Blog

‘America’s Got Talent’: Simon Cowell Teases Big Changes in Season 20 as Mel B. Returns

Preview

NBCUniversal

When the lights came on for the first-ever season of America’s Got Talent in the summer of 2006, over 12 million viewers were watching. That hugely successful launch — which boasted even better numbers than another talent show featuring Simon Cowell, American Idol — solidified the everyone-is-welcome talent competition as appointment television. But according to Cowell, it almost didn’t happen.

“I can vividly remember NBC making us an offer to buy the show — and it was so exciting because nobody else wanted it,” the host recalls with a laugh. “I was so grateful and just so excited that we could do it. If it hadn’t been on NBC, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”

Two decades later, as AGT prepares to open its 20th season, with host Terry Crews and judges Cowell, Howie Mandel, Mel B, and Sofía Vergara, that buzzing excitement is in the air. Former Spice Girl Mel B, who returns to AGT after participating in The Champions and Fantasy League spinoffs, says the feeling is incredible. “It’s a completely different experience,” notes the singer, who recalls that she was in a toxic marriage the first time she sat at the judges’ table (she previously judged from 2013 to 2018). “Now, when I do the show, I can give 100 percent all the time. I also find that, because of what I’ve gone through, the contestants open up to me so much more.”

Her inspiring story calls to mind dozens of other emotional moments that play out in any given episode as people from all over the globe step onstage. “One young man danced so hard [that after] he got through backstage, he collapsed in my arms,” Crews recalls of an audition this season. “It was with joy, but you could just see he gave everything he had. He couldn’t even stand up. That blew me away.”

Trae Patton / NBC

Mandel, now the longest-standing judge, with 15 seasons under his belt, calls the show “the epicenter of hope and dreams coming true.” After seeing that confetti rain down on winners, it’s hard to disagree. “There are moments that really stick out,” Mandel says. “When they do, you know that you’ve been witness to something incredibly special.”

Viewers will now be able to see those special moments up close, explains Cowell, because of the intriguing way this season was packaged and shot. “We have [traditionally] shown about two-thirds of what really happens on the day. There’s an awful lot of stuff going on behind the scenes — what a contestant is going through, what it’s like to be in the audience — which you don’t see. I don’t even see. I’ve always thought that is so interesting,” he says, noting, “It’s about the closest [viewers have gotten] to being in my chair in all the years I’ve done it.”

Crews says it felt like the camera was on him 24/7, but giving away his Golden Buzzers — Crews and the judges each get two chances to send a performer straight to the live shows, which kick off later this summer — is euphoric. “It’s better than money,” Crews says. “I know it’s a million dollars at stake, but you’re talking about validating someone’s dream, and that’s very rare to get, especially as an entertainer. It’s so much rejection, so many sacrifices. [Getting the Golden Buzzer says,] ‘We hear you. We believe in you, and you’ve been right all along.’”

“Somebody gets a Golden Buzzer and they are crushed with beautiful emotion,” Mandel adds. “They know that their life’s never going to be the same. Every year, at least once, I walk over to Simon’s seat in the midst of this, and I go, ‘Simon, look at what your idea has done. And look at you, now on the other side of the globe, looking at a group of kids who come from a dark place, and they are being rained down with confetti and golden opportunity.”

It’s not just emotional for the performers, but also for Cowell. “If you said to me at the beginning, ‘Do you think you’ll get to 10 years?’ I would’ve said, ‘God willing.’ Twenty years, that would’ve been, ‘Are you kidding?’ Now, because of how many people you see around the world who’ve got a unique talent, and [the fact] that people are getting more confident and creative, I think America’s Got Talent is going to be on for a long, long time to come. But that’s just my gut feeling, because it can only exist if the people grow.”

Season 1’s winner was an 11-year-old powerhouse vocalist, and Season 19’s champ was a janitor with the voice of a rock god. In between, winners have included ventriloquists, dog acts, magicians, and a spoken-word artist. The bar is always rising, says Cowell. “It has to be as good, hopefully better, and certainly different from what we’ve seen before.”

That appears to be what’s happening. Mandel says this year’s “performers are hitting harder than they’ve ever hit. Season 20 is the highest bar of talent that we have ever had on America’s Got Talent.” You’ve got our standing ovation.

America’s Got Talent, Season Premiere, Tuesday, May 27, 8/7c, NBC

[BRAVO] The Cleveland and the 30th Anniversary of “The Drew Carey Show”. Here’s All You Need To Know.

Drew Carey and Co-Creator Bruce Helford Discuss Cleveland and the 30th Anniversary of “The Drew Carey Show”: Q&A

You’re not in a coma like Drew Carey! Yes, it really has been that long. The Drew Carey Show is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Carey hopes the references hold up, especially for new fans, but those hoping for a return of Cleveland’s hit show should know that Carey and the show’s co-creator, Bruce Helford, are open to bringing it back. Carey is just not on board with the Browns’ stadium move, though. As both the lakefront stadium and The Drew Carey Show are beloved by Clevelanders.

