Former The Biggest Loser host Ajay Rochester is pitching for the latest big game in town – to be host of Your Own Show: Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star, Winfrey’s new cable network reality show.

When she moved to the US, her dream was to make it onto Oprah’s couch, but this won’t be occurring due to the show finishing. However being a talk show host would be a role that Ajay would think she would perfect at. In fact I am surprised she has not pitched herself as the the Australia Chelsea Lately.

In yesterday’s Daily Telegraph it says she is looking for people to vote for her.

It states:

With her votes currently wallowing at four figures, into Confidential‘s email basket at the weekend lobbed an appeal from Rochester.

“I have till the 3rd of July to get a few million votes in order to be a finalist … easy for some … eeeek … who knows, maybe I still have some loyal followers in Oz?” she confided.

The former host of The Biggest Loser has called her concept show Been There Done Fat.

“Hi, my name is Ajay Rochester,” the pitch starts.

“I want to do a show where I inspire others to step up and keep fighting the battle. They say you have to walk a mile in someone’s shoes to know how they feel, well let me tell you I have walked a thousand miles in those shoes.”

Rochester’s main rivals yesterday were disabled Texan Zach with 8,816,576 votes, a wheelchair-bound man with plans for a travel show, and black teacher Dr Phyllis with 6,795,538.

This leaves Rochester, with 1105 votes, way off the pace.

Click here to vote for her.

Her chances of winning are looking slim at this stage. However if this turns pear shaped she can always pitch to Channel Nine for a spot on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

Funnily enough commenters have been on the money for people who may be in the running to be on the rumour reality show. Sophie Monk and Rob Mills have also been mentioned as people who may be try and improve their media profiles by going into the jungles of South America and allowing all sorts of indignities to happen to them.

Thanks Paul and Culinary Boner for sending me the article.

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Dancing With The Stars premieres on Sunday 27 June at 6.30pm (Source TV Tonight). New Idea this week were already talking up a romance between Jo-Beth Taylor and her dance partner.

Hell’s Kitchen winners never get their prizes according to Reality Blurred, he also says a lot of other shows prize does not live up to the hype. Gordon Ramsay says it is better if they are mentored.

Dina Manzo might be leaving The Housewives of New Jersey (Source: Popeater). She has also had a breast reduction, something which I thought was illegal in New Jersey considering 50% of the female population look like they have breast enhancements.

Bravo’s executive producer Andy Cohen talks about the new Real Housewives franchise, which is set in Washington DC, and he addresses the Salahis gatecrashing the State Dinner as an audition for the show. They had actually been cast. His blog is on the Huffington Post.

Apparently Justin Beiber fans are having meltdowns over him cavorting with reality queen Kim Kardashian. (Source: the Daily Telegraph)

Drama for Natalie Imbruglia as she is guest judging on The X Factor in the UK, when some contestant’s asked who she was. She also got taunted by the audience as a one hit wonder. Hopefully she will have an easier time on the Australian version of the show. (Source: The Sun)

The Amazing Race third placegetters Caite and Brent have broken up. Apparently he is not really happy about it. (Source: TV Week)

If you want to know more on how the challenges are made in Survivor read this article on NPR. It is interesting that they get half an hour or so to go over the course with host Jeff Probst and ask any questions.

Former Biggest Loser host Ajay Rochester may finally have found her reality TV show, with Oprah and reality TV guru  Mark Burnett producing a show where the winner will get their own talk show. Ajay is currently living in the US with a goal of getting to sit on Oprah’s couch. (Source: Reality Blurred)

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New Idea ran a story this week about how former Biggest Loser host Ajay Rochester was having a hard time in Los Angeles following her dream of US stardom.

The article which extensively quotes a friend, who I hope is giving her a cut of any money they may have received, states she is putting on weight because she cannot afford to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. Apparently she missed out on host role on a fitness program last year because of visa issues.

But even the Daily Telegraph reveals that she is not letting it destroy her dream of making it in the US, as she has cut ties with her Australian agent Max Markson, and she plans her own road trip to Chicago to pitch a show to Winfrey’s Harpo Productions.

Got her give her ten points for gumption, but if she is so broke why doesn’t she try and get some freelance writing or waitressing work.

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Former The Biggest Loser continues to get paid women’s magazines articles, which I find amazing considering  last year’s debacle of her sending already photoshopped photos to New Idea.

