Last night we got not just one, but 2, yes 2! couples on the Hot Tamale Train! First up was Janette and Brandon –

- They were the 1st couple out and danced the Cha Cha

- They flew around that dance floor

- Nigel said it was the best Cha Cha he had ever seen on the show

- And !Toot, toot! They were the 1st couple to start the night off and Mary said these 2 had front row tickets on the Hot Tamale train! Not just regular tickets — front row tickets!

- Mia Micheals called Brandon amazing and said Jenette was on fire!

- This was my favorite routine of the night

Next up, keeping their spot on the Hot Tamale train from last week was Kayla and Kupono –

- They danced a contemporary routine
- I loved the song (because its on the Twilight soundtrack), but hated the dance, yet the judges really dug it
- Nigel thought their partnership is like bread and butter

- Mary thought the dance played to their strengths and thought it was electric and said their spot on the Hot Tamale Train is secure
- Mia Micheals said it was an amazing performance from both of them

And finally, though they did not board the Hot Tamale train, they left the judges talking. Talkin’ about Jeanine and Phillip –

– They performed a Hip Hop routine
– I loved the chains as a prop
– Nigel said if they danced that great chained together, they should be chained for life
– Said Jeanine was amazing and raved about their partnership
– Mia Micheals said the chain was unpredictable and sloppy…so, she liked how they danced, but found the chain to be a distraction.

So, the couples are starting to dwindle. Who is your favorite couple of the season? Let me know! And remember, every Wednesday night I’m tweeting about the show, so join me there (under Faceoffox43) and sound off!

Hey Hampton Roads!

Today is a big day here at the FOX43/WAVY10 studios — we’re hosting an OPEN AUDITION for the Next Face of FOX43 contest!

If YOU think YOU have what it takes to take over my job, PROVE IT! You’ll get 2 minutes in front of our cameras to tell Hampton Roads why they should vote for YOU to be the Next Face!

The OPEN AUDITION starts at Noon and lasts until 3pm! Stop by and audition!

Now, just for the record, if you can’t make it out to the OPEN AUDITION today, you can always UPLOAD your audition video at www.fox43tv.com — last day to submit videos is JUNE 26th! It’ll be here before you know it!

Looking forward to meeting some of you today and seeing whatcha got! It’s gonna be lots of fun!

So remember:

Face of FOX43 OPEN AUDITION
TODAY
12pm-3pm
FOX43/WAVY10 Studios in Portsmouth

Much love,
Kelly

Hey Everyone,
Just a heads up, if you are interested in being the NEXT FACE OF FOX43, you can find ALL the information you need to enter at:

http://www.fox43tv.com/generic/face_of_fox_43/fof_landing

Go there, read the rules and stuff VERY thoroughly and just follow the instructions.

Also, heads up, we’re having an OPEN AUDITION June 9th at the WAVY/FOX studio from 12pm-3pm!

So, lots going on! Get your videos in! It’s June already and the deadline will be here before you know it!

Good luck everyone, see ya soon!

If you haven’t seen UP! yet, do yourself a favor and go!

It was a great movie for the whole family that will set you on an amazing adventure! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll have an amazing time!

I’m posting a few photos from the UP! screening FOX43 hosted! We gave away lots of prizes and goodies! It was a great night to hang out with my friends in Hampton Roads!

Well, if you’re looking for a good time this weekend, check out the Chesapeake Jubilee! It’s going on all this weekend and it has tons of fun for the whole family! I was just there hanging out with Festival Chairman, Louis Tayon (see pic), and other fellow Hampton Roadsters!

While I was there I even got to announce the winners of the Chesapeake Jubilee Barbecue Cook-Off, sponsored by Food Lion! They had winners in chicken, ribs, pork, brisket, and from a special contest that happened on Friday night called, ‘Anything Butt.’ The Grand Champion of this years BBQ contest was Chesapeake’s own Wood Chicks BBQ (see pic)! It was a really exciting (and hot) day for BBQ makers and lovers alike!

Also, I want to give all you country fans a heads up — Little Big Town is going to be performing at the Chesapeake Jubilee tomorrow night (Sunday night)! I was super excited to hear that, so I just had to pass it along from one country fan to another!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! There’s lots of fun stuff going on in Hampton Roads, hope you’re enjoying all it has to offer!

Oh my gosh! Can you believe it? Tonight on the American Idol results show, it was revealed that Adam Lambert and Kris Allen would be dueling it out in the American Idol finale coming up on FOX next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Typically on the last week of American Idol, each contestant will sing 3 songs. What will they choose? It’s anybody’s game!

I would like to express that it was very sad to see Danny Gokey and his adorable glasses leave the stage. His rendition of “You Are So Beautiful” was truly special (I’m downloading it on iTunes as we speak). I’ve loved him from the start (got the blogs to prove it), but I actually think this was the right choice. I think between Kris and Danny, I would be more likely to buy Kris’s CD over Danny’s CD. Kris has the very relevant, hip vibe going for him and I think that’s what it will take to stand up to the likes of vocal powerhouse, Adam Lambert.

Where Adam brings power vocals and over the top performances, Kris brings a relevant, chillax vibe that is very in tune with what is playing on the radio right now. I have no doubt Adam has the upper hand, but I wouldn’t count Kris out just yet. Next week really is anyone’s game! Lets hope they both bring it and deliver one of the best American Idol finale shows ever!

Last night I headed over to Applebees in Deep Creek off of Rt. 17. It was so much fun! Not only did I get to hang out with their fantastic staff, but I got to meet some of the local patrons!

