Strictly Come Dancing reached its climax last night as Chris Hollins beat favourite Ricky Whittle. The Telegraph's fashion director Hilary Alexander gives her verdict on the showdown.
It was billed as The Hunk v. The Hobbit, the David and Goliath ballroom battle which would decide the winner of the Strictly Come Dancing title for 2009.
In the end, the result was biblical.
The Glitter Ball trophy went to team "C-Ola", as the perky BBC presenter, Chris Hollins, and his partner Ola Jordan, have become known.
The couple won over the viewers with their combination of crowd-pleasing cheekiness, fun, enthusiasm and good old-fashioned entertainment.
In the first half of the show, Hollins had prophetically quipped: "We might be the underdogs, but every dog has its day."
He and Ola may not have had the sensual polish, the finesse and the fitness of close rivals, Ricky Whittle, the Hollyoaks star, and his partner, Natalie Lowe.
But by the rip-roaring, "sexy swimming" finale to their Charleston, Team C-Ola had the studio audience – and, obviously, the viewers at home – eating out of their hands.
The judges heaped adjective upon superlative to praise the four dances each couple performed. Bruno Tonioli called Chris and Ola's Charleston "a Strictly Come Dancing classic".
Len Goodman pronounced Ricky and Natalie's quickstep "Strictly history". Craig Revel Horwood coined the word "lift-tastic" to describe Ricky's spectacular series of one-arm and two-arm flying lifts in the couple's "show dance".
I had started off this series – 14 weeks, 654 hours of training per couple and 17 dances ago – hoping Ricky would win. But by last night's final, I discovered I really didn't mind who got to grasp the "Glitter Ball". Both couples were fantastic. It's we, the viewers, who are the real winners in this show.
But what a week! Losing 'Wake Up to Wogan' was bad enough. We now have to face up to nine months of Saturday nights without a 'Strictly' fix.
The only thing we, perhaps, have to look forward to, is Ricky's promise to wear a thong if he got into the final.
Could that happen in a Strictly Christmas special? Now that just might make Ola and Natalie's costumes look a little over-dressed.
Natalie White's strategy of riding Russell Hantz's coattails and not playing too aggressively paid off.
The 26-year-old pharmaceutical sales representative from Van Buren, AR claimed Survivor: Samoa's $1 million grand prize during the live portion of last night's finale broadcast from CBS Television Studio in Hollywood, CA.
"It's about having no regrets. You've got to take a big risk to get a big return," said Natalie after her victory was revealed.
"I had to quit my job to do it. So I gave up a wonderful job -- not just a wonderful job, but one that I loved so much... There was a lot at risk for me."
Natalie defeated Russell Hantz, a 36-year-old oil company owner from Dayton, TX, and Mick Trimming, a 33-year-old doctor from Boise, ID who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, by receiving five of the first seven jury votes Survivor host Jeff Probst revealed. Russell received the other two jury votes that were disclosed. Jeff did not reveal the remaining eighth and ninth votes, which were presumably also for Natalie.
"Her key move in the game was aligning with me," said Russell after Natalie had previously stated her "key move" as orchestrating Erik Cardona's blindside after the merge.
"Okay, maybe I had two key moves then," replied Natalie.
Survivor: Samoa's finale broadcast began on Day 37 at the merged Aiga camp following the elimination of Shannon "Shambo" Waters -- who was ousted when Brett Clouser, a 23-year-old T-shirt designer from Salem, OR who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, won Individual Immunity for the second consecutive time and staved off certain elimination.
Mick and Jaison Robinson, a 28-year-old law student from Chicago, IL, discussed the possibility of Brett winning Immunity again and immediately targeted Natalie if that were to happen.
"I think Russell will have a hard time voting her off," said Mick to Jaison.
"I think Russell will have an easier time doing a lot of things than you think," replied Jaison.
However they both agreed that Brett would be first, as Jaison was worried the only remaining Galu member could go on an "Immunity run." Russell was aware that Natalie's neck was on the line if Brett won Immunity again.
"You know what's going to happen if he wins the next one? I ain't going to be able to save you," Russell told Natalie.
"Why would I be next?" asked Natalie.
"Because the three guys stay to beat [Brett] in that last challenge," replied Russell.
"Well, that sucks," she said.
"Well we've just got to win," he said.
Natalie then asked point blank if she'd be going home if Brett won the next Immunity Challenge.
"Probably so," answered Russell.
In a confessional, Natalie said her strategy entering the competition was to "play the underdog," "be underestimated" and "just kind of slide through."
"Which I've done. And it's gotten me this far," she added.
The five castaways then arrived for the Immunity Challenge, and before Jeff explained the rules he asked Russell if it was the remaining four Foa Foa against Brett.
"Yes it is. That's what it is," answered Russell.
"It's an individual competition, so it's definitely a motivator," said Brett.
Each castaway would race across a series of obstacles and grab a bag of puzzle pieces before racing back. They then had to climb a steep wall to a platform and use the pieces to solve a puzzle. First person to get it right would win Immunity.
The challenge commenced, and while Russell was able to grab an early lead Brett's puzzle-solving skills helped him in the end and he won Immunity for the third consecutive time.
"To finally see a Foa Foa member go home will be relieving," said Brett in a confessional.
Natalie said she "definitely felt" like her head was on the chopping block. At camp, she talked to Russell
"I'm going to change it," he said.
"Promise me?" she asked.
"I promise you," he said.
Russell then revealed in a confessional why he wanted to keep Natalie around.
"I'm trying to keep Natalie because she's holding onto my coattails," he explained. "Who better to take to the Final 2 than her? There's no way she can beat me in votes."
Brett talked to Jaison about the impending vote.
"Do you guys know what you're doing, or is it up in the air?" Brett asked.
"You always think you know what you're doing but you never actually know what's going to happen," answered Jaison.
In a confessional, Russell called Jaison "the weakest link" and thought Natalie was stronger in helping to beat Brett in the next Immunity Challenge. He also weighed the pros and cons of keeping Jaison or Mick.
"The good thing about keeping Jaison is he can't beat me in the votes, the bad thing about keeping Jaison is he can't beat Brett in the challenge," explained Russell. "The good thing about keeping Mick is he could possibly beat Brett in the challenge, the bad thing about keeping Mick is he might beat me in jury votes."
He approached Jaison about getting rid of Mick, and Jaison agreed.
"I think Russell and I trust each other enough and we're comfortable. When I say this, I mean it. When he says this, he means it," explained Jaison.
However Russell also told Mick that Jaison would be next, and Mick agreed.
"I wish he could stay around. But Natalie's head is much more in the game than Jaison's," said Mick in a confessional. "He shows up, but he's just not really into it at all."
Russell knew that he and Natalie were in control over what transpired at Tribal.
"We're the ones making the decision," he said before approaching Natalie -- who weighed the options.
"They both have goods and bads," said Russell in a confessional. "So now I'm weighing what in the world I'm supposed to do."
Tribal Council then commenced, and the jury -- Erik, Kelly Sharbaugh, Laura Morett, John Fincher, David Ball, Monica Padilla, and Shambo -- entered.
Natalie explained that if they were unable to beat Brett in the next Immunity Challenge, he would certainly get all the jury votes -- so it was a tough decision about whether to keep someone strong to help beat Brett or keep someone that would be easy to beat at the final Tribal.
Jaison added it was especially difficult because there were a few players remaining who "could command a lot of jury votes."
"It makes sense to keep people that can beat him at this last Immunity," said Mick.
Jeff then asked Brett if he had been "sandbagging it" up until that point in the competition, when he seemed to turn on the burners.
"I think the past few challenges have just coincided with certain skills I have and having really nothing to lose is a different frame of mind that I have that the se people don't necessarily have," he added.
Jaison reiterated Brett needed to go as soon as possible to prevent him from getting to the final Tribal.
"If he got there, he'd definitely have an upper hand," said Jaison.
Brett said at this point, it didn't matter how many jury votes he had since he wasn't at the final Tribal yet.
"I've won three challenges in a row, but it doesn't mean anything if I don't win the next one," he said.
Brett, Russell, Natalie and Mick all voted for Jaison -- who became the sixteenth castaway eliminated and eighth member of the jury.
"I'm kind of pissed off at Russell for blindsiding me this way," said Jaison after his ouster.
"For a relationship that you've had since Day 2, you at least let the guy know that he's going home. So I don't think I'd be cheering for Russell this one. I'd root for Brett. Brett's the underdog. He is who we were. We came from nothing to be something and he did pretty much the same thing."
Back at camp, Brett described it as a "miracle" to still be there.
"This is something I didn't really imagine," he said, adding Immunity was his only hope. "My fate is in my own hands."
The next day on the beach, Russell asked Brett if he thought he could beat him if they both made the Final 3 jury vote.
"I don't know," answered Brett. "I think it would be pretty close."
Russell said he'd rather be next to someone who "deserves it more" and Brett agreed, stating he'd "rather go up against someone that's harder to beat and lose" than someone who is easier to beat and win. Russell saw an opening, and struck a deal with Brett.
"What I can promise you is me and you will be in the Top 3," he told him.
"Okay," said Brett.
"If you win it, then you're safe," explained Russell. "If I win it, I'll take you to the Top 3. If you win, you're in the Top 3. We have no doubts. I'm going to do it straight up with you. Deal?"
"Deal," said Brett as they shook hands.
In a confessional, Russell called the deal an "insurance policy" in case Brett were to win Immunity.
"It looks like I'm going to be in the Top 3 no matter what," boasted Russell in a confessional. "If I win this challenge today, I'm 100% positive that the game is mine. I won the $1 million."
They then retrieved some Tree Mail, which informed them they'd be remembering Survivor: Samoa's 16 previously booted castaways via the game's traditional "Fallen Comrades" journey. Once it was complete, the castaways met for the final Immunity Challenge, and Jeff explained the rules.
