The predictable backlash against Dr. Phil’s Britney Spears television special has begun. Ever since news broke that the good doctor finagled his way into her hospital room at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center psych ward, people have been throwing a fit. And it seems pretty deserved. Though Dr. Phil originally said he stayed and talked with Britney for over an hour, then walked her to her car, it quickly became clear from many hospital sources that that was not the case. Dr. Phil was only there for fifteen minutes, and was a very unwelcome visitor, as far as Brit was concerned. Many sources are saying they didn’t so much have a talk as much as Dr. Phil just lectured at her in that way he has. It’s also pretty doubtful that he “escorted” her to her car, but more likely followed her out, yammering at her. Most commenters on our website and others seem to think Dr. Phil shouldn’t be associated with Spears, and that his motivations are more publicity-based than out of true concern for her. Many people have also pointed out that it’s inappropriate for a TV doctor to have gained admittance to the psych ward unless he was one of the patient’s doctors, which he isn’t. It seems like he traded on his name to get in there, and frankly I can’t blame Britney for being pissed.

Dr. Phil McGraw has canceled plans to dedicate a show to Britney Spears, calling the situation “too intense,” he announced on his Web site Monday.

“As was widely reported this weekend, at the request of concerned family members, I visited Britney Spears in the hospital. The details of that visit will, of course, remain private,” he said in a message online. We had planned to tape a Dr. Phil Now show today, focusing not on the tabloid side of Britney’s latest problems, but instead on the very serious issues surrounding this case. Clearly, it is not just Britney’s family struggling to find a way to protect adult children who cannot be ordered or compelled to seek help. Because the Spears situation is too intense at this time, and out of consideration to the family, I have made the decision not to move forward with the taping at this particular time. Britney and her family are in our prayers, and we ask that they be in yours.”

Earlier on Monday, McGraw appeared on CBS’s The Early Show and said that Spears’s family was “very frustrated” that the pop star wasn’t held for a longer period of time at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where she was admitted last week.

[From People]

I’m embarrassed to say I used to really like Dr. Phil. Pop psychology can be dangerous, but normally I’d glean a few pearls of wisdom from his show. If nothing else it was decent entertainment that (until recently) didn’t make me feel quite as guilty as watching Jerry Springer or something. But in the last year or two his show has gotten incredibly cheesy and commercial, and every time I see that damned “Dr. Phil House” I want to light the thing on fire. I think he could have actually done some good with his popularity if he’d have kept himself – and the show’s content – in check. Truly, associating yourself so personally with Britney Spears is career suicide. If he absolutely had to talk about it, he should have 1) stayed away from Britney, as his presence could only seem self-serving and 2) do a show about mental breakdowns/bi-polar/postpartum depression or whatever it is he thinks she’s suffering from, and talk about her a bit as an example, but not actively include her family. If I were Britney Spears and my family went on Dr. Phil’s show to talk about me, I would feel incredibly betrayed, and make sure they never had the chance to be around me again. If they want to influence her positively and get her help, they need to do so privately.

I NEVER thought I’d say this, but I do feel some compassion for her, for the first time. Her thought patterns are clearly not healthy, rational, or logical. It seems pretty obvious to me that what was once self-centered, immature behavior resulting from a lack of intellect has deteriorated into severe mental illness. I really do think she’s in danger of killer herself, either on purpose or accidentally. When things spiral out of control like this, sometimes people feel there’s no other way out. She’s in pretty deep, and I hope she has some resources and people around her that will remind her that she can still turn things around if she’s truly and permanently committed to it.

Nothing says romantic getaway quite like hearing your dad snoring in the next bedroom. Or worse, worrying about your parents hearing you while you’re going at it with your boyfriend. Gross, just gross. But apparently that’s how Jessica Simpson likes it. Or – more likely – how Joe Simpson likes it. Creepy-as-hell Papa Joe and his wife Tina joined Jessica and her boyfriend, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, on vacation in Los Cabos, Mexico last week. No that’s not creepy or weird, because Joe and Tina did the same thing when Jessica was married to Nick Lachey. Who could predict that their marriage wouldn’t work out?

Looks like Tony Romo already has an in with Jessica Simpson’s notoriously finicky father, Joe. They all went on vacation together! Simpson and Romo, who have been dating since November, arrived in Mexico via private jet with about seven friends at 9:30 p.m. January 3. After landing at the Cabo San Lucas Mexico airport, Simpson and Romo were spotted, “rubbing each others butts and laughing on the tarmac,” an eyewitness tells Usmagazine.com.

