Chatting with Asia, the Newest Pussycat Doll

Asia Nitollano, 19, a single mom from the Bronx was just crowned the newest member of the popular group, The Pussycat Dolls. She recently did a quick interview with Entertainment Weekly magazine to catch them up on everything that's going on in her life now.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Were you surprised that you won?
ASIA NITOLLANO: I couldn't believe it. I honestly knew it could be any one of us. I was just hoping, ''Let this be my chance, let this be my moment.'' And when they called my name, it was just, ''You're kidding me.'' I wanted to be like, ''Where's my mom?'' I couldn't wait to tell everybody. I always told my grandmother — she passed away — that ''I'm gonna make it, and I'm gonna buy you a house, and I'm gonna be famous.''

Have you talked to the Dolls at all this week?
I haven't really spoken to the girls. They're on tour with Christina [Aguilera], so it's kind of been hard with me doing the show and everything. But when I won, it was all love. I can't wait to meet up with them all.

And are you in touch with Robin Antin [the Dolls' founder]?
She's the sweetest. She's like a mother to all the girls on the show. And she cared about each and every one of us. She's always text-messaging me, asking how I am and stuff.

Does your daughter know about the Pussycat Dolls?
She'll be 2 next month. She knows ''Dontcha'' by heart. She sings it all the time. She's a dancer and a singer... She's the next Pussycat Doll, I'm telling you. She's gonna be the Pussycat Doll baby, start her own little group.

Are you still living in New York City?
I'm representing New Yorkers again! I met Jennifer Lopez. I love her. We both come from the Bronx and danced with the same dance company. [I'm] the next Asia from the block!

How was the show different from what you were expecting?
I really thought it was just gonna be dancing and singing the whole time. I didn't know there was going to be as much interaction, and it was crazy, living with a bunch of girls and being away from my baby. There's so much more to it than just a competition. It was a television show first, more than anything. I don't think they gave me much of a personality!

I'll bet it's nice to be free of the always-present CW cameras.
It was weird having them following you around, but after a week, you're over it. It seems normal now [but] you just want them to leave you alone sometimes.

Tell us something we don't know about Asia.
I wanted to rap. In high school, I'd try to make up rap songs, and all the girls would laugh at me. But I feel in my heart I was kinda serious about it.

What's your next step?
I have to wait till [the other six Dolls] finish the Christina tour. But I'm gonna be meeting with a label in a few weeks. I'm just enjoying the moment right now. I'm just gonna be a mom. I'm excited to make music. That's my life. That's what I've been working so hard for. I'm proud that I never gave up.

Photo from CW.

Pussycat Dolls Find Their Newest Member

This week brought the finale of The Pussycat Dolls: Search for the Next Doll, with 18-year-old single mom Asia winning the top prize, the coveted spot with the ultra sexy group.

Regular viewers may remember a mini-cat fight brewing with the contestants when Sisely said Asia looked like a drag queen when she performed. Guess that worked out for her.

Asia hails from Mt. Vernon, New York, and prior to competing on CW's newest reality show, she was a Knick City dancer.

Photo from CW.

Pussycat Dolls Gearing Up for Season Two

Even though they only had the season finale this week, crowning Asia as The Pussycat Dolls newest member, they're already accepting applications for the second season of The Pussycat Dolls: Search for the Next Doll. Talk about a rolling stone gathering no moss. Interested? You can get all the deets right here.

No More Pussycat Dolls for Melissa S.

Last week, The Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll bid adieu to Melissa S. Her stint on the show was not without controversy, as she constantly had her claws out when it came to fellow contestant Chelsea. I didn't know this before now, but Melissa S. was also a finalist on Making the Band 3. Guess she's making the reality show rounds a la Boston Rob (from Survivor and Amazing Race). She recently sat down with TV Guide to speak her mind.

TVGuide.com: I felt really bad for you after Ron Fair's comment that you were "sexy, Vegas-y white trashy."
Melissa: Oh, my god, it was horrible! The last two episodes were very hard for me to watch because of the way they were portraying me. There was no drama between me and Chelsea. I don't live in the editing room. I don't know what they were thinking, but it was extremely hard for me to watch that knowing that I got along with everyone in the house, and they portrayed me as the biggest bitch. Every time they showed Chelsea [faltering] there, I was beaming from ear to ear. Ron Fair's comment about the white-trash thing? I'm sorry, where was he coming off with that? I'm not that at all. I just have to brush it off and keep going.

