Jay Leno says he may have gotten “The Tonight Show” back from Conan O’Brien, but he still thinks they both were treated terribly.
The Late Night host revealed Tuesday night that he expects O’Brien to return as one of his show’s direct competitors, CNN reports.
Before that happens, he wants the world to know they both got a raw deal.
“Conan got screwed and I got screwed,” Leno told HLN and “View” host Joy Behar after her appearance on his show. “This is TV. The reason (this) business pays a lot of money is, when you get screwed you have something left over.”
NBC pulled Leno from his new 10 p.m. slot in January after his ratings suffered. The comedian was then reinstated as host of “The Tonight Show” after the network ousted Conan O’Brien.
While Leno got a bad rap over the whole affair, O’Brien did get a severance package of about $32 million.
“I don’t quite get why I get beat up over it,” Leno told Behar. “I know people don’t really understand sort of how this business works. It’s all numbers. You know, the affiliates wanted us back, so we came back.”
Leno made it clear that the tables could turn some day and he could be on the losing end.
“That’s why I always tell comics, keep your act,” he told Behar before he jetted off to Vegas for a stand-up gig.
O’Brien is free to host another talk show come September.
Animal lover Martha Stewart casts a spell on a chicken in a video posted to her blog.
Under the label “putting a chicken to sleep — my own home,” Stewart tucks a chicken’s head under its wing and waves the bird around her body four times.
She then sets the chicken down on the ground, where it looks as if it’s entranced and sleeping.
The clip reportedly was filmed behind the scenes of an upcoming “Martha” episode on raising chickens. A blog commenter asked, “Are you sure the chicken isn’t just dizzy?”
Lady Gaga could be the next voice of the James Bond film franchise. The pop star reportedly is the top choice to write and record the theme for Bond 23 starring Daniel Craig.
Gaga reportedly is in negotiations with the producers of the next Bond film.
“Bond bosses are all huge Gaga fans, her sound and sense of drama make her the top choice — Gaga has the look as well as the voice to tackle a thundering ballad,” a source told Britain’s Sun.
Amy Winehouse, Duffy and Michael Bublé have also been named possible writers for the next tune. Such other music legends as Paul McCartney, Madonna, Sheryl Crow and Tina Turner have performed themes for the series.
Bond 23 is set to be released in 2011. Work began on the project early last year.
Lady Gaga has surged to the top of the charts with her second studio album, The Fame Monster, which features her current hit, “Telephone.” Last year, she won MTV Video Music Awards for best video, best female video and best new artist.
Jennifer Hudson says she turned to Weight Watchers to drop the pounds after the birth of her baby.
And the new mom said yesterday that she’s the new spokeswoman for the company.
“With Weight Watchers, I am enjoying the weight loss because I’m doing it the right way — I feel empowered with what I’ve learned, everything from portion control to what foods will help keep me satisfied,” says the 28-year-old. “It’s a lifestyle change, not a diet.”
The Oscar-winning actress-singer, who has a 7-month-old son, David Daniel Otunga Jr., with her fiancé David Otunga, 28 — says she likes how the diet fits into her lifestyle.
“I can follow the plan no matter where I am, still enjoy my favorite foods and even use the iPhone app to track my points,” she says. Hudson is no stranger to publicly discussing her weight: After being called “the big girl” as a contestant on American Idol, the singer transformed her body for her Oscar-winning turn as Effie in “Dreamgirls” by packing on more than 20 pounds with a diet of “cakes and cookies and lots of fried food,” she told People.
She later lost the weight for the premiere of the film. Celebrities who have represented Weight Watchers in the past include Jenny McCarthy, Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, and Lynn Redgrave.
Lsmith@denverpost.com
