Piers Morgan takes on Manny Pacquiao; would Howard Stern?

As Piers Morgan exits his role as judge on "America's Got Talent" to focus on his other show, "Piers Morgan Tonight," will Howard Stern enter?

And while we're looking at that, ponder this: If Stern were to step into the CNN's host's prime-time shoes, would he also be as eager as Morgan was to enter the boxing ring with, say, Manny Pacquiao?

Word is negotiations are underway to bring Stern and his attitude, and perhaps his loyal fan base, to the "AGT" judging table, where Morgan has in the past been called a prig. Stern, on the other hand, over the years has been called a pig. Ah, nuance.

Now, Stern has had a number of professional fighters on his show, including Leon Spinks, Lennox Lewis, Vinny Pazienza, Boom Boom Mancini and, in 2009, Joe Frazier.  But Morgan actually got in the ring with Pacquiao ahead of the welterweight's Saturday match against Juan Manuel Marquez.

In a bit that aired Friday, Morgan let his fists fly against a sparring partner, then changed his tactics once Pacquiao stepped in the ring. At that point, the TV host was brave enough to land a punch somewhere around one of the boxing legend's gloves, and then promptly declare victory.

However, during a quiet sit-down outside the ring, the "prig" had also delved into the boxer's political career in the Philippines.

"Being a public servant is a serious job," Pacquiao said. "You're taking care of the problems of those people who are needing your help."

Stern has had his share of serious interviews, of course -- Lady Gaga gave him a highly detailed, 90-minute interview in July. As Entertainment Weekly noted: "Stern was in his usual irreverent form, asking trademark questions about Gaga's sexual history (which we can't print here...)" 

Stern could be just the wild, offbeat ingredient the talent show needs. Or maybe not. But what's for certain is, if it works out, he'll likely be taking home a lot less than he has during his five-plus years with Sirius XM, where his contract promised him in the hundreds of millions.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that joining "AGT" judges Sharon Osbourne and Howie Mandel could net Stern a mere $15 million a year.

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 -- Amy Hubbard

Photos: Piers Morgan, left, Manny Pacquiao and Howard Stern. Credits: Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images, left; Jewel Samad / AFP / Getty Images, center; Evan Agostini, Associated Press, right

Artie Lange: Return to Howard Stern's show would be 'the greatest,' but it's an 'awkward situation'

This post has been corrected. Please see the note below for details.

Artie Lange says returning to "The Howard Stern Show" would be "the greatest thing ever," but he also acknowledges the difficulty of the situation.

"Listen, I was on the greatest show of all time for about nine years, and I put them in a very awkward situation, to say the least," he told a caller this week during an appearance on Fox Sports Radio with fill-in host Nick Di Paolo, who like Lange is a stand-up comic. "So what am I gonna do?"

Lange hasn't been on the Stern show since December 2009, before a January 2010 suicide attempt in which he stabbed himself repeatedly with a knife. His mother found him bloody in his Hoboken, N.J., apartment and called 911 in time to save his life.

Stern told Rolling Stone earlier this year that Lange had offered to come on the show to explain what happened, but the talk-show star seemed reluctant to accept the offer.

"I don't even feel strong enough within myself or that I'd be doing the right thing by him, because I don't want to do the wrong thing for Artie," Stern said, adding, "I just want Artie to stay alive."

Lange returned to the stand-up stage last September with a performance in New York.

"I love them all, and they were great to me," Lange said Wednesday about the Stern team. "I appreciate that."

For the record, 9 a.m. July 15: This post originally misspelled comic Nick Di Paolo's last name as DiPaulo. Thanks to commenter Dan Heckel for flagging the error. A link to Di Paolo's website, which has audio of the full three-hour interview, also has been added.

RELATED:

Report: Artie Lange attempted suicide by stabbing himself

Artie Lange performs in NYC for the first time since his suicide attempt

Howard Stern: Conflicted over Artie Lange's return; talks post-divorce sex life

-- Christie D'Zurilla
Twitter.com/dzurillaville

Photo: Archive image of Artie Lange.

Howard Stern: Conflicted over Artie Lange's return; talks post-divorce sex life

Howard Stern makes a rare appearance as magazine coverboy this month for Rolling Stone, answering burning questions about the future of Artie Lange and revealing what sex and dating was like after his first divorce.

Lange, a popular fixture on Stern's Sirius radio program, attempted suicide in January 2010, has since recovered and even made a few appearances on the stand-up comedy circuit. But will he return to Stern?

"He said to me recently that he would be willing to come on the air and explain what happened and stuff," Stern said. "I don't even feel strong enough within myself or that I'd be doing the right thing by him, because I don't want to do the wrong thing for Artie."

"I just want Artie to stay alive," he added.

