They're PETA's idols

So do reality TV celebs love animals more than everybody else? Probably not, but the two people named Man and Woman of the Year by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals just happen to have reality TV connections.

The woman is Ellen DeGeneres, right, soon to be a judge on American Idol, and the man is Tim Gunn, host of Project Runway.

PETA cited Ellen's decision to go vegan in 2008 and her use of her talk show to "highlight a cruelty-free lifestyle."

Gunn was praised for his anti-fur stance. He narrated the PETA video Fashion Victims, about the cruelty of the fur trade and the use of snakes in clothing, and promotes designers who use animal-friendly fabrics, PETA says in a news release.

Keeping it real on New Year's

I couldn't help but notice that alumni of a couple of the reality shows I write about here will be out and about on New Year's Eve. 

For instance, cast your mind back to Season 3 of Canadian Idol in 2005, which was won by Melissa O'Neil. The third-place finisher was a fellow from St. Thomas, Ont., named Aaron Walpole.   

That's him performing on Idol at right. 

His name came up recently because he was announced as a leading cast member in the 1980s musical Rock of Ages, which Mirvish Productions will present at the Royal Alexandra Theatre beginning April 20.

He's scheduled to be at Nathan Phillips Square on New Year's Eve as part of Citytv's annual bash, along with fellow Rock cast members Elicia MacKenzie (another reality show vet, having been chosen as the Maria in Mirvish's Sound of Music on the CBC show How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?) and Yvan Pedneault (We Will Rock You).

Not quite as close to home, Nico Archambault, winner of Season 1 of So You Think You Can Dance Canada, is expected to ring in the new year in Brampton, where he'll perform with the group Pinup Saints, which includes his fiancee Wynn Holmes, in front of the Rose Theatre. 

I'd like to see that, but, well, it's cold out and I'd have to drive and ... maybe next time they play Toronto.

Even farther away from home, the 2009 American Idol, Kris Allen, is scheduled to be in Vegas with Idol finalist Allison Iraheta for Billboard's New Year's Eve Live. I don't expect you'll be in Vegas for New Year's, although it might be fun, but you can watch the show on Fox beginning at 11 p.m.

Unfortunately the American Idol finalist I'd most like to see perform, Adam Lambert, won't be on TV on New Year's. He's singing at something called Gridlock New Year's Eve in Los Angeles, but it won't be televised or even filmed, according to what Adam tweeted earlier this week. Mind you, I'm sure someone with a camera phone will post something from the show on YouTube, but there's no guarantee the quality won't suck.

Of course, ABC pulled the plug on Adam's appearance on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve special, which I'm still kind of annoyed about. If you're inclined to watch, however, Idol host Ryan Seacrest will be co-hosting the special and Daughtry, led by Idol alumnus Chris Daughtry, will perform.

Dancing across the pond

It sounds like Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer of So You Think You Can Dance, and the show's host, Cat Deeley (in the Reuters photo at right), will be logging lots of air miles in the next little while.   

While the U.S. show is on hiatus, a U.K. version of So You Think You Can Dance is being launched this weekend.

The first show airs Saturday on the BBC. Sounds like the same format as in the U.S. and Canada, with a prize of 100,000 pounds to the winner. 

Nigel is the head judge and Cat will be presenting the show, which is what they call hosting over there.

Of course, the audition shows that start the series are pre-taped, but at some stage Nigel and Cat will have to be in London in person to tape performance and results shows.

Meanwhile, auditions for Season 7 of the U.S. show begin Jan. 18 in Miami and carry on from there. And Nigel and Cat will have to be in the U.S. for those.

Besides the cash prize, the U.K. winner is promised "a once-in-a-lifetime chance to dance in Hollywood on the U.S. version of the show." Which just goes to show we're not the only country with an inferiority complex when it comes to U.S. culture.

I'm wondering whether any of the Canadian choreographers favoured on the U.S. SYTYCD will provide services in the U.K. Jean Marc Genereux and France Mousseau perhaps? Or Stacey Tookey?

Take a peek at Blake

That would be Blake McGrath, So You Think You Can Dance Canada guest judge, choreographer and master of Blake's Boot Camp for Top 20 wannabes.

Earlier this month, I visited him on the set of the movie Harriet the Spy, where he let me watch the video for his song "The Night" on his laptop. Besides Blake's singing (yeah, I didn't know he sang either until that day) It was full of lots of sexy dancing from Blake and a whole ensemble, including SYTYCDC alumni Nico, Natalli, Miles and Austin.

