Scoop

Britney & Kevin

What They’re Revealing

THE POP STAR AND HER HUSBAND DISCLOSE DETAILS OF THEIR COURTSHIP IN THEIR UPCOMING REALITY SERIES. HERE’S AN EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW

And now a sneak peek into the inner workings of Britney Spears and Kevin Federline‘s marriage:

Britney: “I kind of want someone to take care of me. Is that the stupidest thing you’ve ever heard?”

Kevin: “That may be the smartest thing you’ve ever said.”

The above exchange is just a snippet of what Spears and Federline reveal on their upcoming reality show Britney and Kevin: Chaotic, which premieres May 17 on UPN. The six-part series is a compilation of the newlyweds’ home videos, beginning from when they met at a Hollywood club in 2004 and ending with their surprise wedding last September. “It’s a personal journey,” says a production source who has seen the footage. “Britney uses the camera to seek out answers.” Her questions involve issues such as love and commitment. And she’s not afraid to show Kevin as something less than a sweetie pie. “He’s tough on her. This is not a guy who constantly says, ‘You look great,’ ‘You look perfect.’ She respects his honesty,” says the source. What you don’t see: a pregnant Spears—the series ends with her wedding to Federline.

UPN has high hopes for the show. “It’s always interesting to see somebody’s relationship unfold. The fact that this show has a sort of voyeuristic sensitivity is intriguing,” says the network’s president, Dawn Ostroff. “I think you’ll be surprised at how real they are…their relationship starts off sort of guarded, and you see how they become more and more comfortable with each other.” Spears has her own expectations. Writing about Chaotic on her Web site, she notes, “It’s like my own therapy. I hope you guys enjoy our little project! We are having so much fun putting it all together.”

Paula Abdul
What Happens How?

Though Fox continues to investigate charges that American Idol‘s Paula Abdul had an affair with contestant Corey Clark, for many Idol fans the case is closed. According to a People.com poll, 59 percent of respondents don’t buy Clark’s story and a whopping 91 percent said the scandal didn’t change their opinion of the show (see box). Abdul tried to move on by poking fun at herself on the May 7 Saturday Night Live—although the skit didn’t come off as planned. According to an insider, Abdul was supposed to play herself as an Idol judge, but “got tongue-tied” during rehearsals, forcing SNL cast member Amy Poehler to fill in while Abdul’s role was reduced.

Meanwhile Clark’s attorney told the Associated Press that his client has “explicit” evidence of the alleged affair and would cooperate with any government investigations. As for Abdul’s newfound notoriety, “I think she’s half hating it,” fellow judge Simon Cowell told Ellen DeGeneres on her show, “and half loving it.”

HOUSEWIVES’ SEASON ENDING PARTY

On May 5 the stars of ABC’s Desperate Housewives threw a lavish, Latin-themed bash for the cast and crew to celebrate completion of their successful first season. At Hollywood’s Music Box@Fonda concert hall, Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman partied and watched a gag reel. (Eva Longoria and Nicollette Sheridan were traveling.) “Hysterical,” says Cross of the show’s bloopers. “It was good to see the other girls making their mistakes.” Adds guest star Sharon Lawrence: “It was a great party.”

THE AMAZING RACE
WINNER: UCHENNA AND JOYCE

Uchenna and Joyce Agu, the long-suffering married couple from Houston, outlasted 10 other teams, including Survivor stars Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich, to claim the $1 million prize on The Amazing Race. Uchenna, 40, and Joyce, 44, spoke to PEOPLE about their win.

Joyce, you shaved your head in India for a challenge during the race. What was the reaction?

Joyce: It was amazing to hear people say, “You look so good with your hair short.” Though some thought I had cancer.

Before the race began, you both had lost your corporate jobs and were struggling to start a family. Did the race help you get past those setbacks?

Uchenna: We were at a very tenuous point in our relationship. It was good to go through this process as a couple.

Joyce: We needed to do something different, something exciting to get out of our mundane world.

How did you beat reality show veterans Rob and Amber?

Joyce: We had a different strategy, because Rob and Amber [and the other teams] were so worried about each other, and they were constantly gunning for first. We were constantly gunning for not last!

Still got the travel bug?

Uchenna: We want to do the whole trip again, just stay longer.

Joyce: And in really nice hotels.

Who’s the Klutz?

Medics! Tony Danza is at it again. Three months after face-planting in Central Park while shooting a rollerblading segment for his syndicated talk show, Danza suffered another spectacular mishap. While racing go-karts on a Manhattan street with NASCAR star Rusty Wallace, Danza accidentally flipped his vehicle. Though the crash looked serious, the host wasn’t badly injured, saying later, “Kids, always wear a helmet.” He’s got another problem, though. Local residents complain that his talk show stunts are loud and disruptive.

• Justin’s Health Scare
• Justin Timberlake had surgery May 5 in an L.A. hospital, reportedly to remove throat nodules, benign growths on the vocal cords. Will it affect the timbre of his voice? His rep refused to discuss the operation, but some stars, including Rod Stewart, have resumed their careers after a similar procedure, while others, like Julie Andrews, have had problems. According to a source, Timberlake, who isn’t currently working on an album, will rest his voice for three months. He does have a speaking role coming up: Timberlake has signed on to voice the role of Artie, a teenage King Arthur, in Shrek 3, due in 2007.

POP QUIZ

matchbox twenty’s

ROB THOMAS

After selling 25 million records with matchbox twenty, frontman Rob Thomas struck out last month with a solo CD, Something to Be—and wound up No. 1 on the charts in the first week of release. Scoop caught up with the three-time Grammy winner, 33, to dish about everything from Martha Stewart to personal gadgets.

You recently moved from Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., to Bedford, N.Y., where Martha Stewart is your neighbor. What’s that like?

I don’t know. She’s under house arrest so I haven’t met her. Maybe I’ll see her at the grocery store in, like, six months.

Do you plan to drop by and say hello?

I don’t think so. Martha and I don’t have a lot in common. But you never know. I was at a party once four or five years ago, and Martha Stewart showed up with Busta Rhymes. Can you imagine?

We heard you’re obsessed with the television show 24.

Yeah, I TiVo it every week. And if I miss an episode, I’m so set up because my manager is good friends with [24 star] Kiefer Sutherland, so they can send me a tape within days of it airing”. Last time I was in L.A.—Sutherland is a fan—they invited me to watch them film. And I couldn’t go because our schedule was too tight.

Does your wife, Marisol, love it as much as you do?

Yeah. She’s totally into it. She’s got some weird crush on Kiefer Sutherland.

Is it hard to be out there by yourself instead of being in a band?

No, it’s really great having the freedom to make decisions. It’s great to do something on a record, leave and come back the next day and nobody’s changed it.

We heard you love your BlackBerry. True?

Yeah. I was ticked off when I dropped it in the toilet.

If somebody hacked your BlackBerry, which celebrity numbers would they find?

I don’t want to brag, but Willie [Nelson], Carlos [Santana], John Mayer. [John is] the greatest guy ever. He came and played guitar on my record. He’s a funny guy, man.

ON THE BLOCK

HOUSE OF GOTTI

PRICE: $4.4 million

PLACE: Old Westbury, N.Y.

Claiming lack of privacy, reality show star Victoria Gotti is selling the 5-bedroom, 5½-bath mansion made famous on her A&E series Growing Up Gotti. “The bell rings constantly,” she says. The single mom and her three teenage sons will bid goodbye to the six-acre estate, which features a pool and a two-bedroom guest cottage.