Monthly Archives: September 2011

Good Day to Good Night: My Move to 10PM News & Yes, More Sleep!

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After 3 years of fun, laughter…and lots of silent screams when the alarm blasts anywhere between 3-5AM…I’m saying good bye to Good Day New York and hello to our 10PM newscast. I will miss the Good Day gang, not to mention YOU! I’ve reveled in the warmth, love and support of your viewership…for that I will always be grateful. I’ll still visit Good Day every now and then, so don’t think you’re free from my sea otter/dolphin laugh! In the meantime…I hope you’ll join me in primetime (WNYW, FOX 5, 10-11PM)!

On the Good Day couch with Greg Kelly, Pia Toscano (one of our favorite Idol guests) & Rosanna Scotto. Greg never ceases to amaze me with his knowledge of anything and everything. And Rosanna…she’s the mentor I’ve always prayed for. I feel like a better person just for knowing her.

Truly Julie with Ines Rosales, Jay Sean (singer), Kevin Rudolf (singer) and Mike Woods. It’s almost hard to believe Ines and Mike are real people because they are insanely sweet and thoughtful (e.g., they got me Magnolia cupcakes for my farewell today!). They are the first ones to walk in the Good Day doors (3AMish!)…and the last ones standing with an ear-to-ear smile. Their positive energy is infectious…I wish I could bottle it up.

But my stay at Good Day New York was the most enjoyable because of you. Do you know how gratifying it is to get a feedback tweet or Facebook message at 6:50AM? Never mind if it’s negative or positive…I was just so happy that you were up and watching…and cared enough to write at that vampire hour! I know you have a lot of options on what to watch on TV…so to think that you chose me and the Good Day gang is pretty special. And to all of you who took the time to write your well wishes about my move…thank you from the bottom of my heart. I apologize if your note didn’t make this blog post, but please know that I did read every single one of them…and do appreciate them ALL. I hope you’ll continue to holla at cha girl via twitter or facebook at nights, too!

LA Reid Breaks Down his Fellow X Factor Judges with One Word

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L.A. Reid is quickly becoming one of my favorite people. It doesn’t matter that he signed Justin Bieber or Rihanna or Mariah…he’s so real. When the cameras aren’t rolling, L.A. is quite generous with his sage advice. I feel like I’ve gained so much from our brief encounters. I won’t share the words of wisdom he gave me on love, life and success, but I’ll say this loud and clear: his mentor group on The X Factor is in good hands. You’ll see the mentoring episodes in the next few weeks. After the open audition episodes will come bootcamp…then, mentoring at each of the judges’ homes. Click on the picture to catch my latest interview with L.A. Reid.

Tall Tales: Things Are Always Looking Up…Literally!

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I wish I was a little bit taller…and perhaps a baller…but mostly taller. I’m 5’4″ but my ideal height would be 5’7″. I realize at this point the only growing I’ll be doing is perhaps sideways…but hey, a girl can dream…big!

NBA rebounding machine Dikembe Mutombo is taller AND a baller at 7’2″ (2.18m for my European friends)! I’m wearing 5″ platforms and I still look like a growth out of his shin. 

I remember interviewing Selena Gomez when she was just a pint-size tween…so it’s a bit humbling to stand next to her now. Lucky gal, she’s not only dating the most coveted teen star, Justin Bieber…but she’s also 5’6″.

I was forced to quit gymnastics as a kid because my mom thought it would stunt my growth. Gymnastics…really, Mom? How about your 5′ nothing genes? And just when you were starting to resent Kim Kardashian for having perfect genes…this is the reality star without heels. Yup…she’s short like me!

But at the end of the day…I would rather be “grounded” than have my head in the clouds;)

Click on the picture gallery to see more tall beauties.

American Idol Sings On at the New Jersey Auditions

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Truly Julie standing in the #11 formation… signifying American Idol’s 11th season! How did the contestants sound? See and hear for yourself! Click on the below picture for Julie Chang’s coverage out of the Izod Center, including an interview with Ryan Seacrest!

For the last few weeks, I’ve been getting loads of “The X Factor vs American Idol” tweets & Facebook messages. For those of you who reached out…you seem to be split between the two…almost as vehemently as “Team Jacob vs Team Edward”…or even “Team Jen vs Team Angelina”. Everyone, relax! The two singing talent shows are on opposite seasons…and for heaven’s sake, they’re on the same network, so they’re essentially on the same team. As host Ryan Seacrest put it: the more shows the better! It means more opportunities for everyone to showcase their talent. The turnout today was a bit lackluster …but that could be because of a) rainy weather b) East Rutherford was added on sort of last minute as the 8th and last open audition city, and c) anything would be a letdown compared to last year’s record breaking 17,000 turnout. Idol auditions are one my favorite live remotes because I simply feed off of everyone’s energy. The sparkle in their eyes…the palpable hope…oh yeah, and some incredible vocal chops (and some unbelievable nut jobs who are in denial)…this is where dreams are made!

Truly Julie interviewing Idol hopeful Shannon Sinner…which prompts…winner winner chicken dinner!

A familiar face in line…Victoria Huggins! The North Carolina native made it to Hollywood Week last year but didn’t make it past top 100. She’s hoping second time’s a charm.

Ryan Seacrest rolled up for 10 minutes and taped a few lines before jetting off to do his radio show. I couldn’t help but be jealous knowing his 10 minutes of work equalled at least a few hundred grand (Ryan reportedly earns $15 million a year just off of Idol). But then I remembered what this agent once told me…”one of my best clients was a radio guy with awful blond highlights. Most found him annoying till I got him on a little show called American Idol.” I guess in some aspects..I’m no different than these starry-eyed contestants. I enjoy my craft as it is..but it never hurts to dream.