Lange or not, Stern's program will be around at least another five years, as the DJ renewed his contract in December. Things are just as rosy in his personal life with wife, Beth, a reality TV host and New York social fixture. 

Yet before finding Beth, and in the time that followed his first marriage to Alison Berns, Stern admits he was lost when it came to love.

"After my divorce, I realized, ‘Oh, wow, I can go have sex.’ And I was running around, picking up women. Then all of a sudden, it dawned on me that I really didn't need that much sex," he said.

"I just wanted somebody with me every minute. I was using women as a surrogate mother."

Sound off on Stern and his musings in the comments section.

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Artie Lange performs in NYC for the first time since his suicide attempt

PREACH IT! Right, right. Because Howard Stern is the most beautiful man alive

Howard Stern contract comes on anniversary of last Artie Lange appearance [poll]

-- Matt Donnelly
Twitter.com/MattDonnelly

Photo: Howard Stern is pensive, and talkative, in an interview with Rolling Stone. Credit: Rolling Stone

Howard Stern contract comes on anniversary of last Artie Lange appearance [poll]

The new Howard Stern contract was big news Thursday, and also a reminder that the Sirius XM radio show doesn't happen in a vacuum. As fans on sites such as Save Baby Gorilla are pointing out, it's also been one year since sidekick Artie Lange last appeared on Stern's radio show.

A few days after that Dec. 9, 2009, show, fans would learn that Sirius management had asked the comic to "take some time off" -- then on Jan. 3, he attemped suicide by stabbing himself, but was found by his mother in time for doctors to save his life. At the time, Stern squashed rumors that Artie had quit the show.

Lange, who has struggled over the years with substance abuse, returned to the New York stand-up comedy stage in September. (Coincidentally, it was the same weekend comic Greg Giraldo was hospitalized in New Jersey for an overdose of prescription medication. Giraldo died days later.) Lange, who currently has no show dates on his calendar, recently put his Toms River, N.J., home up for sale for $3.5 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

Whether Artie returns to the Stern show is uncertain, but the new contract definitely means there's a bigger window of opportunity. Thoughts?

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Artie Lange suicide attempt confirmed by police

Photo: Artie Lange at the "Beer League" premiere in 2006. Credit: Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Howard Stern has a new five-year contract with Sirius XM

Howard Stern has signed a new contract and will stay on satellite radio for five more years, he announced Thursday on his Sirius XM show.

Earlier in the week, he'd said -- using vocabulary satellite radio allows -- that he wouldn't take, um, any kind of pay cut to stay on the job. Sirius XM shares were up 20% in early trading Thursday, reports Company Town, which also notes that some analysts think Stern might cut down the number of shows he does each week from the current four. He started out on satellite doing five shows a week.

Though details of the contract weren't released, one analyst estimated it to be worth $400 million over five years, the Hollywood Reporter said. 

Laura Schlessinger, aka Dr. Laura, also recently signed a satellite radio contract. Stern bailed on terrestrial radio in 2006 after pushing the limits with the Federal Communications Commission for years.

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Artie Lange performs in New York for the first time since his suicide attempt

-- Christie D'Zurilla

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Howard Stern in New York on Dec. 1. Credit: Evan Agostini / Associated Press

 

David Arquette wants us to know he is having sex again -- but not before splitting with Courteney Cox

After oversharing that he'd not had sex for months with estranged wife Courteney Cox, David Arquette would also like people to know that he didn't have sex with anyone else for 11 years either.

This time he wasn't opening his yap on Howard Stern's satellite radio show -- we'll get to that later -- but rather on that racy, raunchy, hotbed of smut known as "Live! With Regis and Kelly."

Arquette and Cox had a deal where they were separated and could see other people, he said, "So somebody sold the story and I didn't want to get labeled as a cheater."

He didn't mind admitting on a return visit to Stern's show, however, that he cried the first time he had post-nuptial, non-Cox sex.

No permanent emotional scarring, apparently -- Arquette said that in addition to sexing up Jasmine Waltz, he'd hit the sheets with a blond Australian woman he met at a party. Rejecting Stern's advice that he bump uglies with Jennifer Aniston, noting that she's his future ex-wife's best friend, he left the door open for a scandalous tryst with Angelina Jolie instead.

Gabourey Sidibe booked another movie -- quick, call Howard Stern!

Seems Howard Stern was wrong about Gabourey Sidibe. 

"Everyone's pretending she's a part of show business," he said back in March, "and she's never going to be in another movie."

But as of Wednesday, the Oscar-nominated star of "Precious" is part of the cast of "Tower Heist," a comedy starring industry unknowns Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy, the Wrap reports.

Sidibe has also stayed in the spotlight this year on Showtime's "The Big C," opposite Laura Linney.

Stern, who called the actress "the most enormous, fat black chick I've ever seen" as he declared her career dead, followed up a day later by explaining he was really interested in her health and that applauding and rewarding Sidibe might keep her from getting what he sees as help she very much needs to lose weight.

