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Katie CouricAfter just two seasons on the air, Katie - Katie Couric's talk show - will be coming to an end.

Couric and Disney/ABC released a joint statement about the announcement, claiming that the cancellation was mutual between them: "We're very proud of everyone's contributions to making Katie the No. 1 new syndicated talk show of 2012-13 and we look forward to the rest of the season."

Although the talk show was one of the highest-rated programs that premiered in syndication last Fall 2012, subsequent ratings have not been too kind. Combined with the series' production costs, industry analysts point to these factors in the show's cancellation.

Katie is expected to finish out its second season, airing its final episode in June.

Couric left CBS News in 2011 to launch Katie and will now be heading over to Yahoo News next year to be their global anchor.

Read More | The Hollywood Reporter via People

Gallery: ABC Cancels Katie Couric’s Talk Show


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Alec BaldwinAlec Baldwin's talk show has been officially axed.

The 55-year-old actor's late night MSNBC series Up Late has been cancelled after claims the former 30 Rock actor made a homophobic slur against a photographer earlier this month. A spokesperson for Alec and MSNBC issued the following statement to UsMagazine.com: "We are jointly confirming that Up Late will not continue on MSNBC. This is a mutual parting and we wish Alec all the best."

The star reportedly called a paparazzo a "c**ksucking f*g" hours after winning a court case against his stalker in New York, but he later insisted he had called the man a "fat head." An insider told the New York Post's Page Six that executives were not impressed by his behavior and decided to cancel his show on Tuesday. "The decision has been made. He's gone. The [parent company] Comcast guys have decided. Word is spreading through the building," the source said.

The chat show was suspended from the Friday night slot two weeks ago and Alec admitted in a blog post at the time that the future of his talk show was unclear. "Whether the show comes back at all is an issue right now," he wrote.

Gallery: Alec Baldwin’s Talk Show Cancelled


Emma ThompsonEmma Thompson would have "loved" to have become the first female time lord in Doctor Who.

The Oscar-winning actress denied speculation that she was offered the role given to The Thick of It actor Peter Capaldi, but said she would have jumped at the chance to join the BBC series.

"I would have said 'yes,' I'd have loved to have played Doctor Who. Maybe women need their own kind of new time traveling person?" she said, appearing alongside former Doctors Matt Smith and David Tennant on The Graham Norton Show.

On the upcoming 50th anniversary episode "The Day of the Doctor," the tenth Doctor David and eleventh Matt remain tight-lipped about the show's plot and only revealed Peter will "join at Christmas."

Gallery: Emma Thompson: I Wanted to Be The Doctor


Alec BaldwinAlec Baldwin's talk show has been pulled off air for two weeks.

The late night American program Up Late has been removed from the Friday night slot by MSNBC after claims the former 30 Rock actor made a homophobic slur against a photographer.

"I did not intend to hurt or offend anyone with my choice of words, but clearly I have - and for that I am deeply sorry. Words are important. I understand that, and will choose mine with great care going forward. What I said and did this week, as I was trying to protect my family, was offensive and unacceptable. Behavior like this undermines hard-fought rights that I vigorously support," the 55 year-old star said in a statement.

The star reportedly called the paparazzi photographer a ''f**'' hours after winning a court case against his stalker, but he said he didn't use the homophobic word and instead called the man a "fat head." In a blog post on Huffington Post, the actor said the future of his talk show was unclear. "Whether the show comes back at all is an issue right now," he wrote.

Gallery: Alec Baldwin’s Show Pulled Over His Homophobic Slurs


"I read that and I loved it and we'd gone through rehearsal and I could barely breathe in rehearsal and when we got to the show, I honestly thought that I would be fine. It seemed like if I take a breath first [it would be ok]…'and of course his mother,' and before the 'M' even came out of my mouth I'm like, 'I'm done. I'm just done.'"

- Stephen Colbert recalls a rare moment when he broke character and laughed at the pronunciation of Munchma Quchi, the mother of Suq Madiq, an Arab-American viewer who had recently donated to his Super Pac.

(Make sure to check out our other notable quotes.)

Read More | The Hollywood Reporter

Gallery: Quote of the Day: Stephen Colbert on Breaking Character


Sinead O'Connor

Sinead O'Connor holds Simon Cowell responsible for "murdering music."

