Nancy O' Dell

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Dancing With The Stars Party At One Night Club

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Inside Nancy O’Dell’s ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Rehearsal

Nancy O’Dell and Tony Dovolani are off to a great start for season 8 of ‘Dancing’

Nancy looks poised for victory!

Nancy and Tony workin’ on their moves

Nancy and Tony Dovolani practice the waltz

A perfect pose!

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Nancy seems to be enjoying the moves

A quick laugh during rehearsal

and the pair get right back to work!

Perfecting their moves

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Nancy’s certainly not kidding when she talks about her long legs!

Nancy works it!

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Co-anchor of “Access Hollywood” Nancy O’Dell joins the Season 8 cast of "Dancing with the Stars"

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Nancy O'Dell at The 81st Annual Academy Awards

February 22, 2009

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Nancy O'Dell: "My Rear Has Been So Sore!"

Nancy O'Dell is not the first contestant hurt on Dancing with the Stars. During season seven Derek Hough fell and conked himself out, Susan Lucci twisted her ankle and Olympic athlete Misty May-Treanor tore a tendon. "Oh, my Gluteus Maximus" O'Dell laughs. "I knew where it was - I just really haven't felt it this much in a long time," she laughs. "My rear has been so sore!"

But her butt isn't the only thing getting kicked. She was actually injured. "My quadriceps. I kind of pulled it the other day, but it's better now."

A waltz move was her Achilles heel. "You have to step really long, stay down and up. So that was hurting really bad the other day. I put heat on it and soaked it in the bath, drank a lot of water and it feels good now."

O'Dell isn't overwhelmed, just adjusting to the dance steps. And she's not the only one. Fellow contestant, Denise Richards and O'Dell are trading war stories. "We've emailed a little bit about, 'Jeez, this is weird.' These dance steps are strange. She was telling me, 'The Cha-Cha's weird!' and I'm like, 'Well, wait till you get to the waltz!' "

O'Dell had to be convinced to appear on DWTS, despite loving the show. Her dance card is already full. She hosts Access Hollywood, is preping for the Academy Awards and has a new book ready to hit store shelves. "I thought, I must have been crazy to say yes to this, because it is a lot of work," O'Dell admits.

Toss family into the madness and she's plain amped out. "I'm a mom to two

step-sons, I have a baby girl and my husband who I love and adore - who I want to spend time with - I was like there's just no way I can do it."

The new season of Dancing With The Stars premieres March 9th on ABC.

Meanwhile, O'Dell's book, "Full of Life: Mom-to-Mom Tips I wish Someone had Told Me when I was Pregnant," is in stores April 14th.

Source: http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2009/02/...een-so-sore.php

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Nancy O'Dell - 48th Annual Grammy Awards

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Dancing With The Stars Season 8 Promos

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Dancing With The Stars: Nancy O'Dell

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Nancy O'Dell: The Lost Interview

By this point, we all know "Access Hollywood" hostess Nancy O' Dell has been sidelined from "Dancing with the Stars" by a knee injury -- surgery and 6 to 8 weeks of rehab awaits. But before she was knocked from the competition, she called up PopWrap to discuss how her training was going. Needless to say, the strains of the competition had already started to show on February 27.

PopWrap: How's it going so far, Nancy?

Nancy O'Dell: It's so stressful. This just feels like a whole new ballgame. It's a lot, I'm exhausted.

PW: What made you want to sign up?

Nancy: It was my mom's favorite show (Betty, Nancy's mother, passed away last June), so I know she would have loved for me to do it. And Tony Dovolani, my partner, was my mom's favorite professional. I felt in my bones I would get him, so this has just been so cool. She would have loved it.

PW: What's your schedule like?

Nancy: It's insane. I have never been this busy in my life. We rehearse 6 hours a day and that's in addition to working on "Access" and being a mom. And I'm one of those mothers that needs a lot of time with my kids or I don't feel good about life. It's exhausting.

PW: How is your body holding up?

Nancy: I've had a few issues. I have strained both of my quadriceps because I do so many leg lifts in the Waltz. First I hurt the right one, which took a few days to recoup, but I had to go right back in to dancing. Then I pulled the other one and actually needed a day off.

PW: Everyone talks about the weight loss -- have you noticed that?

Nancy: I can tell you why everyone loses weight immediately -- because you're so freakin' stressed that you signed up to do this in the first place! I kid you not, before I even started rehearsing, I was so stressed out that I lost five pounds in three days! It was the realization that, "Oh my god, I just signed up to dance in front of 25 million people and I've never done this before!" I was scared like crazy. And then all the outfit stuff kicks in and you have to start thinking about what your abs look like.