TVGuide.com: Has your family been upset with the way you've been portrayed?
Melissa: It is so unfortunate. My family and friends who actually know me know that I am absolutely nothing like that. They kind of laugh about it and say, "This is so wrong." I was talking to [fellow Doll wannabe] Anastacia the other day and she's like, "Out of everyone in the house, you were like the sweetheart in the group and they really did a 180 on you."

TVGuide.com: But did you tell Mark McGrath that you thought Chelsea should be the next to go home?
Melissa: Well… I will definitely give my opinion. I'm not going to sugarcoat anything, but they never showed what I really said. They aren't going to show the positive side. I absolutely adore Chelsea, I think she's a strong performer and she has the strongest vocals out of anyone in the competition. I think her dancing is good. I don't think it is strong and that's where I think she's a weak link. When it comes to the Pussycat Dolls… if you watch these girls, they are killing the dancing. This is not a huge singing group, as we all know. They have the lead singer, Nicole, who is amazing, and the rest of the girls are strong dancers. I did give my opinion, and I think in interviews, people respect you more when you do.

TVGuide.com: So you don't have any regrets about saying that about Chelsea?
Melissa: No way.

TVGuide.com: Do you think maybe Robin saw that and that "attitude" put her off?
Melissa: No. I really think that Robin knew. It wasn't a surprise that she was a weak dancer. Everyone knew. I was just stating a fact.

TVGuide.com: So you weren't sabotaging Chelsea?
Melissa: Not at all. Everyone got a little out of hand with the whole editing thing. They made it out to be something that wasn't even that deep.

TVGuide.com: They also showed you rolling your eyes when Asia was helping Chelsea learn tricky dance steps.
Melissa: Yeah, but they didn't show that before Asia helped her, I was downstairs for an hour helping her. They took me up for an interview and said, "This is a competition, why would you help her?" Then I repeated, "Why would I help her?" and that's what they put in. They were egging me on. Saying stuff like, "Oh, you must not want this bad enough." They'll take what they want and make their own montage and make their own show.

TVGuide.com: They were somewhat right, though — it was a competition. If you didn't help her it wouldn't have really been so terrible.
Melissa: It was a competition, but at the end of the day, my talent is going to speak for itself. I can help her until she's blue in the face, but you aren't going to change someone overnight.

TVGuide.com: You really had a rocky road.... You were either winning challenges or in the bottom two. How stressful was that?
Melissa: It was pretty crazy. I didn't change anything. Every performance I did my best and I gave it my all. Sometimes for different reasons within the show, not having to do with the competition, I feel like they did that. Again, it was really hard for me. Imagine what I had to go through? While we were filming all I had to go on was just that judging. You can't think rationally during this show. It felt like every day I had to pick myself back up off the floor and piece my confidence back together. And then I'd win a challenge, and then I'd be back in the bottom two.

TVGuide.com: Would you ever do anything like this again?
Melissa: I'm probably not going to do another reality show unless I have control over what is going to be going on.

TVGuide.com: What are you working on now?
Melissa: I'm in a recording studio working on a solo album. This is the road I am on. I did Making the Band, I did this and it has been a tremendous experience, and I have nothing but great memories from both. I feel like I've grown as an artist and I'm learning more new stuff about myself every day. I'm just going to continue on this road and this journey. I'm not giving up. My fans can look out for me. My website is officialmelissasmith.com. My MySpace page is myspace.com/melspunks because I’m a spunky little girl. I'm still going to go get them, girl.

TVGuide.com: You were a great dancer.... Were any of the challenges actually hard for you?
Melissa: The only thing that was hard about this whole competition was that we had no time for anything. We had 45 minutes to learn our song and dance and then we were in the challenge and then we were thrown somewhere else in front of people performing. No celebrity performer in their right mind would only have 45 minutes of rehearsal and then get on stage and try to work it out. We were going on two or three hours of sleep every night because we were trying to learn everything.