The Irish singer appeared in an interview this week to address her ongoing feud with Miley Cyrus, but instead let rip at the music mogul and his flagship show The X Factor, blaming him for the death of rock 'n' roll and the exploitation of young female artists' sexuality . The war of words began earlier this week when Sinead warned Miley in an open letter about the dangers of the music industry and projecting an overly-sexual image, and the 20-year-old singer responded by lashing out on Twitter, mocking bipolar disease sufferer Sinead for her mental health issues.

Click to continue reading Sinead O’Connor: Simon Cowell Has “Murdered” Music

Gallery: Sinead O’Connor: Simon Cowell Has “Murdered” Music


Britney Spears and Simon CowellSimon Cowell dropped Britney Spears from The X Factor because she wasn't outspoken enough.

The music mogul who is judging this year's singing contest alongside Demi Lovato, Kelly Rowland - who was a judge on the UK X Factor in 2011 - and Paulina Rubio, fired Britney as she felt "uncomfortable" in the role.

Simon says the "Ooh La La" singer was unable to give honest, "negative" feedback to the pop hopefuls so he had to replace her. Speaking on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, he said, "I kind of booked someone who couldn't talk, which is a bit of a problem when you want someone to judge! She wasn't comfortable being negative, she didn't like it when the contestants spoke back to her, so she was just uncomfortable. I liked her. So we decided to change it this year and I thought I'll work with three girls because I like working with girls."

Click to continue reading Simon Cowell: Britney Spears Couldn’t Criticize

Gallery: Simon Cowell: Britney Spears Couldn’t Criticize


Alec BaldwinAlec Baldwin is to host a chat show.

The 30 Rock actor has been confirmed to present a prime-time weekly talk show, entitled Up Late With Alec Baldwin, at 10pm on MSNBC in October in which he will give his take on current affairs and culture and interview guests on such subjects.

"I've been talking with Alec for a while and can't wait to bring his personality and eclectic interests to MSNBC. He's got such passion for ideas and what's going on in the world - he's going to be a great addition to our line-up," MSNBC president Phil Griffin said in a statement.

Alec has been getting plenty of interview practice on his podcast Here's the Thing for radio station WNYC, which has seen him put the questions to several stars including Lena Dunham and Chris Rock, and he believes it has been the perfect preparation for his TV show. "After two seasons of my WNYC podcast, I've developed a fondness for hosting a show that involved talking with smart, talented and engaging people in every imaginable field. I'm grateful to MSNBC for helping me bring a similar show to television," he said.

Gallery: Alec Baldwin to Host Chat Show


Jenny McCarthyJenny McCarthy is set to join The View as a permanent presenter.

The bubbly blonde has frequently appeared on the daytime talk show and has impressed producers so much they now want her to take over as Joy Behar's permanent replacement when she leaves in August. "She is in talks right now. The cast and crew get a kick out of Jenny, she's a good fit," a source said.

While Jenny was initially thought to be unable to take on the job full time due to her commitments to The Jenny McCarthy Show on VH1, its low ratings mean she will likely be happy to make the move. "Her show isn't quite working out so she's open to it," the insider added.

Jenny has already been confirmed to be appearing as a guest host after Joy's contract on the ABC series runs out in August. Speaking previously about her part-time role, the former Playboy model said, "I will be helping them while they're looking ... but maybe sometime in the future I'll be there."

Gallery: Jenny McCarthy Set to Join ‘The View’


John OliverJohn Oliver wants Queen Elizabeth to appear on The Daily Show.

The British-born comedian is set to take over the reins of the show from Jon Stewart for three months and revealed his ideal guest would be the 87-year-old monarch.

"I promise you I will do everything in my power to get Her Majesty the queen as a guest. If I can't get her, I will try to get Helen Mirren dressed as the queen. If that doesn't work, I'll get Senator Mitch McConnell and have him dressed as either the queen or Helen Mirren. If any one of those works out, I guarantee you will see the most awkward, borderline treasonous, yet memorable interview in the history of television," he wrote in the latest issue of GQ.

John also joked he plans to have all of his guests take an oath of allegiance to the British flag during his stint as host: "Each show will begin with a pledge of allegiance to the Union Jack. This is non-negotiable, and I think it'll help with the guest-booking. I'm looking forward to this summer. It's going to be one of the strangest experiences of my life, and I hope you'll share it with me. Think of it this way: It's still going to be everything you love about The Daily Show, just without the thing that you love most about it."

Gallery: John Oliver Wants Queen Elizabeth on ‘Daily Show’


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