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Skating With the Stars

Rebecca Budig Wins Skating With The Stars! Bethenny Frankel Is Runner-Up

It’s over, it’s finally over! The finale of Skating With The Stars aired last night during which soap star Rebecca Budig was crowned the winner of the ABC show.

“I’m shocked, really I am!,” said Rebecca. “Bethenny and I were talking about it, really…I’m just shocked. I owe all of this to Fred, who is an unbelievable teacher. I’ve said it a hundred times…I owe it all to you.” Fred Palascak was Rebecca’s professional partner.

Rebecca’s win wasn’t exactly a shocker to others as she scored a perfect score of 60—30 for technical, 30 for artistic impression on her final skating dance — the only perfect score of the season.

The runner-up was Bethenny Frankel, who surprised viewers by beating out Jonny Mosley on Monday night to make it into the finals. “Rebecca totally deserves it, she should be a real ice skater,” said Bethenny who also fared well on finale night, earning a total of 51 points for her dance.

Now that the show is officially over following a rather long 5 weeks, it is extremely unlikely the show will be returning for a second season. Why? Well, the ratings were simply a disaster. SWTS averaged about 4 million viewers per episode this season, a far cry from the 20 million viewers per episode it’s counterpart Dancing With The Stars averaged. In fact, the Monday night finale episode only brought in 3.37 million viewers.

TELL US – WERE YOU A FAN OF SWTS? THOUGHTS ON REBECCA WINNING?

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Bethenny Frankel Skates Onto SWTS Finale, Feud With Johnny Weir

For the four remaining people still watching Skating With The Stars, this story is for you.

Despite receiving some very low scores, Bravo reality star Bethenny Frankel will be skating on the show’s finale next week.  No elimination took place on the show last night as one of the “stars” Brandon Mychal Smith had to quit the show due to an illness, following his second week of not being able to dance.

Moving on to the finals alongside Bethenny are Rebecca Budig who scored 53 last night and Jonny Moseley who scored 54. In comparison, Bethenny who called herself  “the Bristol Palin of the competition” scored 38.

But while SWTS continues to be a dud overall, the best part of the show might have been the words of exchange between Bethenny and skating star Johnny Weir.

Following her performance last night, judge Johnny first paid Bethenny some compliments before adding, “But to me it’s very clear you don’t care what we think and I don’t really care to watch you actually perform anymore cause you weren’t listening to our critiques.”  Johnny then added, “”Well, I mean, if she doesn’t care, we don’t care.”  Ouch. Bethenny had no reply while her partner Ethan simply stated “we’ll just get our scores then.”

Some fans of the show feel Johnny’s harsh criticism of Bethenny might stem from his friendship with Bethenny’s former costar Jill Zarin.  “I’m friends with Jill,” Johnny told Popeater a few weeks ago. “I see Jill all the time and adore her.”

And when it comes to Jill’s skating (it was reported a while back that SWTS first asked Jill to do the show before asking Bethenny – something the show denied), Johnny feels Jill is in good skating shape.  “She was like, ‘you know Johnny I can’t skate until I’m in shape’ and I was like Jill, you’re like five pounds, you can skate whenever you want,” said Johnny.

In other Bethenny news, an announcement was made on Monday stating that Bethenny will be doing some kind of a tour.

“Join Bethenny Frankel, Best-selling author and star of “The Real Housewives of New York” and “Bethenny Getting Married?” for an evening of sass and fabulous fun. America’s favorite “skinnygirl” will dish on life, her work, and her passion for living healthy and living well. Throw on your best pumps for a hilarious and unpredictable evening with Bethenny Frankel!”

The ticket prices range between $29.50 to $75 for VIP passes.

TELL US – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON BETHENNY’S SKATING & FEUD WITH JOHNNY WEIR?

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Bethenny Frankel: ‘Why The Heck Did I Do SWTS?’ Plus Kelly Bensimon & A-Rod?

It seems reality star Bethenny Frankel is starting to second guess her decision to do her 4th reality show/disaster – Skating With The Stars.

Now in it’s third week, SWTS can best be described as nothing short of a catastrophe. In addition to its bad host, bad judges, multiple injuries, and unknown stars, the show is also experiencing disastrous ratings that only continue to decline.

Just how bad are the ratings? Only 6 million viewers tuned in last week in comparison to the 19 millions viewers that routinely watched Dancing With The Stars. The ratings took an even bigger hit last night as only 5 million viewers tuned in.

“It really is,” Bethenny told reporters last week when asked if doing the show has proven difficult. “It’s like the Mafia, and I can’t get out because I’m committed and I love [my partner Ethan Burgess] and I have to do this now for him. But there are days that I’m like, ‘Why the heck did I do this’? But ultimately it is really fun.”

When it comes to the harsh criticism she has received from the judges, Bethenny joked, “I thought I was a badass. I thought I was phenomenal. I had the best time. I am the woman Johnny Weir wants to be and he clearly has an issue with that.”