Each castaway would place a wooden statue on the end of a pole. At regular intervals, another section would be added to the pole -- making it more difficult to keep stable. The last person with his or her statue standing would win Immunity and an automatic bid to plead his or her case in front of the jury.
The challenge commenced. Mick was the first one out, followed by Natalie -- setting up a showdown between Russell and Brett, which was eventually won by Russell.
"This is worth $1 million right now. In my opinion, I just won the game," said Russell in a confessional.
Back at camp, Brett told Mick he was "proud" of himself for making it as far as he did and called Survivor an "awesome experience."
"I failed," he said in a confessional. "I'm pretty certain that I'll be going home tonight. The only thing I have to fall back on is Russell's deal that he made with me that if one of us were to win then we'd take the other person to the final."
The former Foa Foa members discussed their chances at the final Tribal -- as Natalie said she thought Russell would win, and Mick agreed Russell had a "great shot." Russell was also confident, thinking the fact that he beat Brett in the final Immunity Challenge was just what he needed to make his case with the jury.
"I made a promise to Brett," said Russell in a confessional. "But you see, I made a promise to Mick too. Either way I slice it, if I break my promise with somebody I'll be putting them on the jury and they're taking it personal -- they hate me. This is why the game gets tough."
Mick told Natalie he was "skeptic" Brett was going to go that easily and thought something might be up.
"Mick, you're fine," assured Natalie. "You're so paranoid... Do you honestly think any of us want to go against [Brett] on the jury?"
"I wouldn't think so, but Russell's got all these little strange plans and ploys," said Mick.
"No Mick, it's a done deal," assured Natalie again. "You're coming back here tonight, and so am I, and so is Russell."
Russell then approached Brett and explained he had a deal with both him and Mick.
"I wish I was like you when I was your age," gushed Russell.
"I appreciate that," replied Brett.
"The only option we have is Natalie is going to vote you and Mick is going to vote you . If I vote Mick and you vote Mick then it's a 2-2 tie," explained Russell. "Then it's a challenge -- it might be a fire challenge. Do you think you could beat Mick in a fire challenge?"
"Yeah," replied Brett.
In a confessional, Brett said it was "hard to take [Russell's] word 100%."
"All I can do is hope that he's a man of his word," said Brett.
Russell said in a confessional he was solely focused on "jury votes" when deciding between Mick and Brett.
"Mick's a real good guy, I like him a lot," added Russell. "Brett's a good guy too. But I'm playing the game. I'm still strongly considering keeping Brett. May the best man win. That might get me jury votes -- keeping the strongest here."
The penultimate Tribal Council then commenced and the jury entered. Russell said he "definitely" knew it would be him and Brett facing off at the end of the final Immunity Challenge.
"I knew he would be the one that would be there at the end," said Russell. "I put more effort into this challenge then I did into anything in this entire game."
Mick said he "absolutely" knew Brett would be next as soon as Russell won, and added it was a "huge relief." Natalie echoed Mick's statement and Russell said Brett played a great game.
"He deserves to be sitting up there with me," said Russell about Brett. "We're probably the two best up here and you want the best up here to talk in front of the jury. That's just how it should be."
Mick said Russell was making a good point, however he didn't necessarily agree with it because Brett in front of the jury met only one thing -- he would win the $1 million.
"Russell knows strategically it's not a good move to take Brett and put him in front of that jury," added Natalie.
Brett said Mick and Natalie had to be "a little worried" and Jeff asked if Russell would get "respect" from the jury for taking him.
"Oh yeah, most definitely," replied Brett. "By that action, you're showing a sense of confidence in yourself."
However Russell, Natalie and Mick all voted for Brett -- who became the seventeenth castaway eliminated and ninth and final jury member.
"Wow. They did it," said Erik as Brett had his torch snuffed.
"I knew a couple Tribals ago that it was my time to go," said Brett after his outer. "I'm the last Galu member, I'm so proud of that. To get to where I got -- 38 days, one of the Final 4 -- was definitely a testament to will, my hard work and I definitely feel like I went out on my own accord to some degree."
The next morning, Russell, Mick and Natalie toasted to making the Final 3.
"I said from Day 1 that I was going to get here, and here I am," said Russell. "Not only did I get here, I brought two people here that I wanted to be here with me."
Russell told Natalie and Mick that the jury would accuse them of riding his coattails and asked how they would defend themselves -- specifically claiming he was going to call them the "nice guy and nice girl."
"Russell has good points, but he needs to be reminded that he couldn't have done this without us," said Mick. "We just took totally different paths to do it. Some people may say I like your path a little better, here's your vote."
Natalie thought there was "strategy" in Russell boasting that he had the jury in the bag.
"I'm not going to give up," she added. "I'll just explain to the jury I do not work the same way as Russell. That would clearly not have worked for me. The girls that were aggressive, they got eliminated early."
In a confessional, Russell said it would be a "shame" if Natalie or Mick won.
"It wouldn't make any sense to me," he said. "I played this game strategically better than anybody -- maybe in history. I really think this jury is going to put my name down. I accomplished the impossible out here. All by myself and brought a couple of bums with me."
The final Tribal Council then commenced, and the nine jurors entered. Jeff explained that Mick, Russell and Natalie would each make an opening statement before the jury members would have as opportunity to either ask a question or make a statement of their own.
Mick said he came into the game realizing there would be a lot of pressure on him to have more of a "moral leeway" than he was "willing to give" -- and added that temptation only grew at the merge. However he said he still wasn't willing to go outside the parameters he set for himself.
"The fact that I was able to get this far doing that, that was kind of my goal in this and I feel like I accomplished it," he said.
Natalie said there were lots of doubters in her Survivor ability even before she left, and added she decided to go through with it because she wanted to gain confidence and go outside of her comfort zone -- which she felt she did despite it being the hardest thing she had ever done mentally, emotionally or physically.
Not surprisingly, Russell made it clear he was there to win, which he tried to do by making "huge strategic moves" throughout the game -- beginning at Foa Foa and continuing after the merge. He called Laura's ouster the "biggest move of the game" before he turned on John.
"It went like dominoes from there," said Russell, adding defeating Brett was the "most difficult" thing he had to do physically.
"If either one of these outwit me then give them the money. If either one of these outplayed me then give them the game," said Russell about Natalie and Mick. "But you know what? I don't think that they have."
Jaison went first and he gave the Final 3 an opportunity to share information about who they "really are."
Natalie said she's "technically unemployed" since she quit her job to join the show's cast. Russell explained he was a "businessman."
"I opened a business five years ago, struggle for three years and just became successful with the business for two years," added Russell. "This is the first business that I have succeeded with."
Mick said he's $320,000 in debt from medical school. Jaison said he believed all the answers, but pointed out Natalie neglected to reveal she "made a lot of money," Russell was the "wealthiest" in the Final 3, and Mick will get paid very well as a doctor.
"Whatever decision is made, no one is broke," said Jaison. "I think you guys should look for other criteria."
Shambo apologized to America for "dismantling" Galu and questioned that decision. She then called Mick's decision "feckless" and insulted him for not knowing what it meant and called Natalie Russell's "coattail" rider. Natalie disagreed and said it was "intuition" to not play "aggressive" and put a target on her back.
"No way in god's green earth you're getting my vote," said Shambo to Natalie.
Brett asked Mick how he would plan a man date for the two of them and explained it was a way to see how invested Mick was in him as a "human being." Kelly said she disagreed with Natalie being independent.
"It wasn't because I had no fight," argued Natalie. "But I did do things on my own and I'll tell you I got better throughout the game to believe in myself."
Kelly then asked Russell if he was the same in real life as in the game.
"I'm 100% different outside of this game," he answered. "The thing that bothers me is I don't want my kids to think this is how I really am."
Russell added he embraces "honor, integrity and loyalty" outside of game, which Kelly had a hard time believing.
Monica asked Mick why he deserved the win over Natalie and Russell. Mick said he was not really sure what Natalie did along the way except align with Russell, whom he felt was willing to lie and pit people against each other for his own gain. Mick added he felt Russell let his "giant ego" get out of hand and said that wasn't the kind of character that deserved the $1 million.
Russell defended himself by stating his character wasn't in question when Mick and Natalie were using it to get to the Final 3.
"They both didn't mind following the snake," he said.
Dave asked what each thought there current chances were -- as Mick said between 20 and 25%; Natalie between 30 and 40%; and Russell said he initially thought his odds were much higher but now pegged them around 55%.
"It might happen, it might not happen," he said.
Laura asked Russell what he learned about her through the game, and he said he knew she was Galu's "biggest threat" and was also "controlling."
"If it wouldn't have took place like it did, I don't have a doubt in my mind you'd be here right now," he added.
John then asked Mick to give his "hard sell," and Mick said he has a "solid character" and doesn't treat people "like pawns."
"I don't think you could give it to a more stand-up dude. I just don't," said Mick.
He then asked Natalie to defend herself, and she reiterated that she'd been flying under the radar and tried not to play too aggressively.
Erik went last and said Mick did nothing before stating Russell "admittedly played an unethical game."
"The crazy thing about it is you're sitting there and I'm standing here. Did you get to the right place by behaving the wrong way?" asked Erik.
"I've never been in a situation in my entire life where that was the case. But you sit there proud of it."
Erik said while Natalie may be "weak" and "undeserving," that shouldn't be any less admirable than "lying, cheating and stealing" your way to the Final 3.
"You are sitting there and that makes you just as dangerous as any one of those guys there. You would say that you were probably the least deserving of the title of Sole Survivor," said Erik.
"But maybe, just maybe, in an environment filled with arrogance, delusional entitlement, maybe the person who thinks that she's least deserving is probably the most. You've got my vote, I hope you get four more."
The nine jurors were then given a minute to think before casting their votes. The live portion of the broadcast then commenced and Natalie was revealed to be the winner.
During the live reunion show, Jeff pointed out that Russell looked "visibly upset."
