Welcome, Kelsey
After my exclusive about KEYT-TV chief meteorologist Alan Rose departing for Colorado after 14 years on TV Hill, I now hear he is being replaced by Kelsey Gerckens, a regular on the ABC affiliate’s morning show with her husband, co-anchor Joe Buttitta, according to news director Jim Lemon.
The tony twosome obviously work well together having won the popular CBS show The Amazing Race and $1 million three years ago…
Flipping Out
Montecito TV talk show host Ellen Degeneres and wife actress Portia de Rossi are house flipping again.
The dynamic duo have just sold the Beverly Hills house they listed in March for $17.95 million, which they picked up in September, 2018, for $15 million.
They accepted an offer of $15.5 million, according to public records.
The 1962 property has five bedrooms, all en-suite.
The duo also recently sold their Carpinteria beach house for $23 million in July, which they’d bought in 2017 for $18.6 million.
PR to the Rescue
Former actress Meghan Markle has hired the top crisis PR firm, Sunshine Sachs, to burnish her image after a series of damaging controversies.
The Beverly Hills company, which also represents the Santa Barbra International Film Festival, has also included former film mogul Harvey Weinstein and the late rocker Michael Jackson, among its clientele.
The Duchess of Sussex, wife of Prince Harry, is said to be particularly worried about adverse coverage of her supposedly negative relationship with William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Buckingham Palace says the hiring of Sunshine Sachs is to help the couple launch their foundation in the U.S.
Other clients of the firm have included actress Natalie Portman, rockers Justin Timberlake and Bon Jovi, actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Ben Affleck, and Jennifer Lopez.
Wedding Bells
Santa Barbara warbler Katy Perry and her British actor fiancé Orlando Bloom attended one of England’s grandest weddings when actress Ellie Goulding, 32, married Old Etonian art dealer Caspar Jopling, 37, at the magnificent 14th century York Minster Cathedral.
They joined singer James Blunt and his wife, Sofia Wellesley, granddaughter of the Duke of Wellington, with both men dressed in tails.
Actress Sienna Miller was also a guest at the lavish nuptials of the couple, who had been introduced by Prince Andrew‘s daughter, Princess Eugenie, whose sister, Princess Beatrice, 31, was also in attendance with her beau, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi – who were dining at Lucky’s a few weeks back – as well as Fergie, the Duchess of York.
After the ceremony the guests repaired to Castle Howard, a 17th century stately pile 15 miles away, best known as the setting of the wonderful TV series, Brideshead Revisited, with Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews.
Blending In
At 93, Queen Elizabeth has quite a sense of humor.
Currently on her annual holiday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, Her Majesty was walking with her protection officer, Richard Griffin, dressed in tweeds with her trademark Hermes headscarf.
Unaware of who she was, a group of American tourists struck up a conversation asking if she lived in the area. She replied that she had a house nearby.
Then they asked if she’d ever met the Queen and she said she hadn’t, but “this policeman has.”
Griffin, who has worked with the Queen for 30 years, recounted the encounter in the London Times, saying the group moved on after a while and remained oblivious to the stranger’s real identity.
The late Queen Mother also had a similar encounter when picnicking near her home at Royal Birkhall on the 50,000-acre estate, when she was asked for directions to Balmoral.
As the tourists left, she couldn’t stop laughing at going unrecognized, according to Scott Corrie, an old friend, who was her Page of the Presence, who was also at the rustic repast.
Sightings: Singer Jimmy Buffett at George’s Pet Boutique at the Montecito Country Mart… Oscar winner Natalie Portman checking out the Public Market… Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman at the FisHouse
Pip! Pip!