With the upcoming anniversary, Clevelanders can, for the first time ever, watch all nine seasons of The Drew Carey Show: The Complete Series on DVD or purchase it digitally on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and more.

Those looking to relive their favorite moments or show their kids their favorite scene can look at episodes and clips on the official YouTube channel for The Drew Carey Show. That means you can watch Mimi mess with Drew again, like when she put the drawers in his desk upside down.

Cleveland Magazine caught up with Carey and Helford about what the show and Cleveland mean to them.

Cleveland Magazine: The series’ 30th anniversary is coming up. What does it mean to both of you that, after so long, the show is still very beloved by fans?

Drew Carey: Got to say, it’s good to be remembered and it’s good to be remembered fondly for good work that you did, and when you’re doing it, you don’t have as much appreciation. I turned 67 on Friday, and at this stage, having done so much on TV. To look back at this first big thing I did and people still remembering it and remembering it with love and telling me how funny it was and was their favorite show, all that stuff, it gives me a lot of pride and personal satisfaction that the feeling is unimaginable. I think you really have to be older and looking back to appreciate it as much as I’m appreciating it. It’s like money in the bank that’s still there. Like, oh yeah, I did this thing. I really did something special in my life that I can look back on and be proud of. It gives that’s a great perspective being this age, and after I’ll be starting my 19th season of The Price is Right this fall, and to look back on all that and all the things I did, I’m like, wow, this is where it all started. It’s amazing.

Bruce Helford: And also, we were lucky. A lot of shows, they’re great shows, but they don’t have a lot of fun on the set, or people didn’t get along, whatever. We had 10 years of joy. It was so much fun to do. You can see it when you watch the show that everybody’s having a great time. And the nice thing about this being released now because we haven’t been on streaming because it took years to figure out all the music rights and all those things, held it up. We’ve got the audience who originally saw it, who will love seeing it again. We’ve got the generation of kids like my daughter’s age, early thirties, who saw the syndicated version, which was on in heavy rotation after the show went off the air, and they grew up on it, and they’re going to love seeing it. And then a whole new generation who’s never even seen it because it hasn’t been on streaming, and so it wasn’t available. So getting this thing finally out there is really just a great feeling. The show is going to give, I keep saying this, I’ll say it again. There is no sitcom, no comedy show. You’re going to watch years of on DVD, where you will say, wow, more than you will The Drew Carey Show. Everything we did was wow. Everything was craziness. Things that no one else was doing. Funny as can be. It’s really great to have it back out there again for people to appreciate.

CM: What do you hope that the new generation gets to experience from watching the show?

DC: Hope the references hold up.

BH: Well, it literally is a history of the pop culture from 1996 to the end of the 10 years. I think for me, I don’t think there’s been a lot of sitcoms that are just as much fun. All the family can watch. It challenges you enough where you don’t feel like you, you’re watching something is dumbed down for people. It’s really fun. I think if it encourages people who have creative abilities, it encourages them to try everything and try anything and not to stick to the regular format because we went out, we broke the fourth wall, we broke, we went into other dimensions. Drew was in a coma for a bunch of episodes.

DC: The coma episode. We did a whole episode trying to win an Emmy and a Golden Globe. Oh, that was hilarious. And all we did was make fun of the Emmys and the Golden Globes. I think we even did a side to the camera when I was in a coma, like tearful, like, oh, I’m going to die this big overacting and chewing the scenery.

BH: We did hyper-dramatic versions of everything. Drew said, What you called to deliver a baby, whatever it was, everything that was hyper dramatic about all the TV show cliches that they used to win Emmys. And we did all of them in one episode. They’re just saying, we’re trying to win the Emmy. It was very funny.

DC: I remember me and all the writers, we were all pretty jaded about the Emmys and the Golden Globes, so we just let out everything we didn’t like.

CM: Bruce, you worked on the reboot of Roseanne, which turned into The Conners. Have you two thought what it would be like to bring The Drew Carey Show back, and how would it look, or what you would do differently?

BH: All we can say is that everything is possible. I’d certainly be down for it.

DC: I would, too.

CM: Recently, HBO Max based their new hit show, The Pitt, in Pittsburgh. NBC is planning The Office spinoff to be based in Toledo. Do you think Cleveland deserves another show based on it?

DC: Cleveland always deserves a show. Always deserves a show. Yeah. Every show should be so Cleveland. I don’t know why not. Obviously, if I was coming up with shows, I would set no show in Chicago, New York or L.A. I just wouldn’t do it. It’s so trite to me now. Yeah, do Detroit, I mean, do Cleveland, do Detroit, do Toledo. Even Nashville’s too big because of the music industry. There was that show in Nashville about the music industry, do Memphis, why not do Memphis instead of Nashville? Why not? Why not do Austin instead of Dallas?