A sneak peek of the video has now been posted at YouTube. So here it is. Enjoy:

So You Think You Can Do the Oscars

Fans of So You Think You Can Dance should keep a sharp eye on the Oscars broadcast on March 7. 

Director Adam Shankman, the So You Think You Can Dance judge who's co-producing the Academy Awards, already announced that top male Russell Ferguson and top female Kathryn McCormick from the just ended Season 6 would dance on the broadcast.   

He just announced on Boxing Day via Twitter that Season 6 runner-up Jakob Karr (right, in a Fox photo) will be assisting and dancing on the Oscars, along with Legacy Perez and Ellenore Scott from the Top 10, Season 5 finalist Kayla Radomski and Travis, who I assume is Travis Wall, who was runner-up on Season 2 and now choreographs for the show.

Adam said he may also include The League of Extraordinary Dancers, who performed on this past season of the show.

"Employment's the best award," tweeted Adam. 

I watch the Oscars anyway because it's part of my professional duties, but I'm extra excited knowing some of my favourite dancers will be on the show. How about you?

In the meantime, check out the first SYTYCD routine that Travis ever choreographed, danced by Season 5 winner Jeanine Mason and Top 10 dancer Jason Glover.

Merry Christmas TV fans

Yes, I know it's not a reality show, but here's a little present for the Gleeks and other TV watchers out there, a video of a Glee flash mob just tweeted by Chris Colfer, who plays Kurt on the show:

Another Canadian Idol update

You might remember Theo Tams, the singer and piano player from Lethbridge, Alta., who won Canadian Idol the last time it was on the air, in 2008.

While he was hanging around the airport waiting to fly home on Tuesday, he tweeted that his single with Toronto singer Ali Slaight, a version of the Christmas song "Do You Hear What I Hear?", had hit No. 1 on the adult contemporary chart. That was certainly the case in the listings for America's Music Charts and BDSradio.com. .

Proceeds from sales of the song go to War Child Canada.

You can check the video here:

I just wanted to leave you with a little something before I sign off for Christmas. Everyone out there have a good one, in whatever way you celebrate (or not). I'll be off work for a few days and very unlikely to be blogging, but we'll see what I can scare up next week.

Survivor letdown (spoiler alert)

I suppose after this many seasons I should be used to lame Survivor decisions.

But Natalie over Russell for the $1 million (U.S.)? Really?

I admit to hating Russell when the season first began, but as the weeks wore on he was the only thing that made it worth watching.

His tribal council blindsides, the way he kept finding the hidden immunity idol without so much as one clue, the fact he managed to knock off the members of the stronger tribe one by one when the numbers were against him? Masterful.

He was telling the truth on the reunion show when he said that Natalie's "key move in the game was aligning with me."

"I feel like I played the best strategic game in history," he told host Jeff Probst. "I can guarantee you millions of people probably think the same thing. Natalie, her best move was to jump on my back."

Humble he's not, but Survivor's not supposed to be about being nice. 

Russell did win the $100,000 Sprint Player of the Season prize, but for a guy as competitive as him it's got to be a poor consolation prize. (Natalie turned down his offer of $10,000 to buy the use of the title of sole survivor.)

Yeah Russell, it's true, you were robbed.

The next season begins Feb. 11 with an-all star game with teams split into Villains and Heroes, and as far as I can tell, Russell will be included.

All I can say is, better luck next time.

Eva Avila's not giving up her day job

(Eva Avila, second from left, with the cast of Robin Hood: The EnvironMENTAL Family Musical) 

I decided to catch up recently with Eva Avila, who won Canadian Idol in 2006, when I noticed her name in the cast list for Ross Petty's latest musical comedy.

As it happens, her role as Maid Marian in Robin Hood: The EnvironMENTAL Family Musical is her first professional acting job.

"It's really exciting. I'm having lots of fun," Eva told me over the phone. "Everybody’s great, everybody’s super talented."

She didn't even have to apply for the part. Petty sought her out, asking her manager if Eva had any acting experience (she has had acting lessons and did lots of community musical theatre from about age 11 through 16). After a low-key audition with Petty and director Ted Dykstra, she had the role.

(Petty has hired Idol alumni before: 2003 winner Ryan Malcolm and runner-up Gary Beals were in Petty's Snow White in 2005, along with Idol finalists Billy Klippert and Elena Juatco.)

With shows every day of the week except Mondays, including two shows every Saturday and Sunday, not to mention nine- to 10-hour days spent rehearsing the month before the production opened, Eva's been expending a lot of energy on the performance.

