Is a Peace the Spork Out in order for ABC‘s irreverent TV series Ugly Betty? Possibly. Michael Ausiello of Entertainment Weekly magazine is reporting that Ugly Betty has been “benched” from the ABC TV schedule in order for the network to “try out” a couple new sitcoms in the Thursday night timeslot. While this news isn’t absolutely proof that the show is done for, the fact that ABC will not reveal when Ugly Betty is scheduled to return to the television airwaves … and that is what’s got everyone worried:

Things are looking pretty gloomy for Ugly Betty. In a just-announced Thursday night scheduling tweak, ABC is benching Betty beginning March 26 and replacing it with episodes of Samantha Who? and the new Megan Mullally-Cheryl Hines comedy In the Motherhood. The network’s release concludes by saying, “Ugly Betty will return to Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m. following the run of In the Motherhood and Samantha Who?” After crunching the numbers, that puts Betty’s return (provided Sam Who/Motherhood don’t tank) sometime around (gulp) June — a.k.a. outside the regular season. Now, granted, Betty hasn’t exactly been killing it in the ratings this season, but it’s still one of ABC’s signature shows. At least I thought it was. “The Thursday night block is a good opportunity to launch these comedies,” counters an ABC spokesperson. “That said, Betty is a solid performer and there is no question that it will definitely be back to complete its season, just without repeats.” But when will it be back? The net’s not saying, and that’s the part that has me worried. Do you share my concern? Or is there a silver lining here that I’m just not seeing?

This is not a good sign for Ugly Betty. Why IN THE WORLD would ABC take the show off the air at this point in the year in order to “try out” other sitcoms?? And then “bring the show back” after who knows how many months off the air? This makes no sense … other than the demise of Ugly Betty is nearly upon us and we’ve yet to be told. I cannot imagine how this plan of attack is a good one for the show or the network as a whole. Even if the show does eventually come back … will the audience still be around to watch? This is a terrible idea … one, my gut tells me, is the first step in announcing the cancellation of Ugly Betty :( What do y’all think … are you happy with any of this news?

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And so … I’m back, home again, in SoCal after my quick trip to NYC. I couldn’t say anything about my last second plans to fly out to NY because I was trying to keep it a secret but I jetted out Friday afternoon, arrived at about 9pm (where I met Pink reader Sarah at the curbside car pick-up area) and then went out with David’s friends to the 9th Ave. Saloon after a yummy dinner at Aja on 6th Ave. At 9th Ave. I got to meet Pink readers Christoper (pictured below) and Daryl:

It was my pleasure meeting you all (Christopher tells me I have to give a shout-out to his sister Kayla). The party on Saturday night was really fun … and here I am, home again. This is my last week in my apartment before David and I move into our new condo in WeHo on Sunday. So excited :)

I’m also very excited about a few eBay auctions I won over the weekend as well … I picked up a vintage Polaroid Land 800, a Polaroid SX-70 (just like the one my parents used to photograph me as a baby) and a Polaroid Mio:

Of the three, I only plan on using the Mio — which uses the Fuji Instamax film that is still being manufactured and sold overseas. The other two I want to have for posterity’s sake. The wins were really reasonable, too. Yeah, I’m in a real Polaroid way lately.

Today, I have a meeting in town and I REALLY have to start packing … altho the movers are doing all the big work, I have some things I need to pack on my own. And the countdown begins …

• Paul Blart: Mall Cop was, once again, the #1 movie at the box office this weekend.
• Thriller: The Musical
• Neil Gaiman wins the The John Newbery Medal, the top prize for children’s literature.
• SNL‘s Fred Arminsen and Mad Men‘s Elisabeth Moss are planning to get hitched.
• Aretha Franklin‘s Inauguration hat, designed by Detroit milliner Luke Song, will be released for general sale in different colors.
• Saphhicness on The Simpsons?
• Just how many dudes did disgraced minister Ted Haggard philander with?
• John Galliano gets flamboyant on the runway.
• Sylvester Stallone looks pretty good at 62.
• The new Miss America shows how she won her title.
• Amy Fisher, the former Long Island Lolita, finds new work.
• Matt Damon shows off his moobs by the pool.
• Boy George is popular in jail.
• Jazzie B. of Soul II Soul is 46, Ellen DeGeneres is 51, Eddie Van Halen is 54 and Lucinda Williams is 56 years old today. Click HERE to see who else is celebrating a birthday today.
• David Bowie supports his son at the Sundance Film Festival.
• Ziggy Stardust will not rise again, not yet anyway.
• Thanks but no thanks, Oprah Winfrey says shes too bizzy to be Senator anyway.