BH: We were very careful to keep all the references and be sure whenever we talked about it, restaurant or whatever, it was always someplace really in Cleveland and all that. Drew’s love of the city and I became a lover of the city, really, really was all part of what we did. I mean, Cleveland Rocks and everything else was always aimed at promoting a city that usually got a pretty bad rap and didn’t deserve it. So it was our pleasure to do that. I stayed at a hotel there, and the do not disturb sign said Cleveland Rocks on it. And I thought, yeah, we had an effect.

CM: Drew, you are a very big Cleveland sports fan and even a minority owner of the Seattle Sounders. Do you have an opinion on the Browns stadium debate? Should it say downtown or move to Brook Park? 

DC: Yeah, I don’t like it. They should stay. I want the Browns to play in Cleveland, where they’re playing now at the stadium that the fans put up city bonds to help pay for. That’s what I want. And I think it’s horrible to ever move it away from the place it is now. It’s just the worst thing, and I hope he’s only using it as leverage to get money. That’s what I mean. I don’t read about the Browns anymore, honestly. I’m so bummed out about ’em.

But yeah, I think it’s kind of a slap in the face and an insult to take a team since the 50s that has been playing Downtown on the lake in some form or another, and all of a sudden move it because like money and for no other reason. The thing about it, I know this from being in an ownership group, one of the things that bonds people to a sports team is history and tradition. That’s a huge part of it. And when you start messing with that, you’re going to lose your whole fan base. It’s going to hurt the team, it’s going to hurt the idea of the team and it’s not going to go over. Everybody’s going to see if they make this move, that you’re just in it for the money. You don’t give a fuck about the fans or what they think and yeah, it’s really starting to show.

For more updates about Cleveland, sign up for our Cleveland Magazine Daily newsletter, delivered to your inbox six times a week.

Cleveland Magazine is also available in print, publishing 12 times a year with immersive features, helpful guides and beautiful photography and design.

‘The Price Is Right’ Player Falls to Floor, host Drew Carey had to calm her down.

‘The Price Is Right’ Player Falls to Floor After Dramatic $15,000 Win

The Price Is Right/YouTube

A The Price Is Right Contestant nearly had a panic attack and dropped to the floor after she won $15,000. Host Drew Carey had to calm her down before the game started on Friday, May 23.

Heidi came to the podium during the fourth item up for bid, but she didn’t win until the fifth. The items were a wooden foosball table and two 32 GB Nintendo Switch Lites. She was the third highest bid at $800. Since the items were $810 in total, Heidi won and got the chance to win more prizes.

When she came to the stage, Heidi covered her face with her hands and nearly started crying. When Drew Carey greeted her, she could barely get words out and clutched her chest. “You’re going to be ok. It’s only for cash,” he said, reaching his hand out to touch her arm. Heidi held the side of her face and closed her eyes as announcer George Gray told her what the prize was.

Heidi played Master Key for up to $25,000 in cash. There were three amounts that she could win — $2,500, $7,500, and $15,000. All the game show contestant had to do was correctly guess the price of two items. If she guessed them, Heidi could pick a key off the wall of five of them. She could win up to two keys in total. One was blank and one was the Master Key that opened every lock. The others only opened one lock each.

She had to decide whether a hanging weight was $26 or $60. Heidi picked $26 and was correct and got to pick a key off the wall. She took the fourth key and handed it to Drew Carey.

The second item was a lap desk with a slot for a cell phone. Heidi had to pick whether it was $35 or $50. She picked $35 but was wrong and did not get to pick another key.

Heidi made her way over to the locks across the stage. She put the key in the $2,500 spot, but it didn’t turn. She then did the same for the $7,500 and didn’t win that either.

When she put it in the $15,000 lock and turned it to the right, a sign reading “WIN” popped up. Heidi dropped to the floor and covered her face as the crowd cheered.

“15 grand. Not bad at all,” Carey said. Heidi started to breathe heavily as she hugged the model Manuela Arbeláez. She only spun a 20 on the Showcase Showdown wheel, so she did not advance to the Showcase.

The Price Is Right, Weekdays, 11a/10c, CBS

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Blast Bonus Round Puzzle & React to New Twist

Wheel of Fortune/YouTube

Wheel of Fortune is doing something they have never done before. Instead of three strangers competing against each other to try and win money, three friends face off against each other to be “the best Wheel of Fortune contestant” and earn bragging rights, as well as money.

The game show contestants on the Monday, May 12, episode have worked together at a Rhode Island Fire Department for the past two decades. One wanted to be called “King of Wheel of Fortune,” another believed they’re “the real boss,” and the third compared himself to David (vs. Goliath).

Melissa “Missy” Porter, from Johnston, Rhode Island, played against her fellow firefighters Darrin “Poppa” Gallagher, from Narragansett, Rhode Island, and Tim Stebenne, from Lincoln, Rhode Island.

About the twist, social media users commented on whether or not they liked it. “This is so much better than playing in teams,” an Instagram user wrote.

