Leno to pay 'Tonight' staff
LOS ANGELES , Dec. 3 (UPI) -- U.S. talk-show host Jay Leno will pay approximately 80 laid-off "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" staffers for at least the next week, The Hollywood Reporter said.
The report comes after Leno drew criticism for not doing more to help out workers who lost their jobs last week due to the on-going Writers Guild of America strike.
Leno distributed Christmas bonuses early to help soften the blow of the lay-offs, however, he was slammed for not mirroring the actions of his fellow late-night stars.
Conan O'Brien Thursday informed the non-writing staff on his "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" that he will pay them out of his pocket on a week-to-week basis, while David Letterman, whose Worldwide Pants produces "The Late Show With David Letterman" and "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson," is covering the payroll for employees of both shows through the end of this month.
In addition to being laid off, "Tonight Show" employees were notified there is no guarantee they will be rehired once the show resumes production, the trade paper said.
Imus returns to the airwaves
NEW YORK, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- U.S. radio personality Don Imus returned to the airwaves Monday, vowing not to make any more remarks like the ones that got him fired eight months ago.
Imus created a media firestorm last spring when he made disparaging comments about the Rutgers University women's basketball team.
Although team members accepted his apology, Imus was fired by CBS Radio and MSNBC, which had simulcast his program on cable television.
"I will never say anything in my lifetime that will make any of these young women at Rutgers regret or feel foolish that they accepted my apology and forgave me," Imus, 67, said at Manhattan's Town Hall from where his new WABC-AM show was broadcast Monday, The New York Times reported.
"And no one else will say anything on my program that will make anyone think I did not deserve a second chance."
In addition to regulars Charles McCord and Bernard McGuirk, Imus also introduced two new cast members -- black comedians Karith Foster and Tony Powell, The Times said.
"I think things worked out the way they should have worked out," Imus said. "We now have the opportunity to have a better program, to obviously diversify the cast."
Amy Winehouse seen wandering half-dressed
LONDON, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- British singer Amy Winehouse has been photographed wandering the streets of London, wearing only a bra and jeans.
The troubled performer was spotted barefoot and partially dressed leaving a friend's house at 5:45 a.m. Sunday, the Daily Mail said.
Witnesses told the Mail she appeared disorientated and agitated as she wandered around on the pavement for several minutes, despite the cold, then disappeared back inside the house.
Winehouse canceled the remainder of her U.K. concert tour last week, citing health issues and her grief regarding her husband's incarceration as the causes.
The report comes as Georgette Civil, mother of Winehouse's husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, has revealed the singer is ingesting "more drugs than ever" and rarely visiting her husband in prison.
"Amy's having trouble getting her head together about anything right now. It's desperately sad and we're all so worried about her mental and emotional well-being. She needs professional help," Civil said.
"Amy is still using drugs when Blake's in prison. She is using more cocaine and heroin now than ever. She can't stop crying and keeps saying all she wants is peace. She's not eating or sleeping properly and is in pieces," the Mail report said.
Bale considering 'Terminator' role
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- British actor Christian Bale is considering taking over the role of John Connor in the next installment of the "Terminator" franchise, Variety.com said Monday.
Slated to start shooting in Budapest in April with McG at the helm, "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins" would be the fourth film in the series and is set for a summer 2009 release.
The character of hero John Connor was played in previous "Terminator" outings by Nick Stahl and Edward Furlong.
The fourth "Terminator" adventure is scheduled to come out a year after Bale will be seen reprising his role of Batman in "The Dark Knight," the trade paper said.
Both films are Warner Bros. projects.
It is not clear whether California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, star of the first three movies, will appear in the new "Terminator" installment.