And just last week, a fan asked Bethenny on Twitter if she wanted to get voted off. This was her reply – “I Love my partner&we pee laughing so I want to stay for that.plus grt for his career.”

Moving right along. The NYPost is also reporting today that Real Housewives of NYC nut star Kelly Bensimon was seen flirting with pro baseball player Alex Rodriguez in Miami.

According to the Post, a witness states Alex “had his arm ’round Kelly and they were flirting.” The two were then seen browsing art at the Convention Center the next day. Surely this story wasn’t leaked to the press by Kelly’s people.

And in a strange twist, the NYDailyNews reported back in April 2009 that A-Rod and Bethenny were hooking up, something Bethenny denied back then.

TELL US – SHOULD BETHENNY HAVE SAID NO TO SWTS? THOUGHTS ON THE KELLY & A-ROD STORY?

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Bethenny Frankel: Having A Baby Has Helped My Brands Plus Bethenny Ever After Coming In February!

In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Bravo reality star Bethenny Frankel openly admits that having a baby and getting married to Jason Hoppy has been good for her brands, which now includes two Bravo reality shows, a Skinnygirl Margarita mix, endorsement deals with Bluefly and British Airways, and several best-selling books.

“I’m not stupid,” Bethenny says. “This is about the husband and the baby.” According to the WSJ article, Bethenny can also add an endorsement for Pampers to her long list of endorsements as Procter & Gamble came calling following the birth of now 6-month old baby Bryn Hoppy.

Bethenny is even gearing up to add more to her brands as she is also working on some skin care products and a shapewear line. “It’s about allowing people into my fishbowl in order to be successful,” says Bethenny of her success on and off the TV screen.

“Our clients are very taken with her right now. Bethenny has entered into the mommy world and she hasn’t posed for Playboy,” says Amia French, a talent coordinator for Platinum Rye Entertainment, which helps corporations pair with celebrities. “Motherhood has only increased her value with us,” adds Geri Allen, a spokeswoman for Campbell Soup Co.’s Pepperidge Farm unit, which also has a promotional agreement with Bethenny.

Bethenny has without a doubt come a long way since her days on Martha Stewart’s The Apprentice back in 2005. She finished runner-up by the way. Since then, she has appeared on 3 seasons of Bravo’s the Real Housewives of New York City before ultimately getting her own spin-off show Bethenny Getting Married following the announcement of her engagement and pregnancy.

The WSJ article also mentions that season 2 of BGM will be returning in February. The new title? “Bethenny Ever After.”

Despite her success and growing number of business endeavors, Bethenny makes it clear there’s still something she would like to have. Her own talk show that is. “I want to have a dialogue with my fans, and right now the only dialogue I can have is in 140-characters,” she says, referring to her Twitter feed.

While everything Bethenny touches seems to turn to gold, her decision to appear on ABC’s Skating With The Stars might turn out to be her biggest failure yet. The ratings for the show came out yesterday and it can only be described as disastrous. Despite having a lead-in from the most popular show on TV at the moment, Skating With The Stars only managed 11.3 million viewers. A drastic drop from the 23.3 million viewers that tuned in for Dancing With The Stars just moments before.

It gets even worse as only 6.91 million viewers tuned in for the last hour of the show’s premiere. There are now rumblings that ABC is currently in panic mode.

TELL US – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE WSJ ARTICLE & BETHENNY’S COMMENTS?

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Dancing With The Stars Finale Recap: Jennifer Sizzles To The End!

Just like that, the 11th season of Dancing With The Stars will come to an end tonight!

Each of the three remaining celebrities had to perform two dances last night. The first was their “redemption” dances, which was assigned by the judges based on their past poor performances. This was then followed by their freestyle dance.

Perfect for the second week in a row was Jennifer Grey, earning a total of 60 for the night! Jennifer and partner Derek Hough did the paso doble for their redemption dance. “This is the meaning of redemption!” said judge Carrie Ann Inaba. Their freestyle also earned them praises from the judges.

Coming in second place for the second week in a row was Kyle Massey. Kyle earned a total of 56 points for the night. Kyle and partner Lacey Schwimmer were assigned the foxtrot for their redemption dance, earning them a score of 27. “Your footwork was much better,” said Len Goodman. “You’ve gone from messy Massey to marvelous!” Kyle fared better with his freestyle, earning a 29.

In last place was Bristol Palin and her partner Mark Ballas. Their redemption jive earned them 27 points and praises from the judges. They however scored less on their freestyle, bringing their score for the night to a total of 52 points.