“I’m rooting for them as individuals and as a team I AM SO CONFUSED BUT I LOVE IT!!!” said another.

“I really enjoyed the dynamic of them all being friends, and while I know it shouldn’t be the norm, I’d love to see it more often. I have never seen it before,” a Reddit user said.

“Nice fresh concept we are seeing this week,” commented another.

“I like the concept of Bragging Rights. How many of us have sat on our couches competing against friends and/or family members? So to see that play out on television is interesting. It’s also a sign that there’s a new era of Wheel between Ryan and Bellamie,” one last fan said.

Another twist that came back this week was the Jackpot, which starts at $0 and increases by $500 for each spin. Whoever solves that round’s puzzle, wins the jackpot and their earnings. Also, if someone lands on the $1 Million Wedge, host Ryan Seacrest will hold on to it. If no one lands on Bankrupt by the end of the round, the winner of the round will take the wedge to the Bonus Round if they get there.

 

Xem bài viết này trên Instagram

 

Bài viết do Wheel of Fortune (@wheeloffortune) chia sẻ

Porter, a cook who only makes meatballs when Wheel of Fortune is on, and Gallagher, the longest-tenured firefighter at his station, both solved the first two toss-ups. Stenenne, a man who met Missy and Darrin at the fire academy 21 years ago when she was his first fire truck run partner and “Poppa” was their instructor, won a trip to Iceland when he solved the puzzle — “Love-Hate Relationship.”

Stenenne solved the next one as well. Gallagher solved the next puzzle — “Lush Rainforest of Panama” — and won a trip to Panama.

Gallagher took the lead when he won all three Triple Toss-Ups for $10,000. Porter solved the final puzzle — “Running Neck and Neck” — for $6,000. She ended with $7,000. Gallagher was the night’s big winner with $20,150 cash & Panama, and Stebenne went home with $12,700.

For the Bonus Round, Gallagher picked “What are you doing?” His fellow firefighters cheered him on from the second and third-place podiums. When the puzzle answer emerged, fans were quick to blast the show.

Wheel of Fortune gave him “R,S,T,L,N, and E.” He chose “K,D,G, and A,” to round out his puzzle. It then looked like TAK_NG  A  _ _ _ _ _.”

As the clock counted down, Gallagher guessed “Taking a…” but couldn’t guess the last word. It was “Taking a whiff,” which he said he could have never gotten.

Ryan Seacrest let him know that he lost out on an additional $40,000. This is now the 11th Bonus Round puzzle loss in a row.

“Another tough word,” a YouTube user commented.

“At this point, I don’t even care if it’s the regular $40,000 anymore. Just win something!” another wrote.

“What is going on right now? And 11 losses in a row tomorrow somebody’s gonna have to break the losing streak,” a third added. 

“That was a hard one surprisingly. I knew the first part was ‘Taking A’ without the letter selection. But that last word was odd because there was no T or R. I’ve heard of Take A Whiff, but not Taking A Whiff,” another wrote.

“I thought it was ‘taking a break’,” a fan commented.
“How many people used this word in a year WHIFF or even in ten years,” one last fan wrote. 

Wheel of Fortune, weeknights, check local listings

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Debate Ryan Seacrest’s Major Hosting Mistake

Wheel of Fortune/YouTube

Does Wheel of Fortune host Ryan Seacrest have an obligation to remind contestants about Wild Card rules? Some fans think so.

In a May 20 Reddit post, user pink_faerie_kitten said Seacrest is “mostly” great — what high praise! — but observed the host “hardly ever reminds contestants with a [Wild Card] that they can exchange it for another letter call when they land on a sparkly wedge.”

That user cited that day’s episode, in which contestant Chad Benner, a minister and deejay from Wheelersburg, Ohio, went bankrupt during the Mystery Round.

“Chad had a [Wild Card], then landed on $3,500, called a ‘J,’ and spun without Ryan telling him,” pink_faerie_kitten he wrote. “He landed on $3,500 again, called an ‘R’ and got two. And again Ryan said nothing! He spun without Ryan ever reminding him that he could’ve given up the [Wild Card] for another guess. Instead, he landed on bankrupt.”

They added: “I know it would be nice if contestants remembered on their own, but it’s [a rare enough] event to have a [Wild Card] and land on a sparkly wedge that I think the host should remind them. I think Ryan has only reminded one person this whole season.”

Wheel of Fortune/YouTube

In the comments on that thread, however, Reddit user mel34760 cast a dissenting vote, saying they hated when former host Pat Sajak would remind contestants about using the wild card to guess another letter. “Unless you are far behind and need to catch up, that wild card is far more valuable in the Bonus Round,” mel34760 argued. (In the Bonus Round, a contestant can trade the Wild Card for a fourth consonant guess.)

But Reddit user StruckNever theorized that Wheel of Fortune producers urged Sajak to offer that reminder “in case the contestant made it to the bonus round.” (Perhaps budget-conscious producers didn’t want the contestants having greater odds of solving the Bonus Round puzzles and winning a jackpot?)

