I’m feeling such nostalgia for the Sugarcubes given this current Bjork promotional tour. She has a new tour film called Cornucopia. [OMG Blog]
FKA Twigs’ scifi brand is strong. [Go Fug Yourself]
Ryan Reynolds made a surprise public appearance. [Socialite Life]
Mikey Madison isn’t on social media?? [LaineyGossip]
Timothee Chalamet was great on SNL? [Pajiba]
All about The Gilded Age Season 3!! I cannot wait. [Just Jared]
Robert Pattinson scarfed it up at the Dior show. [RCFA]
Lin Manuel-Miranda resurrected Hamilton. [Seriously OMG]
Love After Lockup: a fentanyl drug ring sting? [Starcasm]
All about Timothee Chalamet’s dating history. [Hollywood Life]
A divorce lawyer shares common mistakes people make in marriage. [Buzzfeed]

I will admit, I’ve been really impressed by Joe Alwyn over the past year. He navigated the Taylor Swift breakup better than any of her other exes (minus Harry Styles) and he came out intact. Taylor has written some songs about him, but he hasn’t come across as a heartbreaker or f–kboy or douchebag. The worst you can say about him, re: Taylor, is that he didn’t want to marry her and he sort of wasted her time. Anyway, Alwyn recently spoke to the Guardian because he’s promoting his new film, The Brutalist. He plays the son/heir of Guy Pearce’s wealthy industrialist, an industrialist who is the “patron” of Adrien Brody’s Holocaust-survivor architect. It’s a supporting role for Alwyn, but given the awards-season surge for The Brutalist, it looks like a great career move for him. Some highlights from the Guardian interview:

Why he signed on to The Brutalist: “To be honest, I thought it might be a really good film that not many people would end up seeing. Who knows, maybe it still will? I hope not. But given the things against it, given that it ticks most boxes of what you’re not meant to make as a film these days: length, content, all of that – anything on top of that is a really nice surprise. A three-and-a-half-hour film about a Hungarian architect doesn’t scream Oppenheimer!”

His entitled and arrogant character: “A bit of a wrong ’un, but quite an interesting wrong ’un,” says Alwyn. He found inspiration for Harry in unexpected places. “Look who’s the new president of America, and his family. Often family businesses are so insular and stunted and hollow. And you see it with Trump and his children: ‘I can do what I want.’ A convicted felon accused of sexual assault and grabbing them by the p-ssy and all of that. He’s unanswerable, unfortunately.”

Scoring his first film role in ‘Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk’: “Everything about it was extreme: going to a new country, going to military boot camp, having your hair shaved off, doing an American accent, bulking up, everything was extreme. It’s still the most special experience of being a part of a project. I feel like I’ve been chasing that feeling since and have also simultaneously realised it’s not going to be the same, because that was the first ever time. And so it’s become coloured by other things and that’s OK as well… that first time I had no idea about everything else that comes with it. That you have to do press for it and there’s expectations, or there’s not expectations. Or it could lead to this, or it won’t lead to this. All of that wasn’t there and that was great.”

Whether he feared that his relationship with Taylor Swift would overshadow his career: “I have tried just to focus on controlling what I can control. And, right from the beginning, tried to focus on the things that are meaningful for me: friends, family, work, of course. So noise outside of that, I think I’ve done what lots of people who find themselves in the public eye do, which is just try and ignore it. If you don’t, and if you let all of that other stuff in, and if it starts to affect you and your behaviour, you’re living from the outside in. And then you’re pretty f–ked. I have great family and friends and real things in my life; those are the things that kept me tethered to the ground. So I don’t know how else to say it, it’s… just in a different room.”

He has moved on from Taylor: “That’s something for other people to do. We’re talking about something that’s a while ago now in my life. So that’s for other people. That’s what I feel.”

