Celebrity Mound

The Tyra Banks Show” may be over, but her former employees have only just begun to spill about what it was really like to work on the CW gabfest.

And we hate to break it to you TyTy, but it’s not all good.

“There had been high turnover of employees for years,” a past crew member says, insisting that many people quit after just a few months because it was “pretty difficult to work for Tyra.”

“She and the higher-ups on the production staff could be extremely brutal,” the source says. “She really is a diva.”

An industry source who has worked on the show agreed, adding, “Everything had to be done Tyra’s way.”

But to her credit, Miz Banks isn’t the only one who thinks that her way is the right way: the show earned two Daytime Emmys over its relatively short five-season span. And another former staffer who worked closely with Banks says the 36-year-old indeed knows how to make good TV.

“Honestly, I don’t know how it would be to work under her,” says the snitch, who served in a high-level position. “But for me, it was a good experience. Tyra just knows how she likes things done. And as for her ‘diva-ness,’ well, it sells.”

So why stop now?

Banks released a statement this week insisting she wants to focus on launching her film company, Bankable Studios, which she says will bring “positive images of women to the big screen.”

But it may be her own image that needs polishing. Reports surfaced yesterday that Banks told the press that her show was coming to an end before she even alerted her staff – and according to some past employees, that’s more than likely.

“It wouldn’t be surprising,” our first source says. “When the show moved from L.A. to New York, several staffers weren’t even directly told about the change – they heard through the grapevine that it was going to move locations. Even so, a lot of those people gave up their lives on the West Coast so they could continue working for the show. Now they’re out of luck.”

Former supermodel Tyra Banks said on Monday she is ending her Emmy-award winning TV daytime talk show in the spring of 2010.

Banks, 36, said in a posting on her official web site that the current fifth season of “The Tyra Show” on the CW network, would be the last.

“This will be the last season of ‘The Tyra Show’,” Banks said. “I have been loving having fun, coming into your living rooms, bedrooms, hair salons for the past 5 years.”

“My next huge steps will allow me to reach more women and young girls to help us all feel as fierce as we truly are,” she added.

Banks said she would soon be launching her own New York-based production company Bankable Studios and was excited at the prospect of making movies but could not yet give details.

She will however host the 15th season of “America’s Next Top Model” reality show contest on the CW in February.

Banks has used her talk show to promote women’s issues, particularly body image and the media’s perception of how women should look.

In August she posed with a group of women in underwear in New York’s Union Square to promote the show’s campaign of “rocking what you’ve got”. In September she took the weave out of her hair and appeared on the show with her natural hair.

The syndicated “The Tyra Banks Show” won a second daytime Emmy award in August for best informative talk show.

In her web posting, Banks thanked her fans for their support. “I salute YOU, my amazing family of viewers: Thank you so so soooooo much for your support and love. Without you, there never would have been a Tyra Show. I really love you all.”

According to on-set sources, Tyra Banks’ CW beauty contest (which is experiencing the lowest ratings of its 13 seasons) will get a helping hand from none other than Banks’ on-again, off-again frenemy, Kimora Lee Simmons, who Tyra has recruited to serve as a judge next season.

Apparently, the divas have remained friends despite rumors that Kimora was fired after her appearance on the show’s first season.

The same can’t be said for Tyra’s other former co-hosts Janice Dickinson (seasons one to four) and Paulina Porizkova (who survived only seasons 10 to 12).

Both ex-models have spoken out about their tumultuous relationship with TyTy, insinuating that she was difficult to work with. “Tyra is obsessed with people’s perception of her and was not happy when Porizkova and Dickinson said they didn’t get along,” says a network source, adding that Tyra’s uncomfortable interview with “Nightline’s” Cynthia McFadden (who questioned her in September about rumored catfights) only fueled Tyra’s rage.

“So Tyra called Kimora to prove the notion [that she doesn't work well with others] wrong,” the source adds. A CW spokesman would say only: “Not true.”

Kimora, who will fill the seat occupied by celebrity guest judges like Kim Kardashian, Chanel Iman and Jessica White, won’t be the only Type A personality on the bench: Word is that fan favorite J. Alexander is getting bounced back to his original role as runway coach and will be replaced by Vogue editor at large Andre Leon Talley.

“No one is sure why Miss J has been demoted from being a judge back to just doing the runway coaching,” continues the source.

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Being a Victoria’s Secret model can be a poisoned chalice – when your body alters one iota, everybody takes notice.
Whic explains why Tyra Banks hit the headlines two years ago after gaining 30lb and ballooning to a Size 14-16.

But the 5ft 10in America’s Next Top Model host has battled back from the 11-and-a-half stone she tipped at her heaviest and gleefully showed off her toned Size 8 figure in a photoshoot in New York.

The 35-year-old, who hasn’t done much modeling over the past couple of years, looked back on form and as confident as ever as she posed in her form-fitting grey knee-length dress, black tights and knee-high boots.