In response to mel34760’s comment, pink_faerie_kitten wrote, “But now Chad hit bankrupt and lost the [Wild Card] anyway. So it’s worth it for more money. It was sad seeing him make the Bonus Round without the [Wild Card] and without the extra he could have potentially won. (He lost over ten grand, plus the home wedge. But if he’d known he didn’t need to spin again for one guess, he might’ve figured it out.)”

What do you think, Wheel fans? Should Seacrest remind contestants of their Wild Card options? Or should he keep quiet in hopes that the contestants keep the Wild Cards for the Bonus Round? Give your take in the comments below.

Vanna’s Successor Revealed? Fans Have Their Eyes on These Potential ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Stars! Here They Are.

Who Will Replace Vanna White on ‘Wheel of Fortune’? Fans Have a Theory

Disney/Eric McCandless

Vanna White hasn’t officially announced retirement plans yet, but fans think she’ll be stepping away as Wheel of Fortune‘s cohost and letter turner sooner rather than later. Many viewers also have a theory about who will replace her when she does leave the show.

The conversation began in a Reddit forum when one user asked, “Whenever Vanna White retires, do you think Maggie Sajak will take her spot as letter toucher?” Pat Sajak‘s daughter has served as Wheel of Fortune’s social media correspondent since 2021 and stepped in as a substitute letter turner in the past.

“Yeah, it’s been obvious for years that she is a textbook nepobaby,” one person responded, while another added, “That feels like the plan. It’s the only reason they keep shoving her in our faces.”

Another commenter said, “Same, especially when Pat was out sick during the Holiday episodes and Vanna was hosting and Maggie was turning the letters. She’s definitely cute enough for the job!”

Someone else also wrote, “It is largely to be expected that Maggie will succeed Vanna if/when the inevitable day happens.”

 

Xem bài viết này trên Instagram

 

Bài viết do Maggie Sajak (@maggiesajak) chia sẻ

While some commenters were onboard with Maggie stepping in, others aren’t thrilled by the prospect. ”
I hope not. It’s time for fresh faces, not another Hollywood nepo baby who never had to work their way up in the business,” someone commented. Someone else added, “I hope not. Ever since her first foray into the show, her presence takes everything down a notch.”

Maggie is already heavily involved in Wheel of Fortune, with her Instagram feed mostly filled with content from the show. However, she’s also pursued a career in music.

In 2024, White opened up about how her role as letter turner has essentially become obsolete over the years (she first started on the show back in 1982). “When I first started, I had to physically turn every letter,” she explained. “Then they switched to TV monitors, so I just had to touch the letters and they would light up. Now the board is operated by a laser. It’s like a flat screen. And when I go to touch the letter, the laser catches my movement. It’s crazy, right?”

When the reporter interviewing her joked that they might not even need her anymore, White added, “I’m telling you right now, don’t say it. They need me!”

Ever Wondered What It’s Really Like on ‘Wheel of Fortune’? One Contestant Reveals All: Ryan Seacrest, Vanna White, and the Show’s Biggest Secrets!

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Spills Show Secrets, Talks Ryan Seacrest, Vanna White & More

Wheel of Fortune

Kylene Foster, a Wheel of Fortune contestant on the Wednesday, May 28, episode, has been opening up about her experiences recording the show and going through the audition process. The contestant sat down with her local news station WOTL 11 in Tiffin, Ohio, to talk about WoF and what goes on behind the scenes.

Speaking before her episode aired, she said that she couldn’t give anything away about whether she won big on the show except that she had “the best time.” Foster revealed that she decided to try to get on the show after a difficult period in her life.

“I was going through a tough time in my life and I made a commitment to myself to put myself back out there more, get back out into the world, and stop letting fear hold me back. So, I needed to do bigger things. I saw the casting call come through on Facebook and I thought: ‘This could be kind of cool,’” Foster shared.

The corporate marketing manager at Webster Industries knew the chances of getting on the show were small, but she knew she had a chance. She heard back a week later from a casting director to do a Zoom interview in late September 2024. Then, in December, the Wheel of Fortune hopeful got an email that said she was “strongly being considered.” By February she knew when she was going to film her episode.

The anchor asked her what was going through her head after she got her tape date and Foster replied, “Oh my gosh! Can I do this? I was like ‘Heck yes. I can.’” So, she took her tribe with her and filmed her episodes. Foster said the contestants get there early to go through “legal mumbo jumbo” so they know what they can say before their episode airs, and then do a bunch of rehearsals. Foster said that she was there for “about 10 hours” because she didn’t tape until the sixth episode that was filmed that day.

 

She then opened up about meeting Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White. Foster said that she is a big Ryan fan and part of the reason that she auditioned is because of him. “I was a little starstruck in the beginning, but by the time I got to the sixth episode, I was like this is a dude I would run into at the corner bar. He was very personable.”