There aren't specifics yet about Gabby's role in the film, the Wrap says, in which a building manager and some low-level employees embark on a plan to get even with a Wall Street crook under house arrest in the building's penthouse.

Tragically, the role of penthouse villain went to Alan Alda before Stern could be recommended for the gig.

— Christie D'Zurilla

Photo: Gabourey Sidibe attends a screening of "The Social Network" on Sept. 29 in New York. Credit: Evan Agostini / Associated Press.

Related dispatches from the Ministry of Gossip:

PREACH IT! Wanna know the latest from Gabby Sidibe? Come back in five minutes

Howard Stern's not hiring, so Gabourey Sidibe's mom isn't worrying

Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield and cast premiere 'The Social Network' in NYC

Artie Lange performs in NYC for the first time since his suicide attempt

Comedian Artie Lange, the Howard Stern sidekick who in January attempted suicide by stabbing, was on stage performing this weekend in New York City for the first time since nearly dying, the TMR Zoo reports.

On Stern's show Monday morning, comic Craig Gass said Lange looked great at the Comedy Cellar, did well and even included some material about his time in the psych ward after the suicide attempt, TMR Zoo says. Gass posted a picture taken with Lange on his Twitter feed and Facebook page.

Lange, who has struggled with addiction over the years, self-inflicted six deep wounds and three shallow ones using a 13-inch kitchen knife, the Jersey Journal reported; he was found by his mother at 9:28 a.m. Jan. 2.

— Christie D'Zurilla

Photo: Artie Lange on April 27, 2006, in New York. Credit: Stuart Ramson / Associated Press.

Related dispatches from the Ministry of Gossip:

Report: Artie Lange attempted suicide by stabbing himself

Artie Lange hospitalized; Howard Stern addresses the 'Artie quit the show' rumor

 

Book deal for Baba Booey: Howard Stern producer will write a memoir

Howard Stern producer Gary Dell'Abate, a.k.a. Baba Booey, has scored a deal to write a memoir for Random House, SiriusBuzz reports.

Stern mentioned the forthcoming book on his Wednesday show, according to the radio show's website, and Dell'Abate joined him:

Gary came in to say his shrink has a theory about growing up in the Dell'Abate household: "Every day when you turned the doorknob, you didn't know if you were going to be kicked in the teeth emotionally or hugged." Howard laughed: "Everything with you is teeth!" Gary said his boyhood home's front door prepared him for working on the show: "It's kind of like opening the door to the studio every day."

Expect an early November release for "They Call Me Baba Booey," which Dell'Abate will write with author Chad Millman, who previously co-wrote mixed martial artist and UFC champ Chuck Lidell's autobiography.

Perhaps that experience has prepared Millman for working with a member of Stern's crew?

-- Christie D'Zurilla

Photo: Mark McGrath, left, sings with Gary Dell'Abate, a.k.a. Baba Booey of "The Howard Stern Show," on a charity edition of Fox's "Don't Forget the Lyrics" that aired in March 2009. Credit Greg Gayne / Fox.

Click and scroll down for more dish on books and Howard Stern.  Want the headlines? Follow the Ministry of Gossip on Twitter (we're @LATcelebs) or show us you like us on Facebook at facebook.com/ministryofgossip.

Howard Stern's not hiring, so Gabourey Sidibe's mom isn't worrying

In the wake of Howard Stern's comments Monday about Gabourey Sidibe's weight and the future of her career, the best actress nominee's mom spoke to "Inside Edition" on Thursday, saying pretty much that she doesn't care what the shock jock says.

“He can see, you can see, I can see Gabby is a big girl," said Alice Tan Ridley, Gabby's mom. "She’s a big woman, so what’s wrong with that? She’s not like everyone else in the world." She continued to make the point that you don't have to be "thin as a stick" to act.

Said Ridley: "I don’t see him giving jobs out to anybody, so why should we care what he says? He might not hire her, but someone else will.”

(Someone else already has, incidentally, for a movie called "Yelling to the Sky." And another someone else -- Showtime -- has wrapped up talks that started in October and cast her in "The Big C." That's in addition to her "America's Best Dance Crew" appearance Thursday night.)

Stern, however, on Wednesday had already expanded upon and defended his comments, saying that even though he liked her performance in "Precious," applauding and rewarding Sidibe might be keeping her from getting what he sees as help she very much needs. 

"I kinda don’t see a difference between what our Artie [Lange] did -- Artie tried to kill himself -- and I feel like this girl -- in a slower way, but nevertheless the same outcome will be -- she’s going to kill herself.”

"I did enjoy her performance, I have nothing against her.... The girl's got tremendous problems and she needs help. But anyway, so, we got slammed."