However OK Magazine has paid for the story behind her plastic surgery where she got a boob job, and a tummy tuck.

The article in the Daily Telegraph also states she is back in the US with her son Kai. It also suggested a sponsor had to pay for her airline ticket back. Considering she tweeted she was flying Fiji airlines she must have been doing the milk run.

Anyway I do admire that she is continuing to be able to make money in this way.

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For someone who is essentially unemployed, former The Biggest Loser host Ajay Rochester manages to get a hell of a lot of publicity.

Today she was again in the Daily Telegraph in a not fabulously positive yarn, but as they say all publicity is good.

The article talks about her aim to jump on Oprah Winfrey’s couch and also her dumping from a TV gig with Kevin Federline.

It states:

Speaking out for the first time in six months, the larger-than-life author took to her personal website yesterday, explaining how she sold everything she owned in order to move to the US to get a job on fat fighting series Celebrity Fit Club with Federline and Bobby Brown.

“I won’t go into what happened, and it doesn’t really matter any more, but things went haywire at the last moment and I turned up with no son, no job and worst of all no VISA!” she wrote.

Rochester said her attempt to get a visa and pack up her Lilyfield home “went a bit haywire thank you to the people who threw my stuff in a skip bin after stealing it”.

I am starting to think she just might make it on Oprah’s couch.

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Jessica Mauboy’s publicist muAst have been the only one working this week as every paper I picked up over the past few days there has been a story about her in it. Today was no exception with this article in the Sunday Telegraph saying she wanted to win three or four Aria’s this year.

Also she was mentioned in this article in the Saturday Daily Telegraph about Australians who will shape 2010. The Australia Idol runner up will be in a movie called Bran Nue Dae. She has also said she hopes to do further acting work.

In other Australian Idol alumni news Kate DeAraugo is actually dating producer and guitarist France Millo, they met when he was a “roadie” for the Young Divas. They have been dating three years, and are apparently close to getting engaged.

Guy Sebastian has also had a great year and he tweeted today “Desperate Housewives and Brothers and sisters are also using Like it Like That in the US!! Unreal!” and “Thanks to everyone for making Like it Like That the highest selling single of 2009!! Im blown away.”

Ajay Rochester is again getting bad PR because of alleged bad debts. This one is about a non-paid hairdressers bill. She claims it was meant to be a “contra deal” whatever that means. (Source Sunday Telegraph)

Susan Boyle the runner up of Britain’s Got Talent has the highest selling album of 2009. She also has said she would like to tour Australia this year. (Source Herald Sun)

Mark Holden thinks that new Australian Idol judge Jay Dee Springbett will get better. Somehow I doubt he will get a second season. There is no news yet on whether Australian Idol will get the go ahead this year. (Source: Herald Sun)

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Photo from: www.news.com.au

The adage of “All publicity is good publicity” may not apply in the case of the large amount of media the Ajay Rochester’s gut-gate debacle has garnered.

The former The Biggest Loser host posed on the cover of last week’s New Idea in a pink bikini looking very svelte, and in the article she spoke about her amazing weight loss. At the time there was much chatter about how much the photo had been photoshopped. With Andrew Horney in his column in the Sydney Morning Herald said New Idea had not seen the un-altered prints. The article stated that New Idea had been told “only minimal digital enhancement” had occurred.

 The latest edition of Women’s Day has photos of Ajay, which they admitted were seven months old, with excessive skin, stretch marks, and some lumps and bumps. In the article she talks about possible plastic surgery including liposuction, however Women’s Day claims she has yet to have it done. This of course is a not so subtle dig at their magazine’s main competitor New Idea.

 Ajay on Twitter also claimed the Women’s Day photo’s were used without her permission, and at one stage tweeted she was going to sue. This tweet has now been deleted. But a new tweet states “Planning my next step so pls excuse me not saying much till I get the “right advice”. The truth WILL prevail!”

Ajay may have managed to get herself blacklisted by the two of the highest circulation weekly magazines in Australia all in the space of a few days.

Firstly by threatening to sue Women’s Day, who have not taken a backward step and standing behind the article.

A statement released by Editor Fiona Connelly said:

Woman’s Day stands by the accuracy of our story about Ajay’s plastic surgery plans and we support the actions of our reporter.