As for White, Foster shared that when the contestants get there in the morning to get the rundown, White walks out and gives a pep talk in yoga pants, a sweatshirt, no makeup, and her hair in a bun. “She was just the most down-to-earth and beautiful in person,” Foster said. Typically, Vanna White wears dresses, heels, and makeup while fliming.

Foster said that the entire experience wasn’t what she expected and felt like she was at the “most amazing summer camp with the most amazing people.”

“For me, it wasn’t about prizes or money. I wanted to send a message to the world to say ‘I’m still here. I’m still standing. I was down, but I was never out.’ The entire experience just lit something up in me,” she said. “I’m excited for what’s next.”

Be sure to watch Foster compete against two Wheel of Fortune contestants tonight.

Wheel of Fortune, Weekdays, Check Local Listings

No Wedding Bells for Reba: Reba’s Reasons for Not Marrying Rex Linn Revealed

Reba McEntire explains the ‘big change’ she went through after her divorce and reveals why she won’t marry Rex Linn: ‘I don’t meet the bedroom needs of men, so…’

Reba McEntire is opening up about how she landed on her feet after her divorce.

The country superstar parted ways with her ex-husband and manager, Narvel Blackstock, in 2015 after 26 years of marriage.

“We got a divorce, and the shocker of it all was, there were four people who were taking care of all my business,”

McEntire said in a recent episode of Apple Fitness+ Time to Walk, according to a People exclusive.

“I had my production manager who left, I had my CEO who left, my manager and husband, and my father had died. So four men who were rock and pillars of my world were gone.”

McEntire explained that with those core people gone, she began personally managing more details of her life.

“I started taking over signing the checks and then I started realizing how much water cost, and the electric bill, and all the things that was going on in my life,” she said.

“I made the money, I brought it home. So it was a huge, huge change for me.”

Reflecting on how she adjusted to life after divorce, McEntire said she had to “run it all through God.”

“I had to say, ‘OK big boy, I can’t handle this. This is way over my pay grade — I don’t know what to do,’” she said. “And I would wait, and He would guide me. And so without my faith, I have no idea where I would be or my career would be, at this time today.”

The country icon has since found love again with actor Rex Linn. The couple went public with their relationship in October 2020, although they they’ve known each other since 1991, when they both appeared in the Kenny Rogers movie “The Luck of the Draw.”

“We’ve kept in contact with each other over the years, and we both know the same people, so it was just like good friends getting back together having dinner in January,” McEntire said during an episode of “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen” last November. “And then we started texting and talking on the telephone, getting to know each other better during the quarantine.”

Since making their red carpet debut, McEntire and Linn have been sharing adorable photos together on Instagram, including cute pictures of themselves hanging out on her farm.

“It’s good to have a person to talk to, laugh with, get into subjects about what’s going on,” McEntire said on her “Living & Learning” podcast last October. “Discussions about our past, our family, funny stories, him being an actor, me being an actress. And he’s very into my music. I’m very into his career.”

Follow us to see more useful information, as well as to give us more motivation to update more useful information for you.

Reba’s Back in the Building? “Happy’s Place” Stars & Showrunner on Recreating the Beloved Sitcom’s Heart.

Happy’s Place Cast & Showrunner On Recapturing Reba’s Feel-Good Themes After Scrapped Reboot

NBC’s multi-camera sitcom, Happy’s Place, premiered on October 18 and airs new episodes Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The series was created by Kevin and Julie Abbott, with Reba McEntire, Michael Hanel, Mindy Schultheis, Matt Berry, and Pamela Fryman onboard as executive producers. Happy’s Place sees McEntire return to comedy as the show’s leading lady and reunite with former Reba co-star, Melissa Peterman.

After her father passes, Bobbie inherits his tavern and vows to maintain an uplifting environment for patrons. However, the protagonist’s own spirits drop when she discovers that Happy kept a monumental secret from his family. Bobbie is unexpectedly introduced to Isabella, who is not only her new business partner but the twentysomething half-sister she didn’t know existed. If his daughters want the tavern to honor Happy’s legacy, they must build a relationship and accept one another as part of the family.

While visiting the Happy’s Place set, ScreenRant participates in round tables with showrunner Kevin Abbott and cast members Reba McEntire, Belissa Escobedo, Rex Linn, Pablo Castelblanco, Tokala Black Elk, and Melissa Peterman. They discuss what their characters bring to the sitcom, the wholesome relationship between the tavern staff, and how the creatives hoped to recapture Reba’s feel-good themes.

Peterman Discusses Her New Onscreen Dynamic With McEntire In Happy’s Place

“In this one, we’re already a little bit ahead. We are friends.”

Every actor in Happy’s Place has a unique role, allowing its ensemble cast to shine. Peterman plays Gabby, the tavern’s long-term bartender who takes her position very seriously. “This is her family,” shares the actor. “I feel like Gabby’s a little bit lonely, and she considers her work family and her regulars her people. She’s there to make them happy.”