The New York Post has a semi-regular feature that showcases prominent New Yorkers photographed at their desks and explains the work that they do, in the environment where they do it. This week, the NYP features two people who I am very fond of … Tim Gunn from Project Runway and David Hauslaib, my boo:

On the face of it, a desk doesn’t amount to much. It’s a flat slab of wood or glass on legs, with maybe a few drawers attached. But given the number of hours many of us spend at them, they take on styles as idiosyncratic and varied as our dwellings, reflecting not only someone’s aesthetic sensibility, but also their working habits and the rituals that shape their day. With that in mind, we asked five notable city folks for what you might call a desktop tour:

Tim Gunn — Gunn’s known worldwide as the tough-love mentor to aspiring designers on “Project Runway,” but in 2007 he also assumed the role of chief creative officer at Liz Claiborne Inc. As debonair in person as on TV, Gunn wore a pinstriped suit and a bright smile when we visited his Midtown office.

Desk: Sea-foam green glass suspended by metal, rounded on one side, straight on the other. On the desktop is a book on Tom Ford, a Liz Claiborne collection catalog, “1001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die” and a fastidiously stacked paper pile.

“I don’t usually sit behind the desk when people are here. It creates a barrier. When someone sits in the traditional spot I think, ‘What are they doing back there?’”

Décor: Built-ins bulge with books on one side, an Asian screen and a stone-colored couch sit on the other, and a wall of windows provides an expansive view. A floor-to-ceiling portrait of Gunn wearing a stern expression dominates the space behind the door. “This is meant to be a minimalist environment, but I’m not a minimalist,” he says.

Detritus: A press pass for the Oscars, framed shots of Gunn with Heidi Klum and Oprah, a PETA award and multiple Tim Gunn bobbleheads, one of which delivers his signature lines “Make it work” and “Carry on.”

Pet: A fake goldfish encased in a plastic orb sits on a side table.

Current project: “I split my time between running to meetings, making showroom visits and writing. Right now I’m retooling the budget.”

Philosophy: Claiborne execs have suggested Gunn hold meetings in a “neutral” place, but he refuses, citing an aversion to conference rooms. “I believe in the semiology of clothes. Similarly, the way we live and work should send a message.”

Routine: In by 8 or 8:30, Gunn gets a doughnut and coffee and from the deli downstairs. He transfers the java into his “Ellen” (DeGeneres) mug, then eats at his desk. The doughnuts: “Whole-wheat – not glazed. My theory on glazed doughnuts is one is too many, a dozen is not enough.”

What’s next: Gunn’s a nomad. “I’m in my third office here.” He’s preparing for another office move and a new assignment in corporate design and merchandizing.

David Hauslaib — Hauslaib started Jossip, a celebrity and media gossip blog, in 2003 from his dorm room at Syracuse University. Today, through Jossip and its younger sibling, the gay lifestyle blog Queerty, the 25-year-old reaches 3 million readers a month. Though he maintains a staff and an office, Hauslaib works predominantly from his alcove studio in a prewar doorman building on Christopher Street.

Desk: A small, basic Pottery Barn piece with contrasting light and dark mahogany, tucked into an office nook that abuts the kitchen.

Décor: “It’s a smorgasbord.”

Detritus: A Starbucks coffee mug (“I collect them from around the world”), Gumby and Pokey figurines, miniature baby pictures of David and his brother, and his Sony Vaio. “I like to keep whimsical things around,” he says, picking up an Etch A Sketch. “When I struggle to find the right words, I play around on it a while.”

Current project: Keeping his blogs constantly updated and staying ahead of the buzz.

Routine: “I have a full staff. We all work from home in the mornings. Some days we go into the office at 1 or 2, but this is where the magic happens.” Hauslaib starts work around 7 a.m. and usually eats at his desk. A Tassimo coffee maker feeds his 4-to-5-cups-a-day habit.

Pet: A teddy bear perched on a nearby table.

What’s next: Applying more of a magazine model to the blogs. “Our editorial calendar used to be 24 hours long, but we’re planning packages ahead of time now.”

