O’Connell is talking TV gossip
JERRY O’CONNELL is starting talks to host a live daily TV gossip show from Harvey Weinstein and Radar Online, sources tell Confidenti@l.
O’Connell (below) — whose planned talk show with wife Rebecca Romijn was recently rejected by CBS — is in the “infancy stage” in negotiations to be the moderator on the new show, which producers say will cover breaking entertainment news.
“Harvey personally wanted Jerry to host his new gossip show,” says one of our sources. “Whoever hosts will will be joined by a panel of comedians and entertainment experts to deliver the day’s dish, in a bit of a gentler style than TMZ does on their show.”
The Weinstein Co. has teamed up with American Media Inc., the company behind the National Enquirer, OK! magazine and Radar Online, for what it says will be “a fresh perspective on the newsmagazine and celebrity format pioneered by the likes of ‘Entertainment Tonight’ and ‘Inside Edition’ with the added personality of latenight talk shows like former E! hit ‘Chelsea Lately.’ ”
There are problems, though: O’Connell doesn’t want to be Chelsea Handler , while Weinstein personally hates celebrity gossip, as recent events have shown, and may be souring on his role overseeing the show, says the insider.
In March, Confidenti@l broke the story that CBS execs pulled the plug on O’Connell and Romijn’s daytime show before it even aired, after three test episodes got a cool response from focus groups.
“Jerry knows nothing about celebrity journalism. Whoever gets the job will be hired to read a teleprompter with content provided by Radar and the National Enquirer,” adds the snitch. “He might have wanted to read some of the content before he signs up.”
Radar Online’s recent headlines have included “Kat Fight! Kylie Goes Weeks Without Speaking to Her Mom, Kris — Watch Their Nasty Confrontation” and “Who’s ‘Bats--- Crazy,’ & Who’s on Drugs? Giuliana Rancic Tattles on
Johnny Depp, Tina Fey & More in Ultimate Hollywood Tell-All.”
Not surprisingly, the site has stayed clear of the recent Weinstein groping scandal.
O’Connell’s rep denies this story despite our multiple sources.