"I feel like I played the best strategic game in history, and I'm not the only one who thinks that," replied Russell. "I can guarantee you millions of people probably think the same thing. Natalie, her best move was to jump on my back."
Jeff then quickly polled the jury about whether Russell would have won had he instead chosen to take Jaison and Shambo -- and according to the results, he would have.
"Natalie, all I want is the title of Sole Survivor. I will pay you $10,000 for the title. If Jeff says, 'Russell, you are the Sole Survivor,' and I get it in paper written down -- that I am the Sole Survivor. I want the title," he pleaded.
"Are you asking Natalie to tell you you're a better player?" asked Jeff.
"No, I'm asking Natalie to ask you to tell me that I'm the Sole Survivor," replied Russell.
"I'm going to decline Russell's offer," said Natalie later in the broadcast. "I'm not interested. In order to win the title of Sole Survivor..."
"$100,000," interrupted Russell, upping his offer.
"No," said Natalie.
Jeff later revealed that Russell had won the "Survivor of the Season" text message/cbs.com vote that allowed home viewers to award $100,000 to one of the season's castaways, with Brett and Shambo finishing in the Top 3 with him.
In addition, Jeff also formally confirmed that Survivor's upcoming twentieth season -- which was filmed back-to-back with Survivor: Samoa in Samoa this summer -- will be dubbed Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains and feature "20 of Survivor's greatest castaways."
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains will premiere February 11, according to Probst.
Michael Voltaggio was crowned Top Chef: Las Vegas' winner during last night's finale broadcast of the Bravo culinary competition series.
"I'm really exhausted and surprised and happy and sad. I didn't know that you could actually feel every single emotion at the same time," Michael said after his victory.
"It's been a rough road -- it's been a pretty strange process -- but it was worth it. I would do it again because it definitely got me in touch with who I am as a person and who I am as a cook."
The 30-year-old from Frederick, MD who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA claimed Top Chef's sixth-season prize package of $100,000 in seed money to help open a restaurant, a feature in Food & Wine magazine, a showcase at the Annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen; and $100,000 worth of merchandise provided by Macy's.
Michael's brother Bryan Voltaggio, a 33-year-old from Frederick, MD who currently resides in Urbana, MD, finished as the runner-up.
"I'm more proud of the fact that Bryan and I made it all the way to the end than I am about winning the entire competition," said Michael. "It was probably one of the hardest moments of our lives. I wish both of us could win."
"I'm disappointed a little bit in myself," added Bryan. "I set out to win the whole thing, so coming in second place, that's tough. But I'm proud to see my little brother win. I'd rather him than anybody else."
Kevin Gillespie, a 26-year-old from Atlanta, GA, finished third.
"I had a bad day. It just sucks one day ruined it for me," Kevin lamented after his ouster.
"I'm proud of making it this far and I'm proud to lose to people as good as Bryan or Michael. I was the underdog from the very beginning that managed to rise up and show that if you fight really hard you can make it. It just didn't go all the way."
Top Chef: Las Vegas' finale broadcast began with the three remaining finalists traveling to a Napa Valley vineyard, where they were met by host Padma Lakshmi and lead judge Tom Colicchio.
Tom explained that for their final challenge, the finalists would each be cooking a three-course meal. For the first course, the finalists would be cooking with a set of identical mystery ingredients, while for their second course they could cook any dish they wanted with any ingredients found in the kitchen. For the third course, they were required to cook a dessert.
The finalists then each randomly selected two of the 14 previously-eliminated contestants to them for the final challenge -- one on the initial prep day and one on for the actual service day.
Kevin chose Preeti Mistry and Ash Fulk, Bryan picked Ashley Merriman and Jennifer Carroll, and Michael selected Jesse Sandlin and Eli Kirshtein.
"I'm a little jealous of my other two competitors," opined Kevin.
The chefs discovered what mystery ingredients they'd be working with for the first course before getting to work -- which would include three hours of preparation on the first day and three hours of cooking on the second day.
On the morning of the second day, the three finalists were surprised to be visited by their mothers. Tom then revealed that the finalists would also be cooking a fourth course that would be dedicated to their moms and inspired by their favorite childhood dish. The three finalists then started cooking.
Kevin's mom-inspired course was fried chicken skin, tomatoes, and a liquid squash casserole; his course with the mystery ingredients was rockfish in duck fat, roasted matsutake, and roasted crab broth; his chef's choice course was a slow cooked pork belly, roasted broccoli and brussel sprouts, and caramelized ham jus; and his dessert was roasted banana, chocolate bacon mousse, and peanut bacon brittle.
Michael's mom-inspired course was cream of dehydrated broccoli, spot prawn and fried broccoli; his course with the mystery ingredients was a butter poached rockfish, tomato-komba sauce and sweet and sour salad; his chef's choice course was a fennel-scented squab, cassoulet, and textures of mushrooms; and his dessert was a chocolate caramel coulant, and butternut squash ice cream.
Bryan's mom-inspired course was a tuna noodle casserole; his course with the mystery ingredients was a sous vide rockfish, diced matsutake, and meyer lemon jam; his chef's choice course was a venison saddle, brussel sprouts, sunchokes, and maple-glazed carrots; and his dessert was a sheep's milk and white chocolate "dulce de leche" cheesecake, dry caramel, fig sorbet, and poached pear.
The finalists presented their courses to a finale dinner panel which included regular judging panel members Padma, Tom, Food & Wine magazine editor Gail Simmons, and restaurant critic Toby Young as well as chef Douglas Keane, Terlato Wine Group president Bill Terlato, their moms, and restaurateurs Donatella Arpaia, Stephen Starr, Drew Nieporent, and Sam Nazarian.
adma, Gail, Toby and Tom then met the three finalists to critique the final dishes.
Bryan's fish was criticized by Toby for not being bold enough, while his venison was praised by Gail and Tom. Padma complimented Kevin's chicken-skin dish, however Toby and Tom thought the pork wasn't as good as it could have been. Toby thought Michael nailed the matsutake and pickled tomato, and Tom thought all of his dishes were successful. Michael also acknowledged the cake was overcooked and dry.
The judges then began their final deliberation.
Gail thought Kevin's mom-inspired course had the most flavor, while Toby liked Bryan's the best and Tom thought it was too bland and also wasn't a fan of Michael's.
Tom complimented Michael's use of the mystery ingredients was the best, while it was agreed upon Kevin messed up on the mushroom on his dish. Gail thought Bryan's dish had no texture.
Tom and Gail thought Bryan's third dish was flawless, and Toby agreed -- however he didn't think it was as memorable as Michael's, which Gail wasn't a fan of. None of them really cared for Kevin's third dish.
They all knew Michael didn't make his dessert the right way but Gail still liked it, and Toby summed up the day for Kevin.
"I thought Kevin's dish was again disappointing and -- don't get me wrong, I think he's on the fast-track to becoming a culinary superstar -- but he had a bad night," said Toby.
The three finalists were then called back and Michael was revealed as the winner.
Bravo renewed Top Chef for a seventh season in October and subsequently held casting calls in San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, Washington, New York, Dallas, and Los Angeles.
Bottom Line: Leaping lizards! A new version of the classic space invasion is fun and smart. After about 25 years, those sneaky, lizardlike aliens are back. Once again, they want to take over Earth and, maybe, destroy or consume the populace. But so what? In exchange for their malevolence, they promise to provide a world of fast-paced, eye-catching action and provocative drama. Bold and still surprising, ABC's new "V" is clever enough for a cult following and accessible enough to reach a broad demo.
"V" was a popular miniseries when NBC aired it in the pre-Fox and early cable year of 1983. It worked so well that creator Kenneth Johnson had a sequel the following year, "V: The Final Battle." That proved so popular that NBC, disregarding the "Final" part of the title, reintroduced "V" as a weekly series that fall. That's when it stopped working.
And that's too bad because the idea behind "V" -- a modern retelling of how the Nazis rose to power in Germany -- is a powerhouse concept that combines conflict, suspense and imagination with some heavy-duty philosophical issues. Johnson, in fact, said his original inspiration was the Sinclair Lewis novel, "It Can't Happen Here," and he came up with something that is less science fiction than political science fiction.
This latest update, with a teleplay by Scott Peters, preserves the original framework but shifts the atmosphere to accommodate contemporary concerns. Based on the pilot, the militaristic notes will be more subdued. Instead, there will be more of a post-Sept. 11 emphasis on questions of trust and terror.
"V" is short for Visitors, which is what the aliens call themselves. They announce their presence while simultaneously hovering in huge unassailable spaceships above 29 of Earth's major cities, including New York, where the series is set.
Alien leader Anna (Morena Baccarin), the very picture of sweetness and innocence, promises to share advanced technology and live in peace. Many Earthlings are eager to believe her, including young adults who sign up for the Peace Ambassador program (analogous to Hitler Youth).
But there are skeptics. These include FBI agent Erica Evans (Elizabeth Mitchell), whose son joins the Ambassador program, and Father Jack (Joel Gretsch). Complicating things is the wave of Visitors who came to Earth years earlier and are working incognito. At the same time, though, other secret Visitors have become disillusioned and join the resistance.
Somewhere in between is news anchor Chad Decker (Scott Wolf). In exchange for exclusive interviews with Anna, he makes an uncomfortable bargain to ask only softball questions.
It could be complicated, but Peters' tightly written teleplay makes it easy to follow. In addition, the pilot raises provocative issues without getting didactic. That, combined with mythology less dense than, say, ABC's "Lost," should make this an attractive viewing option.
Recruitment sales manager Lee McQueen has become Sir Alan Sugar's fourth Apprentice - despite having been caught lying on his CV earlier in the series.
McQueen, from Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, said he had to take "a deep breath" when the tycoon told him "you're hired" in the hit BBC show.
The 30-year-old beat three other hopefuls to land a £100,000 job alongside Sir Alan.
He said he would buy his girlfriend new shoes with his first pay cheque.