PW: But are you excited to start?

Nancy: I can't wait!

Source: http://blogs.nypost.com/popwrap/archives/2...ing_injury.html

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Nancy O'Dell Jealous of Bachelor's — Er — Dancing's Melissa?

Crippled by a torn meniscus, Nancy O'Dell watched the Dancing with the Stars premiere from the sidelines instead of waltzing up a storm on the floor with Tony Dovolani. "That was tough because I so wanted to be a part of it," she tells TVGuide.com. O'Dell was replaced by The Bachelor's No. 2 gal, Melissa Rycroft, who netted a score of 23 with 48 hours of rehearsal. See what O'Dell has to say about her substitute, and get an update on her knee. We'll be checking in weekly with the Access Hollywood host and almost-contestant to get her take on Season 8, so be sure to come back next week.

TVGuide.com: How's your knee doing? Can you walk?

Nancy O'Dell: Yeah, I can walk fine. Walking and standing are no problem. The irony of it is that Jewel's in pain, but she doesn't have to have surgery. She's just resting. Mine doesn't hurt unless I go downstairs or I try to do twists and turns and I need surgery. ... The doctor said he could see it from three different views, which means it's a large tear and it will not heal itself, so I need surgery or it will totally mess up my knee in the future and I'll have long-term problems.

TVGuide.com: When are you having surgery?

O'Dell: Next week. Then I have rehab for six to eight weeks. I have an MDA [Muscular Dystrophy Association] bash that I'm hosting, which is another reason I'm bummed. My mom loved the show and she passed away from ALS and MDA was so instrumental in being there for us, and the Dancing cameras were gonna follow me. So I'm gonna go do that first. But it's driving me crazy. I'm so ready to get it done.

TVGuide.com: When did you tell Tony?

O'Dell: He was with me when I went to see the second doctor, which was the Dancing with the Stars doctor ... so Tony knew. He was very devastated because he thought he was out for the season too. I was so excited when I found out he had a new partner. I was so nervous when he stepped on the floor. He became, like, my family. Literally when he got into the position of how we start our routine, I was shaking.

TVGuide.com: Were you jealous of Melissa?

O'Dell: There was a part of me! [Laughs] I told Melissa after, "Oh my God! I totally know how you felt on The Bachelor. Here you are watching your man with another woman and I felt that!" I was more sad, but there was a part of me where I was like, you're doing my routine and you're wearing my dress. He didn't have time to choreograph anything else and wardrobe didn't have time to design another dress, so they just cut it about six inches for her. ... We were laughing because I was outside hosting Access earlier in the day and I heard "Moon River," which I would've danced to. So I knew they were rehearsing and I was like, "Oh my God, do not be a nerd and cry right now!" [Laughs] I have to admit I teared up because I put so much work into it.

TVGuide.com: Did you talk to her about this yet?

O'Dell: I talked to them after the show and she was so cute. I said, "You did it! Here you are with my man!" And she was like, "Thank you, thank you for everything!" I'm like, "Are you thanking me for getting injured?" [Laughs] She was like, "I feel like there's a reason for everything with everything I went through with The Bachelor, but now look at this!" We were just teasing each other, but I do think there's a reason for everything and for some reason I'm not supposed to be on this season. Maybe next season.

TVGuide.com: Are you going to come back next season?

O'Dell: That's what I'm hoping! [Laughs] The producers certainly can't commit yet, but they know that I'm definitely interested and Jewel said she's interested as well, so they know I'm pushing for it and the possibility is there.

TVGuide.com: They should do an injury season with you two and Misty May-Treanor.

O'Dell: I know! They need to have a comeback season. Jewel said she'll do it too.

TVGuide.com: Who was your favorite from Monday?

O'Dell: Well, of course Melissa and Tony. I thought Gilles [Marini] was great. He is the nicest, cutest person. I mean, not just talking about his looks, but his personality is so cute. I think women are gonna fall in love with him. He's kind of the one to watch. He was the first one to call me when he found out about my injury and he left the longest message about how he had a torn meniscus too and he told me how the surgery went and who his doctor is in L.A. "Please call me and I'll tell you all about it." It was really sweet. I think he could totally go all the way.

TVGuide.com: On our updated poll, Shawn [Johnson] is leading to win.

O'Dell: Oh, she did great, didn't she?! How am I doing on the updated poll?

TVGuide.com: Well you're not there anymore, unfortunately.