Yay! What a great piece and doesn’t David look hawt in his photo (Tim‘s not bad either). Regarding David‘s piece … I have to admit that I’ve never seen him EVER play with that Etch-A-Sketch (which came from his Xmas stocking) but the bit about the “4-to-5-cups-a-day habit” … yeah, that’s totally right on. On a really exciting day, it’s more like 7-to-8 cups a day. The window behind him looks out onto the corner of 6th Ave. and Greenwich Ave. and, I have to share, a framed photo of the two of us (the first photo we ever took together, on the day we met in Amsterdam in 2006) is on the table next to his desk … not that I’m AT ALL bothered that fact didn’t make the piece ;) In any event, I totally love this little NYP piece on David and Tim. Click HERE to see which other notable New Yorkers and their desks are featured this week.

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OH man … new pics of Honor Marie Alba-Warren are out and, as you can imagine, they are cute as hell! Mama Jessica Alba took her little one to the park (which is an activity that mother and daughter have enjoyed together for the past month or so) over the weekend and managed to totally embarrass the dear little girl. Jess tried to plant kisses on Honor, much to her cute chagrin:

Awww … she sure can rock that fauxhawk, can’t she? This little girl is just too cute for words. If she thinks her mom is embarrassing her with the PDA now, just wait ’til she gets older. Latina mothers are NOTORIOUS for heaping lurve and affection on their kid when in public. They’re also notorious for having no problem whatsoever disciplining their children in plain sight of any and everyone no matter where you are (trust me, I speak from experience) so I hope the little doll behaves herself when she gets older. OY! So cute!!

[Photo credit: Splash News]

Late last week we learned that Dakota Fanning is in reported talks to appear in the upcoming Twilight sequel New Moon and today we have a bit of confirmation that the talks are underway. People magazine reports that Dakota believes that it would be a “fantastic experience” for her if she were able to secure a role in New Moon:

Dakota Fanning is ready to bare her fangs as vampire Jane in the Twilight sequel New Moon. “I really hope it works out,” Fanning, 14, told Hitfix.com while promoting her current thriller, Push. “It would be a really fantastic experience, I’m sure.” Just last week it was reported the young star was offered the role sans audition because director Chris Weitz is so confident that Fanning is right for the part. Talk about a perfect fit: A member of the deadly Volturi, the Jane character is described in a casting notice as a petite blonde with a “Botticelli angel-like face [and] crimson irises.” If everything falls into place, Fanning will join returning stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner. Filming begins in March in the U.S. and Italy, with New Moon set to open in November.

OK, so at this point we know that A.) the negotiations for her to play Jane are underway and B.) that she wants the role. Methinks the role is hers if the money is right. I understand that these negotiations usually come down to the money … and Dakota Fanning is already a big name (relative to the other actors thus far cast in Twilight and New Moon) so she’s gonna need a bit o’ change to sign on. Something tells me that they’ll pay up … for the most part, reaction to Dakota playing Jane has been really positive. I suspect we’ll hear an announcement soon (again, if the money is right) that the part is hers.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

Last night the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were handed out here in Hollywood at the Shrine Auditorium and were broadcast LIVE on TBS and TNT for all the world to see (including me, on my JetBlue flight home from NYC). The SAG Awards, which are given out to actors by fellow actors, is the last major awards show to take place before the Academy Awards are handed out next month … and may give a sneak peek as to what may go down come Oscar time. Slumdog Millionaire won the big prize for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture while Meryl Streep (Doubt), Sean Penn (Milk), Kate Winslet (The Reader) and the late Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight) won the awards for Best Actress, Actor, Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor respectively. Here are a few photos from the red carpet arrivals last night:

Amy Adams and Emily Blunt looked amazing … Jon Hamm (of Mad Men) looked weird without his now trademark slicked-back hair. I don’t like the longer locks on him. Katrina Bowden, who stars in NBC‘s 30 Rock, wore a beautiful blue dress designed by Project Runway season 4 winner Christian Siriano. She looked really supercute fierce in her dress, I think.