Later, the group — which included a few of Romo’s teammates and families, as well as Simpson’s parents, Joe and Tina — checked into a rented home nearby. “Tony couldn’t stop touching Jessica,” an eyewitness tells Us.

The next day, everyone enjoyed a lunch whipped up by their personal chef on the deck of their home. “They were having a great time, with Jess’ parents laughing and joking with Jess and Tony,” the onlooker added. “Tony was affectionate to Jess and everyone seemed very relaxed.”

[From Us Weekly]

How cute. And creepy. What do you want to bet Papa Joe tutored Tony Romo on the best moves to use on his daughter? He probably encouraged all that butt grabbing. No way does anyone in that family do anything without Papa Joe’s approval. Nick Lachey had to submit a written intercourse request with Joe at least two weeks prior to any sexual encounter. It had to include a detailed plan of action and required script approval from Joe. Jokes aside, after this family vacation, what do you want to bet Tony dumps Jessica within the next two weeks?

Thank God for small miracles: Victoria Beckham Nipple Slip Stopped by a Grabby Mel B [Egotastic!]
Gemma Arterton, the New Bond Girl Is A Bore [Dlisted]
Mary J. Blige in Vibe [Bossip]
Reality Shows That Don’t Suck. I can’t believe there are any [Pajiba]
A little something for the ladies: Steve Martin in swim trunks [Celebslam]
Lindsay Lohan Still A Whore [Yeeeah!]
Christian Bale And Family Leaving Los Cabos, Mexico [I'm Not Obsessed]
Paris Hilton Smoking Some Major Fashion Crack [The Bastardly]
McDreamy for Versace! Yums. [In Case You Didn't Know]
Kelly Brook’s Public Display of Affection (Site NSFW) [Drunken Stepfather]
Mariah Carey Loves The Idea of Speed Dating [Hollywood Rag]
James Spader likes his orchids [Seriously? OMG! WTF?]
Kate Moss Wishes Konichiwa To 2008 [Agent Bedhead]
Mariah Carey wants a cool voice synthesizer [the Blemish]
Mariah Carey’s Breast Enhancements. Boy she’s getting a lot of press today [CityRag]
Bryan Adams Cheated On Elle Macpherson. Then he realized he’s Bryan Adams [Crazy Days and Nights]
Tony Parker and Eva Longoria in Love Out on the Town [Popsugar]
Alessandra Ambrosio Bikini Pictures. Because we don’t get enough of those everyday [The Grumpiest]
Milo Ventimiglia Starting His Mid-life Crisis Very Early [CelebNewsWire]
Shaq’s Quite the Player [Evil Beet]
Justin Timberlake downing drinks with his Alpha Dog costar Amanda Seyfried [Gabsmash]
Mary-Kate Olsen and the unfortunate dead animal wrapped around her [CelebWarship]
Megan Fox Really, Really Loves Sex [I Don't Like You In That Way]
Dan Radcliffe’s Thousand-Dollar Bar Tab [Glitterati Gossip]
Ben Stiller & Family Have A “Day At The Museum” [Celebrity Baby Scoop]
“The Orphanage” looks spooky [Popbytes]
Take Owen Wilson Off Your Celebrity Death Pool For 2008, he’s Doing Fine [A Socialite's life]
Jennifer Connelly’s Balenciaga Ads. I’m eight kinds of scared right now [Just Jared]
David Spade has reaction to antibiotics [Lifeline Live]
THE BEST THING EVER: Bride Gets a Wedding Cake Shaped Like Herself [Best Week Ever]

I understand that a lot of people hate Lindsay Lohan. I’m right there with them. But to hate her so much that you try to keep her from living in her own home? That’s a lot of hate. But again, I understand. Lindsay used to live in the posh Sierra Towers on Sunset Boulevard. While a resident, she threw countless parties and meandered around drunk. I’m guessing she killed a few neighbor’s cats and probably left random condom wrappers around in the hallway, because that just sounds like Lindsay Lohan. She lives her life in that kind-of-crazy-but-we’ve-all-done-it-once-or-twice kind of way.

