The very animated and enthusiastic Ross Mathews - best known as Ross the intern from "The Tonight Show" - called me Wednesday morning just moments after making his first appearance on "Good Day LA."

"I had co-hosted 'The View' and couldn't for the life of me get booked on 'Good Day LA,'" he said as he was being driven home from the studio (yes, they send a driver). "When I moved out to LA all by myself, they were like the first thing that felt familiar."

Ross didn't have to worry about the camera adding 10 pounds. It's been more than a year since he finished shedding a whopping 70 pounds by participating on VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club."

"To maintain it, I have to eat healthy," he said. "One Cheeto and I'd plump right back up."

Ross, 28, ate a lot of his meals at a Koo Koo Roo restaurant where he was particularly fond of the squash. He was horrified to go in one day and discover they had taken it off the menu! He blogged out it and the chain was flooded with feedback.
"I thought they were going to call their lawyers but instead, they told me they were bringing it back, calling it "Ross Squash," and wanted me to be their spokesman," Ross
squealed. "Right now, I'm on 40 busses throughout LA. I feel like I'm president of the company, I want it to go nationwide!"

He still has his day job on Jay Leno's show though. He was an intern while in college and at the last minute was sent to cover the premiere of "Ocean's 11" where his giggly persona was a hit with viewers and with Jay.

It changed his life. He's gone shopping with Gwyneth Paltrow in London, interviewed Elizabeth Taylor, gone skydiving and on May 14, guest stars on the NBC soap "Days of Our Lives." His dream is to be a talk show host but acting is also a lot of fun.

"I always say every Oprah has their 'Color Purple,'" he said. "They wrote the part for me and 'Days' shoots right down the street from my office so I told them, 'Any time you want me I'll just pop on down.' I have no shame!"

Ross thinks he knows why that first appearance on Leno's show has stretched into a years-long gig. He also produces and hosts a web-show on nbc.com with Tonight Show announcer John Melendez called "The John & Ross Show."

"I honestly think it's about the fact that I'm always honest and I'm sort of like the underdog, not the norm," he said. "I'm here in this city which can be hard for people, I've
somehow made my way in. I'm honest about feeling like I don't belong sometimes."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Not only did Juan Carlos Ferrero hand Rafael Nadal just his second loss in 105 matches on clay, he also got to touch the Spanish heartthrob's chest! Ferrero, a former French Open champion and world number one, has had mostly mediocre results in the past five years so this win in Rome is big!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Let's face it, I don't give a rat's (expletive) about Lindsay Lohan guest-starring on the season finale of "Ugly Betty" as a former classmate of Betty's who used to torment her and resurfaces in her life. But seeing how a few spots on "How I Met Your Mother" have done wonders for Britney Spears, I can understand why Lohan wants the gig.

I'm far more interested in someone who is guesting on tomorrow night's episode: hunky Eddie Cibrian who is a potential love interest for Hilda (Ana Ortiz). Now THAT will boost ratings! He plays Justin's PE teacher and Hilda goes to the school to confront him about her son's failing gym grade.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

...I think even he hopes so! I don't know what in the name of Sanjaya is Jason Castro is doing in the top four when far more talented singers like Carly Smithson are long gone but after he forgot the words to a song last night and seemed to be singing karaoke at the bowling alley, he really must go.

Simon said to him after his performance: "Pack your bags." I'll have an interview with whoever does get eliminated on the blog tomorrow...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just a few weeks back, I posted about Thomas Roberts, wondering what the heck happened to him and why he wasn't on "The Insider" anymore. Well, we find out in the new issue of The Advocate which features for former CNN Headline News anchor on the cover. He was let go from the show in February.

Here are some excerpts:

A tall, muscular, classic hunk of a man, Roberts is the all-American matinee-idol version of a broadcaster, as opposed to, say, Anderson Cooper's effete, almost European vibe. But Roberts isn't talking to me today to name names or speculate about other people's careers and choices. He's here simply to talk about his own experience being gay in broadcasting -- which, for the most part, has been positive, despite what you may think.

Indeed, Roberts says, being gay has never held him back. "I've worked my ass off, I've been fortunate, and luck doesn't hurt either," he says. "If people don't like that I'm gay or that I talk about being gay, I'm sorry. Because that's not my problem."

On the photo scandal that hit the first week of his job at "The Insider" ...

It was September 6, Roberts's fourth day at The Insider, when the Manhunt photos were posted online last year. The next day, a Page Six item dripping with homophobia detailed the whole thing. The headline? "New Sex Mess Jolts Insider." Roberts had come out to California excited about the new gig -- he had spent the summer looking for a good opportunity like this -- and now he was faced with potential disaster.

So Roberts was out of a job -- but the blogger had made a name for himself. Funny thing is, if you go to his site now (and, full disclosure, he once discussed writing for The Advocate with me, though nothing came of it), you can't find the original item without some assiduous searching. Instead, you'll see links to the coverage it got -- and an undated photo of the blogger with Roberts at an event, both smiling. It's a paradox of contemporary fandom not unique to the gays: We love our stars, but we also love to tear them down.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

There was one scene I didn't post yesterday. Serena's evil friend invited herself to dinner then proceeded to out Eric to his family. His mom does not take it well initially...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The great thing about working the red carpet at the GLAAD Awards is you get enough interviews to last for weeks! I've got quite a few more still in the can but have to be stingy and put them out at a rate of about one a day - hope you don't mind.

One of the people I spoke with was Jeff Lewis of Bravo's "Flipping Out." I had only seen the first episode of the show, admitted that to Jeff, and just had to wing my way through our conversation. I know he's a house flipper who is always a bit on edge shall we say.

Here is our little chat:

Q.There's a second season of the show coming up I hear. What has it been like to be yourself on TV and to have that be embraced by viewers. People think you're interesting at the very least, right?
A. Well, I think I've become the poster boy for OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and I actually am proud of that because I think it has shown the general public that you can still - I don't like to use the word suffer because I don't feel like I'm suffering from OCD - but because I do have this disorder, I still have been able to channel it into a very positive and lucrative field. I don't really view it as limiting because in a way it has been such an asset for me and it's helped me take my product to the next level because I see things that people don't see because of the OCD.
Q. Do you ever watch the show and cringe, just say, 'Oh my God!'
A. There has been several moments where I wish I could hit rewind and take it back. And usually - and this again is one of the symptoms of OCD and ADD (Attention Deficit Disporder) - I do sometimes have trouble controlling my temper but I've been working on that. I'm in therapy every Wednesday at 10 a.m. and I really feel like at this moment, I have much more control over my reactions and my anger. So it's really been very beneficial, the show.

Q. You're able to see yourself.
A. Absolutely. Unfortunately, it had to be that dramatic, to see myself in front of that many people and cringe like you say in order for me to want to improve myself. Which I've been doing.

Q. Are you already filming the second season?
A. We are already filming it, i think we have another 6-7 weeks. It's supposed to air in the summer.

Q. Anything different from the first season?
A. Yes, this one actually is a little different. I think this will, believe it or not, top last season because it's been difficult. We;ve had to adjust to a changing (real estate) market and I have employees and I still have to generate business so we are branching out into other forms of business. We have been forced to find other ways to survive and I think the viewers are really gonna enjoy watching it and going along with us on this struggle.

Q. So how's your love life?
A. Uh, it's been a little slow to be honest. I've been working a lot. It's a little slow.

Here is a bio of Jeff from the show during which he talks about his background:

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)