As I mentioned above, some of my fave actors took home the top prizes last night … here are pics of the big winners accepting their awards (called Actors) on stage or posing with them in the press room after winning their awards:

The actors of “Slumdog Millionaire” won outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture, and Heath Ledger posthumously won best supporting male actor at the 15th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday. “It was overwhelming enough to be nominated, but to win this is unbelievable,” said “Slumdog” actor Anil Kapoor of the award given to him and his cast mates at Los Angeles’ Shrine Exposition Center. The cast’s win comes two weeks after the modestly budgeted movie, about a poverty-raised orphan in Mumbai who goes on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” won the Golden Globe award for best drama. The film has been nominated for 10 Oscars, including for best picture. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” the big name when the Academy Award nominations were announced earlier this week, was shut out at the SAG Awards. The movie leads all films with 13 Oscar nods. Ledger, who was 28 when he died just more than a year ago of an accidental prescription drug overdose, won his award for his role in “The Dark Knight,” 2008′s box-office king. Ledger’s performance was widely praised, and he won the Golden Globe for best supporting actor two weeks ago. He also is considered the front-runner for an Academy Award for supporting actor. Actor Gary Oldman accepted the SAG award for his friend. “He was an extraordinary young man with an extra ordinary talent, and it is wonderful that you have acknowledged that and honored that talent tonight,” Oldman said. Josh Brolin, one of four actors who lost to Ledger on Sunday night, compared the SAG awards to “a big campfire we’re all showing up for.” “It’s not a competition,” Brolin said. “We’re just happy to party together.” Meryl Streep echoed Brolin’s words when she accepted for best leading actress in a movie for her role in “Doubt.” “Can I just say there’s no such thing as the best actress,” Streep said. Streep was dressed as if she might ready for Brolin’s campfire, wearing black pants, a black blouse and no jewelry except for earrings. “I didn’t even buy a dress,” she said. Sean Penn, chosen as best leading male actor in a movie for “Milk,” told the four actors he won against that he wept when he watched their work. “You’re stunning,” Penn said. Penn’s took a brief political turn when spoke about “Milk,” the story of a gay San Francisco politician assassinated in 1978. “This is a story about equal rights for all human beings,” Penn said. Kate Winslet’s win as best supporting actress for her performance as Hanna Schmitz in “The Reader” could help her best actress Oscar nomination for the same role. Winslet was nominated for SAG’s lead actress in a movie for “Revolutionary Road,” but lost to Streep. The SAG Awards are watched closely by Oscar fans, but they’re not always a guarantee of Oscar gold. Last year, for example, Julie Christie won the SAG’s outstanding lead actress for her work in “Away From Her.” At the Academy Awards, she was beaten by Marion Cotillard, who played French singer Edith Piaf in “La Vie en Rose.” Most of the SAG trophies handed out during the first half of Sunday night’s show were for TV categories. Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney won for their roles in HBO’s “John Adams.” Giamatti got the trophy for best male actor in a TV movie or miniseries for his role as President John Adams, while Linney won the female actor award for her portrayal of first lady Abigail Adams. Veteran actress Sally Field won her first SAG Actor trophy after seven nomination over the past 14 years. Field won outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series for her work on “Brothers & Sisters.” Hugh Laurie won best male actor in a TV drama series for a second time for his work in “House.” He won the same trophy two years ago. “I actually had $100 on James Spader,” Laurie said. “This is just not my night.” Spader was also up for the best actor award. The TV drama ensemble award was given to the cast of AMC’s “Mad Men.” The evening began with NBC’s “30 Rock” sweeping best actor and ensemble trophies. Tina Fey won the outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series category, while Alec Baldwin won the male honor for his “30 Rock” role. The 10 actors in the “30 Rock” cast also captured the trophy for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series. The 16 SAG categories include honors for both television and film actors. James Earl Jones was given SAG’s 45th Life Achievement Award. “Whatever medium he tackles, he consistently delivers,” actor Forest Whitaker said. Jones’ trademark deep voice has been heard in movies as “the most evil voice in the entire universe… and the voice of God,” Whitaker said.

Woot! I am THRILLED that Meryl finally won an award for her work in Doubt. My fave part of the ENTIRE awards show was when she was announced as the winner and then ran with her arms in the air in shocked excitement all the way to the stage to collect her trophy:

She gave my fave female performance this year and I sincerely hope that she wins the Oscar next month. Things don’t look so good for Benjamin Button. Another awards show, another shutout. I’m still pretty sure that it will win something next month (Best Makeup?) but I am not really counting on the film winning any of the big categories. Up against Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke, Brad Pitt ain’t got chance. The same goes for poor Angelina Jolie … no chance, no way. I love that Slumdog Millionaire won another of the big prizes … could it win the Oscar for Best Picture? I sincerely hope so … but I have to be honest and say that I REALLY HOPE that the insufferable Anil Kapoor is not allowed anywhere near the microphone if the film wins. I get that he’s excited to be in a film that is winning all these major awards (a feat that he will most likely never achieve again) but I find his manner so irritating. How ’bout letting Dev Patel give thanks instead? I was very pleased that Freida Pinto gave shoutouts to the young actors who are featured in Slumdog (Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Rubiana Ali and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail) … they really made the film for me, they deserve the accolades as much as the adult actors do. In any event, I’m still pulling for Slumdog to win the big enchilada next month. After the jump, check out a few photos that were snapped of the celebs in the audience — mingling, gossiping, canoodling — the pics are not to be missed …

Embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is making the rounds on all the morning, afternoon, evening, night, latenight television shows today and tomorrow in order to wage a media onslaught to try and sway the court of public opinion in his favor. As you may know, Gov. Blagojevich stands accused of attempting to sell President Barack Obama‘s Senate seat (left vacated by his election as Commander in Chief of the United States) and his impeachment trial is scheduled to begin this week. To combat the negative press that is bound to come from those proceedings (which he is refusing to take part in), Blagojevich is launching a counterstrike of his own in the media. One of the bombshells in his arsenal, the news that the considered appointing Oprah Winfrey to represent Illinois in the US Senate:

Impeachment proceedings against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich are scheduled to begin Monday in the state Senate, but the embattled governor is expected to skip the trial and instead appear on several television programs. Blagojevich is facing federal corruption allegations, including trying to trade or sell the Senate seat that became vacant after Barack Obama was elected president. The second-term Democratic governor has denied wrongdoing. In his first live prime-time interview, Blagojevich will appear Monday on CNN’s “Larry King Live.” He spoke with ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Monday morning and was scheduled to appear with his wife later Monday on ABC’s “The View.” On “Good Morning America,” Blagojevich said he considered appointing Oprah Winfrey as Obama’s Senate replacement. “She seemed to be someone who had helped Barack Obama in a significant way become president,” he said. “She was obviously someone with a much broader bully pulpit than other senators.” The governor said Winfrey was one of several candidates he had considered for the position. Blagojevich eventually picked former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to replace Obama. Senate Democrats initially disputed seating Burris due to the cloud over Blagojevich, and Illinois’ secretary of state refused to sign off on the appointment. But Illinois’ highest court validated Burris’ appointment earlier this month, and Senate Democratic leaders recognized it. Blagojevich on Monday restated his complaints about what he called the “unconstitutional” impeachment trial, which he said “denies me the right to call witnesses to defend myself and prove my innocence.” He said he is certain the Illinois Senate will vote to remove him from office and said he expects they will demand he step down “relatively soon.” Earlier this month, the Illinois House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach him. Blagojevich has said the vote was politically motivated. Under the Illinois Constitution, the House can vote to impeach an executive or judicial officer, but it is the Senate that conducts the trial. A two-thirds majority vote in the Senate is required to convict an officer of an impeachable offense. According to a federal complaint issued in December, Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris — who also was arrested on federal corruption charges — were “conspiring to obtain personal financial benefits” for the governor by leveraging his sole authority to appoint a U.S. senator to replace Obama. “I’ve got this thing and it’s [expletive] golden,” Blagojevich allegedly said in one recorded phone conversation, referring to his authority to appoint, according to the complaint. “I’m just not giving it up for [expletive] nothing.” When asked about those alleged quotes, Blagojevich told ABC that federal prosecutors “took snippets of conversations completely out of context.” “When the whole story comes out, you’ll see that the effort was to work to have a senator who can best represent Illinois,” he said. In an interview over the weekend with NBC’s “Today,” Blagojevich said his December 9 arrest took him by surprise, but he is drawing inspiration from people such as Nelson Mandela, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. “I thought it was actually a friend of mine who was playing a practical joke,” he said of his arrest. “Unfortunately it wasn’t. And then the day unfolded and I had a whole bunch of thoughts — of course my children and my wife — and then I thought about Mandela, Dr. King, Gandhi and tried to put some perspective in all of this, and that’s what I’m doing now.” Blagojevich has said his basic rights are being violated because he cannot challenge assertions in the House impeachment report. Blagojevich also is asking for a change in a Senate trial rule that he said is preventing him from calling witnesses such as Valerie Jarrett, a confidant of President Obama; Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.; and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Emanuel, claimed Blagojevich, agrees that he did not break any laws. State Sen. Matt Murphy, part of the nine-member committee that put the Senate trial rules together, called Blagojevich’s complaints “the theater of the absurd.” “What you’ve seen here … is a cynical effort on the part of this governor that’s perfectly consistent with his actions over the last six years, to try and further undermine the faith in this process that the people already have,” Murphy said. Blagojevich missed deadlines this month for answering the impeachment charge and for filing a motion to dismiss, a spokesman for Illinois Senate President John Cullerton has said.