While Gabby is best friends with Bobbie in the 2024 sitcom, Peterman’s and McEntire’s characters didn’t start off on the best foot in Reba. “In the original show, Barbra Jean was foisted on her,” Peterman reminds viewers. “There was no choice. I married her ex-husband. In this one, we’re already a little bit ahead. We are friends.” Happy’s Place allowed the actors to incorporate their pre-established relationship into a new series, as well as welcome Belissa Escobedo into the family.

What we did is we brought the chemistry that we have as real people and as real-life friends into these new characters. You can’t erase that. So I feel like we’re just the same people in a new play almost. I’m already Bobbie’s friend. I start out as a friend, but we still have a way to go.

What I like about bringing Belissa into the mix, is she is almost, in a way, a Barbra Jean. She’s someone unexpectedly foisted on her. But what’s great is there’s now this trifecta of these three women in different places in their life and they all have something to learn from each other and maybe something to teach each other too.

Linn, Castelblanco, And Elk Break Down Their Characters’ Roles In Happy’s Place

“We’re amplifying and supporting each other, and we’re pulling each other towards becoming better people.”

Rex Linn’s character, Emmett, is described as a man of few words, but the cook is seen as a father figure among the staff. “Emmett’s best friend was Happy,” the actor shares. “He’s a little bit gruff, but he’s also a very understanding guy. He indirectly navigates the ship as it were from the kitchen and has a lot of life insight.” The crew all have a connection to Happy, with Tokala Black Elk believing the owner helped his character, Takoda, find a place to belong.

I think that my character basically wouldn’t grow without Happy. Happy actually put me inside of this group and caused me to be inside of this family. It’s like all of us are put together inside of this unit, but there’s kind of a feeling like we’re amplifying and supporting each other, and we’re pulling each other towards becoming better people.

Meanwhile, Pablo Castelblanco, who plays Steve, shares that the accountant faces his fair share of struggles during Happy’s Place season 1. “Steve has OCD, so he doesn’t like germs, but he also doesn’t like change at all,” he says. “Things have to be the way he sets it up, or he gets stressed out.” Castelblanco continues on to say that viewers will see Steve work on himself as the show continues.

He is not someone that is letting that define him. He’s working on it. I think that’s the most exciting thing about playing this character is that it’s someone that is actually trying to deal with it and create bonds. He has a family [within the tavern] who he can rely on to push himself out of his comfort zone.

Abbott Wanted Happy’s Place To Recapture Reba’s Positive Themes

“When people get done watching our shows, we want them to feel good.”

A Reba reboot was previously in the works with Kevin Abbott at the helm until executives opted to scrap the show due to various financial reasons. When asked if Happy’s Place was meant to appeal to fans of the 2001 sitcom, Abbott admits that he and McEntire are drawn to similar types of stories. “We have a very similar sense of humor, and thematically, we like positivity,” the showrunner says. “When people get done watching our shows, we want them to feel good. We want them to walk away having really enjoyed themselves and maybe gotten half an hour out of the tension of life.”

Abbott continues on to discuss themes he hoped to carry over from Reba, sharing that the new series also comes from an emotional place. “When I’m with Reba, we’re going to tell stories a certain way and hit certain themes of family and forgiveness and responsibility to other people.” However, the showrunner was interested in switching up the venue, and his wife, Julie Abbott, proposed the tavern setting.

Julie, my wife, came up with the concept of having Happy’s Place and bringing in family in a different way so that we get to tell more adult stories, not necessarily from an R-rated perspective, but from an adult perspective. We found that really interesting when you’re seeing different viewpoints on life during the times we’re in, and to be able to capture some of those and see how they kind of bounce off each other.

We can find commonalities that you wouldn’t necessarily think are there. We tend to want to bring people together and find the things that people share rather than the things that tear people apart. That’s why we brought in Belissa, and Pablo, and Tokala. We wanted to get some different perspectives on life so that we could honor those and show how, “Yeah, we might be different, but we’re also more similar than you think.”

McEntire And Escobedo Were Excited About Their Characters’ Familial Relationship

“I fall in love with her. She’s just everything. I didn’t have a little sister.”

While Happy’s Place begins after the death of Bobbie’s father, Reba McEntire says that viewers almost forget about the loss due to what her character gains. “He went to heaven. He’s having a great time,” the star jokes. “And then I find out about my half-sister. I think that the focus changes on the loss to, ‘Look what he’s left me with! Why did he do this? Why didn’t he fix it before he left?’ And then I fall in love with her. She’s just everything. I didn’t have a little sister. It was just me and daddy.”

Despite not knowing her father, Isabella doesn’t waste any time staking her claim on the tavern and is quick to give orders to the staff. “She comes off a little strong,” Belissa Escobedo admits about her character. “She went through her whole life wanting to find a place where she felt accepted and loved, and she’s presented this opportunity, and even though it’s an immediate loss of gaining a dad and losing him all at once, she finds Bobbie through that. It’s a blessing for her to find this. That’s why she moves states and is like, ‘I’m here. I’m ready.’ She does not give up until she’s given a chance.”