The talk show host was at dinner at Pranna in Murray Hill with boyfriend Johnny Utendahl when the manager sent over a couple of glasses of complimentary champagne. A diner at a neighboring table said, “She was grateful but ended up not drinking. She doesn’t booze anymore. I guess that’s how she ended up dropping 30 pounds.” Banks had a guest spot with Hilary Duff on Monday’s episode of “Gossip Girl.”

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Tyra will be appearing on “Gossip Girl” next Monday, October 5th as Ursula Nyquist who is an award winning actress looking to offset some recent bad press with her virtuoso performance as Josephine Baker in an Oscar-bait film about the French Resistance. The fate of Ursula’s career ends up in the hands of Serena van der Woodsen, who finds herself in over her head when she lands her first job.

Also on Monday (10/5) “The Tyra Show” will feature more behind-the-scenes footage, and Tyra dishes about her week on set.

Be sure to tune in to “The Tyra Show” for a sneak peak at 4 pm on the CW, and then again at 8pm for Tyra’s debut on “Gossip Girl.”

Did Tyra Banks make a deal with the Devil? The model hosts controversial celebrity blogger Perez Hilton on “The Tyra Show” season premiere Tuesday and asks him not to bad-mouth celebrities under the age of 18 for six months.

“When you’re a kid, especially the kid of a celebrity, I don’t feel that they should be put in the public in a way to be made fun of. I feel they should be protected,” Tyra says on the show, which airs on the CW at 4 p.m. She asks Perez to comply for a year, and he reasons that they should compromise on six months.

In return, Tyra invites Hilton to appear on one episode of “America’s Next Top Model” as a guest judge.

Ironically, the episode — which was shot on Aug. 18 — goes live just a few days after Perez caught major heat from Demi Moore for doing exactly what he promised Tyra he wouldn’t: targeting minors.

A few weeks ago, Perez linked pictures of Demi’ s 15-year-old daughter Tallulah partying on his Twitter page an unflattering shot in which she’s wearing a low-cut top (with closed eyes) while out partying in L.A.

Mama Moore ain’t amused. “Clearly Perez Hilton isn’t taking violating child pornography laws very seriously,” Demi tweeted of the photos on Thursday. “He might not but there are a lot of people who do.”

“Expect a letter from my attorney, kitten” the controversial blogger shot back, accusing the actress of “defaming” him.

Kirstie Alley chimed in defense of her friend: “I don’t condone men who ridicule and sexually degrade minors!”

Not surprisingly, Perez says he will be taking legal action towards Alley and anyone else who “slanders” him.

Hmm, we’ll see how tough he is when Bruce Willis hears about this.

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Tyra Banks is getting back to her roots for the season debut of her TV talk show, and she doesn’t mean that as a figure of speech.

On Tuesday’s fifth-season premiere of “The Tyra Show” on the CW network, the former supermodel goes on-camera with unadorned hair. Or as Banks puts it, “no wigs, extensions, no nothing.”

“It’s just me coming straight out of the shower with wet hair. My hairdresser’s going to do my hair live on stage,” said Banks, who will interview women with insecurities about their own tresses.

She aims to reassure them about how attractive their hair is naturally and “ask them to be brave enough to show it to everybody on national television,” Banks said.

It’s part of her mission to help redefine the emotional issue of beauty for women, both within and without, she said.

“The Tyra Show” – the title now uses only her first name – last week won a Daytime Emmy Award in the talk show-informative category. It moves from syndication to the CW network this season, airing 4 p.m. EDT weekdays.

Banks said she’s learned from past shows, especially when it comes to trusting the insights she developed in the fashion industry.

“It’s more honest. There’s nothing worse than sitting there and pretending” ignorance while a guest delivers tips she could share herself, Banks said.

Models used to queue for her makeup skills at Paris fashion shows, she said. And when it comes to clothing, “I’m going to be telling you how to make that sweater into a skirt. And into a skort. And into a dress. I know how to do that.”

Banks also will be front and center for the new run of her series “America’s Next Top Model,” which debuts with a two-hour episode at 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday on CW. This time around, women who are 5-foot-7 and under – generally scorned as short by the fashion industry – make up the field of contestants.

“I feel like it’s my calling to open up stereotypes of beauty,” whether in life or on the runway, said Banks. She ended up feeling especially close to the aspiring models and spent more time with them than usual, which viewers will see on air.

“I wonder if it’s because they’re shorter and felt like little sisters,” mused the 5-foot-10 Banks, who’s also a judge and executive producer for the show.

Banks, whose business empire is impressive enough to have landed her on Forbes magazine’s Celebrity 100 list of the rich and famous in 2008, is launching an online magazine Tuesday – Tyra: Beauty Inside & Out, which she’s dubbed a “magaline” – to share her expertise on that and other topics.

“I’m really interested in helping women take control of their futures, take control of their destiny. One of my lines in my manifesto on the Web site is to be the CEO of your own life, be in control of your own life,” Banks said.