“The information in the article came directly from Ajay’s agent and from Ajay herself. Ajay is correct in saying the photos were taken seven months ago as was clearly reported in our article.

Also they pointed out the photos were taken by Women’s Day in her home. It is unclear whether payment was made for those photos. (Source: Daily Telegraph

However New Idea did pay and if I was them I would be asking for my money back. Because I think they would be feeling a tad bruised. If it is true that Ajay has not had plastic surgery it would indicate a significant amount of “˜photoshopping’ of the photos. Also in the article she talked about her healthy lifestyle and life in LA.

 ”I hike it (a canyon) every day – sometimes twice!” she told New Idea.

 ”I’m absolute testament to the fact that you can do it (lose weight) yourself.

 ”It is all about exercising with Kai (her son) and preparing healthy foods that both of us can eat and enjoy.”

 Her Facebook page indicates that her son is not currently living with her in Los Angeles and that he is still in Australia. Something New Idea may or may not have been aware off when they were writing the article. Or it just could have been the way the story was edited.

Ajay has not had a great year it started off with a court appearance for Centrelink fraud, with her facing a custodial sentence. However she asked the court not to give her a jail term, as she was the only carer for her son who suffers from Aspergers, a form of Autism. She was placed on a twelve month good behaviour bond. It would appear that the carer issue has now been resolved while she establishes herself in the US.

Her year is finishing with a hostile Australian media, particularly the women’s magazines who have in the past played a significant role in raising and maintaining her profile. She must be wishing she kept her clothes on and her mouth shut.

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Channel Ten have taken the opportunity amongst the Ajay Rochester furore to announce the new host of The Biggest Loser. It will be former elite swimmer Hayley Lewis. Maybe Ten wanted to distance The Biggest Loser from the Ajay to ensure the potential viewers remember her contract has not been renewed.

Hayley Lewis has struggled with weight loss, and at one stage was a spokesperson for Jenny Craig. The press release also states she is a successful business woman, and sought after public speaker.

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Courtesy: www.new.com.au

The former host of The Biggest Loser, Ajay Rochester, has been getting major publicity in the weekly gossip mags in the last few weeks, with a flattering cover on New Idea last week, and some not so flattering shots in the Women’s Day this week. I am not sure which is the most accurate, with the possiblity of the Women’s Day ones being old. See previous post on that

However Ajay is continuing to cut the cord that is currently feeding her, by announcing on Twitter that she is thinking of sueing the entertainment editor Phil Koch. Even if she sues him as an individual, ACP will obviously pay his legal bills. The The Australian states the photos were taken for the magazine six months ago. She is claiming the magazine used the photos without her permission.

Also on her twitter  she said:

“Shame on you Woman’s Day! Photo’s are 7 months old and u didn’t have permisson to use! Shame Shame Shame!”

“How dare they decide when or even IF I should share what is a most sensitive part of my healing,” she wrote.

“I have shared so much of my life in the aim of helping others heal theirs but in my own good time. This is so disrespectful.

“AND talk about TRUTH…..those photos are OLD!!!!!! So WD…what’s your point? I am devastated…..feel like I’ve been violated.”

“(B)etter get a lawyer son, better get a reaaaal good one! You had every op to do this with respect, integrity and honesty.

“Thank You Twitter for giving people like us the op to shout back at the injustices the media think they can just take with our lives.

“Had many things said about me in the last year – mostly untrue twisted by people intent on hurting me. But this is THE WORST. No respect!”

If anything positive comes out of this for Ajay, she will probably increase her twitter following.

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Last week former Biggest Loser host Ajay Rochester was looking very svelte on the cover of New Idea talking about

Svelte Ajay

her amazing weight loss. And this week she appears to have sold a story to Women’s Day discussing liposuction, and extra abdominal skin. Also she clearly has stretch marks. Now I don’t have a problem with a bit of photoshopping, but it is almost like there has been a different body put on the photos in the New Idea shot.

New Idea must be livid at Ajay Rochester who has been shopping two different stories to the women’s mags, to probably fund her stay in Los Angeles until she gets other work. But has she been too clever, and ensured that neither magazine will be keen to buy a story off her again? Ajay has a habit of biting the hand that feeds her, with a not so harmonious departure from Channel Ten, and she has probably burnt her bridges with the gossip magazine market. Not the most strategic move as the media market in Australia is very small. Methinks she better keep hustling in the US.

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