[From The Guardian]

I like this perspective: “it’s… just in a different room.” That’s probably one of the healthiest ways to handle it. He never even seemed that worried that he would get the full “Taylor’s Ex” treatment by Taylor or her fans. It was like water off a duck’s back, or noise in a different room, as he says. It’s got to feel good that following the split, he’s been in two acclaimed art-house films back-to-back as well – first Kinds of Kindness and now The Brutalist. He also just filmed with Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone again. He’s really fashioning an interesting career for himself.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day, and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Poland is hosting world leaders at Auschwitz for a commemoration event, and much like the 80th anniversary of D-Day last year, the few people left with attachments to WWII and the Holocaust have been invited to the ceremony. King Charles is in Poland, as in the Netherlands’ King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and Princess Amalia.

I wondered if Prince William would do much of anything to mark the day, given his 76-year-old father (who is still being treated for cancer) flew to Poland for the day. As it turns out, William was always scheduled to mark the day in London, and at the last minute, Kensington Palace confirmed that the Princess of Wales would join him. I wonder… do you think Kate’s appearance came as a surprise to Buckingham Palace? I kind of think it did. Kensington Palace waited until Charles was already on the ground in Poland to announce Kate’s sudden appearance.

I will update with the new photos of Kate when they come in – I have no idea when the London memorial event is supposed to start. This will be Kate’s second public appearance of the year, following her surprise appearance at the Royal Marsden Hospital two weeks ago.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been huge supporters of Jose Andres and his World Central Kitchen for years now. Not only do they support WCK, they’re quite friendly with Andres. When Harry and Meghan were in Pasadena this month to work with wildfire relief, they volunteered with the WCK hub providing meals to evacuees and workers. Interestingly enough, last year, Andres joined the board of Earthshot, and Prince William’s people telegraphed the fact that William pursued Andres specifically because of Andres’ closeness to the Sussexes, and William told people that Andres chose HIM, and that it was all very humiliating for Harry and Meghan. Andres has never engaged with any of that though, and he spoke to People Magazine exclusively to talk about how much he loves Harry and Meghan:

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry “show up” when it matters, regardless of the cameras or criticism they may face as a result, according to their friend José Andrés. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex — who live in Montecito, Calif., about 90 miles north of the L.A. area — have quietly aided with wildfire relief efforts as blazes tear across Southern California, donating essential supplies, connecting with affected families and serving meals with World Central Kitchen (WCK).

Andrés is “just glad that they show up like so many others,” he told PEOPLE during the Cayman Cookout at the Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman. “I mean, listen, I consider them friends,” the WCK founder and restaurateur, 55, says of the pair, who have longstanding ties to his organization. “I know they are in the spotlight — not in America, but in Britain — and what I can tell you from what I know is that they don’t have to, but they decide to do it.”

On Jan. 10, Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, visited the WCK location in Pasadena to help distribute food and supplies to victims of the Eaton Fire, aid that The Bazaar and Zaytinya owner called “amazing.”

“Probably, you feel like it’s better that nobody does anything, because nobody criticizes you for showing up — but the amazing thing is that they show up,” Andrés says. “The hugs I saw [them] give to the people that recognize them and even the people that don’t recognize them, it’s people that just want somebody to listen to them, and give them a hug.” Adds the chef: “I’m just glad that they show up like so many others.”

Like another one of his famous friends who assisted WCK in its fire relief efforts in the L.A. area, Jennifer Garner, Meghan and Harry were there to help, not for media attention, Andrés explains.

“The joy they bring to the people, the joy they bring to the first responders, or the people that lost everything… and to see those celebrities giving hugs and crying with the people when some of those celebrities lost their homes — they could be home, but they are there,” he tells PEOPLE. “And I think anybody that does anything, celebrity or not, only they will always forever get my applause and my recognition.” Some of the individuals assisting WCK and other relief efforts, he continues, “may be celebrities, but in those moments they are one more person willing to do absolutely anything for anybody. So, for everybody that was able to show up even for an hour, for me, they’re amazing people, because they don’t have to because some of them, they are suffering the consequences, maybe, of the fire,” he says. “But there they are and they don’t do it where there are cameras, they’re doing it where there is nobody. And that makes it very special.”