Lindsay Lohan’s former neighbors are battling to stop her moving back to the Los Angeles apartment block she terrorized last summer. Lohan was arrested for driving under the influence twice while living in Sunset Boulevard’s Sierra Towers, and angered residents by hosting late night parties and flooding ex-boyfriend Harry Morton’s condominium in the complex.

A tenant tells the New York Post’s gossip column PageSix, “She was a disgrace when she lived here, no respect for the other tenants. I’d be leaving for work early in the morning and I would see her staggering in drunk.” The supposedly sober star was spotted swigging champagne at a New Years bash in Italy, prompting a spokesperson to confirm she had slipped on her vow to remain alcohol-free.

[From PageSix.com]

I once lived in an apartment with a crazy-ass nutbag above me. He’d bang on my door at three in the morning screaming about the noise and calling me all sorts of names, even though I’d been asleep in bed. Living around crazy can really ruin your day. I imagine living near Lindsay Lohan is like living near my schizo former-neighbor. You never know what’s going to happen. They could randomly start dropping their television on their floor over and over again to piss you off. They could start having incredibly loud S&M style sex above your bedroom just to piss you off. They could leave a dead chicken on your doorstep. Two of these three things really did happen to me – I’ll let you figure out which two. But I’m guessing living near Lindsay Lohan is no more peaceful. I can understand why people wouldn’t want to spend every minute of everyday wondering when their sanity was about to be put to the test.

LiLo doesn’t have any talent or redeeming qualities to speak of. She really should consider leaving L.A., moving someplace far away and irrelevant, and either getting clean and moving on with her life, or drinking herself into a stupor without bothering the rest of us.

We were wrong about the state of Nicole Kidman’s womb - she is pregnant, according to her rep and is predictably “thrilled.” Congratulations to Nicole and Keith:

Nicole Kidman and husband Keith Urban are expecting their first child, her rep confirms.

“The couple are thrilled,” Catherine Olim says in a statement.

For Kidman, this will be her third child. She and her former husband, Tom Cruise adopted two children during their marriage: Isabella, now 15, and Connor, 12.

As for where Kidman and Urban, who will be a first-time parent, may bring up their impending arrival, the couple, though both from Down Under, purchased a farm near Leipers Fork, Tenn., a half-hour southwest of Nashville, in 2007.

[From People.com]

I was such a skeptic about those pregnancy reports as the gossip rags were getting to be like the boy who cried that the famous frozen-faced lady was pregnant over and over again, but this is wonderful news for Nicole. I hope everything goes perfect for her with her pregnancy and upcoming baby. She has spoken so frequently about wanting a baby and it’s so nice to hear her dreams have come true.

Nicole was photographed out looking happy as she lunched with a group of friends in Sydney on Sunday. I bet she broke the good news to them.

Nicole Kidman is shown on 12/18/07 at a screening of The Golden Compass in Australia for sick children from Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick. She is also shown on 12/16 at the Sydney premiere of Golden Compass. We already published these photos but they’re the newest ones I have access to where she’s standing up.

The award show second only to the Oscars has been axed. Of course celebs will still get their ego stroking in the form of the a golden trophy. Instead of a glitzy affair with a red carpet and more hair extensions than Britney’s closet can hold, a simple announcement of winners will be made. The unofficial word is that the entire event has been canceled.

“The Golden Globes telecast, Hollywood’s biggest party of the year, has been canceled, reports DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com, after weeks of bitter acrimony between striking writers, Globes organizers the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and broadcast partner NBC.”

[MTV]

This Sunday should have been a big night for NBC. The network had exclusive right to the award show and would have raked in big advertising dollars. But with the Writers Guild of America still striking the awards could not go on. Writers threatened to picket the live telecast of the awards and the red carpet arrivals. Celebrity boycotts followed their picket threats with support from the Screen Actors Guild.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association asked NBC to take the show off the air. With celebs refusing to cross the picket line and the lack of a red carpet what will there be to air anyway? A press release with the winners is expected to be the humble way in which winners will be announced.

“A stripped down announcements telecast will be aired by NBC News. It will consist of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association handing out Golden Globes to the winners, who will then pick up the awards and pass through a press room for photos and interviews.”

I can just see tumbleweeds rolling along the carpet and Ryan Seacrest standing there smoking a cig waiting for something to do. He would probably bitch to the camera man about how it took him an hour to get his hair just right. It’s a sad day.

