The Awkward Little Moments

February 01, 2007

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I can't think of a more awkward way to watch the Top Chef Season Finale than in a conference room with Marcel and Ilan and their respective dates. All. Together. Yikes.

They spent the show talking back at the screen and at each other. Marcel was pissed that Sam took credit for the bean dish to the judges, but was really happy with his final speech about food to the judges. I am sure it was incredibly awkward for both of them, which is all the more why I appreciated their spending finale night with the crew of Watch What Happens, where they took your emails, texts, and calls live. It was an insane show, which you can watch HERE.

Rosie O'Donnell is Marcel's new number one fan, she was carrying on about him on "The View" yesterday, so we naturally tried to get her to call into WWH. She did us one better by inviting Marcel onto "The View"! He'll be there this morning and I'm hoping she lays a big freebie on him, in addition to some Rosie love.

When we sat down on the set to begin the show, I got my first real look at them both under the lights and became amazed (obsessed?) with their respective "looks". I'd spent all season marvelling at Ilan's (insane?) fashion choices during his TC interview segments (multiple watches, headbands, vests, chunky gold chains, and I don't know what) and he delivered again last night. As for Marcel, his hair in person is something to behold; I saw no gel, foam, gelee, or mousse propping it up, it is just an outsanding concoction of molecular follicology.

As Bravotv.com was celebrating its 50,000th comment yesterday, I think we got 50,000 more last night! We have lots of people manning the emails and phones and we try to get to as many as possible. I thought both chefs handled the tough q's with aplomb. The show began with a call from Harold Dieterle and evolved into a supersized YouTube moment.

A lot of people wrote in wanting to know what was up with Marcel's frame of mind, if he was drunk, and why does he talk like a rapper. If I can speculate, I think he was -- rightly -- a little uncomfortable, he was not drunk but exhausted and wired all at once, and he talks the way he talks, like a surfer. He told one of our crew he'd slept a total of six hours in two days. I hope he makes it to The View today!

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