[From People]

“Probably, you feel like it’s better that nobody does anything, because nobody criticizes you for showing up” – I feel like this is the crux of it, really. The people who think Harry and Meghan are “disaster tourists” or that they’re just volunteering to get attention really just want H&M to go into hiding. They can’t believe that H&M still show up, even after they are nitpicked and bullied over every little thing. Anyway, Jose sounds like such a good friend. I wonder if we’re going to hear something about William demanding that Andres “choose sides.”

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Andres’ IG. Screencaps from a Fox affiliate and Sky News.

Last week, Billy Ray Cyrus sang monotoned an a cappella rendition of “Achy Breaky Heart” at Trump’s inauguration Liberty Ball. This wasn’t an artistic choice, but the result of “technical difficulties,” including his electric guitar crapping out, which I like to think was a personal protest by the instrument. Anyway, two days after the performance, Billy Ray’s son Trace made a lengthy emotional plea on Instagram for his dad to seek some help because everyone could see how unwell he is. Trace also noted that he had tried to contact Billy Ray privately, but had been rebuffed. Well, the act really touched Billy Ray, and not only have father and son reconnected, but the larger family network is coming together as well. Haha, just kidding. According to updates from Trace on Instagram, Billy Ray’s only response has been to threaten his son with legal action. And the Cyrus Family Chronicles continue!

Trace, the elder brother of Miley Cyrus and Noah Cyrus, posted an Instagram message concerning the Cyrus family on Jan. 22, expressing worry over his father’s well-being. Trace published an Instagram letter again on Jan. 25, saying Billy Ray had threatened him with legal action following the public plea he’d shared for his dad to “get help.”

Billboard reached out to a representative for Billy Ray Cyrus for comment on Saturday.

“Dad my message was beyond loving,” Trace wrote in Saturday’s note to Billy Ray, referencing the public message to his father from a few days ago. “I could have been extremely honest about a lot more but I don’t want to put your business out there like that. But for you to threaten me with legal action for wanting you to get help is a disgrace. Pappy is looking down at you with such disappointment I can assure you. You should be ashamed of yourself. I will always love you but I no longer respect you as a man. Everyone close to you is terrified to tell you how they really feel. I’m not. Get help.”

In an Instagram Story also posted on Saturday, Trace added, “For all of you wondering no I still haven’t heard from my dad. He did contact a family member to let me know he’s taking legal action against me for encouraging him to get help. Dad I live 30 miles away from you. You could’ve just come & talked to me like a man.”

At press time, Billy Ray has not publicly responded to Trace’s statements.

Trace’s initial message to Billy Ray on Wednesday — which had him stating, “You’re not healthy, Dad and everyone is noticing it,” and “As I write this with tears in my eyes, I hope you realize this message only comes from a place of love and also fear that the world may lose you far too soon” — came after Billy Ray’s shaky performance at Donald Trump’s inauguration Liberty Ball on Jan. 20, an appearance that was marred by technical difficulties and eventually had him singing “Achy Breaky Heart” a cappella to the crowd.

[From Billboard]

Here’s how far we’ve progressed (or regressed, take your pick) as a society: one of my first thoughts was how this would be the opportune moment for the Cyrus clan to pitch a reality series tracking the family factions and attempts at healing. Would it be good and/or therapeutic for them as people? I can’t see how! Unless you count the therapeutic goodness of raking in money. But no, my little idea is only good from a business/ratings standpoint. I gotta say, though, in the one week since “Achy Breaky Heart” caused more family ties to ache and break, the Cyruses have sure been weighing in with responses that could sustain multiple episodes. There are family “sources” who claim all but one of the siblings signed off on Trace’s post, the one out sib being Braison who’s working on a new album with Billy Ray. Other reporting claims Miley doesn’t want to get involved at all (oops, too late?). And wouldn’t you know, Billy Ray’s recent ex-wife Firerose came out of the woodwork to say this incident is what she had to deal with in private while married to Billy Ray. Yikes all around.