Also premiering last night was Skating With The Stars, and the very long close to two hour premiere should have definitely been cut back to an hour. The leading scorer was Rebecca Budig who looked very smooth out there, scoring an impressive 45 out of 60 points. Bethenny Frankel didn’t fare so well, scoring a low 29 out of 60. The full DWTS and SWTS scores below –

DWTS Scores

  • Jennifer & Derek: 60 (30, 30)
  • Kyle & Lacey: 56 (27, 29)
  • Bristol & Mark: 52 (27, 25)

SWTS Scores

  • Rebecca Budig: 45
  • Jonny Moseley: 40
  • Brandon Mychal Smith: 36
  • Sean Young: 34
  • Bethenny Frankel: 29
  • Vince Neil: 28

TELL US – WHO DO YOU PREDICT WILL WIN DWTS TONIGHT? THOUGHTS ON SWTS PREMIERE?

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DWTS Finale Tonight Plus Bethenny Frankel To Make Debut On Skating With The Stars!

Following ten weeks of electrifying performances and shocking outcomes, tonight marks the finale of Dancing With The Stars season 11.

The finale begins tonight at 8/7c on ABC and the finalists actress Jennifer Grey, actor Kyle Massey and teen activist Bristol Palin will dance two dances tonight, and then two more tomorrow before the winner is ultimately announced. The favorite going into tonight seems to be Jennifer but with the combination of viewers votes and judges scores, the mirror ball trophy is completely up for grabs!

Immediately following DWTS, ABC’s new show Skating With The Stars will premiere at 9.11/8.11c time. ABC is hoping to continue the winning DWTS formula by having “celebrities” skate on wheels.

The six celebrities for the premiere season include reality star Bethenny Frankel, Disney Channel star Brandon Mychal Smith, skier Jonny Moseley, “All My Children” actress Rebecca Budig, actress Sean Young and rocker Vince Neil.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE OFFICIAL CAST PHOTOS OF SKATING WITH THE STARS!

Bravo star Bethenny Frankel is arguably the most popular star on the show, which seems to have all the makings of a disaster with the not so popular cast and pros.

There is also a report stating that DWTS producers are worried about Bristol winning because they feel it will ruin the credibility of the show. Who knew the show had any to begin with.

“This will be a disaster for the show if Bristol wins,” a TV insider tells Popeater. “Any creditability the show had will be over. It will go from being a dancing competition to a popularity competition where whoever has the most rabid fan base will always win no matter how little talent they have.”

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TELL US – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON DWTS & THE PREMIERE OF SWTS? WHO DO YOU WANT TO WIN DWTS?

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Bethenny Frankel’s Mom: She Is Skating On Ice to ‘One-Up Rival Jill Zarin’

It seems former Real Housewives of New York City star Bethenny Frankel has a whole lot more to worry about these days than former BFF Jill Zarin continuously trying to steal her thunder.

In a new interview with RadarOnline, Bethenny’s mother Bernadette Burke, who admits she hasn’t spoken to Bethenny in over a decade, is slamming the Bravo reality star. Bernadette calls Bethenny’s decision to do ABC’s Skating With The Stars a desperate attempt to further her career.

“As soon as I saw that she was going to be on Skating with the Stars I just knew she had an ulterior motive,” said Bernadette to RadarOnline.

It gets even better or worse rather as Bernadette then accused Bethenny of doing the show to “to one up Jill Zarin.” She adds, “I’ve watched only three of the show and in one Jill Zarin was so proud of her skating and even had a party. As soon as I saw Bethenny was skating, I knew she had another reason than just having fun.”

And when it comes to how she thinks her daughter will perform on the show, Bernadette has high hopes for Bethenny as she states she “had so many private ice skating and roller skating lessons. She did it all the time when she was a child.”

This interview doesn’t really come as a major surprise as Bethenny has come out publicly this year stating she had a toxic childhood and that her mom was a bulimic who was always drinking.

TELL US – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON BERNADETTE’S COMMENTS?

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Skating With the Stars Controversy Involving Jill Zarin & Bethenny Frankel

If it seems like every time something good happens for Bethenny Frankel, her former BFF Jill Zarin always manages to involve herself in her good fortune, it’s because it usually happens that way.

First came babygate, and now a new controversy brewing involving the announcement of Bethenny on ABC’s new show Skating With The Stars.

According to TVGuide, SWTS‘s casting director Deena Katz is not happy about a few reports that started floating around some blogs following the cast announcement.

What reports would that be might you ask? Well, some reports magically appeared on some blogs claiming that Real Housewives of NYC star Jill passed on doing the show which led to SWTS asking her former co-star Bethenny.

“That’s the part I don’t like,” says Deena. “You weren’t asked, so don’t act like you were.” While Jill’s reps declined to comment on the story, Deena added that Bethenny was cast because “she is it. If you’re going to go with a Housewife Bethenny has transcended all the other housewives. She has her own show [Bethenny Getting Married?]. She is her own person.”

Deena makes it clear that she never asked another housewife, stating “Bethenny is the only one I asked.”

As for Jill, she took some time out of her busy schedule to wish Bethenny the best of luck. “Congrats to @Bethenny for skating with stars. If anyone can do it you can! And happy birthday,” posted Jill the early morning of Nov 3rd. By the way, Bethenny’s birthday is Nov 4th. She turned 40-years-old yesterday.

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