McQueen will begin work as Sir Alan's new apprentice on 1 July.
As well as planning to lease a new Porsche, he also said he wanted to help his mother get central heating in her flat.
"It's a terrible moment when you've got two great people and I have to make my mind up," said Sir Alan, who chose McQueen over runner-up and favourite Claire Young.
He called McQueen "a team player", adding that "he always seemed to give his all".
"He delivered every single time I asked him to do something," the Amstrad founder said.
Of Young, a retail buyer, who frequently clashed with Sir Alan in the boardroom, he said: "She's always got my help and assistance whenever she needs it."
The series pitches aspiring entrepreneurs to prove themselves in the world of business in the hope of winning a contract to work alongside Sir Alan.
McQueen was pitched against fellow hopefuls Young, Alex Wotherspoon and Helene Speight in a task to create a men's fragrance.
But Wotherspoon and Speight's efforts were not good enough for Sir Alan, who called McQueen and Young - a retail buyer nicknamed The Rottweiler - back for one final showdown.
Sir Alan told the pair: "Claire, you have some great attributes and Lee, you're very convincing. You are very, very, very convincing. I've concluded... Lee, you're hired."
"When I heard those words 'you're hired' it took a couple of seconds to sink in," McQueen said.
"What swung it for me was when I rolled off my record to Sir Alan. I've been a project manager three times, won three times and never been in the boardroom.
"Claire doesn't need anyone to feel sorry for her but I am gutted for her. I believed at some point that Sir Alan would choose her. She probably went through the biggest journey."
'Very emotional'
He added: "I'm a big softie and when we learnt we were the final two it was very emotional."
McQueen - who earned £78,000 last year - has been asked by Sir Alan to launch a digital advertising product which will come under one of the tycoon's "portfolio of companies".
He said he was "very ashamed" to have been caught lying on his CV in an episode when he was also hauled over the coals for his poor spelling.
"It lost me some of my integrity," he said.
"I got a good grilling and I deserved it, and I learned from my mistake. It won't happen again."
ITV celebrates ratings triumph as 14.4 million viewers watch live talent-spotting programme.
More than 20 million viewers tuned in for the Saturday night battle of the talent shows as ITV celebrated a ratings triumph with the help of a breakdancing teenager.
George Sampson's victory in Britain's Got Talent was watched by 14.4million viewers, turning the live programme into the most watched entertainment show of the year.
The figure, 60 per cent of all Saturday night viewers, topped the 13.9million who tuned in to the first ITV Pop Idol final in 2002, when Will Young beat Gareth Gates.
The ITV1 show left I'd Do Anything, its BBC One rival, trailing. A peak of 7.3million viewers watched Jodie Prenger, 28, win the competition for the role of Nancy in a West End production of Oliver! Prenger, a size-14 singer from Blackpool, won the contest after benefiting from a public backlash against suggestions from Cameron Mackintosh, the musical producer, that she was “not right” for the part.
George, 14, from Warrington, beat nine other acts to take the £100,000 prize and will appear at the Royal Variety Performance. His high-energy dance routine to a version of Singing in the Rain, complete with a staged thunderstorm, won over the judges and garnered millions of viewers' votes. But agents and record companies are wasting no time in turning all the finalists, including Faryl Smith, a 12-year-old operatic singer, into star names. George, Faryl and Andrew Johnston, the 13-year-old singer who finished in third place, will headline a nationwide Britain's Got Talent tour beginning this Friday at Hammersmith Apollo in West London.
George, who is being guided by the public relations team that looks after Robbie Williams, will sit a mock GCSE music exam before joining the tour. The show's producers promised that the wellbeing of the child stars will be paramount as they embark on a taxing 13-date tour appearing before thousands of fans each night. Tutors will join the tour party to ensure that the children do not fall behind.
Grorge said that he plans to spend his money paying off the mortgage of his mother, Lesley, to thank her for paying for his dance lessons.
He said: “This is like the star on the Christmas tree. I've danced on many stages since being 6 but the Royal Variety is the biggest variety show of all time.”
He was less enthusiastic about his imminent exam. “I've not had much time to revise, but hopefully it should be OK.”
An ITV decision to schedule Britain's Got Talent nightly last week, building momentum for the final, helped it to overshadow Lord Lloyd-Webber's search for an actress. The audience figures for Doctor Who slumped as a result of the ITV competition. Britain's Got Talent, co-produced by Simon Cowell, averaged ten million viewers for each episode during the series, making it one of ITV's biggest successes.
The Times understands that 2.2million votes were cast during the Britain's Got Talent final, suggesting that viewers were less keen to participate than in previous shows. A total of 8.7million votes were cast during the 2002 Pop Idol final but since then ITV has admitted a series of deceptions carried out during telephone votes. George was the clear winner in the telephone poll, which raised £600,000 for the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund.
David Cook took David Archuleta's Tuesday night "knockout" punch and came out a champ.
The 25-year-old from Blue Spings, MO who currently resides in Tulsa, OK was crowned American Idol's seventh-season winner during last night's live two-hour finale broadcast on Fox.
Cook won Idol's seventh-season title after host Ryan Seacrest said "97 and a half million" home viewer votes were cast immediately following Tuesday night's live performance broadcast that saw Archuleta and Cook each sing three songs.
Seacrest said Cook defeated Archuleta, a 17-year-old from Murray, UT, by a 56% to 44% home viewer voting margin, or roughly 12 million votes.
"I started this season -- much to [Simon Cowell's] chagrin -- as the word nerd, and I'm absolutely at a loss for words right now," said Cook after the results were revealed. "Thank you, you guys... This is amazing. Thank you."
Cook joins original Idol Kelly Clarkson; second-season winner Ruben Studdard; third-season champ Fantasia Barrino; fourth-season winner Carrie Underwood; fifth-season champ Taylor Hicks; and sixth-season winner Jordin Sparks as the recipient of a management contract with Idol creator Simon Fuller's 19 Management and a recording contract with a division of Clive Davis' BMG Music Group.
While Cowell labeled Archuleta as the "one to beat" when the competition was still in the semifinal rounds, it became clear Cook was a force to be reckoned with as the season continued.
Cowell and fellow judge Randy Jackson went on the record as foreseeing an Archuleta vs. Cook finale when there were still eight finalists remaining and Cowell subsequently reiterated that claim when there were only four finalists remaining.
Cowell then predicted Cook would win the Idol crown during a Tuesday appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, however during that night's live performance episode he awarded all three rounds to Archuleta.
"Tonight, I think we've witnessed one of the great finals," said Cowell at the conclusion of Tuesday night's broadcast. "In my opinion [Archuleta], you came out here tonight to win. What we have witnessed is a knockout."
But right before Seacrest revealed the results at the conclusion of last night's bloated finale, Cowell backed off his strong words from Tuesday.
"I went back home to watch it and it wasn't quite as clear-cut as we called it," he said. "[Cook], I will take this opportunity to apologize because I think I was verging on disrespectful with you and I don't think you deserve that. The thing I like about the both of you is you're triers. You've both given it your best, you're both very nice people, and for the first time ever, I don't really care who wins. I think you've both done terrific."
All of Idol's Top 12 seventh-season finalists participated in the finale, with the Top 6 males performing a medley with Bryan Adams and the Top 6 females performing a medley with Donna Summer.
The filler-filled broadcast also included a a video montage of the seventh-season Ford music video clips; Archuleta and Cook performing a duet; third-place finisher Syesha Mercado performing with Seal; fourth-place finisher Jason Castro singing "Hallelujah;" fifth-place finisher Brooke White performing with Graham Nash; and sixth-place finisher Carly Smithson and eighth-place finisher Michael Johns singing a duet.
Viewers also saw Archuleta and Cook each receive a new Ford Escape Hybrid; Jimmy Kimmel deliver a roast-style seventh-season review; Cook perform with ZZ Top; Archuleta perform with OneRepublic; live updates with Cook fans in Kansas City, MO and Archuleta aficionados in Salt Lake City, UT; Sparks sing "One Step at a Time; Underwood sing "Last Name;" live performances by both the Jonas Brothers and George Michael; and a live performance of Renaldo Lapuz singing "We're Brothers Forever," a tune he wrote and originally sang during his Dallas audition (mercifully there wasn't a 3rd Annual Golden Idols).
Thanks to the wonder of technology, Hollywood stars Jack Black, Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. also performed as The Pips with Gladys Knight during a 1972 performance of "Midnight Train to Georgia."
Seacrest also put Tuesday night's vote total into perspective, stating that if "every single person" in Canada, Spain, Ireland and Australia had voted, it still wouldn't have matched the "97 and a half million" home viewer vote total.
"You didn't just break the record for the show, you smashed it by over 23 million," said Seacrest at the beginning of the broadcast.
The finale broadcast concluded with Cook singing "The Time of My Life," which was written by Regie Hamm and won Idol's seventh-season songwriting competition.
After several weeks, several new guests and several twists and turns, Paradise Hotel 2 finally comes to a close. Tonight the final two couples of TD/Ryan and Stephanie/Zack faced off against the seven judges of Paradise to crown the winner. It all started off with a lengthy recap showing last weeks drama and how all four of those left in the finales were targeted and argued with someone. The next morning Stephanie and TD realized their actions were stupid and once again became friends. It seems this happened throughout the whole season once the hangover wore off.
The seven judges then convened to question the two couples and to see how they should vote. Mike and Krista both targeted TD as they blamed her for their demise the night before. Both got an answer they didn’t expect and that was TD apologizing and basically saying she didn’t push Ryan to vote them out but he agreed with her that was the move to make. James’ comment got a few jaws to drop as he asked Steph if she was “sleeping her way to the top” since she “crushed” with both finalists: Ryan and Zack. The said she didn’t but it just seemed to end up that way. Myrna’s question once again brought up Zack’s mention of why he would be mean to her. He told her it was done to make sure people didn’t believe the two were together. He said they all hated her so he had to hate her to “fit it”, she didn’t like that too much.