Clearly, Blagojevich (who should be considered innocent until proven guilty … despite the evidence that has been collected against him) is pulling out all the stops in this last, desperate bid to not only salvage his political career but avoid being incarcerated. It really sounds like this Oprah news is meant to draw the focus away from the charges of corruption that are being leveled at him in his upcoming impeachment trial and move them toward something more positive .. and who don’t love Oprah? I, for one, am disgusted at the charges that have been brought against him and if they are proven true, I hope he gets stripped of everything his time in office afforded him (pensions, etc.) and he gets thrown in jail like any common criminal. If he is innocent, then I hope he will be able to return to his duty of governance for the good of the people of Illinois. In either instance, I don’t know that pandering to every TV program that will have him will help out his cause. My gut tells me that his actions today are a desperate ploy to curry whatever favor he can from the public in the last hours before he goes on trial … kinda like he knows what’s coming. The whole matter is just sad. Oprah or not, I’m really grossed out by the folly of this whole incident.

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Newlyweds Fergie Ferg and Josh Duhamel returned home from their extended honeymoon over the weekend and burst forth from the LAX Airport elevator lookin’ tanned, relaxed and in a hurry to jump into the back of their waiting limousine. It looks like the honeymoon is officially over, y’all:

It looks like Josh got more sun than Fergie did … he prolly got nice and baked on that golf excursion we saw photos from last week. For the most part, the couple remained relatively low profile for the duration of their honeymoon in the Maldives and Bahamas. I suspect the couple had themselves a very nice time together … but now they’ve returned, home from paradise and back in the thick of celebritydom. Wherever will they show up next?

[Photo credit: Splash News]

Pop turned Country music star Jessica Simpson was on hand to perform in Pembroke Pines, Florida at a Chili Cook-off hosted by a local Country radio station over the weekend and she used the live performance to unveil her sexy new body. Gone are the days of the too-skinny blonde bombshell (who looked as if she starved herself to near death when she portrayed Daisy Duke in the Dukes of Hazzard movie) and say hello to the much curvier, much healthier lookin’ Miss Simpson:

Say this for Jessica Simpson – she doesn’t hold back. “I am so excited that I am going to see my boyfriend tonight!” the singer told a crowd of nearly 30,000 fans at Radio 99.9 Kiss Country’s annual Chili Cookoff Sunday at C. B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines, Fla., where she shared the bill with Alan Jackson and other country stars. Smiling, happy and hopping around the stage, Simpson, 28, performed a medley of her pop hit songs (“Angel,” “With You”) during her hour-long show, as well as delivered new songs from Do You Know, her first country album released last fall. Simpson’s rendition of “You’re My Sunday,” from the country album, was dedicated to her boyfriend, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who was waiting for her in Dallas. “My boyfriend is a football player, and he takes up my Sundays and now my Mondays,” Simpson told the appreciative audience. “I am sooo happy!” After the show, the songbird did a quick meet-and-greet for about 25 fans of all ages in a secret tent set up in the back of the park. As she entered the enclosure, she cracked, “My six inch heels are not working so well!” But she sure was. Radiant, smiling and pouring on a warm charm to those who had won a contest to meet her, Simpson posed for photos with all the fans – even though she had to catch a 5:45 p.m. flight to Dallas to see Romo.

I gotta say … Jess looks great :) I don’t recall seeing her look so happy (not even back when she was happily married to Nick Lachey). I also don’t recall her lookin’ so sure of herself and so happy to be on stage. I suspect that her relationship with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has something to do with Jess‘s new attitude. I must admit, tho, that I am not a fan of the high-waisted jeans. I don’t think they flatter her figure very well. But, she finally does have a figure (more than just her very ample bosom) and I’m glad to see her workin’ it! I may tease Jess for some of the things she says and the usually (shall we say) simple way she says them … but I can’t hate on her here. She looks great! You go, Jess! Werk it out :)

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]