O'Dell: Darn it! [Laughs] Well, I guess Shawn does have a fanbase and she did so well last night. She's so freakin' cute. She's so little. You just wanna squeeze her. I was thinking, if ever at one point during the show, they had me, Lil Kim and Shawn, people would be like, "How tall is she? 6'5"?" They're both 4-feet something and I'm 5 feet 10. Lil Kim was good too and so sweet.

TVGuide.com: Do you think Melissa's going to get sympathy votes?

O'Dell: Oh, absolutely. I think her dancing deserves it, but she'll definitely get some sympathy votes because we're all mad at Jason! [Laughs] I said to her, "Now, look at you. You go danced like that after two days and you look tremendous. What do you want to say to Jason?" And she said, "Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha."

TVGuide.com: Would Jason ever be invited on?

O'Dell: I think it would be funny for Jason and Tony to do a dance-off. Wouldn't that be great? We could humiliate him.

TVGuide.com: You could train him for two days like Melissa.

O'Dell: Yeah and then make him do it and see how he does. This is a good idea we're having right now.

Source: http://www.tvguide.com/Dancing-Stars/Nancy...ew-1003904.aspx

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Nancy O'Dell Not Done with DWTS

Dancing With the Stars premiered on March 9 with more twists than a paso doble! Nancy O’Dell and Jewel were forced to withdraw with serious injuries (the country

singer had stress-fractures in both legs), only to be replaced with Girls Next Door’s Holly Madison and The Bachelor reject Melissa Rycroft.

Now, Nancy, 43, who tore the meniscus muscle in her knee on Feb. 28 during a misplaced salsa step, faces urgery and up to eight weeks of rehab.

Despite the setback, she tells OK!, “It’s disappointing, but I’m putting in my bid for next season. I hope they’ll let me come back. I would love to do this again.”

(We're guessing she means the experience, not the injury).

Pulling out wasn’t easy for Nancy, mom to Ashby, 21 months, with hubby Keith Zubchevich.

“My husband was disappointed I wasn’t going to wear the skimpy outfits,” she laughs. “But I’d been gone a lot, too, so part of him was like, ‘well, the plus side is we get mama and wife back.’ ”

Source: http://www.okmagazine.com/news/view/12429

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Nancy O'Dell

In her new book, entertainment reporter Nancy O'Dell shares some little-discussed tidbits from her very public pregnancy (perma high-beams! weird rashes!). Here, she talks to Cookie about the behind-the-scenes reality of motherhood in the limelight.

The Access Hollywood co-anchor with her 21-month-old daughter, Ashby. "Loving a baby is so natural, but so much of being pregnant isn't," she says.

What made you decide to write your book on new motherhood?

I'm a reporter, and I crave information. I have two stepsons, but when I was pregnant with my daughter, Ashby, things happened that I hadn't read about—things that surprised me, scared me, or were embarrassing. For example, I didn't know that your nipples are more erect in early pregnancy. So I showed up on the set of Grey's Anatomy looking a little too excited to see McDreamy and McSteamy. When I mentioned these little things, my friends would say, "Oh, I forgot about that." So I turned them into a book.

Was it hard to witness the Hollywood baby boom while you were trying to get pregnant?

It took us about eight months. I remember thinking, Britney can't be pregnant again, when I'm just trying so hard just to have one. And then her little sister got pregnant, and I was saying, "Wait a minute!"

Were there funny parallels between your pregnancy and that of Katherine Heigl's character's in Knocked Up?

Absolutely. I tried to hide it for so long, but I wasn't fitting into any of my wardrobe bras. My cohost, Billy Bush, said, "I don't mean to be rude, but you've either gotten an upgrade or you're pregnant." I hoped my boss would be okay with it—and he was genuinely happy, but he was also excited for the show. At that point, it seemed like everyone in Hollywood was pregnant or had just given birth. At awards shows, he'd say, "Go stand in front of the platform—no one will refuse to do an interview with a pregnant woman." I interviewed Angelina [Jolie] after she had the twins, and it was so different. It was warmer, more personal, not all business. Every female wants to talk about her kids.

How on earth did you go on TV—looking so perky and lively, no less—with a new baby keeping you up all night?

My husband jokes that I had postpartum elation. I had so much extra energy after Ashby was born. Which is good, because in my first week back at work after three months off, I had to do the Emmys—get into a dress, the whole thing. I was so paranoid, I wore three pairs of Spanx.

What are your thoughts on the bizarre Hollywood baby-name trend?

If it has meaning to you, even if it's really out there, it's fine. Some people questioned Ashby's name. Howard Stern was like, "What kind of a name is that?" It's my grandfather's name, so leave me alone.

Does Ashby watch you on TV?

