Ryan Brown of Flipping Out has updated his blog with news that Season 3 of the reality show has started filming this week. Thank God. I need more Zoila and Jeff, and I need it as soon as possible.

It’ll be interesting to see how their business, which deals in high end homes, has had to change due to the crappy real estate market. Also, what of his drama with Ugly Betty’s Ashley Jensen?

[Ryan Brown via Scented Glossy, Image: Bravo/Kelsey McNeal]

Things have slowed down for the holidays around these parts, but now that the winter holidays are done, we can get back on track here. Top Chef comes back from hiatus this Wednesday January 7 (don’t forget to enter my Top Chef Calendar giveaway!), the Real Housewives of Orange County are still kicking and we have many great new seasons of Bravo fabulousness to look forward to starting with Patti Stanger’s Millionaire Matchmaker on February 12.

Before we get back to Bravo business as usual, let’s take a look at my best Bravo moments of 2008, starting with the Real Housewives of Atlanta.

Here’s the rest of the list:

• Chad’s Hair & Cindy’s Insanity on Million Dollar Listing & First Class All The Way
• Ramona vs Jill & Bethenny vs Alex/Simon on Real Housewives of New York City
• Jeff & Zolia on Flipping Out
• Kenley on Project Runway
• Stephanie Izard’s Win on Top Chef
• Rachel Zoe & Brad Gorescki on Rachel Zoe Project
• Patti Stanger’s Millionaire Matchmaker

What were your favorite Bravo moments in the past year? What are you looking forward to?

When Jeff gave his maid Zoila a butt ugly painting of her instead of letting her take time off for her birthday, it was probably one of the funniest WTF moments on any tv show, well ever.

The relationship between Jeff and Zoila became the best part of the show, and if you feel bad that Jeff is such a controlling boss, the following clip of the two of them in cahoots hazing a new employee over vacation time..well, let’s just say it appears that Zoila is in on the joke:

Nielsen released their list of the the top advertisers and most popular commercials of the year. Included in these lists was a list of the most effective product placement, with Bravo shows dominating the list.

The placement of products on Bravo shows is pretty obnoxious; it bothers me most with Top Chef. Remember in the Thanksgiving episode when Ariane talks about how happy she is to be using a Butterball turkey? No real chef would be excited about using that brand. Same with Project Runway; it’s so awkward to hear Tim Gunn say ‘Tresemme hair salon’ or ‘Bluefly closet’, I cringe. But the shows need to get made and product placement is part of what pays their bills. I’ll deal.

Anyway, here is the list of products on the list:

• TRESemme - Project Runway
• El Pollo Loco - Flipping Out
• Bluefly.Com - Project Runway
• Glad - Top Chef
• Whole Foods - Top Chef
• Food & Wine Magazine - Top Chef
• GQ Magazine- Make Me A Super Model
• Hugo Boss - Millionaire Matchmaker

Only one non Bravo show is included on the list, Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

[Source: Nielsen]

OMG, this story is so good it’s like it came out of my dreams. The players: a bitchy queen (Jeff Lewis of Flipping Out), a somewhat famous actress on an equally ridiculous show (Ashley Jensen of Ugly Betty aka the wisecracking Scottish girl) and a fight about rich people concerns, i.e., not real problems.

The details: Lewis is renovating a house next door to Jensen’s in Los Angeles so he could you know, flip it out. He built a deck on the house, which encroached on Jensen’s property. According to E! Online, Lewis offered Jensen $10,000 to let the deck stay. Ashley and her husband got a second opinion and consulted with a “real estate expert” , who told them that the property Lewis had tread upon was actually worth $100,000.

Ashley and her husband, Terence Beasley (pictured above ) tell Jeff, who obviously doesn’t want to pay them 100 grand. He counters with an offer of 30 grand and told them if they didn’t take it, he would make their lives very difficult and talk smack about them on the upcoming season of Flipping Out.

Both parties have hit each other with restraining orders (Lewis’s business partner Ryan Brown, pictured below was also included in the restraining order) and Ashley has asked Jeff to remove the deck.

Jeff denies threatening Ashley and her husband and says that they used his known persona on Flipping Out to take advantage of this situation and get attention for themselves. He says: ” We have a simple encroachment dispute that should have been resolved informally. Having apparently watched my reality show, they now feel they can exploit my personality to increase their media exposure and their alleged damages.”

[Source, E! Online. Ashley Jensen Image courtesy of Newscom; Jeff Lewis & Ryan Brown image courtesy of Bravo]

Sure, Zoila could leave the show…. -if she thought $10,000 would keep her comfy for awhile and she’d never have to work again.

However, it’s LA and it’s not cheap.

According to a Bravo TV press release, “An auction for the portrait of Zoila Chavez, Jeff Lewis‘ loving housekeeper from Bravo’s “Flipping Out,” broke records for BravoTV.com, raising over $10,000. The auction for [Zoila] Chavez’s portrait was announced during the “Flipping Out Reunion Special” which aired on Bravo on August 12, 2008. The painting was featured in an episode this season and was originally given to [Zoila] Chavez as a birthday present from Lewis. The online bidding frenzy lasted for one week, finally coming to close yesterday evening. All proceeds from the auction will go directly to Lewis’ devoted housekeeper.

” If I knew how much the painting was going to sell for, I never would have agreed to surrendering all the proceeds,” joked Lewis. “I am worried that with this much cash in hand, she might leave me. But in all honesty, she deserves every penny for having put up with me for so long.”

Press materials and photo courtesy of Bravo/NBC Universal

You’ve never seen her rap? How about in comedy roles? Jenni as a man? Have you seen her do a cheer? Tell a homo joke?

No?

Ok, so just in case you haven’t seen Jenni Pulos‘ demo reel and you’re already feeling the effects of the Flipping Out season 2 finale:

On the BravoTV.com website you can find a current poll asking “If you could date one personality on Flipping Out, it would be…”

Choices:

• Jeff
• Ryan
• Jenni
• Zoila

Over 19,000 votes have been tabulated. Right now, Jeff has 50% of the vote and Zoila is going strong with 1%.

“Get ready for the craziest, wildest ride -ever,” exclaimed Flipping Out’s Jenni Pulos during an exclusive interview for BravoFan.com.

Recently, I caught up with the balancing act of one of Bravo TV’s hippest, most highly rated shows and chatted about Season 2, the Reunion Show (airing TONIGHT 9/8C!) and asking her some off-the-wall questions that I felt we all needed to know. Ok, maybe it was just me who wanted to know… but Jenni put her game face on (or at least, I think she did… we talked over the phone and it sounded like she was fully prepared!)! Read more

Do you remember the episode of Flipping Out when Jeff Lewis had that awful painting made for his housekeeper, Zoila, for her birthday? Well now Bravo is auctioning it off – starting at 9pm on Tuesday, you’ll be able to bid on the painting at http://bravoshop.com/ – and Zoila will get all the $$ raised! (Pretty generous, and I’m surprised Jeff didn’t want a cut!!)

The auction is part of the Flipping Out Reunion Special, which will air on Tuesday at 9. Expect Jeff and the crew to open up about the past season, which definitely had its fair share of drama.

And don’t forget to enter for the FREE DMX GIVEAWAY here on BravoFan.com!!

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