Fighters, Kissers, Omarosa, oh my!
Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, who became a controversial villain during the first running of “The Apprentice” in 2004, headlines the cast for a celebrity version coming in January.
“I did it for redemption,” she explained.
Other contestants announced Monday include Vincent Pastore, aka “Big Pussy” from “The Sopranos”; fellow actor Stephen Baldwin; former “Taxi” star Marilu Henner; Gene Simmons of Kiss; country star Trace Adkins; Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Nadia Comaneci; Olympic softball gold medalist Jennie Finch; heavyweight boxing champ Lennox Lewis; Ultimate Fighting Champion Tito Ortiz; actress-model Carol Alt; Playboy Playmate of the Year Tiffany Fallon; Nely Galan, former entertainment president of the Telemundo network; and “America’s Got Talent” judge Piers Morgan.
They won’t be vying for a job with Donald Trump, as in the previous six “Apprentice” seasons, but instead will compete in business-oriented tasks around New York City to raise money for their favorite charities.
The show will air on Thursdays at 9 p.m. on NBC beginning Jan. 3.
Whipping herself into a froth
Heather Mills took time out from her divorce proceedings with Paul McCartney on Monday to take on the dairy industry.
Mills, citing figures on livestock-related global warming from the animal rights group Vegetarians International Voice for Animals, asked people to “cut down on one or two meat and dairy and fish dishes a week.”
“We are the only species that drinks another person’s milk, so why aren’t we drinking rat’s milk, or dog’s milk, or cat’s milk, that’s how crazy it is,” she said.
No crying over spilled beans
Donny Osmond, who had criticized Larry King for revealing last week that sister Marie Osmond‘s 16-year-old son had entered rehab, has apologized to the CNN talk host.
Says Osmond, who later learned the tabloids were about to break the story anyway:
“In hindsight, Larry King did Marie a favor. She was able to make a statement about the situation. … And so she’s grateful to Larry.”
Bless the godfather’s soul
A Thanksgiving tradition begun by James Brown – an annual turkey giveaway in his hometown of Augusta, Ga. – is being continued in this first year after the soul singer’s death.
In his place, longtime confidant and civil rights activist Al Sharpton handed out the first turkey Monday in Augusta, Ga.
Brown, who started the event in 1991, died of heart failure last Christmas at age 73.
His family also will continue Brown’s annual Christmas toy giveaway on Dec. 20.
The birthday bunch
Actress-comedian Kaye Ballard is 82. Actress Estelle Parsons is 80. TV personality Richard Dawson is 75. Comedian Dick Smothers is 69. Singer Norman Greenbaum is 65. Actress Veronica Hamel is 64. Broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff is 61. Musician Joe Walsh is 60. Actor Richard Masur (“One Day at a Time”) is 59. Actress Bo Derek is 51. Actress Sean Young is 48. Actress Ming-Na (“ER”) is 44. Rapper Mike D (Beastie Boys) is 42. Country singer Dierks Bentley is 32. Country singer Josh Turner is 30. Actress Nadine Velazquez (“My Name Is Earl”) is 29.