While I was there I also passed out lots of FREE FOX goodies! This little lady and her grandma won our American Idol Prize Pack for telling me who 2 of the top 13 Idol contestants were! They knew the answer right away!

Be sure to watch FOX finales all next week - 24 on Monday, American Idol on Tuesday and Wednesday! It’s going to be a great week on FOX! Before your favorite finale begins, head over to YOUR local Applebees and pick up Applebees CarSide to go! You call it in, they bring it out! What a perfect way to watch your favorite finales on FOX43!

To view my Applebees adventure, check out the link — http://www.fox43tv.com/dpp/face_of_fox_43/FOF_Applebees_Finales

And don’t forget, right after an amazing week of FOX finales, your favorite FOX summer shows are coming back! Stay tuned!

This week was rock week, and the contestants also performed in pairs! I’ve never seen this approach on American Idol, so it’ll be interesting to see how and if it effects the voting.

Now, I don’t want to necessarily just talk about who I loved, but rather what I see as the pros and cons are for each contestants. At this point I am torn over who I think will make it in the top 3.

So, 1st up, Adam…

Pros…

– He has a siiick vocal range
– I feel like when he sings, he provides an experience, not just a great vocal arrangement
– He is a complete hottie
– He has the advantage of being the judges favorite

But as for the cons…

– People may feel he is just a bit over the top in his performances
– After last week of him being in the bottom 3, I worry people may be taking him for granted and he could be losing votes b/c everyone automatically assumes he’s going through to the next round

Now, lets move on and talk out Allison…

Pros for Allison…
– She’s representing the females well
– Wows the audience every week with her vocal range (esp. for being 17 years old)

As for the cons …
– As Simon says every week, she is a little bit harder to relate to and I’m not sure she connects with the audience

Pros for Kris were…
– I think out of all of them, even though I love Adam and Danny, I think Kris has the best chance of making a really good, hit record.
– He sounds like a lot of current artists that are popular right now

The negative for Kris is that…
– He lacks charisma that someone like Adam displays or unique quirks that someone like Allison displays
– Might be a little to “safe” to grab mass votes

And finally, possibly ruining his chances at the top 3 last night, Danny…

Danny may be able to redeem himself b/c…
– He’s had a large following since the beginning
– He is a showman and has a lot of charisma
– And of course, he’s got the vocal and has been very consistent throughout the show.

He’s just gotta be careful…
– To not become Taylor Hicks #2
– To not be too extreme when he takes risks or else he’ll wind up with another performance like last night

Overall, I thought Allison and Adam were the the best last night! So, between Kris and Danny who do I think it going home?

Danny! I know! Just writing that makes me feel sad inside. But after last night, I fear it may have cost him. Kris may not have been as good, but again, Kris has the “dark horse” vibe and I think he might have done just enough to hold his own over Danny. *Sigh* I’m just torn. We will see tonight at 9pm!

Last summer, Kelly Gaita was chosen out of 180 submissions to be the 1st ever Face of FOX43! Throughout the year she’s been making appearances for FOX at some major fun events, meeting cool celebrities, and keeping up with Hampton Roads with all the latest social networking tools!

Now it’s YOUR turn!

For more information on how your can take Kelly’s job, and submit YOUR videos, check out:

http://www.fox43tv.com/generic/face_of_fox_43/fof_landing

Happy video making!

Let me just say, I cannot believe there are only 5 contestants left! It’s going by too quick! Anyhow, this week was “Rat Pack” — the contestants sang songs from that classic collection. Jamie Foxx acted as their mentor and it was such a good night for all the contestants. But 1st up, setting the bar high, was Kris Allen.
He sang, “The Way You Look Tonight” and it was awesome for the following reasons…
– Way great song, with a perfect arrangement
– Jamie Foxx liked Kris so much he said he would absolutely do a record with him if things on Idol didn’t pan out
– Randy thought it was his best performance of the season
– Kara said he set the bar for the night and he is the dark horse in the competition
– All I gotta say is Kris’s wife is one lucky lady! His performance was awesome and he was just adorable

Now, representing the ladies well was Allison! Check it out!

She sang, “Someone to Watch Over Me.” I liked her performance because…
– She really brought her A game last night!
– Usually Allison is a bit more edgy and rocky, but last night she really showed this softer, more innocent side and I absolutely loved it
– Randy loved it
– Kara said she’s not nervous about Allison going home this week
– Simon thought it was a great performance, but is still telling her to get her personality together.
– All I could think was “Simon! That’s enough!” She brought it last night and deserved raving reviews from all of the judges!

Okay, now, I had a hard time choosing between Adam and Danny. Danny brought his A game last night when he sang “Come Rain or Come Shine,” but what would a week be without a raving review for ADAM LAMBERT?

Adam sang, “Feeling Good” and it kicked butt for the following reasons…
– Jamie said that Adam was going to knock everybody’s head off with his rendition
– And he did! Did you HEAR that note last night? Yeah, the one he held for like 5 minutes?
– The judges were spellbound
– Paula said he makes her feel better than good and compared him to Michael Phelps tearing up the Olympics
– Simon said Adam is proving the point that he wants to win! And, well, he is! It was ridiculous good!

Wow, it is getting close — only 3 more weeks left before the finale! Who do I think is going home tonight? The only one I have not mentioned yet — Matt. He is the weak link this week and it’s time for him to hit the road! We’ll see tonight if it happens! Follow me on Twitter under FaceofFox43 and we can tweet about it throughout the show! See you then!