The four were then given the chance to say one final statement to all voters. Zack was first and let them all know that he was loyal to everyone he gave his word to and everyone that gave their word was loyal to him. Stephanie was up first and gave a really good reason why people should vote for her and Zack. She let each of them know what she will take back with her and how they changed her since she entered the hotel. TD was next and gave a very tear filled speech as to why she played the game the way she did. She was right as she shouldn’t feel guilty that she is in the finals and that she shouldn’t feel guilty for speaking her mind and I think some of the judges were swayed by this. Ryan was last to go and actually had something to say. He only spoke to Krista and Mike, the two he hurt the most, and let them know he is sorry. He wasn’t asking for their vote but only asking them to forgive him.
That night it was then time to crown the winner and that the judges did. Each were asked to pick the couple they want to see win the grand prize and in a close vote of 4 - 3, Zack and Stephanie were crowned the winners of Paradise Hotel 2. Like the previous season the win came with a twist as TD and Ryan were given the power to crown only one winner between Stephanie and Zack. That winner would receive an envelope containing the prize. Although it seemed they would pick Stephanie, both decided to give Zack the title of winner of Paradise Hotel. He was then shocked with another twist that allowed him to split the money between himself and two others in any amount he chose. He was given $200,000 to either keep or he could split it between one or two other people from the judges and the other final players.
After some deliberation Zack made his chose and decided to split his prize money between both TD and Stephanie. He gave TD $20,000 and then split the remaining between himself and Stephanie evenly. This gave both Stephanie and Zack $90,000 each and also gave them the share in the win. That concludes Paradise Hotel 2 and the drama that came along with it. I was kind of surprised to see Zack win after coming back into the game for a third time and then so generously splitting his money. It was a great run for the show and hopefully it will be back for a third season. If you aren’t done with Paradise Hotel 2 yet you can catch the reunion on Fox Reality. Once I see it I’ll be sure to rehash all that went down!
Kristi Yamaguchi proved Maksim Chmerkovskiy wrong -- a woman can win Dancing with the Stars.
The Olympic gold medalist figure skater and her professional partner Mark Ballas were crowned Dancing with the Stars sixth-season ballroom champions during last night's live finale results show on ABC.
"I love it... This is just the icing on the cake," said Kristi after host Tom Bergeron revealed she was the sixth-season celebrity champion based on the combination of the judges' score shares for the dancers' Monday and Tuesday night performances and the share of home viewer votes cast immediately after Monday night's broadcast.
"I honestly from the bottom of my heart thank all the fans out there and everyone involved with Dancing with the Stars -- from the crew, hair and makeup -- everyone who's made this a dream experience."
Kristi became the first female celebrity to win the Dancing with the Stars title since Kelly Monaco and professional partner Alec Mazo did so during the show's initial Summer 2005 season.
t! You flipped the curse!" exclaimed Tom after revealing the results.
Kristi and Mark took home Dancing with the Stars' mirror ball trophy after 10 weeks of competition, defeating NFL star Jason Taylor and his professional partner Edyta Slwiniska, who finished second, and telenovela actor Cristian de la Fuente and his professional partner Cheryl Burke. Kristi and Mark had been atop the judges leader board throughout most of the competition and never found themselves in the bottom two.
In addition, Kristi is the second Olympic athlete to take home the mirror ball trophy -- following in the footsteps of speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, who won the show's fourth-season title last spring with professional partner Julianne Hough.
The victory represents Mark's first mirror ball trophy. Last fall -- Mark's first season on the show -- he was unexpectedly eliminated from the competition with celebrity partner Sabrina Bryan, who had been considered to be one of the season's frontrunners.
"I want to say thank you to Kristi," said Mark after last night's victory. "Obviously, she's been the most amazing partner."
During Monday night's live performance episode Kristi and Mark received a 30 from the judges for both the cha-cha-cha face-off and their freestyle routine, giving them a perfect combined score of 60 out of 60 possible points.
The score easily placed them atop the judges leaderboard -- as Jason and Edyta received a 24 for the cha-cha-cha face-off and a 27 for their freestyle routine, giving them a combined judges score of 51 out of 60 and placing them in third for the night.
Kristi and Mark and Jason and Edyta also performed their favorite sixth-season routine during last night's live results show -- with their scores contributing to their final combined judges score total but not being voted on by home viewers who had already voted based on Monday night's performances.
Kristi and Mark performed their Week 6 jive routine, for which they originally received the sixth-season's first perfect 30; while Jason and Edyta performed their Week 7 quickstep, for which they originally received a 29, their highest score of the competition.
However, both couples received perfect 30 scores from the judges for last night's performances, so they had a negligible affect on the competition's ultimate outcome.
Tom then revealed the results and awarded the sixth-season mirror ball trophy to Kristi and Mark, eliminating Jason and Edyta.
"I never, ever thought I would get to this point -- I never thought I would do the show -- and here I am today in the finals," said Jason after he was revealed to be the runner-up. "Kristi is so deserving and like she said, everyone's been so fantastic... Kristi very much deserved it and I had the time of my life."
Similar to last season's finale format, the couple who received the lowest score based on a combination of the judges' scores from Monday night's two routines and home viewer votes cast immediately following the broadcast was eliminated at the beginning of last night's broadcast.
That was Cristian and Cheryl, who had found themselves in between the other two couples on the judges' leaderboard following Monday night's broadcast.
The pair had received 52 out of 60 possible points for their two routines -- a 26 for both the cha-cha-cha face-off and for their freestyle routine. However both performances were hindered by Cristian's ruptured tendon, which he suffered several weeks ago. Despite needing surgery to repair the damage, Cristian ultimately decided to remain in the competition.
"I would of never had the feeling of going to the final after an injury if it wasn't for Cheryl and staying in this competition," said a somber Cristian after his ouster was revealed. "So I'm glad we made that decision."
Last night represented the third time Cheryl had made it to the Dancing with the Stars finale -- but also the first time she waltzed away empty handed, as she captured the show's second-season title with Drew Lachey and the third-season crown with Emmitt Smith.
"She's been the best partner I could have -- a real friend," said Cristian about Cheryl. "Not only a dance partner but a support when I really needed her. That I will never forget."
"Out of all my five seasons I've been on this show, it's not about winning," added Cheryl. "It's the journey you take and I've had one of the best times with Cristian. I love you and I'll miss you and your family so much."
Cristian plans to undergo surgery to repair his ruptured tendon on Friday.
Whitney Thompson is the first girl with curves to win America's Next Top Model.
The 20-year-old student from Atlantic Beach, FL became the first full-figured model to win Top Model, as she was crowned the reality competition series' tenth-season champ during last night's finale broadcast on The CW.
"There's definitely times I've looked in the mirror or at other girls and thought that I wasn't like them -- always being judged and thinking, 'Am I different? Is there something wrong with me?'" said Whitney after her victory.
"No. I do feel good about myself and I want other women in America to feel good about themselves. I honestly think that girls will look up to me and say, 'I can do that. I can be that. I don't have to starve. I don't have to have plastic surgery. I can really be like that. I can be on the billboard. I can be on that magazine cover. Why? Because I'm beautiful -- on the inside out.' I have breasts, I have hips, I have a butt -- and I am so proud of those things. I am here and I am me. I'm not going to change myself."
For winning Top Model's tenth season, Whitney claimed the grand prize package of a management deal with Elite Model Management; a $100,000 contract with cosmetics company CoverGirl; and a cover story and six-page fashion spread in an issue of Seventeen magazine.
"It feels amazing to be America's Next Top Model," added Whitney. "This is exactly what I want. This is exactly everything that I ever wanted since I was a little girl."
Anya Kop, a 19-year-old in retail sales from Honolulu, HI, finished second.
"I'm going to go back home and I'm going to cry," said Anya. "I'm proud of myself. I may not be America's Next Top Model, but I have my whole career ahead of me."
Top Model's tenth-season finale began following the previous judging panel that saw the elimination of Dominique Reighard. The three remaining contestants then received Tyra Mail that contained their lines for an upcoming CoverGirl commercial shoot.
"At least it's in English," said Whitney, referencing a previous tenth-season CoverGirl commercial shoot where the girls had to deliver their lines in Italian.
The next day the girls met Top Model art director Jay Manuel at The Colosseum, where they would film a CoverGirl television commercial and also participate in a photo shoot for a print ad. In addition, Jay told them that the winner would have her CoverGirl photo on a Times Square billboard. Top Model ninth-season winner Saleisha Stowers then met the girls and dispensed some advice as they had their hair and makeup done.
Fatima Siad, a 22-year-old student from Boston, MA, was the first to film her commercial, and she was "excited."
"I know I'm gonna do well," she boasted.
While Jay was "very impressed" Fatima was able to memorize her CoverGirl commercial lines, she was delivering them way too quickly and they weren't making sense.
"Fatima just kept running all the lines together and it just sounded a bit robotic," he opined. "Her looking so perfect coupled with her being robotic made her look a little not human."
Whitney did much better than Fatima, and while Anya had some problems with her lines, Jay thought her "wonderful energy" saved the commercial. The three girls then had their CoverGirl print ads shot by photographer Jim De Yonker.
"I want this so bad," said Fatima after the shoot was complete. "I just feel like I have it. I really feel like America's Next Top Model. I want the judges to see it."
Top Model's penultimate tenth-season panel then commenced, where the girls would be judged by Top Model creator and lead judge Tyra Banks; photographer Nigel; runway expert J. "Ms. J" Alexander; and supermodel Paulina Porizkova.
Tyra thought Whitney was "directable" in her commercial shoot, and Paulina added it had the vibe of a "Miss America competition." As for her photo, Ms. J. thought Whitney looked "very pretty" and Nigel added it had a "vintage" quality to it. Tyra commented the photo was "absolutely stellar."
The judges then watched Fatima's commercial.