Note by Celebitchy: Pictures are from last year’s Golden Globes. Also, poor Rumer Willis will get stiffed out of her chance at being “Miss Golden Globe” and getting to hand out the stature.

Since the death of Princess Diana the British royal family have been trying to make themselves a little more hip. Prince Charles got his act together and married Camilla, Princes William and Harry party like the most common of frat boys, and Queen Elizabeth II has become more stylish in her dress. But what she hasn’t particularly publicised is her apparent love of technology.

Prince William got a Wii over the holidays. His girlfriend was nice enough to pick it up for him. He was having a lot of fun with it, that is, while he had the chance to play. Now the console is being hogged by none other than the Queen! Apparently she is a natural at Wii Sports Bowling. Apparently, the Queen has become a bit of a technophile in recent years. Now she’s added the Wii to her list of must-have gadgets.

GoNintendo

Now, I would have been pretty sceptical about the Queen being so tech savvy, but she does have her own YouTube channel. She also has a Blackberry and and MP3 player, and has had a personal email address since 2001.

Do you think she’s got the best internet connection in Britain? Do you think she does internet searches for herself? Finds fan sites? Does she read gossip sites to see what her naughty grandsons are up to?

Note by Celebitchy: We have the Wii sports pack and the thing is so much fun for everyone in the family. I’m also amazed by how much you actually have to exercise to play some of the games, particularly tennis and boxing, although golf is my favorite. Why does golf only have one course though? That seems like a major oversight.

Halle Berry seems to be enjoying her pregnancy, being seen out and about and FABULOUS at various red carpet events. Every pregnant woman on Earth must hate her. With a passion. Where are her cankles?

But it seems while we might be envying Halle’s pregnancy gorgeousness, we don’t need to envy her at other times.

“It is true that I am three times the girl I usually am. I have to say there are some really wonderful things that come along with that,” she said Saturday night in accepting an award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. “This is the first red carpet that I’ve really walked down where I didn’t have to think about holding in my stomach – because I can’t.”

Berry, 41, expecting her first child with boyfriend Gabriel Aubry, told the black-tie crowd of 1,700 at the festival’s awards gala that she also can now finally enjoy a big dinner.

“It’s the first time I’ve been to an awards show where they served a meal and I actually ate it – the whole thing,” she said. “I was eating off everybody else’s plate and that felt very liberating and good.”

People

I can imagine nothing worse than having to wear a tight dress, suck in my belly, then skip a meal of delicious food. Which is probably why I have a big fat ass and don’t look like Halle Berry. Although, the dress would be truly fabulous - remember Halle’s 2002 Oscar dress? - and you could always request a doggie bag for your dinner. They should just give all the actresses their meals in take out cartons.

Halle this week shared her theory on why Catwoman sucked - the villan was lame. The villan, in case you were one of the many people who missed this at your local cinema, was played by Sharon Stone, who was the head of a cosmetics company who created an anti-aging cream that turned your face to stone without continued use. She was foiled by her own face cream when her face turned to marble. Who would have thought this wouldn’t be a success?

She (Halle) insists she couldn’t have predicted the film would flop.

She says, “It was definitely different from any other (movie) I had seen. I thought that we needed a better villain, but I was outnumbered in that area.

“You just never know how people are going to respond. I thought that Monster’s Ball was going to end my career. And look what happened. You just never know.”

PR Inside

Why would you have ever signed onto Monster’s Ball if you thought it would end your career? Catwoman made Halle a cool $14 million according to IMDB, but what was her motivation for acing a role she thought would end her Hollywood lifestyle?

Halle was great at cracking that whip though. I saw her swinging it around on Oprah and it was hot. Perhaps the whip was another plot flaw though - who has ever seen a cat crack a whip? Wouldn’t you need thumbs?

Halle is due to give birth in March, and she also has a few movie projects on the boil, including Tulia, in which she plays a lawyer. Production has been delayed because of her pregnancy.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Halle Berry is shown at the 19th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival on 1/5/08, thanks to WENN.

Jessica Seinfeld recently published a book, Deceptively Delicious, about how to sneak healthy foods into your cooking, to fool your kids into eating them. Like muffins with carrots in them. Which works very well if you can get your kid to eat a muffin.

The book was published in October 2007, hot on the heels of another book titled The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favourite Meals which came out in April. The two books have a few of the same recipies, and The Sneaky Chef aka Missy Chase Lapine has a remarkably similar method for discovering how to add vegetables into mac and cheese.

