Photo courtesy of Daily Telegraph

Natalie Bassingthwaite reveals today in the Daily Telegraph that she is feeling much more confident going into season 2 of So You Think You Can Dance Australian (SYTYCD Au).

She has hired an acting coach to help her with the second series. She said the criticism of her performance on the first few show last year hurt.

She says:

“I was really aware of it (nerves) at the time and in the first few episodes I was so petrified you could see me shaking.

“So I got an acting coach last year and I think I’ve found it.”

This is great news as SYTYCD was great last year, if the last few hiccups can be removed then it will be fabulous this season.

Anyway good news for fans Channel Ten have released the new SYTYCD website, and it looks super slick. Click  here. to get to it.

It looks likes Jason Coleman has had his paddlepop lion hair cut into something funkier. Only thing I don’t get is the poll on the site asking who is our favourite judge and Matt Lee has 50 %  of the votes. Hopefully only about 10 people have voted.

Jessica Mauboy Is Now Single.
Adelaide Now says that Jessica Mauboy three year relationship with her boyfriend Abdullah is now over. Time apart is the reason given. However she can console herself with the news that her single Burn is number ten on the charts. Source The West.

Simon Cowell Judgement Gets Clouded By Sex
Now Mag quotes Simon Cowell’s ex girlfriend Sinitta who says his judgement is clouded by sex. Personally I think this is way to much information.

Sinitta appears to keep her media profile high by gibbering about her famous ex all the time. He must not care as she is holidaying with him in Barbados. I wonder what she will divulge from there.

Kara DioGuardi The New Judge On American Idol Has Hit The Publicity Trail
New judge Kara DioGuardi is now out spruiking the show that will be commencing next week. She thinks the male contestants may have the edge this season. Full interview here.

Top Chef Chicago Chef Spike Is Holding a Burger Presidential Inaugeration Party.
Spike, who really should get his own show with his off sider from Top Chef Season Four Andrew. Who would ever forget Andrew saying about Spike “I am not gay but I would let him bang me.”
Anyway he is holding a more relaxed inauguration party at his Burger Joint in DC.

If you are lucky enough to be in Washington at that time the details are here.

Updates On What Top Chef Contestant’s Are Now Up To.
People mag has an article which outlines what some of the chefs are now up to, and where they are cooking.

Also Adventurous Tastes Blog reviews Top Chef Chicago runner up Richard Blais’s new burger restaurant in Atlanta, and gives it the thumbs up. I am not sure about the Krispy Kreme milkshake.

America’s Next Top Model Cycle 10 Winner Whitney Thompson Honoured.
Whitney who was the first plus size model to win ANTM has named as one of MSN Lifestyles Most Influential Women In 2008.

Natalie Bassingthwaite To Perform At Mardi Gras Party.
You know you have made it in Sydney when you are asked to perform at the Mardi Gras party. Congratulation to So You Think You Can Dance Australia host Natalie Bassingthwaite as she will get to shimmy and sing there. Full story in here.

Update On What Former Australian Idol Marty Simpson Has Been Doing
I’m With The Band has an update on he who went much further then he should have, Marty Simpson, and what he has been doing post Idol, apart from smoking pot.

Kristy Hines To Get Married in March.
Kristy Hines, host of Project Runway Australia, is not going to muck a round with a long engagement. Apparently the invitations have been sent out for a three day wedding spectacular from March 18-20 in Palm Beach, Florida.

Here is an article where she talks about why she loves him so. There is no mention on whether they plan to have children. Congratulations to you both.

Channel Seven Has Apologised For Sonia Kruger’s ‘racist’ Comments.
Channel Seven has apologised unreservedly for Sonia Kruger’s distasteful comments to musical director Chong Lim on the television show Dancing With The Stars.

The network insisted the presenter’s remarks were not intended to be racist, especially as the pair enjoyed a long-standing friendship.

Kruger made the derogatory comments about a “sweatshop of illegal immigrants” slaving away on her wardrobe for the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

“Let’s just say there’s a sweatshop full of illegal immigrants working on them right now,” Kruger said before referring to Lim, the show’s Malaysian-born musical director.
“How’s the family, Chong? All right?”

Sonia this week refused to apologise about the remarks. Maybe she was just trying to highlight that Australian designers are known to have their clothes made in sweatshops where pay and conditions are bad…….Ok maybe not.

Full story on Daily Tele

Natalie Bassingthwaite Admits Her First Audition For SYTYCD AU Sucked.
In an interview in the Sunday Telegraph “The Bass” says her first audition for the Australian version of SYTYCD was not great.

In the interview she reveals:
Because she tried to emulate the style and brash attitude of the successful American version of the show, her first audition, by her own admission, “sucked”.
“I did a terrible audition. I walked away thinking: ‘I’m really bad at this. Even if they want me to do it, I don’t think I can.”’

But Channel 10 programming boss David Mott invited her back for a second audition – and Bassingthwaighte won the job.

Natalie had mixed reviews for her hosting style this year, but she did improve by the end of the season. Lets hope this continues into the next year.