 

 

What Had Simon Cowell Cracking Up? Find Out!

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Of all the times I’ve interviewed Simon Cowell…I’ve never caught him off guard. Until now! Click on the picture to watch our interview. You’ll also hear from the rest of The X Factor gang: Paula Abdul, L.A. Reid and Steve Jones (sans Nicole Scherzinger. She was finishing her tour).

Truly Julie Hosts Half Hour Post-Emmy Special!

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The big Emmy winners…who got snubbed…who killed it with their style…I’ll be breaking down all the Emmy highlights tonight on Fox 5 New York, 11:30–midnight. I’ll have some A-listers on the show talking about what they’re addicted to on the tube. Hate to name drop…but you may see Paula Abdul, Zooey Deschanel, the host of the Emmy Awards herself, Jane Lynch etc. And you’ll never guess what Simon Cowell is watching on the small screen. I’ll be all dolled up so I hope you’ll tune in!


 

Asian Poses Always Make for a Good Time!

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…asking Asians to NOT take pictures is like asking them not to be Asian. I swear…I have photo documentation of my mother’s birth canal. I came into this world taking pictures…”Smile, doctor! I’m coming out”! Every fiber in me loves taking pictures or getting photos taken:) Equally joyful are pictures that embrace Asian poses. You know what I’m talking about…the cheesy, Hello Kitty-esque poses that, well, bring out the Asian-ness in everyone! So without further ado…here we go! Taye Diggs and his ridiculously perfect smile…complete my heart!

Zooey Deschanel, who is starring in the upcoming show “New Girl” on Fox, is totally down with an Asian pose! Her entire family (which includes Emily Deschanel of the hit show “Bones”) has those piercing blue eyes!

Glee’s Chris Colfer wanted to add a tinge of Vogue to our Asian pose…while Snoop Dogg wanted to gangstafy it!

Dancing With The Stars’ Carrie Ann Inaba really got down with our Asian poses!

 

 

And Ken Jeong owned his Asian pose! The Hangover star kept his clothes on, which was a relief. Toodaloo!

Check out the picture gallery for more happy Asian poses. For more inspiration, head to www.AsianPoses.com.





Emmys Sneak Peak, Set Tour of “I Hate My Teenage Daughter” & The X Factor World Premiere Screening!

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I just wrapped up my third 18 hour work day so this post will be brief (and probably full of spelling/grammer mistakes..ha!)…but I wanted to bring you the latest out of LA. The day started with all the preps for the Emmys including the red carpet roll out with host Jane Lynch and producer Mark Burnett. They are really focusing on being green this year…so the red carpet will be donated to Habitat for Humanity post Emmys & they will also use solar panel energy for some of the production. I got a glimpse inside the Nokia Theater…complete with picture marked seats. Lets just say…whomever sits closer to the stage equals more star power. Steve Carell is definitely front row. And shhh..don’t tell, but I noticed Glee’s Chris Colfer is sitting front row…but Lea Michele got booted to the 2nd row. All the funkadelic colors on the stage is to test all the different lighting hues.  Here’s the most important detail you need to know about the Emmys…that I’ll be hosting a half hour post Emmys special on Sunday night 11:30PM-12AM on Fox 5:)

 

After chilling and talking with Jane Lynch (do not fear, she will be dancing and singing come Sunday night)…who was so so so gracious with her time (she rushed off after the interview to finish writing the award’s scripts!)…I got a sneak peak inside the Governor’s Ball. This is where the stars will party right after the Emmys. The decor inside is beyond decadent. Chandeliers galore! My favorite is the woman on top of a 40 foot chandelier skirt. Very Gaga-esque.


I felt like cattle today…being herded and rushed from one location to the next. I guess that’s what happens when you’re covering the launch of what seems like a dozen shows in 3 days + a set tour of the upcoming show “I Hate My Teenage Daughter” (starring Jamie Pressly and 2 time Tony Award winner, Katie Finneran) + all the Emmy’s preps. Oh! And the world premiere of what will be the biggest show on television: The X Factor.

The X Factor red carpet was electrifying! I caught up with host Steve Jones and Paula Abdul’s manager, Marty….and the best…I did “Asian poses” with Simon Cowell’s better half, Mezghan.

She is such a beauty inside and out. He’s very lucky to have found her. Mezghan stunned the crowd in her Victoria Beckham blue sheath and killer Jimmy Choo studded heels. In fact…all the ladies smashed it with their looks tonight. Paula looks better than ever…and Nicole Scherzinger has the best figure and skin on the planet. She may be a robot.



That’s a wrap for this tired, sleepy….extremely blessed reporter!

Simon Cowell Shows his Softer Side…While Talking about The X Factor Takeover

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I’ve interviewed Simon Cowell a few times in the past…but this was our first one-on-one, sit down. Yeah yeah, he’s known to be a bit pompous and sure, he’s acerbic at times..and yup, he probably s*&%ts bricks of gold, but WOW, was he an absolute gem today! So gracious and FUN! He played along when I asked him to ‘do the dougie’(if you do not get this reference, google “Cali Swag”); and we even played a silly, yet intuitive, word association game. You’ll see my complete interview with Simon on Good Day New York soon..but here’s a snip it for now. When I said, “what’s the first thing that comes to your mind when I say Paula”…with a loving grin, he said, “bonkers”. Wait till you hear his immediate response for: Idol, The X Factor, Success, Failure, Love, and Money. He may be the most influential person in entertainment….but during our interview…he was just Simon, the guy from next door/across the pond.