Jessica Seinfeld’s book plagiarized Lapine’s in concept, cover art - including a similar picture showing hidden carrots - style and structure, according to the lawsuit that seeks unspecified damages.

When Seinfeld appeared on Letterman’s show, he said the books were published at the same time and implied Lapine was a “wacko” and celebrity stalker, comments the suit - filed in Manhattan federal court - described as “false.”

Seinfeld also joked that Lapine accused his wife of “vegetable plagiarism” and poking fun at Lapine’s name and mental condition, including contending that “if you read history, many of the three-name people do become assassins,” before citing John Lennon’s killer Mark David Chapman, the suit said.

The suit said the comedian later told E! News, “this woman is another kind of nut. You know, she thinks she invented vegetables. And she is accusing my wife of stealing her mashed-up carrots.”

Sydney Morning Herald

I checked out the two cover images on Amazon - The Sneaky Chef and Deceptively Delicious are both linked to each other because of their similarities - and I think the ‘hidden carrots’ aren’t really hidden, it’s just that both covers have carrots. What do you think?

I honestly think that it was completely wrong, but I do wonder if Jessica Seinfeld did actually come up with the recipe book concept herself. I have three kids (so does Jessica) that I cook for, and I can tell you right now that in between the cursing and yelling (that’s me) and the crying and naughtiness (that’s them) I am not experimenting in the kitchen. I am basically slopping food on the kids plates before spending three hours making aeroplane noises to get them to eat anything.

Meanwhile, Missy Chase Lapine is a former food magazine editor and creator of a baby goods range.

Recently the books have been criticised for creating poor eating habits. Experts say that hiding vegetables in your kids food means they never acquire the taste of veggies and create good eating habits for adulthood. Also, a little bit of vegetable mixed into the sauce of a dish is going to carry very little of the nutritional value that a whole vegetable would.

This hasn’t stopped anyone buying the books, and I hope that Jessica Seinfeld hands over some of the money she’s made from her book to Missy Lapine. What probably happened is that Jessica’s book was due to be handed in to publishers and she didn’t have enough ideas, so she ‘borrowed’ a few from other sources.

Also, some compensation is due from the Seinfeld couple using their profile to not only sell their book, but also to call Lapine ‘crazy’.

Picture note by Celebitchy: I made the header image, and I see a lot of similarities between those two book covers. Some may be a coincidence, but it’s hardly possible that all the similar recipes are just a coincidence too.

Nicole Richie is going to pop out baby Madden any day now - and she’s scared of giving birth.

Nicole Richie is terrified of childbirth. The closer she gets to her delivery date the more her anxiety she’s building up. She’s afraid of the pain and obsessing over all the bad things that might happen. To get a grip on herself she’s being treated by the same hypnotist who’s helped her in the past to give up smoking. This specialist has worked with a lot of Hollywood clients who need to deal with dieting or with assorted addictions, including drugs. He’s helping Nicole to relax and stay calm and think positive thoughts as the big day approaches.

Janet Charlton

Nicole Richie is terrified of giving birth, and I don’t think this is unreasonable at all. Next time you see a little newborn baby, which is tiny and cute sure, but not THAT tiny. Think about how big the baby is and then think about the size of the exit passage, then buy yourself a big pack of condoms. Someone should have told Jamie Lynn Spears about this.

Reports are circulating that Nicole Richie and baby daddy Joel Madden have moved in together in Los Angeles, preparing for the birth of their child. Which is really nice, for some reason I just really like this couple. They seem so normal, but waaay cooler than most people.

The wee baby the couple are expecting is a boy, as revealed by Nicole’s father Lionel. I actually think the kid will be a girl, and that Lionel Richie was just trying to throw us off the scent! Can we gamble this online somewhere?

I can’t wait for this baby to be born. Not because babies are cute, but because I’m betting Nicole will lose that baby weight in days. Two weeks tops. And then when Paris Hilton has a baby there will be a big contest to see if she can lose the weight faster. Sure, you might think this is stupid, but you have clearly never been in a room with a group of new mothers. They also compare birth stories. And nipples.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Nicole Richie and Joel Madden are shown at the launch of the Richie-Madden Children’s Foundation at Los Angeles Free Clinic in Hollywood on December 3rd. Thanks to WENN.