No more Kris in "The Buzz," "SNN"

Beginning next month, you won’t be seeing Kris Aquino host “The Buzz” and “SNN: Showbiz News Ngayon” anymore. Kris is giving up the two shows for the sake of her brother Noynoy, who will be taking his oath as our next President.

The media diva explained that she and her sisters decided that she say goodbye to the two shows “for the duration of Noy’s presidency” to avoid drawing controversy that could render her brother vulnerable to criticism.

She admitted that her trademark tactlessness could get Noynoy in hot water. “It is a choice, a sacrifice I'm making, because any comment that I make can be misinterpreted."

She said that the incoming president “will have enough problems” and that “I want Noy to succeed.”

Kris will quit “SNN” on June 25 and “The Buzz” two days later. She, however, is returning to “Kung Tayo'y Magkakalayo” after the year of mourning for her mom Cory ends in August. Her character in the teleserye was killed off just before the campaign period began.

She will also keep her slot as a judge in the talent show “Pilipinas Got Talent.”

In her Tweet last week, Kris wrote: “I’ll take my kids on their long delayed Disney vacation for 3 wks in August. When I come back, I’ll have new shows for ABS-CBN, I can still act, host a game show, judge a talent show, or finally fulfill my dream of having a lifestyle/travel show w/ a community sharing component. Life is good & I feel positive! Love love love.”

* * *

Willie Revillame has written a letter to the bigwigs of ABS-CBN asking that he be released “as a talent of the station.” His contract with the network runs until September next year. “This way, I will have the much-needed space and time to contemplate on my direction in life and, at the same time, maintain the relationships I have built within the network, which are all worth preserving,” Willie wrote.

The “Wowowee” host has been a no-show for almost three weeks, and action star Robin Padilla has taken over his chores.

In his letter, Willie said that his “devotion to the show is unparalleled that I have even been besieged by health problems due to the long hours I spend daily, thinking of how to bring ‘Wowowee’ closer to the public. In fact, I have developed a heart blockage, which has already once posed a real threat to my life. I have sacrificed so much. Now, I have to accept the reality that I also have to take good care of my health.”

Yesterday, the TV executives were supposed to sit down and decide Willie’s fate. As of this writing, no word yet if they would grant his request and release him, which could pave the way for his transfer to a rival network. Or they would “freeze” him by requiring him to stay on until his contract expires without giving him any project. Or they would allow him to return to “Wowowee,” which at this point I think is a long shot.

* * *

Will the next American Idol be a 24-year-old mom who has been compared to Janis Joplin? Or will it be the 23-year-old paintshop clerk with the long golden mane and oozing sensuality?

That will be up to the 20 million or more viewers who will be voting this week either for Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze in the finale of “American Idol.” The two emerged as the finalists after Casey James was voted out last week.

This season is also significant because Simon Cowell will be bowing out as one of the show’s four judges. In last week’s “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” Cowell, who comes on as a nasty, brutally honest critic, revealed that he could get very depressed because of his work. “I get very, very down,” he said. “Pretty much depression. (But) what I always say is, ‘You're taking yourself too seriously, so stop it.’ At the same time, you should never put a painted smile on. When you're feeling down, you're feeling down.”