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Monday, October 13, 2008
10/13: Nikki McKibbon on Dr. Drew’s rehab show, Simon Cowell’s “Idol” payday
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Not much goin’ on in “Idol” land so I previewed the second season of “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” on VH1, which debuts October 23 at 10 p.m. and features season one third-place finisher Nikki McKibbon. The concept: 21 days in a treatment facility with Dr. Drew Pinsky. The first season was interesting in many ways though it’s clear 21 days is barely a start for a lot of deeply drug-addicted people, celebrity or not.
“I screwed everything up, drinking and doing drugs” McKibbon said on the “Rehab” show. “I’m an alcoholic. I have a very severe drinking problem and I need help.” She is also trying to “kick a really bad coke addiction. I got down to 90 pounds, wasted away.”
She actually looks a little heavy now. “I’ve been drinking every day since my mom died,” she explained, noting her mom was also a druggie and died from it. “The coke kills the pain. On the other hand, you’re crazy from it.” (“She blames herself for her mom’s death,” Dr. Pinsky said.)
She told Dr. Pinsky that she had physical and emotional abuse as a kid. “She has emotional diagnoses,” Pinsky said. “There are many different layers.” He said it could take months to deal with her issues.
McKibbon, who was the relative rebel on the show and a single mom, never really had a career of any note that I can recall, at least nothing notable. She did do “Fear Factor” and “Battle of the Network Reality Stars.”
She follows Jessica Sierra, who was in the first season and continues to do rehab now.
McKibbon’s celebmates include Jeff Conaway (again!), Rodney King (yes, the man who got beat up by cops and said “Why can’t we all just get along?”), Amber Smith (model/actress), Tawny Kitaen (that gal on the hood of the car in a Whitesnake video), Gary Busey (he already had his own reality show!), Sean Stewart (son of Rod) and Steve Adler (Guns ‘n Roses). This is a bizarro way to get treatment — in front of TV cameras. But alas, this is entertainment first, rehab second. Oddly, Busey is there to “help” out the others, having been through rehab himself and saying he’s been sober 13 years.
-Nigel Lythgoe revealed Simon Cowell’s annual take from “Idol” alone now. He said it’s $36 million a year, a pittance compared to the $500 million plus in ad revenue the show generates each year. He notes that the salaries for Paula and Randy have never been revealed but his higher salary is a “bone of contention.” Then again, it’s fair to say he’s more valuable than either of those two so he should get far more cash. He also dubbed him a smart negotiator, refusing to sign anything longer than one year.
“He’s only ever negotiated by the year,” Lythgoe said. “And now he is getting something like $22,000 per minute.”
-MJ is noting that David Cook is now doing radio promotional interviews to promote his upcoming album. Nothing terribly revelatory but if you want more details, read it here.
