Backtracking Bachelor Jason (Really, Truly) Engaged to Molly
Um, second time's a charm?
Flip-flopping Bachelor Jason Mesnick—whose flaky ways single-handedly launched Melissa Rycroft's career and generated new interest in the ABC franchise—has finally, formally popped the question to his second-banana soulmate, Molly Malaney.
It was only a year ago that Mesnick opted to spend the rest of his life camera time with Rycroft, thus denying Malaney his final rose. But he quickly and publicly dumped the Dancing queen for the castoff. According to People, Mesnick attempted to make amends by proposing in New Zealand, the same place where he initially gave her the boot.
All's well that ends well.
And while the choice of proposal spot may not exactly bring back the most romantic memories for the couple, well, you don't argue with free airfare, folks!
The duo was flown to the idyllic nation as part of a promotion for Tourism NZ, arriving on an Air New Zealand special matchmaking singles' flight and being put up in Auckland and Queenstown to appear in further promotions before heading back home.
You can't put a price on true love. Especially when that price is comped.
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Luckily, it looks like ABC has honed their screening process for future Bachelors. Team WWK breaks down the five reasons newly crowned rose-giver Jake Pavelka may not suck.
Melissa Rycroft: Bachelorette Jillian & Ed "Madly in Love"
The Bachelorette's Jillian Harris and Ed Swiderski are doing just fine despite infidelity rumors, according to her former Bachelor costar and friend Melissa Rycroft.
"Jill's good!" Melissa said at the Victoria's Secret Beauty launch for Heavenly Enchanted, where she was joined by her fiancé, Tye Strickland. "She's so resilient. I know [she] and Ed are madly in love, and they're supporting each other. Nothing's easy when you're in the public eye, but they’re working through it. I love her and I wish her the best."
Someone who never wished Melissa the best on her engagement? Her former Bachelor fiancé, Jason Mesnick—or his current fiancée, Molly Malaney...
Melissa Rycroft Reengaged!
Melissa Rycroft has officially rebounded.
Barely four months after enduring a nationally televised breakup with indecisive Bachelor Jason Mesnick, Rycroft is engaged to fellow Texan Tye Strickland, People reports.
Strickland popped the question Friday at White's Chapel in Southlake, Texas, after which the happy couple celebrated with his and Rycroft's parents—who were apparently onto something when they were reluctant to meet Jason last year—at a nearby restaurant.
Rycroft parlayed her rather heartbreaking Bachelor appearance into a third-place finish on Dancing With the Stars. Easy as ABC, the 26-year-old former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader was then offered a job as a special correspondent on Good Morning America this summer.
And it turns out Strickland was never too far from Rycroft's side throughout.
"We've been really good friends, but the timing was never right," she told Us Weekly of Strickland, who she started dating not long after Mesnick broke off their engagement.
"With all this going on, he's my support system. It's funny how things happen."
Exclusive
Gilles Marini: "I Feel Like I'm A Bad Dad"
Leave it to Gilles Marini to be thinking about someone else after last night's stunning upset that left him in second place on Dancing With the Stars.
When I tell him how, well, shocked I am that he didn't win, he assures me it's all right. "Don't worry, man," he said after the show on his way to catch a red-eye flight to NYC for an appearance this morning on Good Morning America. "It's OK."
He's hoping his 10-year-old son, Georges, will be OK, too...
Dancing Crowns a New Star
Oh, the Dancing With the Stars finale… Nearly two hours of nothin' to get to somethin'.
We adore the show, we adore dancing, but… we don't care what Marissa Jaret Winokur, Leeza Gibbons and Tia Carrere think of this season's finalists. Or what Shawn Johnson, Gilles Marini and Melissa Rycroft think about each other. Etc.
The whole thing could have been reduced to one hour and producers still could have crammed in two performances by Lada Gaga, one more dance apiece from the three finalists and the announcement of which pick-a-pro contestant will be joining the show next season.
Congratulations, Anna Demidova.
