It's down the tubes for 4 Seattle residents

By Pamela Sitt
Seattle Times staff reporter

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive

Wild card?: Garfield High student Leah LaBelle (aka Vladowski; LaBelle is her middle name) didn't make the grade tonight among "American Idol" viewers, who instead voted standout LaToya London and pink-haired Amy Adams into the finals. LaBelle, 17, gets our style vote, however, for performing in an edgy black gown with criss-crossed bodice, black leggings and kicky pale-blue stilettos. And she still has a good shot at the wild card. Otherwise, root for last week's finalist Matt Rogers, who technically belongs to Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., but was on the UW football team that won the 2001 Rose Bowl.

So long, Sara: Who knew you could be too sexy? Judges on UPN's "America's Next Top Model" deemed Seattle's Sara Racey-Tabrizi, 23, just that Tuesday, reducing her to tears upon her elimination. "It's a wonderful compliment, but then again, it's a double-edged sword," she said by phone yesterday. But hey, at least she got to shake her booty in Tyra Banks' first (and hopefully, last) video.

"You're fired!": Tammy Lee of Seattle got the boot last week on NBC's "The Apprentice" due to her decidedly lacking social skills. After pissing off Carson Daly and Regis Philbin the week before, Lee alienated her Versacorp teammates by badmouthing her team leader in the boardroom. Trump promptly fired her for being "disloyal." Lee seemed perplexed. She thought she was "honest."

Season-finale update: Randi Coy pulled off the wedding scam of 2004 (take that, Britney!) by fooling her family into thinking she was marrying a "Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé" on Fox. The Coys took home $1 million as an aborted-wedding gift. Also on Fox, Glen Foster, aka "The Littlest Groom," gave Mika Winkler a 2-carat diamond ring — for her right hand. Bothell contestant Kaaren Kragerud was eliminated but said yesterday it was never meant to be: "When he told me his favorite singer was Clay Aiken ... " Good riddance. Over on ABC, Northwest native Meredith Phillips offered her final rose to Ian McKee on the two-hour finale of "The Bachelorette." In a surprise move, the commitment-shy McKee proposed to Phillips with a 3.5-carat princess ring. She said yes.

This week: Anthony Fermo of Everett reveals his svelte new self tonight on ABC's "Extreme Makeover" (9 p.m., KOMO-TV) ... Fox will air repeats of the final two episodes of "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé," starring Washington native Steven Bailey, tonight starting at 8 p.m. (KCPQ-TV) ... Will Hung, who infamously butchered Ricky Martin's "She Bangs," will appear on "American Idol: Uncut, Uncensored and Untalented" Monday at 8 p.m. on Fox. Says Ryan Seacrest: "It'd be a great joke on all of us if Will knew he was bad the whole time."

Pamela Sitt: 206-464-2376 or psitt@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company