOHN MAYER BACK TO HIS OLD TRICKS?

John Mayer apologized to the crowd before one of his shows in New York City last weekend for comments that he made in Playboy magazine, saying he doesn’t want to be looked at as a bad guy. But the New York Daily News is saying that the singer-songwriter hasn’t cleaned up his act quite yet. A source told the paper that Mayer went out to a club this weekend and “was drinking and saying vulgar things to the girls at the bar.” The source went on to say, “He was hitting on one pretty brunette in particular, but she found him slimy because he was being so over-the-top.” Read more at www.NYDailyNews.com.

THE SCRIPT ARE ON TV

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, The Script are going to be all over the TV. The Irish rockers will be performing their hit single “Breakeven” on Monday the 15th on Live! with Regis & Kelly, Tuesday the 16th on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and once again on Wednesday the 17th, which is also St. Patrick’s Day, on The Today Show. Head to www.TheScriptMusic.com for more info.

KATY PERRY TALKS TAYLOR, GAGA AND MORE

Katy Perry is on the cover of this week’s Nylon magazine, and the pop star talks about many different topics, including details about her fiancé – Russell Brand, her incredible level of respect for Lady Gaga and how out of all the female singers out there, she feels she has the most in common with Taylor Swift. Read highlights of the interview at www.PerezHilton.com.

ROB THOMAS LIKES JAY Z

Just because Rob Thomas is a singer-songwriter doesn’t mean he can’t get down with a little hip-hop music. The matchbox twenty frontman wrote on his Twitter account that he went to Madison Square Garden last night to see Jay Z in concert. See what else is going on with Rob at www.Twitter.com/ThisIsRobThomas.

JASON MRAZ’S TWITTER IS HACKED!

Jason Mraz has had his Twitter account hacked! A post over the weekend promised people the chance to be in the singer-songwriter’s next video if they took an IQ test and beat Mraz’s supposed score. A post was quickly put on his official Facebook page, saying, “IMPORTANT, someone has hacked into Jason’s Twitter account. Don't believe anything that is tweeted until we have access back into the account!” Mraz still has not written on his Twitter since the incident.