TVGuide.com: Are you rooting for anyone in particular to win?
Melissa: I really feel like it is going to come down to Melissa R. and Asia. I feel like those two girls are extremely talented and could be the next Pussycat Doll.

TVGuide.com: If Chelsea does win, is that the worst thing?
Melissa: No! I'd be happy for her if she won, too. Everyone [has been] so talented throughout this experience, and I know how hard it is and what they've been put through.

Photo from TV Guide.

Pussycat Dolls Say Buh-Bye to Anastacia

I admit it. I got suckered into CW's Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll. Last week, we said good-bye to contestant Anastacia McPherson. With her height and her deep throaty voice, she definitely stood out from the pack. TV Guide recently sat down with her to get some behind-the-scenes dish the other girls and the whole experience.

TVGuide.com: Did you have a good experience?
Anastacia McPherson: It was amazing. It was unbelievable, but it was really stressful, too.

TVGuide.com: You were learning choreography on a bus and crazy stuff like that, all in a short period of time.
Anastacia: It was insane the amount of time that we had before we would perform. It was really stressful, but at the same time it was so amazing being a part of everything.

TVGuide.com: Why did you want to do this show?
Anastacia: I've always really loved the Pussycat Dolls. I bought their first album, and I knew about them when they were a show on the Sunset Strip [in Hollywood]. I really liked the fact that they've got these hot songs but they are real dancers, and that's something I can appreciate. I always thought I should audition for the Vegas show.

TVGuide.com: So you must have loved this week's "traditional" Pussycat Dolls performance.
Anastacia: That was my favorite show, and ironically that's the one where they booted me. That was the best part, getting to do the old-school stuff.

TVGuide.com: You mentioned several times that you felt bigger than the other girls, but is it just because you are literally taller?
Anastacia: I am bigger in the sense that I am taller and more muscular, and I have big hair. Some of the girls are naturally on the slimmer side, so it was awkward being in this reality bubble around such tiny girls all of the time and performing with them. I wanted to feel like part of the group, but I was different, obviously different.

TVGuide.com: And you have that deep, sexy voice.
Anastacia: Yeah, my voice is in a lower range. I think it is cool and it does set me apart, but it can be limiting. But I look at it as a good thing.

TVGuide.com: Judge Ron Fair seemed to be a fan of your voice.
Anastacia: He was! He was a big supporter and I appreciated that. It was such an honor to have someone like Ron Fair even know my name, let alone give me high remarks. It was incredible.

TVGuide.com: I'm very envious of your big, curly hair.
Anastacia: It is so funny, because it is very hit-or-miss. People either love it or they hate it. Thank you, I've gotten into it. I didn't always like it.

TVGuide.com: What do you think was the hardest challenge?
Anastacia: Vegas. I was not only going through my inner turmoil, but the whole dress-fitting thing was real. We were being fitted on a bus, and none of [the dresses] fit me and the wardrobe people weren't being shy about telling me that. Learning the routine on the bus, the moving bus, was crazy. Then just performing right there on the spot with the audience waiting? I couldn't believe that was the challenge.

TVGuide.com: Do you think your troubles with that challenge were still in the back of your mind when you were rehearsing for a chance to go on stage with the actual Dolls?
Anastacia: I think I was psyching myself out in a way. But I also think I just move differently. I wasn't moving the way that [PCD founder] Robin [Antin] wanted me to. I think I have really good dance skills, but I wasn't picking up the slinkiness of it when we were auditioning in front of the tour bus....

TVGuide.com: Was that actually on the street?
Anastacia: Yeah, on the street! There was a crack in front of me and I was in heels. It was rough. That was a lot of pressure.

TVGuide.com: How hard was it sitting on that bus with Chelsea while the others performed?
Anastacia: Oh, my god! I was so mad! It might have been better if I was just by myself.

TVGuide.com: She seemed to try really hard to make it positive.
Anastacia: Yeah, that's Chelsea, she's a talker. She talks when she's nervous. From Day 1, even before we got cast as finalists, I remember her from the hotel and she never stopped moving and she never stopped talking. I need to get in my head space before performing. It was just totally the wrong mix for me to be on the bus with her.