"It's so worth it. It's an amazing rush," she said.

"People are reacting the way we hoped they would.... The kids get loud. It's just one big party."

But it's a party with an expiry date. The show closes at the Elgin Jan. 3 and then Eva will return to her first love: music.

The 22-year-old from Gatineau (formerly Hull), Que., always knew she wanted to be a professional singer.

She did everything an aspiring singer could do: competitions, talent shows, festivals, whatever professional gigs she could find. And then along came Canadian Idol.

"Since Idol, my life has completely changed. I'm able to do music for a living," Eva said.

Her next project is a French-language album. French is her first language, but she grew up singing more in English than French, so a French album is "fresh and new for me."

She'd love to do more acting down the road, maybe in TV and movies.

But "I'm a singer first and foremost. I'll take it as it comes," she says.

Go to www.ticketmaster.ca for tickets to Robin Hood.

Here's a look back at Eva's Idol days:

 

 

Kris and Allison answer 'burning' questions

American Idol's Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta were on the phone Wednesday afternoon, mainly to talk with the media about the Billboard New Year's Eve Live special they'll both be appearing on, so it was natural there'd be questions about New Year's eves past.   

Kris, 24, who won Season 8 of the show, recalled a party at his house last year where guests crowded onto a small deck on his roof. "There was like 45 people at my house, or something like that, it was a lot ... We all had sparklers, or whatever, and somebody's pants caught on fire. So that was pretty scary," he said in his slight Arkansas drawl.

With any luck, there'll be no open flames near anyone's pants when Kris and Allison, who finished fourth on Idol, play a couple of songs each at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas on Dec. 31.

Allison, who's only 17, said she expects it to be the experience of a lifetime.

 "I'm excited about it. I've never actually been to Vegas," said Kris.

Of course, it's an experience that wouldn't be possible without the Idol connection. While acknowledging the boost the show has given their careers, both also seem anxious to move past it.

Kris pointed out that the reason he tried out for Idol in the first place was to be able to perform his own material. "It wasn't to go up there and sing a bunch of cover songs for millions of people. It was to hopefully get the chance to make music of my own and that's what we're both getting to do now."

"Don't get me wrong," said Allison, "getting known as 'Oh, it's the redheaded girl from American Idol,' it's pretty cool. But I think for people to know who I am and for what I do that would be great."

Still, they both patiently answered Idol questions. 

Yes, it's too bad Paula Abdul has left the show. 

"Paula is the one we got to know the best," said Kris. "She is a sweetheart. I think the show will definitely miss her. ... but Ellen's going to be, I don't know of one person that doesn't like Ellen," he added, referring to replacement judge Ellen DeGeneres.

And what about the reports that Simon Cowell will leave Idol in 2011 to bring British show The X Factor to the U.S.? Can Idol survive without Simon?

Neither could say. "Obviously Simon's a big watching point for a lot of people and they would have to replace him, but I really don't have a clue," said Kris.

There was the slightest hint of impatience with the inevitable query about Adam Lambert and the headlines over his American Music Awards performance.

"I don't think anyone should be surprised really," Allison said.

"Anybody that knows him is not surprised at all," added Kris. And then, when the reporter asked if the uproar had hurt Adam: "Obviously, it hasn't hurt him."

And when another reporter suggested Kris didn't seem like the type of guy who would embrace the glitz of Vegas, he gently chided, "You've never hung out with me ... I love having fun. Just because I'm a down-home guy doesn't mean I can't have fun in Vegas."

Speaking of Vegas, Kris and Allison plan to sing two songs each from their individual albums, Kris Allen and Just Like You, on the Billboard show.

It airs live from 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Fox, and also features Carmen Electra, Kim Kardashian, Sean Kingston and Eva Longoria Parker.

Allison was asked what she'll be wearing. "It's going to be pretty sick. It's a zipper dress. You'll have to see."

"That's funny," said Kris, "I'm wearing a zipper dress."

"Are you? We probably got it at the same place," said Allison.

"Yes, at zipperdress.com," said Kris.

For Russell, it's all about the krump

(Russell Ferguson tears off his shirt after winning SYTYCD. Photo: Matthieu Young/Fox)

For Russell Ferguson, winning So You Think You Can Dance on Wednesday night was a great extra.

When he first auditioned to be on the show, "I just, you know, was hoping that America would change their views on krump and what it was about, so they could be more familiar with it, and I knew I was going to be able to get that message across. But, you know, winning is a big bonus."

