ROSIE SPEAKS OUT!

Some pretty harsh comments are being made about Conan O’Brien. Top NBC exec Dick Ebersol (chairman of NBC sports and a key exec in many late night decisions) – told the NY Times that he felt Conan was an astounding failure. Dick said he met with O’Brien a few weeks before he was scheduled to take over The Tonight Show last June and advised him to adjust his style in order to reach a wider audience – but he was/is stubborn and didn’t. Then all the Jay/Conan jokes began and he went on to say “It’s chicken-hearted and gutless to blame a guy you couldn’t beat in the ratings. They’re just striking out at Jay. It seems like professional jealousy.” Ebersol summed up NBC’s late night mess by saying, quote, “We bet on the wrong guy.”

Rosie O'Donnell is coming to Conan O'Brien’s defense. Speaking with reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour Thursday, she said Jay Leno should step aside:

IF YOU'RE PRIVILEGED ENOUGH TO ASK TO DRIVE THE BUS, YOU SHOULD SAY "THANK YOU" AND DRIVE IT TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY, AND WHEN IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO HIRE A NEW DRIVER, YOU SHOULD SAY "THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO DRIVE THIS AS LONG AS I DID" AND PASS THE KEYS TO THE NEW GUY WITH RED HAIR, AND NOT TRY TO FLATTEN HIS TIRES BEFORE HE EVEN GETS GOING.

CLOONEY STEPS IN

George Clooney is calling on every one of his famous friends to raise money for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. He’ll host a telethon on MTV next Friday night – January 22nd…It will also air on ABC, NBC, CNN and HBO.

PIGGIES ANYONE?

Celebrities, award shows, FREE STUFF. The swag suites they’re known as, before they go into the show, they stop by a rented luxury hotel suite for free stuff, this year, a little different, there’s a SWINE SUITE. In addition to the usual free electronics, trips, they’re also getting free miniature pigs. If you want a petite porkers, you can shell out $5000, or be a celebrity and agree to complete a one-hour course on how to care for the animals. You can then pick between the Royal Dandie, 29 lbs, or the Royal Dandie Extreme, 19lbs. The Golden Globes and the pigs will be handed out Sunday.