"If that was a toothpaste ad, that would be fantastic," commented Nigel, not exactly a glowing review.
Paulina echoed Jay's on-set criticism that Fatima talked too fast. While Nigel thought Fatima looked "stunning" in her photo, Paulina had a problem with the way her eyes were positioned.
Tyra commented Anya's commercial was "the biggest train wreck in the world" but added it was the "best commercial" because of Anya's energy. Paulina agreed that Anya came across as "convincing and honest," and Nigel called her "naturally charming." Tyra thought Anya's photo was "commercial" but still had an "edge" to it.
Before the judges began to deliberate, Tyra revealed that the two finalists would be competing in a runway fashion show while wearing designs handpicked by Donatella Versace. The judges then deliberated.
"Fatima wants this so much that it's taking control of her," commented Nigel.
Paulina thought Fatima made a "wonderful print model."
"I love that [Fatima] has struggled and gone through such cruel things that a lot of us in American could never even imagine or fathom," said Tyra, as Fatima was a victim of genital mutilation. "She stands before us with pride and is not a victim."
The judges then revealed that Anya and Whitney would be the two tenth-season finalists as Fatima was given the boot.
"I feel like I've accomplished so much," said Fatima after her ouster. "I've made history. I'm the first Somali refugee woman to be a part of America's Next Top Model. Hopefully I'll be a role model for a lot of young women, especially East African women. They can look at me and say, 'Wow! Look at her, she went out there. She did her thing.' I feel like I'm born again. I just have to let go of everything that ever happened to me and start all over again. I feel so new, I feel so beautiful, I feel so strong... Trust me, you will not forget about me. You will see this face."
Anya and Whitney then returned to their Roman apartment.
"My entire life, I've grown up with a bunch of mean girls picking on me all the time -- the back-handed compliments, 'Oh my gosh! You don't even look that fat!'" said Whitney, who had an emotional moment during the previous panel. "I've got a tough skin from that, which is the only reason I can stand here and be confident in being a plus-sized model in a house full of little toothpicks."
The next day the girls met Seventeen magazine editor-in-chief Ann Shoket for their Seventeen photo shoot, with Nigel serving as the photographer. The winner of Top Model would receive a six-page spread in Seventeen's July issue and also appear on the cover.
Anya and Whitney then arrived for their Roman runway show, where they were met by Jay and Ms. J. Since it was a real runway fashion show, the girls would be walking with other models -- including Saleisha.
With both girls nervous, the show commenced. Both girls executed their first time on the runway fairly flawlessly, however Whitney had her heel get tangled up in her second gown while Anya had a hard time walking in her second gown since it was constricting the movement of her feet. After the show was over, Tyra went backstage and said she was "proud" of both Anya and Whitney.
Top Model's final tenth-season panel then commence.
"You didn't bring it as strong as you could have, you didn't bring it as strong as you should have," commented Ms. J about Anya.
Paulina said "to be fair," Anya's dress was "very narrow" at the bottom. Ms. J wasn't buying it, and said "there was a way to move the body to make it look elegant."
"You're just so stunning on that runway. The camera loves your face, the light loves your face," added Tyra.
Ms. J thought Whitney nailed the runway show right off the bat, while Nigel said he wasn't a big fan of her first outfit.
"That being said, you saved yourself with your second walk," he added.
Tyra said Whitney reminded her of herself on the runway and added she did a "great job," but gave her the slight criticism that she didn't pose at the end of the runway to give photographers a good shot.
In addition, the judges evaluated Anya and Whitney's photos from the previous tenth-season shoots before deliberating their decision.
Whitney was then revealed to be Top Model's tenth-season champ.
"This should not be called plus-size or full-figured," said Paulina. "This should just be called beautiful."
The Bachelor: London Calling star Matt Grant presented his final rose and a marriage proposal to Shayne Lamas -- and she accepted both during last night's finale broadcast of the ABC reality dating series' twelfth installment.
The 27-year-old British financier awarded his heart to the 22-year-old actress from Malibu, CA instead of Chelsea Wanstrath, a 24-year-old pharmaceutical sales representative from Durango, CO who became the final bachelorette to be rejected by The Bachelor's first-ever international star.
"This is the happiest day of my life," said Shayne at the broadcast's conclusion.
The Bachelor: London Calling's finale began with Matt in London meeting Chelsea before introducing her to his mother Trish, his father Tony, and his brother Simon.
"There hasn't been a straight forward journey for Chelsea and I," said Matt. "I've been questioning whether or not she's really into me."
Chelsea was excited to see Matt and be in London, since if he gave her the final rose she might be relocating there. She said she was "nervous" and "intimidated" to meet the family.
"My relationship with Matt has gotten so much more intense," said Chelsea. "The stakes are really high right now."
Chelsea gushed about Matt over dinner. Simon thought Chelsea was "charming" and "incredibly beautiful," while Trish thought she was "doing a very good selling job."
"But I don't know her well enough to know whether that was genuine or not," added Trish. "She's got to convince me hasn't she? Very difficult situation for her to be in."
Chelsea explained to Matt's mom she was falling more in love with him every minute but was having a hard time opening up to him.
"It's not something I wanted but it's so hard not to because you're deathly afraid this person is going to break your heart," said Chelsea. "But I need to make myself vulnerable and open."
Trish said she could see Matt and Chelsea have a "very good relationship" and her son acted like himself around her. Matt then talked to his mom about Chelsea, and she told him that Chelsea needed to be more vulnerable.
"I'm not prepared to pick somebody if I'm not sure they're feeling a 100% like I am," Matt told mom.
Chelsea then said goodbye to the family before Matt walked her out.
"It's safe to say that I feel like I could be a part of the Grant family," she said. "Everything went better than I could have ever planned."
The next day Matt met with Shayne, whom he said had an "uphill struggle" since Chelsea did so well the previous day. Matt and Shayne took a double-decker bus tour of London before going to his parents' house.
"The second the bus pulled up, I was nervous," said Shayne. "I am absolutely shaking in my boots, but I'm falling in love with their son, so I have absolutely nothing to hide."
Shayne immediately opined about being unable to go shopping while on the tour.
"When I first saw Shayne I thought, 'Wow, beach blonde hair...'" said Simon. "To be honest, I didn't think she was very 'Matt' at all."
Tony asked Shayne how old she was and she joked she was 12 before giving her real age. She then talked about her career as an actress and how it was tough for Matt to get used to it, and the family seemed to eventually open up.
"I feel like I gave Shayne a really hard time today," said Simon. "But to be fair, she came across really well."
He then told Shayne she "grew" on him during dinner and he was happy she opened up.
"In two days, you could be engaged to be married to him," Simon told her. "Does that freak you out?"
"No," she answered. "It freaks me out knowing that in two days I could lose him."
Trish told Shayne from the moment she met her she felt "at ease" before asking what she's looking for in a husband.
"Matthew's got a very difficult decision," said Trish. "I think he's very, very fond of both Shayne and Chelsea. I don't know which way he's going to go."
Shayne said goodbye to Matt's family.
"I really had a beautiful time meeting them," she said. "It was beyond my expectations. If it's not Matt and I at the end, I'm going to be crushed."
Matt then conversed with his family and said he feels the "most at ease" with Shayne but thought there might be "more passion" with Chelsea.
"My gut instinct was that Shayne was more sincere than Chelsea," said Trish, but Simon disagreed and said he could imagine his brother being more with Chelsea. Dad sided with mom that Shayne was the one for their son.
"What you've got to realize is the final decision is yours," said Mom.
Next it was off to Barbados for a final date with each of the girls before the final Rose Ceremony. Matt took Chelsea on a helicopter ride around the coast of Barbados and they subsequently settled on a sandy beach for a picnic.
"I think you and I leaving this place would have a great future together," Chelsea told him before he held her in the surf and they kissed.
Chelsea wanted to share a piece of her heart with Matt on their last night before the Rose Ceremony, and she gave him a California survival kit that contained items representative of their future together. She explained she gave Matt the "Chelsea brochure" throughout their six weeks together that was metaphorical on two sides -- it showed different sides of her and also took a while to unfold.
"My whole thing is... so I'm falling in love with you. Absolutely, 100%" she told Matt. "But I don't feel like you can truly love somebody unless they have the capacity of loving you back."
"I'm falling in love with you as well," he replied. "You know that."
They then kissed and she urged him not have fun with Shayne the next day.
"Without a doubt I'm falling in love with Chelsea," said Matt. "She's everything I ever wanted. She's incredible, she's absolutely incredible. I hope we can get through this together."
The next day Matt met with Shayne for their final date before the Rose Ceremony. Matt said he has "so much fun" with Shayne and described her as a "monkey" when they cuddle.
"Today is very serious," said Shayne. "I will definitely show my feelings today and why I want to be with him for the rest of my life."
The two then went parasailing and Shayne took time to reflect.
"I want Matt forever. I love him," she said in a confessional. "I'm just ready."
That night she gave him a gift -- photos of her spelling out "I love you" in beach sand. Matt thought the gift was "so sweet" and said it melted his heart.
"I knew that was so hard for her to do," said Matt on the gesture. "How big a jump she has taken. I was really touched."
Matt then told Shayne he's "falling in love" with her, and she said the same about him.
"I haven't made my decision yet," said Matt as he said goodbye to Shayne for the night. "I'm coming out of today completely confused and perplexed at what decision I'm going to make. I never regret, so I know when I do make it, that is it. Now I've got to make it."
The morning of the final Rose Ceremony, Matt looked at some "amazing" Tacori engagement rings and found one he was wowed by.
"I've never been this nervous, I've never been this apprehensive," he said. "I never thought I'd fall in love with two women... I never thought I would so emotionally attached to two people. I'm going to have to say goodbye to one of them at the end, and regardless of what decision I make, somebody is going to get hurt. I just thought to myself who out of these two women can I see as a life-long partner. It was quite clear to me."
