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UPDATED: There were Internet claims at the time of retiring ET host Mary Hart’s announcement that The Insider‘s Lara Spencer had been chosen as her replacement. But we knew they weren’t true. Instead, we reported that CBS Corp CEO Les Moonves, CBS Television Distribution President John Nogawski, and ET’s producers “would look at her and other outside candidates”. And that’s exactly what they did. They went to the competition and fixed on Nancy O’Dell, veteran co-host of rival Access Hollywood, who will succeed Hart when she departs Entertainment Tonight after almost 30 years. O’Dell will join ET in January as a special correspondent and substitute anchor, and will assume her permanent role as co-anchor alongside Mark Steines after Hart’s departure at the end of the 2010-2011 TV season. “When Mary Hart told us she planned to leave ET at the end of this season, we went into denial,” ET executive producer Linda Bell Blue said. “But we also knew we had one tough job to do — find someone to fill that seat. In Nancy we have found that someone.”
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Mary h I will miss very much ; Nancy o I have been missing a lot, she was the best on ah. Not sure what happened; as not also as much for melrose place; just curious.
Poor sad, delusional Lara Spencer. Now no one in the “fly-over” states will ever figure out who she is…
I remember reading that Mary Hart was being forced out because they thought she was too old. If that’s true, then why bring in someone that isn’t much younger? Was Mary actually retiring voluntarily?
Put a gun to my head and I couldn’t pick Nancy O’Dell or Mary Hart out of a police lineup. In fact, aren’t they the same person?
It’s not just me!!
Good point, but I think that’s deliberate.
Absolutely true. That’s why they have NEVER BEEN SEEN TOGETHER. She has made an unholy pact to live LIVE FOREVER, and is only pretending to age. “Mary” fades out of sight, replaced by the younger “Nancy”. Don’t you see, it is all SO SIMPLE!?!?
Now I must run, because my life is NOW IN DANGER!
Mistake on O’Dell’s part. She coulda been the next Oprah with her own talk show
Are you nuts?
Yay! Nancy’s great. Better than Mary even. I haven’t watched ET in years. I guess I’ll have to start. Missed her on that other show and pretty much no longer watch it.
“When Mary Hart told us she planned to leave ET at the end of this season, we went into denial,” ET executive producer Linda Bell Blue said.
What a crock of shit… The quote should read as follows
“When we told Mary Hart that she was a little long-in-the-tooth and that we wanted go younger at the end of this season, Mary went into denial,” ET executive producer Linda Bell Blue said.
Mary will be missed. Nancy O’Dell, on the other hand, has as much personality as a paper clip.
Couldn’t agree more. I can see ET wanting to make a change to spice things up, but then why O’Dell. Talk about the bland leading the bland!!!
O’Dell went from appealing and uplifting to peeling and facelifted. Something aint right with that mug these days.
Agree. Just wonder how more work she / or ET will do to her now frozen face. What a shame what these already beautiful women do to their faces.
I was just looking at her credits.I didn’t realize she was a reporter in Scream 2-3 and she’s also in Scream 4.
Great news! I love Nancy O’Dell and she’s the best replacement they could have picked for Mary Hart! She’s talented and beautiful…such a pro! Can’t wait to see her on TV every night again! Thanks ET!!!
Good for Nancy! She deserves the best! Congratulations!!!!!
I love Nancy O’Dell — i’m kinda shocked — thought that samantha harris was being groomed as the replacement — makes me wonder if she was pushed out of access hollywood. Nancy is perfect, it actually makes me want to watch ET again — I just wish it was more entertainment oriented like access is — instead of being tabloidy with segments about anorexic twins.
Nancy is a cup-o-kindness. She’ll fill the chair. However, Mary Hart was NOT gonna budge from her chair ever, ever. Remember Julie Moran?! Didn’t Julie walk away because Mary didn’t like to share her Mary chair, especially NOT with the lovely, intelligent Julie Moran.
Sure, Nancy will do a fine job. Still, here’s to Julie Moran and all Julie to ET. Quite a LADY, Julie Moran!!!
Brandon Tartikoff, you gotta be smiling, kiddo. Congrats to Nancy!! And Julie Moran, you are a class act. Great ladies both.
Mary Hart is leaving ET as voluntarily as Jay left The Tonight Show. After thirty years, her contract was way high and cost prohibitive (also a euphemysm for “old”) for a format that is struggling to stay current and relevant in an age of internet breaking news. Now that they will be saving a few million a season, they will have more money to secure all their “exclusive” interviews.
Mary is well liked and trusted in the entertainment community. With Barbara Walters giving up her Oscar broadcast show, it would be wonderful to see someone like Mary Hart succeed her on that show and with similar prime time specials.
i think nancy is boring, annoying, and vapid… poor choice. if they are going to get rid of mary hart, why not try to revitalize et???!?!
I’ve seen Nancy on the red carpet several times and the celebrities really love to talk to her…and they have fun with her. Not only is she beautiful but she’s incredibly personable! Good job ET…you snatched up a gem!
Didn’t Nancy say she left Access Hollywood because it was getting too tabloid-y? If so, how can she justify going to ET?
So why the fuss? And why not Samantha Harris? She has done an admirable job in big-mouth’s (oops, excuse me) absence. Personally, I am glad to see Mary leave. It will be nice to watch a soft-spoken, ladylike female for a change. Hopefully, Samantha will tell ET to take a hike and get back on Dancing with the Stars. Really miss her there.
I’m surprised Les didn’t but Julie Chen in there…
And, poor Julie Moran… she could have really made it if she hadn’t been killed by aliens in Independence Day.
The question is… how will anyone notice?
Memo to all employees: Blond Airhead Celebrity Asskisser No.1 to be replaced by Blond Airhead Celebrity Asskisser version 1.5-continue on as normal.
I am trying to determine what year it was when ET absolutely went off the rails and turned into absolute junk TV. Where the show once had a semblance of news maturity in its coverage of Hollywood, it’s now a television toilet. That’s sad. Good luck, Nancy!
It’s been longer than you think. ET went from being the brand standard to copying the smut Extra and Access Hollywood were doing. Now all three are interchangeable drivel.
Sometimes I’ll spend a minute or two watching one of those shows, and I actually grow angry as I watch them cover the likes of Carrie Ann Inaba with all the seriousness of an in interview with the President.
In my opinion, it was when they secured all those exclusives with Anna Nicole Smith. All that access did not come cheap but they made A LOT of money off of those interviews. Once they realized how profitale it was and started paying for exclusive interviews their “integrity” went out the window.
So what was all that about O’Dell leaving AH b/c she didn’t like how tabloid-y it had become? All B.S.? ET is no different Or was it b/c she knew this gig was in the pipeline?
I suppose also it could have been b/c she hates Billy Bush. Having to work with that moron would make me want to quit my job also.
Nice work, Ferriter! Piers and now Nancy?! Whoops, WME. What next?
Speak to her manager about that.