TVGuide.com: How'd you avoid all of the drama?
Anastacia: When you have girls from different parts of the United States who are relatively in the same age group competing for the same thing, there's definitely going to be friction. Especially when it is entertainment-related. I tried to be at peace with everyone and at least try not to start any drama.

TVGuide.com: Are you rooting for any one person in particular?
Anastacia: I think all of the girls are talented in their own ways. I wish them the best of luck and hope that it goes to the girl who can fit into the group well and really manage everything.

New Show from The Pussycat Dolls

In my next life, I'd like to come back as a Pussycat Doll. But since that's not likely to happen, I can do the next best thing, and live vicariously through their new series. Coming to the CW network on March 6 at 9 pm EST, the new reality show, Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll, is a behind-the-scenes look at their search to find the next beautiful singer/dancer to join their troupe.

Thousands auditioned, but only one will make it. "Judges on the series include the group's founder and choreographer, Robin Antin, along with Ron Fair, Chairman of Geffen Records, and Grammy Award-winning performing artist Lil' Kim."

"As they guide the young contestants through auditions and challenges, the judges' personal styles sometimes clash, but their brutally honest critiques are intended to bring out the best in each performer. The Pussycat Dolls' lead singer and spokesperson, Nicole Scherzinger, is an inspiring role model to the participants. New dance routines in the Dolls' unmistakable style are created by Antin and co-choreographer Mikey Minden, who teach the girls one demanding number after another. In addition, Antin is on hand to take the participants through each challenge and demonstrate what it takes to become a Pussycat Doll. Antin's brother, hairstylist Jonathan Antin of "Blowout" fame, is on board for sexy hairstyle makeovers. Another important member of the team is singer/songwriter Mark McGrath, who serves as the show's host."

After a nationwide audition process, the judges narrowed the group to a final collection of nine , who then move into a loft in Los Angeles' fashion district during the competition. "Each episode has a specific theme - confidence, creativity and style are just a few of the themes addressed. Challenges include ballet dancing in toe shoes, designing an original Pussycat Doll-style outfit and learning a dance routine with male partners. In addition to Nicole, other members of the Pussycat Dolls provide advice and empower the girls to give their all during each challenge. Along the way, there are plenty of surprises, including celebrity guests and unexpected trips."

Photo from William Morris Agency.

The Hills' Heidi Montag on Stuff Magazine

She's still one year too young to appear on the cover of the men's magazine, Stuff, but that didn't stop reality star Heidi Montag from baring almost all in a recent photo shoot she did for them. She talks to US magazine on the whole experience.

Us: What do you think about not being old enough for the cover? "I do think it is unfair that I didn't get the cover because of my age, but I understand, and it gives me something to look forward to when I turn 21."

Us: Do you think the photo spread is sexy?
"Obviously, they are sexy. Mostly because I am hardly wearing anything! I was excited to show a side of myself that people don't get a chance to see just watching The Hills. Spencer (Pratt, her manager-boyfriend and Hills co-star) definitely likes them!"

Us: What does Lauren think of the pics?
"She will probably think they are provocative, but hopefully she will like them."

Us: Were you nervous about doing the shoot?
"I was definitely nervous about this shoot. It is my first big spread in any magazine and it was a very sexual photo shoot. I wore different swimsuits and outfits. The most provocative photos were either the ones in the pool where I am splashing around in the water, or the poses on the bearskin rug. I definitely had a lot of fun doing it."

Us: What's your message to your teenage girl fans by taking sexy photos like these?
"If they get a chance to do a [national magazine] photo spread [at my age], and they feel comfortable with their bodies, then they should do it. That's my message."

Us: So you want to be a pop star?
"I am working on my album right now. The sound is going to be very fun, fresh, sexy. It will be the Pussycat Dolls-meets-Gwen Stefani, with a dose of Fergie. I grew up dancing so there also will be a lot of performing. And a lot of my songs will be very sexual."

Us: Do you think Audrina is going to be jealous of your spread?
"Ha! I would be, but I honestly don't think she will be."

Photo from US.