So in conclusion, if a Cyrus show actually ends up on Bravo in the near future, then you know who Andy Cohen stole the idea from.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Trace Cyrus (@tracecyrus)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Trace Cyrus (@tracecyrus)

Embed from Getty Images

photos credit: Lumeimages/ImageBROKER/Avalon, Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon, Getty and via Instagram

Two Fridays ago, Vanity Fair released their February cover story, all about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. As I said in our coverage of the VF piece, a lot of the stories sounded like they came from royal courtiers and former palace staffers with an ax to grind, but we were supposed to believe that all of the people the Sussexes interacted with in America had the exact same classist, racist and sexist stereotypes about them. The one section which I thought made some notable points was the part about Spotify and how Meghan self-censored herself to distraction, and Harry’s podcast ideas kept getting shut down by people who wanted him to dish royal gossip. I think some, if not all, of those stories are probably true or true-ish. Adjacent to those likely true stories, “former staffers” claimed that Meghan storms around every office, making people weep with her Mean Girl ways. Meghan apparently also whisper-shouts out of incandescent rage. The same people making increasingly wild, unspecified claims about Meghan’s bullying behavior always gild the lily though. Take this story, where we’re supposed to believe that Spotify employees gave Meghan a completely random, belittling nickname based off of a 1955 film. Sounds totally believable, dude.

Meghan Markle earned a not-so-sweet nickname during her time with Spotify. UK royal correspondent Neil Sean told Fox News Digital that the secret nickname was given to the Duchess of Sussex by disgruntled former employees “who worked on her ill-fated podcast” titled “Archetypes.”

“Ex-staff members… told me they decided to christen her ‘Eva’ and this was used as a warning signal to let people know that she was either arriving or on the warpath,” Sean claimed. “This wasn’t an engaging pet nickname. The nickname came from the 1955 camp classic ‘Queen Bee’ starring the ultimate diva… herself – Joan Crawford… This is because, like the Joan character [Eva Phillips], she stung her victims to pieces. This is exactly how staff felt about working alongside [Meghan]. According to the source, she had no idea about any of this,” Sean added.

According to Turner Classic Movies, the film is about a “manipulative” socialite who “sets out to destroy the lives of all those around her.”

Sean’s claims came shortly after Vanity Fair published a scathing cover story about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s lives in California. A spokesperson for the couple did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment about the lengthy feature.

“There were many things that were not covered,” Sean said. “Behind the scenes, staff [found] Meghan really difficult to deal with, simply because of her… mood swings and just how well certain aspects of her career [were] going… [they] thought she was quite tough and bossy, so decided to [give her] the nickname of that character… She was high camp without realizing it.”

Sources also claimed to Sean that Markle only wanted “to speak to the person at the top” when she worked alongside them.

“When that person is not around, they have to be reminded that they are dealing with somebody who is a duchess and more importantly, a member of the British royal family,” Sean was told. “This worked at the beginning as people were… beguiled by Meghan’s presence. But it quickly wore off when she became demanding… clearly forgetting her struggling actress days.”

Additionally, Markle was not the only one some ex-staffers buzzed about. Sean claimed that Harry was known as “Tim Nice But Dim,” referring to the British TV comedy. “[Like Meghan], he’s unaware of the moniker,” said Sean.

[From Fox News]

If American workers at Spotify are known for anything, it’s using nicknames they heard from British TV shows from 2001. Spotify workers are also known for making obscure references to barely-seen Joan Crawford films from 1955. I heard that some Archewell employees have given Meghan the unfortunate nickname of “Greta” after an obscure British film from 1949, in which Greta is a Black duchess who makes white people cry!! The only thing in these comments which I found sort of credible is “She was high camp without realizing it.” Meghan sort of IS high camp at times – the jam baskets, the hats, the couture, the Oprah interview, the red dress which made everyone go insane for months. She looks camp right in the eye.

Photos courtesy of Instar, Instagram.