The Bachelor: London Calling's final Rose Ceremony then commenced in Barbados, and Chelsea was the first girl to exit the limousine and approach Matt.
"There's still a chance I could get my heart broken," she said. "I'm really, really hoping that Matt chooses me... At the end of all this I would be so thrilled and so honored to have Matt propose to me. I just don't see myself without him. I really don't."
Matt greeted Chelsea with a kiss and explained he never thought he would meet someone like her and he found himself falling for her when they went on the group date to Las Vegas. Since then, he said they got "so close" and "shard some amazing times." But...
"I've come here to find my life-long partner, as I know you have as well," he told her. "And when I think about that long and hard, I'm thinking I can't give you everything that you need. My only buts with you are the fact that it has taken us a long time. It's been a tough journey, and at times, I've felt so much for you. This doesn't take away from the fact that I found myself falling in love with you."
Chelsea cried and said she had no regrets about her experience.
"I just find it so hard to think that I would have fallen for someone unless they were falling for me..." she told Matt.
"I was falling for you," he replied.
"I felt like I got the reassurance and the okay from you to open up. I was genuine about everything I said because it took me longer..." she said. "Know that although it took me a while, I've met everything I've said. I guess I was just too late..."
"At times I thought you were the one. Many times," he said before wishing Chelsea the best and sending her on her way.
"I don't understand!" an increasingly upset Chelsea blurted out to Matt about Shayne. "To me she was the falsest person here!"
"You know what? She isn't," Matt answered sharply. "The individual that I know is fairly different from the individual you know."
Chelsea then said goodbye and was whisked away.
"It's the hardest thing," said Chelsea from the back of the limousine. "You feel like you just admitted to yourself how much you love somebody and want to spend a future with him and my relationships have been let down after let down after let down. It bothers me that I was so sincere and I feel like I was maybe too honest with him... He's a fool. He is a fool."
Matt said the only way he was able to get through rejecting Chelsea was knowing that he had meeting Shayne to look forward to, and he was excited at the prospects of proposing.
"I know that she will always be there for me," he said.
As she prepared to meet Matt, Shayne said she was "nervous and sad and scared and very anxious and a little worried."
"What an amazing way to fall in love, "she said. "Matt holds every single quality that I want in a husband and somebody that I want to spend the rest of my life with. I've given Matt everything I could and if I lose him I would be heartbroken."
Once Shayne arrived, Matt explained he first thought Shayne was "too good to be true" and eventually learned she was there to "find someone for life."
"I know when I look in those beautiful brown eyes that you'd always be there for me," he said. "I hope that you know that I'll always be there for you. I don't have much more to say..."
Matt then got on bended knee.
"Give me your hand," he asked. "Shayne Lamas. I love you..."
"I love you!" she replied.
"I have something for you," he said. "Monkey... Will you marry me?"
"Yes" she answered. "Matt, I love you!"
The two hugged.
"Okay, I have one thing to tell you," said Shayne. "I will marry you under one condition -- that you will never look at another woman for the rest of our lives. Because you have looked at way too many during our relationship."
"I promise you," he said.
Matt then presented Shayne the final rose.
Matt's proposal to Shayne and her acceptance of it marked only the second time in its last six seasons and just the third time in its last nine editions that a The Bachelor edition ended with its bachelor proposing to his final bachelorette.
Parvati Shallow was more than just the flirt this time around.
She organized the all-female "Black Widow Brigade" responsible for blindsiding several of the stronger male castaways before winning Survivor: Micronesia Fans vs. Favorites during last night's finale of broadcast of the long-running CBS reality series' sixteenth edition.
The 25-year-old former Survivor: Cook Islands castaway from Los Angeles, CA claimed Survivor: Micronesia's $1 million grand prize during the live portion of last night's finale broadcast from New York City.
"I wasn't going to start playing in the beginning. I was going to fly under the radar and play the flirt and let everyone underestimate me," Parvati said after she was revealed to be the winner. "[But Jonathan Penner] outed me and said, 'This girl's a threat! We've got to get rid of her!' I was like, 'Okay. I've got to start playing.' I got my head in the game and started making moves."
Parvati defeated former Survivor: China castaway Amanda Kimmel by a 5-3 margin during the final Tribal Council jury vote. The finale marked first time since Survivor: Panama, the show's twelfth season, that a Survivor edition had ended with a Final 2 instead of a Final 3.
Survivor: Micronesia's finale broadcast began at the Dabu camp with Parvati, Amanda, former Survivor: Panama castaway Cirie Fields and Natalie Bolton celebrating being the show's first ever all-female Final 4, which they were able to achieve by convincing Erik Reichenbach to give-up the Individual Immunity Idol at the previous Tribal Council.
The next morning, the "Black Widow Brigade" continued to bask in the fact that they were able to eliminate all the guys while Natalie was surprised and happy to be the only remaining Fan.
"I definitely made a personal bond and connection with Parvati," added Natalie. "I think Parvati is an ally for me in this game."
The girls then received some Tree Mail, and were unsure if it would be a Reward or Individual Immunity Challenge.
"We're thinking that winning this challenge is pretty much guaranteed Final 3," aid Cirie. "So we have to beat Natalie."
Amanda, Cirie, Natalie and Parvati then arrived for Survivor: Micronesia's sixth Individual Immunity Challenge, and host Jeff Probst explained the rules.
Each castaway would start on a very small perch at the top of a 20-foot pole in the water. Using a bucket with several holes in it, they'd each gather water, which they would then pour into bamboo shoot. As the water filled up the shoot, it would raise a set of keys.
Once the keys were reachable, the castaways had to unhook them, jump in the water and swim to shore -- where they'd each unlock a chest containing 16 individually shaped latter rungs. The first castaway to correctly assemble her ladder and raise her flag would win Individual Immunity.
The challenge commenced and Natalie and Parvati got off to quick starts, as Natalie grabbed an early lead swimming to shore. Both opened their chests just as Amanda and Cirie grabbed their keys and began to swim to shore.
Natalie was the first to begin assembling her ladder but the other girls quickly caught up to her and Amanda eventually started to pull away. She subsequently completed the ladder and raised her flag to win Immunity.
"I made Final 3! I can't believe it," Amanda told the cameras later. "I'm ecstatic. That's twice in a row. This time I played my game so different and I feel so much better about it."
Meanwhile Natalie opined being the "low woman on the totem pole," but vowed to "explore all [her] options" before Tribal Council. She planned to be "calm, cool and collective."
"There's a way to weasel in and communicate with them in a way that may seem reasonable," said Natalie, who planned to appeal to Parvati as a last chance by explaining that Cirie is a bigger jury-vote threat.
Amanda and Parvati discussed who they would vote for, and Amanda thought Natalie "definitely deserved to be here" because she played a better game than Cirie.
"I don't who I'm voting for tonight," said Amanda.
Natalie then told Parvati about Cirie being a bigger jury-vote threat.
"I love Natalie to death and I think she's a lesser threat as far as jury votes than Cirie," said Parvati in a confessional. "Now the time has come where I could switch it up now and then we have our biggest jury threat out of the game."
Cirie was aware she might be booted.
"I could be going home tonight," she said. "They could of made a deal with Natalie."
The four women then arrived for Survivor: Micronesia's fourteenth Tribal Council, and the jury members --Eliza Orlins, Ozzy Lusth, Jason Siska, Alexis Jones, James Clement and Erik -- entered. Natalie gushed how Erik's blindside went down "seamlessly" before Jeff asked what she expected to happen with the impending vote.
"I think at this point the four of us respect each other enough that I don't think that there would be a blindside," said Natalie, a comment that made Jeff and the jury look a bit surprised. "I would pray for a blindside on some levels because now it would actually benefit me better than all the other four."
Amanda and Parvati said they were surprised by Natalie's comment and Jeff asked if they had just been assuming that there would be a Final 3 instead of a Final 2.
"No one here -- I think I can honestly say -- is expecting a Final 2," answered Amanda. "At this point in the game, it would take us for another whirlwind."
"It is nerve-racking to think that it could be a Final 2 because that makes me feel like -- once again -- I'm on the bottom of the alliance," said Cirie. "Which is not a good place to be Jeff."
Amanda then interjected and asked Cirie when she began to think she was on the bottom of the alliance.
"From the five -- when I started with you, Ozzy, James and Parvati -- basically it's unspoken that I'm on the bottom," Cirie answered, adding it was "obvious" she was also at the bottom when it came to her alliance with Amanda and Parvati. "Not one person in any alliance has ever said, 'I won't vote for Cirie'... So that clearly places me at the bottom of the alliance. I would be foolish not to think that."
Natalie said she saw the bickering as an "opportunity."
"I'm just letting them duke it out and may the best woman win," she said.
However Amanda and Parvati stuck to their alliance with Cirie and all three women voted for Natalie -- who became the seventeenth castaway eliminated from the competition.
"I have to say that I'm pretty happy with the way I played the game," said Natalie after Jeff snuffed her torch. "I was the last Fan standing, and I feel proud of the group of girls that I finished with. I respect the way that you guys played the game with me and I thank you."
Back at camp, Amanda accused Cirie of trying to make she and Parvati look "awful." Amanda and Cirie continued to argue about Cirie being on the bottom of the alliance, with Amanda mostly upset about Cirie mentioning it in-front of the jury.
"If you were me, what would you feel?" asked Cirie as her voice begin to raise. "And because I said it out loud, you're upset?"
She reiterated she's been at the bottom of "every single alliance" and Amanda continued to insist she didn't understand.
"I can't explain it anymore," said Cirie.
"It makes sense," added Parvati, agreeing with Cirie.
Amanda then "broke down" and cooler heads prevailed as the three girls hugged and apologized.
"I feel like I've been doing this forever," said a tearful Amanda. "Straight from China and I come here and I just can't take it."
Amanda told Parvati and Cirie she "almost lost it" when Jeff mentioned there "might be a Final 2."