The first time she saw me, she did a total double take. The other day Access came on, and she leaned over and kissed the TV and said, "Mama!" I almost cried. The TV is for Elmo, animals, and Mama. And she gets mad whenever they cut to Billy.

Source: http://www.cookiemag.com/entertainment/2009/03/nancy-odell

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Nancy O'Dell and her baby girl, Ashby. This photo appears on the back cover of her book, FULL OF LIFE:Mom-to-Mom Tips I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I was Pregnant.

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Access O’Dell

The scoop on Nancy O’Dell’s new book, Dancing With the Stars …. and what happened when her breasts met McDreamy

Nancy O'Dell, co-anchor of NBC's Access Hollywood, has had a busy year so far: Daughter Ashby (named after O'Dell's grandfather) turns 2 on June 11; O'Dell was scheduled to compete on Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) (and had to drop out due to a knee injury); and in April her first book - Full of Life: Mom to Mom Tips I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was Pregnant (Simon Spotlight Entertainment) comes out. She spoke with us one afternoon in March after taping Access.

Fit Pregnancy: First of all, how is your baby?

Nancy O'Dell: Ashby is doing so many things: She took her first step during her first birthday party, and she babbles constantly. She started talking at about 17 - 18 months and now you can't stop her. She's combining two and three words, and of course one of her favorite words is "No!"

FP: You obviously love being a mom....

O'Dell: I think it is just the best thing. I was at DWTS rehearsals so much until this past weekend — I'd tape Access, then we rehearsed 5 to 6 hours every day (I think I was the only person with a regular job) — I just said, "OK, I am spending the whole weekend with Ashby." And we had the best time. Being away from her so much was the hardest part.

FP: You are very open, giving your viewers tremendous access to your life, your wedding and pregnancy, your experience with DWTS. Why?

O'Dell: Well, for one thing, my boss really likes me to...but seriously, the wedding was such a happy period in my life. I finally found the man of my dreams. [O'Dell is married to tech executive Keith Zubchevich.] He is just the most wonderful man in the world. I thought, why not share that?

As far as the pregnancy went, the viewers had to watch as I got bigger, so I couldn't really avoid talking about it. It was a funny time in Hollywood - everyone seemed to be pregnant, and I had had a miscarriage about nine months earlier. We were trying again, and the stress was so high. I remember hearing so many stories about other people's struggles and their miscarriages, I felt I had to get personal with the viewers.

I was worried how my boss would react; I needed a new wardrobe, couldn't travel the way we'd been doing. But it all worked out.

FP: How long did you take for maternity leave?

O'Dell: I remember Jan Curl telling me, "Don't feel like you have to come back so soon." So I took her advice and was off for a full three months. I just wanted to do everything for Ashby; I didn't want someone else doing it. The first day back at work, I cried, I missed her so much.

FP: Did you breastfeed?

O'Dell: Yes. I write about it in the book, and give what I think is an important piece of advice: While you are still pregnant, see a lactation consultant. I didn't think I had to. I thought you just put the baby on your breast, they suck and that was it. I never read how difficult it can be. I wish so badly someone had told me to learn before I gave birth — all the different holds, how latching on to the whole areola is crucial, and how to use the breast pump.

But I was bound and determined to nurse. When Ashby would latch on (to just the nipple!) and I was screaming, I found that the football hold helped ease the pain some. And I was constantly putting gel packs on my breasts.

No one thinks to tell you these things, they just want to talk about all the great stuff and forget the other. None of the books I read really addressed that.

FP: And is that why you wanted to write your book?

O'Dell: That is why. I'm the kind of person who takes notes constantly — it's the journalist in me. And it's always fun to look back, and it will be for Ashby, too, when she's older and when she's pregnant. I filled notebook after notebook with interesting, embarrassing, surprising stuff.

For instance, I didn't know that your breasts might leak colostrum before you give birth. I was taping a broadcast and the cameraman starting zooming in closer to my face...because two dime-sized spots were forming on the front of my blouse. If I had known, I would've worn breast pads.

So, I realized there really is a need for a book like this. A friend threw me a shower and one of the games was to tell me what to expect during the delivery or the first week home. I'm reading what they wrote and going, "What? You can poop on the delivery table?"

I woke up one day with all these red spots on my chest, freaked out, saw my doctor and he said, "Oh, it's just that you have so much blood circulating, you are seeing the ends of your blood vessels through your skin." And leg cramps! No one told me about leg cramps until after I had woken up with them in the middle of the night. My mom told me what to do.

FP: Where did you get your material?