Of course, Russell did a lot more than krump on Season 6 of the series.

Asked to name his favourite other style of dance during a conference call Thursday, Russell picked foxtrot. "Definitely, it was my toughest challenge, and I feel like I got closer to it because of that and I learned more because it was tough."

His favourite routine during the season was the Afro-jazz frog dance, the one he was supposed to perform with Noelle on Wednesday's finale but couldn't because of an injury.

And speaking of that injury, Russell said it happened during his hip-hop routine with Kevin Hunte and Legacy Perez after he leapt off the stage and the other two pulled him back up.

"Once they pulled me up it was fine, but once I landed from being pulled up it was a hard impact on my leg. It came down wrong," he explained.

With his ankle swollen, a tearful Russell had to be helped onstage for the first elimination, but he got a pep talk backstage from his father.

"I was crying, I was upset, because I wasn’t able to perform," Russell said. "He just came back and let me know everything was going to be okay, they was proud of me ... and to walk out with my head up. That just calmed me down, that's exactly what I did."

By the time he was announced as the winner, he'd had some treatment backstage and some medication for the pain, but he was "pretty much running off adrenaline" as he tore off his shirt and fell to the stage.

One of the reporters asked if Russell was offended by how he was portrayed on the show, as someone who had come to dance from the streets. Judge Nigel Lythgoe described him as "an unpolished diamond" during the finale. In fact, Russell had what he described as a "good amount" of formal dance training, including four years at Boston Arts Academy.

But he said that he had never danced most of the styles he tackled on the show and even the ones he had taken classes in were still challenging.

The 20-year-old from Roxbury, Mass., has done hip hop all his life and fell in love with krump around 16 after seeing documentaries about the dance style on the Internet.

He said he's happy to think he'll inspire other krumpers to pursue careers in dance.

As for his own career, his first priority is to invest his $250,000 (U.S.) winnings and explore dancing in movies.

He already has at least one job lined up, dancing on the Academy Awards broadcast on March 7 (judge Adam Shankman promised Oscar jobs to the top guy and girl from SYTYCD, so Kathryn McCormick will also dance that night).

Russell doesn't know yet what performing on the Oscars will entail, but says he's "overwhelmingly excited."

And of course there's the Top 10 tour, which will undoubtedly bring Russell and his fellow dancers to the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

Speaking of fellow dancers, I asked Russell why he brought hip hopper Kevin Hunte onstage with him right after his win.

"Kevin has just has been with me through this whole journey ... he's like a brother to me," Russell said. "I felt like I should share that moment with him because we shared a lot of other moments that were very special."

Did the best man win?

I've been hearing rumblings from people who are not thrilled that Russell won SYTYCD and think the title of America's Favourite Dancer should have gone to Jakob Karr, a 19-year-old contemporary dancer from Florida.

I can only speak for myself, but I was rooting for Russell and had been since I saw him in auditions (my other favourite male dancer was Legacy). Nigel has said in past seasons that the contest isn't about America's best dancer but America's favourite dancer.

My own admittedly unscientific theory is that the most technically proficient dancers, like Jakob, are not always the easiest to relate to. Think of Kayla on Season 5. She was flawless, but she placed fourth.

I think the reality shows that do the best are the ones that people can relate to the most (which probably explains why Dancing With the Stars beats So You Think You Can Dance in the ratings; Joe and Jane America can relate better to that out-of-shape celebrity clumping around the dance floor than the snippet of a dancer who just did that impossible back flip). And by extension, the most perfect candidates on a show like SYTYCD are not necessarily the ones the viewers best identify with.

Which is not to slight Russell in any way, shape or form. He's very talented, but I think he also has a quality that transcends dance, something that warmed the hearts of the people voting for him.

Alien Like You on iTunes

I wrote a little while back about the song "Alien Like You," written by former Canadian Idol contenders Oliver and Sebastian Pigott, and sung by Sebastian in his role as Kai on the CBC show Being Erica.

I'm told the song is now available for download on iTunes. You can search Pigott Brothers or, if you want the version from Erica, search Sebastian Pigott.

Tune in Tomorrow

I'll have some stuff from a conference call I was on this week with American Idol Kris Allen and finalist Allison Iraheta about the New Year's Eve show they're doing on the Fox network.

With Christmas coming and with SYTYCD over for another season, and Idol not starting again until Jan. 12, things will slow down a bit for the blog. But I will continue to post whatever tidbits of info I can sniff out on my (and hopefully your) favourite reality shows or reality TV personalities.