This year’s Australian Open was the third Slam in a row where the women’s side was a million times more exciting than the men’s side. American Madison Keys, 29, won her first-ever major title, taking out the #1 and #2 seeds in the semifinal and final, and both of those matches were three-set nail-biters. On the men’s side… *sad clown noise*. Novak Djokovic retired in his semifinal, which meant that German Alexander Zverev got into his third major final. Jannik Sinner – who tested positive for doping twice last year – barely broke a sweat as he marched his way through the draw to defend his first major. So, the final was set: Sinner vs. Zverev. Either Sinner would win his third major or Zverev would win his first. Since I didn’t watch it, I’m just going from commentary: Sinner cleaned Zverev’s clock, winning in straight sets. Zverev didn’t even have any break points.

The thing is, Alex Zverev is largely loathed by real tennis fans and people who are actually paying attention to the tennis world. In 2020, Zverev’s Russian ex-girlfriend Olya gave a heartbreaking interview in which she described months of physical abuse by Zverev. Nothing happened to Zverev after Olya’s interview, and the ATP didn’t even introduce any kind of DV policy for their players. Then, in 2023, Zverev’s former partner and mother of his child, Brenda Patea, also accused him of assaulting her. She sued him in Germany, and Zverev’s team was able to largely sweep it under the rug and settle out of court with Patea. Once again, nothing happened to Zverev’s career, and ATP played dumb when it came to instituting any new policies.

After Zverev lost in the AO final on Sunday, he got up to the microphone to begin his runner’s up speech. That’s when a woman in the audience shouted out: “Australia believes Olya and Brenda! Australia believes Olya and Brenda!” That’s more than the French crowd did at Roland Garros last year.

Zverev lost his third Grand Slam final against Jannik Sinner, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-2, and stepped up to the microphone to speak after receiving his runner’s-up trophy.

Before he spoke, a woman in the crowd appeared to shout: “Australia believes Olya and Brenda! Australia believes Olya and Brenda!”

Zverev looked up to the crowd as noise rippled across the stadium, smiling to himself. A few boos and bits of applause followed before Zverev began his speech. The German did not make reference to the heckling when he spoke.

“I believe there are no more accusations. There haven’t been for, what, nine months now. Good for her, I think she was the only one in the stadium who believed anything in that moment,” Zverev said in his news conference when asked about the incident. “I think I’ve done everything I can, and I’m not about to open that subject again.”

[From The NY Times]

“I believe there are no more accusations. There haven’t been for, what, nine months now.” Wow, nine whole months without any current or former girlfriend accusing him of beating the sh-t out of her. An absolute piece of sh-t. People should heckle this motherf–ker every time he steps on court, imo.

Shoutout to this woman pic.twitter.com/mQZeDrnnQn https://t.co/GeoKJQ0Raf

— Owen (@kostekcanu) January 26, 2025

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

Anna Wintour is not only the editor-in-chief of American Vogue, she’s the Global Chief Content Officer for Conde Nast. Various outlets always try to make it sound like Wintour is one bad Vogue cover away from being fired, but if anything, her position within Conde Nast has been massively solidified in the past decade. Vanity Fair is a Conde Nast publication, meaning Wintour arguably signed off on VF’s February cover, a massive hit job on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. So… does that mean that Wintour isn’t interested in doing a Vogue cover with Meghan? And does that mean that Wintour is going all-in on the Windsors? Well, funny that – the Mail claimed this weekend that Wintour has offered the Princess of Wales the “global covers of Vogue.” Hm.

The Princess of Wales has been offered the global covers of Vogue, The Mail on Sunday understands. Anna Wintour, the magazine’s editor-in-chief and the most powerful woman in fashion, is said to have made a personal appeal to her.

The offer – which would allow Kate to choose her own photographer, be in charge of fashion choices and decide whether or not to grant an interview – is said to have been made in the past few days. A source told the Mail on Sunday that Ms Wintour reached out via an intermediary to offer Kate her choice of global Vogue covers, including the US and UK versions.