O'Dell: Mostly from my own experience. I write about what happened to me, and what I learned. Here's another example: I had no idea that sensitive, hard nipples can be the first sign of pregnancy. I was interviewing Patrick Dempsey one day, and my breasts seemed to be having this extreme reaction to McDreamy, but it turns out I was pregnant. We were trying, so it was top of mind, but I didn't know.

FP: What are some of the most valuable, surprising things you learned?

O'Dell: Gauze. Everyone gives you all this gorgeous nursery stuff and cute baby clothes, but I wish they had told me that you need gauze to wipe a newborn's bottom. That you can just use a baby nail file instead of those scary baby nail clippers. That you should register for soft clothes instead of jeans, and for some 1-year-old sizes because you get way more than you need of newborn clothes.

FP: How did you deal with the weight gain?

O'Dell: Well, I hid it the first three months (there are tricks in the book). That first trimester I gained more than I was supposed to, mostly in my breasts, which Billy [bush, O'Dell's Access Hollywood co-host] noticed right away and asked me if I was pregnant. But I leveled out and gained about 27 - 30 pounds.

I started pregnancy with a back problem, and my doctor told me another rule I didn't know - that whatever exercise you had been doing before pregnancy, you can continue. Even though I had been a runner until I developed my back problem, I had not been running before I got pregnant, so I swam, did yoga and walked.

About 8 weeks after I had Ashby, I stared running again and it was hard - I didn't realize how often you have to feed the baby. You nurse for 45 minutes, she falls asleep, then wakes up and you feed her again. I would run down my driveway and back. Eventually I got a trainer to come in the morning while she was sleeping, but we had to get used to the interruptions. We did moves that were a combo of ballet and Pilates. By the time I went back to work, I'd lost all but 4 or 5 pounds, but I still felt mushy. I'm talking Spanx. Double Spanx.

FP: What's your best bit of advice on what is a big concern of new mothers - how to calm a crying, or even inconsolable, baby?

O'Dell: While I was pregnant, I had dreams about going to the store and leaving the baby in the shopping cart. I would wake my husband up, and ask him, "Am I really ready? Do I know what to do? Have I read enough?" And I really worried about knowing what the baby wants when she is crying. You read that they are either hungry, sleepy, need their diaper changed. But it doesn't always work like that. Completely by accident we discovered that Ashby loves the sound of water and it is really calming to her, so we put a fountain in her room. It works.

FP: How do you deal as a working mom?

O'Dell: I've dealt with it, but not well. My mom died three days before Ashby's first birthday, and I think because I crave that relationship so badly, the working part has been tough. When I went back to work, I'd cry, and the minute we were finished I'd run off the set and go home. But my boss hasn't sent me out of town too much and I take her with me. The most I have been away from her is a day. I need my baby fix.

And it really is one big constant guilt trip. Sometimes you have to say I'm going to stay with my family and not do this for work, then you worry about work, or you say, I'm going to miss this family event to do my job, and you feel guilty about that.

My advice here? Be in the moment. If you decide to do the family thing, then be there. And if you decide you can't sacrifice your job, don't think about being with your family. It'll drive you crazy.

FP: Can we talk a little about Dancing With the Stars? How disappointed were you to leave the show?

O'Dell: During the rehearsal, a week before the first show was to air, I had gone through a month of rehearsals. Tony [Dovolani] and I were set to dance the waltz first, and we were doing really well. I could feel the music and dance the routine, and I felt ready to go out and perform.

So, we moved on to our second dance — a salsa, and while we were doing a step called the grapevine, I took a twisting step and bent my knee backward, then pulled my leg in during a spin, and Ow! We discovered it was a torn meniscus. The only way to heal is with surgery.

But I am anxious to get back [to the show]. I liked the rehearsal and training. I liked the athletic, physical aspect. It's much harder than you think. You don't realize how much you are lifting your arms and raising your legs, and even if you aren't sweating, your core has to be tight. I started seeing muscles in my back, I had abs for the first time since I was pregnant. I enjoyed it. And Ashby is a huge fan of dancing.

FP: Will you have another baby?

O'Dell: We haven't decided yet; we're not actively trying, but we're not NOT trying. It was stressful that first time, after I had the miscarriage. I had every measuring device there is to figure out when to have sex. Then we tried a technique my friend said was foolproof: You have sex every day 5 days before ovulation and 5 days after. The first month we tried, boom. We had decided that we would turn to science if it didn't work. But it did.

I write about all of this - conception, miscarriage, the pregnancy, in the book. I want people to know they are not the only ones going through these things.

Source: http://www.fitpregnancy.com/style/star_mom...s-41656562.html