In addition to reuniting with her former Reba co-stars, McEntire was enthusiastic to have new faces on board and develop Bobbie and Isabella’s familial relationship.

Our cast on the Reba show was magnificent, but with this cast, and Kevin said it at the very beginning, it’s like the first episode of the second season instead of a pilot. We gel. I don’t know why, but this show was meant to be at this time. Somebody asked Melissa and me why it took so long for us to get back together. We gave our reasoning, and then Belissa said, “They had to wait until I grew up.”

Those hoping for more Reba cameos throughout Happy’s Place’s run are in luck, as Abbott would love to reunite with additional cast members. “We love the cast, and we know that they’d be great,” the showrunner acknowledges. “When the opportunity arises, we’ll certainly do that. We have ideas, but we haven’t yet formalized anything.”

About Happy’s Place Season 1

Writer Kevin Abbott executive produces with Reba McEntire, Michael Hanel, Mindy Schultheis, Matt Berry and Pamela Fryman

Bobbie (Reba McEntire) inherits her father’s tavern (Happy’s Place) and is surprised to discover that she has a new business partner, Isabella (Belissa Escobedo), a twentysomething half-sister that she never knew she had.

New episodes of Happy’s Place air Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Melissa Peterman Unpacks the “Reba” DNA in “Happy’s Place” – Plus the Key Differences You Won’t Expect! (Exclusive Interview)

Melissa Peterman Breaks Down the Similarities — and Differences — Between ‘Reba’ and ‘Happy’s Place’ (Exclusive)

Melissa Peterman and Reba McEntire Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Just because Happy’s Place has a few similarities with Reba doesn’t mean the two sitcoms are exactly the same.

During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Melissa Peterman explained why Happy’s Place might feel familiar for fans of her previous sitcom Reba.

“I hope that the people that loved Reba love Happy’s Place. They loved Reba because it was funny. They loved it because it was relatable. They also loved it because it had heart,” Peterman, 53, shared with Us. “And I think all of those elements are in this show that we have now.”

Reba, which aired from 2001 to 2007, starred Reba McEntire and Peterman along with Christopher Rich, JoAnna Garcia Swisher and Steve Howey. Nearly two decades later, McEntire, 69, and Peterman reunited with former Reba executive producer Kevin Abbott on Happy’s Place.

The upcoming NBC sitcom stands on its own due to a different story and a largely new cast. Happy’s Place follows Bobbie [McEntire] as she inherits her father’s restaurant and discovers a new business partner in the long-lost half-sister (Belissa Escobedo) she didn’t know she had.

Melissa Peterman and Reba McEntire Casey Durkin/NBC
“We are new characters. It’s a new time and it’s different. But those core things that you loved about it are there. It does feel really different [though],” Peterman noted. “And what I’m loving is the interaction with the new cast members including Pablo [Castelblanco], Tokala [Black Elk] and Belissa.”

Happy’s Place, which premieres on Friday, October 18, has made an effort to balance nostalgia with creating a world that brings in new fans.

“As far as trying to harness the things that [Reba fans] love — like the chemistry that we have — that is there no matter what. We’re just new characters. And Barbra Jean [from Reba] was forced on Reba because she married her ex-husband. Gabby is there because she’s her friend,” Peterman added. “She’s still a little bit needy. But we’re trying really hard to keep the magic but make it feel different because we’re playing out different people.”

She continued: “The other big difference is real life family and the reality of blended families. Happy’s Place is all about finding family at work and Belissa’s character is also finding a family that she didn’t know existed and figuring that out. You’ll feel that same warm feeling but you’re gonna it’s new.”

The biggest difference is the friendship at the center of each show. While Reba chronicled a reluctant bond between Reba and Barbra Jean, Happy’s Place has Bobbie (McEntire) already friends with Gabby before bringing a third person — Isabella — into the fold.

“What I love about it is three really strong women who are at different points of their life from very different backgrounds. We all have something to learn from each other,” Peterman told Us. “And something to teach each other. I love that dynamic. I feel like everyone watching will relate to somebody on the show.”

Peterman is excited for viewers to see the show but she’s also thrilled to be sharing the screen with McEntire again. The pair remained friends since their time on Reba and were waiting for the right time to work on another show together.

“We’ve been friends since the show ended. We are in each other’s lives for good [and] forever. But that first time [back in front of the camera] was so surreal. That first day of just walking on the set and walking around the set, there were tears,” she recalled. “It just felt like coming home. The first time [when I was filming Reba], I was so naive that I didn’t know how special it is to get a show on the air and have this TV family. It changed my life. So this time around I’m older and wiser and I know how rare and special it is. So I’m savoring every moment.”

Happy’s Place premieres on NBC Friday, October 18, at 8 p.m. ET.