Because the two most important things to an editorial cog in the media industry is 1) who is reading you; and 2) how much you are being paid, we shall note that Ben Widdicombe's new editor-at-large gig at Star will earn the ex-Gatecrasher some $125,000 a year. As we understand it, this sum is less than he was earning at the Daily News, but there he was required to file a daily column and party until the wee hours, where at Star he must merely run around town for on-camera gossip reports. (He also plans to attend weekly story meetings at the magazine.) More interesting, though, is that Widdicombe's take home pay is the same as his predecessor Julia Allison, whose one-year deal at the magazine also earned her a reported $125k. That Widdicombe — a veteran gossip columnist who might actually know what he's talking about without researching TMZ.com 10 minutes before taking a live shot — isn't getting a bump in pay from Allison's take must surely be evidence of strict budget restrictions at AMI. It doesn't make it any less appalling that talent is not paid accordingly.
With Julia Allison effectively fired from her Star talking head gig (and Bonnie Fuller no longer there to protect her contract), who's going to step in to represent the AMI tabloid on the airwaves? Retired Daily News gossip columnist Ben Widdicombe, says CoverAwards.com. Indeed, putting together a daily column with original gossip is a tough gig — but flipping through Star, scanning TMZ.com, and checking celebrities blogs' RSS feeds is a much cushier arrangement.
In a "this wouldn't even be a cute April Fool's Day joke," Ben Widdicombe is leaving the gossip pages of the New York Daily News after something like a decade in the rumormongering industry. "Oh no! After four years (which is 28 in liver years) Gatecrasher has crashed its last gate for the Daily News. I hope you've had as much fun reading the column as I have had writing it, but today I am leaving to pursue my ambition of becoming the world's first plus-size hand supermodel. Wish me luck!"
Talking points:
• What will Widdicombe's next gig be? Voice-over work?
• Since his Gatecrasher column took over the daily void left by Lloyd Grove's Lowdown, will the News be looking for another daily column to run alongside Rush & Molloy? And will that honor go to the Sunday-only Full Disclosure from News gossip veteran Jo Piazza? So far, we hear that plan hasn't been made.
Last night, everyone who was anyone headed to Avery Fisher Hall for the Glamour Awards to whip out their (embroidered) handkerchiefs and sob their way through an emotional awards ceremony paying tribute to various strong, empowering women who, coincidentally, also happened to be famous.
Afterwards, the teary-eyed guests checked their designer watches, carefully shoved their balled up Kleenex into their shiny Marc Jacobs' bags, and hightailed it over to Butter for the restaurant/club's fifth anniversary party.
Exclusive:
After a year-long stint at Gatecrasher, gossip girl Laura Schreffler (right) is ditching the Daily Snooze in favor of a new gig as senior writer for OK! magazine, leaving the features managing editor (and intimidating Irishwoman) Orla Healy behind in favor of buxom Brit Sarah Ivens.
And with Schreffler originally slated to take a features position in the Daily News' Los Angeles bureau, some PR insiders are already whispering that some last minute "drama" and/or internal conflict was the cause for the split.
Schreffler is quick to dispel those rumors, however, insisting she left Orla and the Daily News on "great terms," and explaining "I just didn't feel that being a hard news reporter was the right move for me." (In which case, OK! magazine was definitely the way to go!)
Two weeks ago, we patted ourselves on the back for making it through yet another grueling Fashion Week, and swore we'd never, ever go to another pretentious clusterfuck where people are only there to be "seen" and everyone has that glassy-eyed "I'm looking for someone more important to talk to" stare.* Unfortunately, that's pretty much exactly how we would describe last night's New York magazine's Look Book party.
The shindig (thrown on the fifth floor of Bergdorf Goodman's) featured an open bar, miniature black-and-white cookies and the worst hair we've seen since 1985. Although the invitation specifically said that an RSVP was required, some people came that, like, did not RSVP. Fortunately for those people, there weren't any bitchy-looking girls with clipboards or refrigerator-sized bouncers, so the "exclusive" event quickly devolved into a bacchanalian free-for-all.**
We've always loved Madonna. From the controversial "black Jesus" video to the fledgling movie career to the middle aged love affair with her obviously gay trainer yoga, Madge has always been chock full of surprises.
Like the time she managed to dance up a storm with Shakira and Demi Moore and ignore Janet Jackson while simultaneously heading home before midnight with Jackson in tow.
Since we weren't able to make it to Ben Widdicombe's self-congratulatory party over the weekend – he turned 36 and went daily! – we're thankful Spencer Morgan was able to provide us an insider's take at what it's like to party with a bevy of media types – and Jay McCarroll – at an East Village location that is not Mannahatta. Fashion types, reporter types, new editor-in-chief types were all in attendance to celebrate the continued tradition of the Daily News having two gossip columns. To the Post's three.
“The News has always had two gossip columns—we’ve had Mitchell Fink, Michael Gross,” Mr. Widdicombe said, and he mentioned Richard Johnson and A.J. Benza as he prepared another try of puff pastries and wieners. “So there’s always been at least two gossip columns at the Daily News. Rush & Molloy is the one that has survived, and there has kind of been a revolving door of second gossip columns. And I’m thrilled to have my chance, and I plan to stick around.”
And speaking of revolving doors, we hear Widdicombe's home was just that the night of his party.
One tattler tells us that in the wee hours of the morning, he had to turn away of pair of latecomers: Former Gawker lackie and current Radar something-or-other Neel Shah and a friend, who let themselves into the gossip's apartment – the door had been propped open – after the party had ended, everyone had left, the lights had been turned off, and the host had gone to sleep. We're told Widdicombe went downstairs to check on who was causing the noise and was summarily accused by Shah of "being with a dude."
Well, it was his birthday.