Kate appeared on the cover of British Vogue in June 2016 to celebrate the magazine’s 100th anniversary. A source said: ‘The princess has come a long way since that first cover. She’s a global fashion icon but she is so much more. Her brave battle against cancer while raising three young children in the public eye makes her a role model to millions. Her story would be an inspiration to so many women going through what she has gone through. She would get to chose which covers she would feature on but the UK and the US would be a given.’

[From The Daily Mail]

That typo was in the original Mail piece – “chose” rather than “choose.” As for the story… eh. I think Wintour has wanted Kate to do Vogue covers before now, just as I believed that there was probably a standing offer for the Duchess of Sussex too. The thing is, I’m pretty sure that most of those cover offers have been contingent on some kind of interview, however basic. Which is probably why Kate has turned them down before. I also think that if Meghan has been offered a Vogue cover and turned it down, that was a mistake on her part. If Kate was smart and this offer is for real, she should totally do it, honestly.

Photos courtesy of Paolo Roversi/Kensington Palace, KP and British Vogue.

Pete Hegseth has been confirmed as Secretary of Defense by the US Senate. Hegseth ended up benefiting from the Matt Gaetz situation – Gaetz was originally Donald Trump’s choice for Attorney General, but Gaetz has a long history of soliciting sex from teenagers and being an unrepentant sleaze, so even Republicans felt comfortable saying “nah, not this one” on Gaetz. Hegseth ended up slipping right through for the most part, and I doubt most people even know that he was credibly accused of drugging and raping a woman in 2017, and that his victim tried to get him criminally charged, and he ended up settling out of court with her. He’s also on his third marriage, having cheated on his previous two wives, and even his mother thinks he’s an abuser. Did I mention he also has significant alcoholism issues? That too. Don’t forget about the white supremacy and weird white nationalist tattoos either. Surprisingly, a handful of Republican senators voted “no” on Hegseth’s confirmation. Mitch McConnell was one of the “no” votes. Long story short, JD Vance was the tiebreaking vote.

Pete Hegseth was sworn in as the defense secretary on Saturday morning by Vice President JD Vance after the Senate narrowly confirmed Mr. Hegseth the night before. The Trump pick survived a bruising struggle with Democrats who decried him as unqualified and unfit to oversee the country’s 1.3 million active duty troops and the Pentagon’s nearly $850 billion budget.

Vice President Vance had to cast a tiebreaking vote to confirm Mr. Hegseth, after three Republicans — Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky — joined all Democrats in opposition.

The final vote, 51 to 50, was the smallest margin for a defense secretary’s confirmation since the position was created in 1947, according to Senate records.

Mr. Hegseth, a military veteran and a former Fox News host, has vowed to bring his self-described “warrior” ethos to the Defense Department, which he says has been made weak by “woke” generals and diversity programs.

Republican leaders embraced that outlook as they cheered his confirmation.

“Peace through strength is back under President Trump and Pete Hegseth,” Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi and the chairman of the armed services panel, said in a statement after Mr. Hegseth’s confirmation, adding: “We cannot wait another minute to rebuild our military might and put the war-fighter first.”

But Democrats, who unanimously opposed Mr. Hegseth’s confirmation, promised to continue their scrutiny of him.

“I am going to watch him like a hawk,” Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the armed services panel, said in a statement, adding: “I will point out where we disagree. I will demand accountability.”

Mr. Hegseth’s selection by President Trump and the confirmation process were complicated by a claim of sexual assault and accusations of abusive behavior, public drunkenness and fiscal mismanagement of two nonprofit veterans groups. In a sworn statement submitted to the Senate on Tuesday, a former sister-in-law of Mr. Hegseth’s described him as frequently intoxicated and “abusive” toward his second wife. Mr. Hegseth, 44, has denied the account, along with other allegations that have dogged his nomination.

