Nellie Andreeva

When talking about the Kardashian family, a lot of adjectives come to mind, but fascinating is probably not high on the list. However, that is what Barbara Walters calls the E! stars, or as she brands them, “American Reality Royalty”. The semi-retired news interviewer features the Kardashians front-and-center on her list of the most fascinating people of 2011. And they are not the only odd choices on the list, which will be showcased at the 19th annual Barbara Walters Presents the 10 Most Fascinating People TV special on ABC. Frankly, Pippa Middleton, who captivated the world with her backside at the British royal wedding in May seems like the only legitimate entry. She is joined by Simon Cowell, whose return to American television with The X Factor fell way short of his and everyone’s expectations, and Derek Jeter, captain of the New York Yankees who were eliminated embarrassingly early this fall. No presidential candidate made the cut, but a person who decided not to run, Donald Trump, did. A couple of other honorees deserve to be on the list but the one from last year (Katy Perry, whose smash album, Teenage Dream, was released in August 2010) and even 2009 (Modern Family co-stars Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet). The No.1 most fascinating person is being kept under wraps until the TV special. The cast of Jersey Shore maybe?

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