• Vince Vaughn quietly drops his libel suit against the tabs, despite being repeatedly assured by friends that he's "money."
• Matt Lauer gives Katic Couric a thumbs-up, admits to watching her "sometimes."
• A man returns a library book that's 47 years overdue, saying, "57 years would have been ridiculous (Seriously).
• Everyone's dying to figure out the identity of this mysterious Conde Nast fashionista.
• Congratulations to Daily News gossip Ben Widdicombe, who capped off his birthday week with the premiere of his now-daily Gatecrasher column.
CONTINUED »
Ben Widdicombe will finally sit atop the gossip throne he's been pining for — beginning next month.. After Lloyd Grove's departure for all things "multimedia," the usual pairing of Daily News gossip offerings was limited to just Rush & Molloy, leaving a vast hole in our bookmarks list. The news – which we reported back in August, and Radar updated earlier this month – is a surprise to few. It's the details (read: money grab) that proved most entertaining. But now we hear that the timeline has been set in place, and Widdicombe will return from the holiday season with his own five days-per-week column with Laura Schreffler by his side come January.
Wondering where the gossips get their grub gratis? Sure, the New York Post and Daily News may have strict policies against their "reporters" getting freebies, but how else to explain the obvious planted plugs from some of New York's finest establishments?
Post's Page Six, Friday, Oct. 27:
METS third baseman David Wright, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Jerry Bruckheimer watching football at Hawaiian Tropic Zone amidst a bevy of beauties in bikinis.
Daily News' Gatecrasher, Sunday, Oct. 29:
Jerry Bruckheimer had dinner and drinks at Times Square's new Hawaiian Tropic Zone restaurant
But our favorite example comes only from the pages of the New York Post, where Le Cirque earns a smattering of plugs just a few pages apart.
Post's Page Six, Sunday, Oct. 29:
KEVIN Kline and Phoebe Cates dining with Meryl Streep at Le Cirque
Post's Liz Smith, Sunday, Oct. 29:
If you go to the new Le Cirque, you often get to see one of the most beautiful girls in town. She's the grandchild of Sirio and Egi Maccioni, Stella, age 14 months. The Maccionis are training Stella in the restaurant biz, and she is irresistible. Tonight, they'll celebrate Egi's 70th birthday with sons Mario, Marco and Mauro in attendance. (I dare you to tell them apart!) Kevin Kline was there recently being joined by pal Meryl Streep
As Jossip has previously reported (and eventually wondered "why has this not happened yet?") Lloyd Grove is leaving the pages of the Daily News. Whether he is to be replaced by Ben Widdicombe's Gatecrasher has yet to be reported by the New York Times … buy maybe in a few more weeks.
Because nothing is official until it's in the Times, Grove's departure does create plenty of buzz, but certainly nothing anyone is surprised to hear. After three years and six weeks as the News' awkward gossip monger, Grove is throwing in the towel, along with the conversations with his many imprisoned friends. And he even has some random, sketchy, plans for the future.
“The end of my gossip column in The Daily News is not the end of my presence in New York,” he said. “I have discovered in the last few weeks, oddly enough, that I am still employable. I will be doing something that is multimedia, with components of Internet and television and print media.”
Oooh, now what could that be? Sounds very futuristic and media-centric. We bet he's setting up his own blog/vlog/newsletter out of his basement. Just kidding! We have no idea what job Grove managed to snag, but, hell, good for him. And we should probably extend our congratulations to Widdicombe, too.
Lowdown: A Farewell to Gossip [New York Times]
This would be the second week Lloyd Grove has gone job hunting on holiday, leaving his column inches to weekend gossip Ben Widdicombe (who, let's be honest, has taken plenty of vacation time himself, recently). Lloyd's continued absence means only two things: 1) Give Widdicombe the chance to actually deliver a scoop during the week rather than let it expire by the time Saturday rolls around; and 2) Fuel speculation that Grove is through.
Let us be the ones, then, to put this matter to rest. As we said last month, Grove is through. His contract is up at the end of the month and, not only is it not being renewed, but Grove doesn't have a new gig lined up yet. (Paging Star Jones' career counselor.) We hear Lloyd has been in mucho communicado with D.C. prospects, but, unlike jobs, only the Phoenix rises from the ashes.
Meanwhile, what's to happen when Lloyd officially loses his Daily News byline? We hear it's Widdicombe who, unequivocally, will be asked to step up to the plate. Consider his recent (recent, as in: today) spat at daily gossip drivel as a formality of a test drive. EIC Martin Dunn has all but handed Widdicombe the keys to speed down the freeway of scandal alongside Rush & Molloy.
Expect an announcement next month.
[Photo: Nikola Tamindzic/Ambrel.net]
Gossiping about a fired gossip columnist's book about the gossips he worked with? So meta, they should just call it jossiping.
Ripped from the Gatecrashing pages of the New York Daily News, Ben Widdicombe brings us preview of Ian Spiegelman's about-to-premiere book, "Welcome to Yesterday."
Set in the two days preceding his Page Six axing, Spieglman takes stabs at everyone in the office, from Paula Froelich ("I could've shaved her blonde head right there in the office") and Richard Johnson (with "a mischievous penchant for investigating the conspiracies of any syphilitic who managed to dial his number in the middle of the night") to Col Allen ("Like so many editors, he clearly hadn't worked a reporter's phone since college, if ever.") and Lloyd Grove, (understandably).
Joked one Miramax insider of the Robert Harris character: "I don't know why he didn't just call him Jichard Rohnson."
How easily the folks in this industry will turn around and try to slash each others eyes out! In a fight between Froelich and Spieglman, however, you know Paula would so kick ass. Lloyd Grove, on the other hand, might want to stick with his pen for a sword.
Canned Postie fires back [Ben Widdicombe, Gatecrasher]
Editorial Director
