Former American Idol star, Ruben Studdard, 28, has always been open about his weight problems — and his success in shedding over a 100 lbs earlier this year by making extreme changes to his diet and exercise regimen. In an interview with PETA vice-president, Dan Matthews, the singer talks about the spiritual side of being a vegetarian, getting regular colonics, and how his new lifestyle is effecting his band.
Why He Became a Vegetarian: "I actually came home, and there was a little brochure in my hometown paper — I ain’t never told nobody this — but it was a thing about cleaning up your temple. I think it was like a Seventh Day Adventist magazine, and they were talking about ‘try vegetarian.’ I went online that day, and I just started reading little things from different vegetarians, and it was so much easier than I thought it would be, so I decided to try it."
His Favorite Veggie Snacks: "My favorite dish is from PF Chang’s — the Buddha’s Feast. It’s hands-down my favorite dish. And the tofu lettuce wraps. McDonald’s has a veggie burger now. It’s not as good as Burger King. Burger King’s veggie burger is off the chain."
His Colonic Guru: "They [medical experts] talk about all the colon problems, blah blah. And I’ve had a hydro-colonic before, so the lady that does that for us, she eats only raw vegetables-like she won’t anything but raw vegetables. And of course every time we’d go, she’d be like ‘try this’ and ’stop this,’ but of course we weren’t paying any attention — -but now of course we do!"
How His Diet Has Changed His Bandmates: "My band, they all complain about my rider requirements for only veggie stuff backstage, but they’re learning too, like I did. There’s always a better way to live if you’re open to it."
The Hollywood stars seem to be aligned for Jennifer Hudson. Access Hollywood has confirmed that the former "American Idol" contestant signed a record deal with Clive Davis’ J Records. Jennifer revealed her plans to Access this past Saturday at the "A Fine Romance" event in Hollywood. "My album, I’ll be recording my album! I just signed my record deal 2 weeks ago. So I’m starting on that in January." At J Records, Ms. Hudson joins such music giants as Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Barry Manilow, but Jennifer will also feel right at home with her former "Idol"-mates as the J/Arista label houses many of her "Idol" counterparts like Carrie Underwood, Fantasia, Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks. The J Records label is part of the Sony BMG music conglomerate. Oprah Winfrey profiled the cast of "Dreamgirls," including Hudson, on her Monday, November 20th, 2006 show. In her show, she included the following bite from "Idol" judge Simon Cowell: "We have our history together, don’t we, Jennifer?" Simon told Jennifer via Oprah. "Now I feel my criticism has probably had a significant part in your career, because the buzz on you is huge. I heard your [version] of ‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going’ today, and I would like to be the first to eat a massive dose of humble pie. Because there are good performances and occasionally there are extraordinary performances. That was extraordinary, Jennifer, and I feel very proud for you. I feel we had a very small part in what’s happened in your life, and please thank me when you get your Oscar®."
Gilbert Gottfried, Kimberly Caldwell, Traci Lords, Jeremiah Trotter and Evan Farmer investigate the paranormal in an all new episode of VH1’s “Celebrity Paranormal Project”airing tonight at 10 PM ET/PT.
This week we return to the asylum for the criminally insane with Traci Lords, Gilbert Gottfried, Evan Farmer, American Idol’s Kimberly Caldwell, and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter who search for the ghost of a violent paranoid schizophrenic known as “Mad Rayâ€Â. What begins as a light-hearted adventure for these fun-loving celebrities soon turns into a blood-curdling screamfest when Mad Ray’s ghost makes its presence heard. VH1
OMG! I love this show! It is original and scary and the celebs are always fun! Like tonight not only are they bringing ghosts back from they dead…they are bringing Gilbert Gottfried’s career back from the dead. And we can all agree both should stay dead!!!
A sitcom star is born: Fox is developing a half-hour comedy revolving around "American Idol" finalist Kellie Pickler. Pickler will play a naive small-town Southern girl — a character based on herself — who discovers that her biological father is the state’s well-respected governor. His presidential dreams are put in jeopardy, but the two form a father-daughter relationship that winds up helping his standing in the polls. Twentieth Century Fox TV is behind the project, along with Watson Pond and "Idol" producer 19 Entertainment. Watson Pond’s Brad Johnson and 19’s Simon Fuller and Malcolm Young will exec produce. Chris Peterson and Bryan Moore ("That ’70s Show") will write and create the project, which has landed a script order. Johnson said he was impressed by Pickler’s comedic timing on "Idol." The "Idol" finale even featured a running segment in which Wolfgang Puck tried to feed Pickler upscale cuisine — and drew laughs for the young singer’s reaction to the foreign fare. "She’s fresh and sparkling and sweet, and we decided it would be great to take some of that natural comedic ability and put her in a situation comedy, surrounded by an ensemble," Johnson said. Pickler drew an "Idol" following for her brash honesty and mispronunciation of words like "calamari" and "salmon." After finishing sixth in the competish, she signed with RCA’s country label BNA. Her debut album was released last month.
