It’s the end of an era for talk radio, because Dr. Drew Pinsky officially announced on the Kevin & Bean Show that he will be leaving ‘Loveline’ after 30 years. Pinsky’s reign as a sex advice aficionado began with KROQ in 1984 during their ‘Ask a Surgeon’ segment, which later became syndicated in 1995 with Adam Carolla as its co-host. The well-known MTV version aired from 1996-2000 and featured celebrity guests who willingly answered very personal questions. Carolla left the show in 2005 amid a contract dispute but Pinksy stayed, and despite some brief bad blood, the besties quickly renewed their bond and now co-host their own podcast together. According to Drew, “The Loveline brand is still strong and perhaps we will bring it back some day. But for now, this version is ending and [he] will be focusing on all of my other projects.”
In truth, ‘Loveline’ never survived Adam Carolla’s exit. The format worked precisely because Carolla’s crass comments and tough love were balanced by Drew’s class and empathy, and without each other, it never gelled. And though I’m a big fan of the duo’s current podcast, I still find myself anxiously waiting for the audience phone-call segment, because that’s their money zone. I hope the two just re-brand their podcast in the Loveline format and take calls the entire show.
If there’s anyone in the entertainment industry worthy of accolades, it’s Kelly Ripa. The former actress pivoted her soap opera career to an impressive co-starring role beside the beloved Regis Philbin during a time when many suggested that Kathy Lee Gifford was an indispensable partner in crime. And Ripa didn’t let her new role stop her personal life, because she quickly popped out three children with longtime love Mark Consuelos and proudly celebrated her bump on television. While many implied the show could not survive Philbin’s exit, Ripa soared, carrying her rotating co-stars through each episode, which gave the network enough time to find a sufficient replacement for Regis. In fact, the ratings increased. Many articles suggest that the format of ‘Live With Kelly and Michael’ might be responsible for its stellar ratings amidst co-host swaps, but that undermines the true source of the strength, which is Kelly. And though she might play coy, she’s a shrewd talent that knows exactly how to steer her ship. And it is HER ship.
If you’re in search of good old guffaws, then dive into the YouTube den to catch Britain’s Graham Norton, who is far superior to any of our United States late night hosts. His group gathering on the couch awkwardly brings together some of Hollywood’s biggest names to share the spotlight, and with Norton’s sharp one-liners, it doesn’t miss. Watch below to see a clip of Hugh Grant beside Meryl Streep, as the surly actor recounts his most contentious on-set relationships.