[From The NY Times]

Yeah, I don’t know what to say here. The only “interesting” thing of note is that before Trump and his cult of personality, the Republican Party always branded itself as pro-military, everything rah-rah-militarism and bloated Pentagon budgets. In his first term, Trump only liked having military people around him for the optics, but he actually didn’t care about the military or national defense or military preparedness or any of that. That will get worse in this term, especially with Hegseth at the helm of DOD. I was going to paint a vivid picture of how bad it will get, but you know what? I won’t bother. I’m sure it will surprise everyone and the media will expect us to react with outrage and tears as Hegseth launches Operation Make Greenland Great Again.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

Alright, where are my fellow Dry January participants? How’s everybody doing now that we’re in the home stretch? I’ve done Dry January every year since 2020 and despite all of the real world sh-t that’s bombarded this last week, this has been my easiest year yet.

Every year, we hear about celebrities who are doing Dry January. Last year, we got play-by-play updates from Amy Robach and TJ Holmes. Tom Holland and Bella Hadid are both on record as Dry January success stories. Now, we can add Kelly Ripa to the list! Last week, Andy Cohen was a guest host on an episode of Live with Kelly and Mark. When Andy talked about how he’s doing Dry January again this year, but hasn’t lost any of the weight that he usually loses, Kelly shared that although she doesn’t drink anymore, the year that she did do Dry January, she ended up gaining 12 pounds!

During the Wednesday, Jan. 22 episode of Live with Kelly and Mark, Ripa was joined by Andy Cohen as a stand-in co-host while her husband. Mark Consuelos, is filming a new project. During the opening segment, Cohen, 56, revealed he’s currently participating in “Dry January” and not drinking for the month.

However, as Cohen detailed his experience, he remarked that “usually a little weight loss comes my way after,” but this year, it’s “not really happening yet.”

“I told you when I quit drinking, I expected there to be this windfall of weight loss because everybody’s like, ‘Well, you are going to get too skinny, and you can’t afford to lose it,’ ” Ripa, 54, said before revealing the opposite occurred. “I gained 12 pounds [and said], ‘I don’t understand this magical weight loss that people apply.’”

“I think I just took to eating the sugars,” she continued. “Because apparently, alcohol is like a lot of sugar, which you don’t really realize when it goes in it tastes kind of bitter.”

Ripa revealed in January 2020 during an episode of Live with Kelly and Ryan that she eliminated alcohol from her diet in 2017. The following month, she told PEOPLE that she and her friends decided to try a sober month, and once she completed it she realized she “felt great” and “liked the way [she] felt.”

“It wasn’t even really a thought process. It felt great, I felt like I looked great, I felt like I didn’t feel hungover. Not that I was a heavy drinker — I wasn’t someone who got drunk — but even like two glasses of wine at a girl’s night out dinner; I would feel it the next morning,” she said.

“I just didn’t really feel the need or desire to go back to it,” she continued. “It wasn’t really a choice or a thought, it was just, ‘Yeah, I guess I don’t drink anymore.’ ”

At the time, Ripa said quitting smoking in the early ’90s was something that she “really had to think about,” noting that quitting drinking “was very easy” and she “didn’t really think about it at all.”

“I’m not comparing cigarettes to alcohol, but for me it was just like, I don’t do that anymore,” Ripa added. “I felt better so I just stopped.”

[From People]

Replacing alcohol with sugar and extra food in general is absolutely a real thing. I remember a friend from college telling me once that they kept either gummy bears or Swedish Fish on hand to keep the cravings down when they were trying to give up alcohol. That’s crazy that she put on 12 pounds though! For Kelly, giving up alcohol was probably easier than giving up smoking because she had that sugar substitute. The nicotine patch was only available by prescription from 1992 to 1996 until it was made available over-the-counter. I’m happy for her that she’s living her best sober life. That’s awesome.

I’m in Andy’s camp this year. My first year, I lost 16 pounds and in subsequent years, “only” lost around five. Honestly, this is my first Dry January in which I haven’t lost any weight, but my kids have been home from school for this entire month (they’re in year-round school) and I’ve definitely had more than my fair share of Crumbl Cookies and Peanut M&Ms over the past four weeks, lol. Ha, gee, I wonder if that could have anything to do with it…

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kelly Ripa (@kellyripa)

Embed from Getty Images

Photos credit: Janet Mayer/INSTARimages.com, Getty and via Instagram