Anyway, when "Disco Stick" had been sung and the various shenanigans played out, we did find out who won the eighth season of Dancing With the Stars…
Exclusive
Dancing's Gilles: Some Sex With Brothers & Sisters
Gilles Marini may not have scored a perfect 60 last night on Dancing With the Stars like he did last week, but that's OK.
"I'm grateful," the Sex and the City hottie told me this morning. "That's the word of the day. I went all the way, man."
In just a few hours, we will find out who takes home that disco-ball trophy. "No matter what happens, it's all good," Gilles says.
Not so good is the surgery he will undergo very soon for his separated shoulder. Read on for more about going under the knife, dancing with the show's resident cranky judge Len Goodman and the text he received from Sex and the City's director-writer Michael Patrick King after his freestyle finale.
Dancing With the Stars: Alums Cast Their Votes
The pressure is on. Gilles Marini, Melissa Rycroft and Shawn Johnson will dance for the last time tonight for season eight of Dancing With the Stars.
Who will win? Most bets seem to be on Gilles. But that doesn't mean everyone is rooting for him. We caught up with some DWTS veterans and asked them to weigh in on the finale...
Exclusive
Bachelor's Jason & Molly: Life's A Beach
We all know what Melissa Rycroft has been up to since Bachelor Jason Melnick dumped her on national television for Molly Malaney: winning fans—and mucho votes—on Dancing With the Stars.
So where in the world is Jason? Living it up in the Caribbean.
DWTS' Karina: Why I Want Melissa and Tony to Win!
Lil' Kim had been Dancing With the Stars pro Karina Smirnoff's favorite to win. But once the hip-hop diva was given the boot, Smirnoff began rooting for Tony Dovolani and Melissa Rycroft.
"I think Tony really deserves it," Smirnoff told us last night at the one-year anniversary party for L.A.'s celebrity steakhouse STK. "He's been so close in seven seasons."
Even so, Smirnoff admitted, "I have a feeling Gilles will win."
Smirnoff also talked wedding and baby plans, including fiancé Maksim Chmerkovskiy's big wish to have a baby like right...now!
Dancing Down to Two Pairs After Straight Flush
It's crunch time for the remaining celebs as they're now expected to learn two dances at a time and, well, just be better than they've ever been before.
And that's what the last five Dancing With the Stars contestants have been doing—but only four are allowed to strut their stuff in the semifinals.
Clustered at the top of the leaderboard last night were Melissa Rycroft with 57, and Gilles Marini and Shawn Johnson with 56. Lil' Kim, who stumbled a few times during her waltz, lingered at 52. And then there was Ty Murray, way down there with 46.
Obviously Ty's fans have been a loyal bunch, but did they overpower the numbers this time?
Jewel Two Steps Back From DWTS Catfight
The most dangerous injury of all has occurred on Dancing With the Stars—someone's ego has been bruised.
Jewel, who has spent the season playing courtside cheerleader to hubby Ty Murray after an early injury forced her to bow out of the reality competition, is doing some damage control on her blog after publicly condemning the show's rules loophole allowing injured contestants to carry on competing without actually dancing.
Prior to Tuesday's results show, Jewel posted a blog on the Professional Bull Riders website, which showed up on her hubby's MySpace page the following day, criticizing producers for permitting injured competitors Melissa Rycroft and Steve-O to be judged on their rehearsal footage. Jewel proclaimed that it "was weird both times they have used it."
"As bas as I felt for Melissa, who I hope feels better and comes back, I'm used to our cowboy athletes…If you're too hurt to compete then you can't compete."
Jennie Garth's Twilight Hunger Pains
Peter Facinelli best head to the kitchen as soon as he gets home after completing his work as vampire patriarch Dr. Carlisle Cullen in New Moon.
His wifey, Jennie Garth, tells me she was shocked to learn that Facinelli cooked a pasta dinner for the cast of the Twilight sequel when they reunited last month to start shooting with new director Chris Weitz.