"There's no way that it would be a Final 2," assured Parvati, although Cirie wasn't so sure.
"It would just break my heart to find out it would be a Final 2," said Cirie.
The next morning the girls let "Gloria" -- their final chicken -- go in the wild. Instead she immediately made a nest at camp to lay an egg.
They then retrieved some Tree Mail, which informed them they'd be remembering Survivor: Micronesia's 17 previously booted castaways via the game's traditional "Fallen Comrades" journey before going to their final Individual Immunity Challenge -- meaning there would be a Final 2.
"It's like when is it going to end. There's only so much you can take," said Amanda. "I am so tight with these girls. This just sucks completely."
Cirie saw a Final 2 instead of a Final 3 as "almost poetic."
"We've been blindsiding people left and right, and essentially we got blindsided," she added. "We thought we had it made. I guess what goes around comes around."
Once the "Fallen Comrades" journey was complete, the Final 3 met for Survivor: Micronesia's seventh and final Individual Immunity Challenge, where Jeff explained the rules.
Each castaway would have a long, wooden cylinder that had been cut into several pieces. In the center was slot, which would hold a metal ball. On Jeff's go, the castaways would pickup the first pieces and balance the ball. Every five minutes, the castaways would have to add pieces to their cylinder, making it longer and more difficult to hold onto.
The castaway able to keep their metal ball from falling the longest would win Individual Immunity at the impending Tribal Council and decide who would sit next to her in the Final 2.
The challenge commenced and all three castaways easily survived the first two rounds. However Parvati dropped her ball during the third round, which both Cirie and Amanda were able to survive.
The fourth round began -- with Amanda holding her cylinder underhand and Cirie going overhand -- and both survived to make it to the fifth round, which would last until somebody dropped her ball. Cirie lost her concentration, dropped her ball and Amanda claimed Individual Immunity for the second time in a row -- receiving a spot in the Final 2.
Back at the Dabu camp, Amanda called deciding between Cirie and Parvati as the "hardest decision" she's had to make in the game so far. Cirie opined her defeat in the challenge.
"Unfortunately Amanda won. Since Parvati and Amanda are so buddy-buddy, unless something happens, I'm probably going home tonight," she said.
Parvati said she was "fairly confident" Amanda would take her to the Final 2.
"We've had an alliance since Day 1 out here," she said. "We also have a really tight relationship that's developed over the course of this game. So I'm not worried about it, really."
Somewhat stupidly, Parvati then told Amanda she thought Cirie "pissed way more" jury members off than she did -- which placed a seed of doubt in Amanda's mind about taking Parvati. Amanda went to talk with Cirie.
"I feel like your best shot with the jury is taking me over Parvati," Cirie told her. "Every person she's screwed over, I've screwed over. We did everything together. Every blindside we orchestrated together -- most of them I did most of the talking for."
Amanda agreed, but said she was still nervous of having Cirie in the Final 2 since she's one of those people who can "talk their way in or out of anything they want."
"Cirie has pissed a lot of people off on the jury -- probably more than Parvati," said Amanda. "But Cirie is a hell of a speaker. She can convince anyone to do anything. In the final Tribal Council, if she can convince the jury -- that's $1 million. So it's kind of a catch 22. Making this decision tonight is killing me. You kind of have to just go with how you feel, your gut feeling. But I know that this decision could cost me $1 million."
Survivor: Micronesia's penultimate Tribal Council then commenced and the jury entered. Amanda described winning Immunity as a "blessing and a curse" because it gave her a "hard, hard decision." Cirie said she believed it was a difficult decision for Amanda since the three of them had been together since Day 1.
"I honestly don't envy Amanda's position at all right now," added Parvati. "I don't think it's going to be an easy decision."
Amanda said picking between Parvati and Cirie was a "toss-up" and got emotional about the impending choice.
"I feel like either way it's a lose-lose situation for me at this point," said Amanda. "I know that this vote tonight is going to hurt someone's feelings. I'm just having a hard time with that."
Amanda then cast the Tribal Council's lone vote for Cirie, who became the eighteenth castaway eliminated from the competition.
"Here I am again, coming up just short," said Cirie, who finished fourth during Panama. "I tried my hardest. It just wasn't meant to be."
The next morning Amanda and Parvati both expressed excitement about being in the Final 2 and being able to go home that night. They received a breakfast basket and celebrated their accomplishment, which both said was the biggest of their life so far.
"I think it's interesting that me and Parvati are in the end of this game together because we have played completely different games," said Amanda. "I think I have played this game loyal to my alliances, and Parvati pretty much did anything she needed to do to take control. Because of that, a lot of people on the jury don't like her. That could be a benefit for me."
"I really honestly feel so relaxed going into this final Tribal Council," said Parvati. "I feel like I've played a game that's been very true to myself. I don't feel like I could have played this game better. My game was a lot more aggressive than Amanda's game -- it was a lot more cutthroat and more cold blooded. I was playing this to win. I think my strongest point that I an make tonight is standing up and owning that I have been a powerful, controlling player throughout the duration of this game."
Survivor: Micronesia's final Tribal Council then commenced. Jeff explained that Amanda and Parvati would each make an opening statement before each of the eight jury members would have the opportunity to either ask a question or make a statement of their own.
Amanda said she entered the competition wanting to "play a loyal game" and "fight physically, strategically and mentally to the end," and thanked the jury for helping her get to the Final 2.
Parvati said she had a reputation as "the flirt" from Cook Islands and had to "play so much differently" in Micronesia -- which included her being more aggressive and making "bold power plays." She assured the jury "honest answers."
Eliza commended both for playing "great strategic games" but added she had no idea who she'd be voting for. However she said she'd "have a lot of difficulty" giving Parvati the $1 million because she "might just be a mean person." In addition, Eliza accused Amanda of being "superficial."
Jason then asked Amanda if they would have told her about their plan to blindside Ozzy before it happened, would she have warned him.
"Yes," she answered.
Jason then asked Parvati about what some of her "redeeming qualities" were in the game since he saw her as "manipulative." She said she was "very protective" of her alliance with Cirie and Amanda and was loyal to them all the way to the end.
Alexis asked Parvati what makes her a better role model for young girls, and Parvati answered she's "more independent" than Amanda.
"Amanda, I have seen a bunch of Oscar Award-winning performances," said Alexis. "We couldn't help but be laughing when you were crying about sending Cirie home... I think you cried wolf so many times that, what about -- if any -- part of your game has been genuine?"
Amanda answered that crying about booting Cirie was "genuine."
"I didn't come here trying to get sympathy votes. I don't want sympathy votes," she added.
Natalie said both Amanda and Parvati have her "respect" and asked Parvati how being a flirt "resonates in the bedroom." The jury laughed at the odd question, and Natalie explained she was asking if Parvati being a flirt was one of her real-life qualities or something strategic for the game. Parvati said she flirts with both guys and girls at home and often uses it to get what she wants.
"It is an old standby, I'm not going to lie," answered Parvati.
Natalie then accused Amanda of always having a "glazed-over look" on her face and asked if that was a strategy or who she really is a person. Amanda said she's a "strong woman" who "definitely has substance" and came into the game to compete with the guys, which she felt she was able to do.
Erik said he would have been "100%" voting for Amanda and saw her as a "big sister" until she had harsh words for him at the two Tribal Councils leading up to his ouster, which he said left him feeling "totally burned" and "thrown under the bus." He asked her on what basis she had to judge him?
"Everything I said in Tribal Council was honest," she answered. "You were un-loyal to me and you tried to get me voted out and I was hurt. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings."
Erik didn't believe the apology and called "too little too late."
James said he felt Amanda already had the jury vote "in the bag" and added he thought Parvati fed him a "bunch of fluff" after Ozzy was blindsided and asked her to be honest.
"There was no chance for me to win this game if I stuck with you and if I stuck with Oz," she answered. "I felt like I had to make that move when I made it. It also gave me a lot of control, and that's what I wanted."
Cirie asked Amanda "why Parveti deserves a $1 million more than I do." Rather than turn the question into an explanation of how she'd deemed Cirie to be the bigger threat, Amanda instead said that Parvati had "played a very aggressive, bold game" and earned her respect by standying by her throughout the entire game. Amanda added while she also respected Cirie, Parvati made "bolder decisions" and was "kind of the powerhouse" in making those decisions happen. Neither response seemed to go over well with either Cirie or the jury.
Parvati then said Cirie played a "pretty brilliant" game that was a little more under the radar than her own. In addition, Parvati said it would have been difficult for either her or Amanda to compete for the jury's vote against Cirie because she has three children.
Ozzy was the last jury member to face Amanda and Parvati. He said he was "hurt" by Parvati's "great move" to blindside him.
"I never in a million years thought that you could do that to me," he said. "You put a price on our friendship. You threw us away like garbage. It hurts. It really does hurt. How can you say you're a role model when you're willing to discard a valuable friendship like that."
Ozzy didn't even give Parvati a chance to talk.
"Honestly the hardest part for me was the fact that you took away 14 days that I could have spent with Amanda," continued Ozzy to Parvati, adding he was never faking his feelings for Amanda.
"I honestly feel like I started to fall in love with you. I'm glad I didn't win Cook Islands so that I could be here and meet you."
The eight jury members then cast their votes, with Parvati winning by the aforementioned margin.
During the subsequent live reunion show, Jeff revealed James had won the "Survivor of the Season" text message/cbs.com vote that allowed home viewers to award $100,000 to one of the season's castaways. James had also won Survivor: China's "Survivor of the Season" $100,000 prize.
In addition, Jeff also confirmed recent online rumors that Survivor's Fall 2008 seventeenth season will be set in Gabon, a west-central African country along the equator that borders Guinea, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo and the Gulf of Guinea.
Strictly Come Dancing reached its climax last night as Chris Hollins beat favourite Ricky Whittle. The Telegraph's fashion director Hilary Alexander gives her verdict on the showdown.
