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SHOWBIZ TONIGHT

SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys

Aired June 13, 2013 - 23:00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

A.J. HAMMER, HOST (voice-over): Right now from Beverly Hills, it`s a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys." From the talk-show hosts you love to the soap divas that you love to hate, we`re celebrating the very best at the 40th Daytime Emmy Awards.

RACHAEL RAY, TALK SHOW HOST: Butternut squash and lots of Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese. Delicious.

HAMMER: Can Rachael Ray whip up a win for outstanding daytime host? I`m on location with Rach as she tells me all about her Emmy superstitions.

HEATHER TOM, ACTRESS: I can`t do this. I can`t live with (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

HAMMER: A baby, a cheating husband and a heart attack, all in one year. But will all of that drama earn Heather Tom some more Emmy gold? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes one on one with "The Bold and the Beautiful star.

Plus, he`s the Godfather of Game Shows, the King of the Deal. The legendary Monty Hall is here with me to talk about his Emmy excitement and his lifetime achievement award.

This special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys," starts right now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Welcome to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys." I`m A.J. Hammer. I`m coming to you from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. And this is where the 40th Daytime Emmy Awards will be seen live right here on HLN, Sunday night at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Now I`m hosting the blockbuster awards show with HLN`s Robin Meade and my good friend, "Good Morning America`s" Sam Champion. I am so excited about that.

But I`m also very excited to be a part of tonight`s celebration of daytime TV`s biggest stars and its most entertaining shows. They make us laugh. They bring us to tears and sometimes they even scare us a little. Well, this year, more than ever, daytime TV is setting the stage for the best showdowns the Emmys have ever seen. And here`s proof.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`re trying to take me down, but you can`t.

HAMMER (voice-over): As if there weren`t intense rivalries on soaps.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, I`m having sex with your man, and you can be like, well, me too.

HAMMER: As if there weren`t enough outrageous moments on talk shows. This year`s 40th annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be stacked with big moments.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: And this year, get ready for the most unique Daytime Emmy show ever. We are calling it the greatest talk show ever.

And that`s because, for the first time, the winners will go up onstage. They`ll accept their award and then immediately sit down for their very first interview with me, Sam Champion, and some of the biggest names in daytime talk.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER (voice-over): Kathy Griffin, Rachael Ray, Wayne Brady, and Steve Harvey are among the presenters. As for the nominees...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s a lot of drama looming over the Daytime Emmys this year. In the soap categories.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m falling in love with you all over again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: There`s plenty of love to go around in the Best Drama Series category.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have so few soaps on broadcast TV now that they were all nominated.

HAMMER: "The Bold and the Beautiful, "The Young and the Restless," "General Hospital, and days of our lives will go up against and now we have which online.

COOPER: Could it be the sentimental favorite?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s the whole just said farewell to broadcast TV and is finally going to get a farewell hug.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`re going to look after my boy, won`t you?

HAMMER (voice-over): The biggest acting race is probably in the Best Actress category. Four-time Emmy winner Heather Tom, who plays Katie Logan on "The Bold and the Beautiful," is nominated for Best Actress, which she won last year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This year, HLNTV.com created a special section in their Daytime Emmy Award, where you can go and see, and the episodes submitted by Heather Tom in the race for lead actress.

HAMMER: Her chief competition is former co-star and another four-time Daytime Emmy winner, Susan Flannery, who tugged at heart strings in her good-bye episode as Stephanie Forrester.

In the talk show entertainment category, "Live with Regis and Kelly" won last year. Regis is now gone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here are Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan.

HAMMER: And the newly christened "Live with Kelly and Michael" is nominated. Can it hold off "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "The Talk" and "The View" to put Kelly Ripa back in the winner`s circle with her new host?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now it`s up to Michael to prove whether he can fill those Regis shoes.

HAMMER: So as we honor the best in daytime drama, you can expect plenty of drama. The Daytime Emmy Awards.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: There are just so many great Daytime Emmy showdowns this year, but one of the most heated competitions will be for Outstanding Culinary Program. There are 5 incredible nominees, but which will cook up the big win?

Going head to head this year, we have the Food Network`s "Best Thing I Ever Made." We have "Giada at Home," also from the Food Network; the syndicated show, "Recipe Rehab"; Food Network`s "Trisha`s Southern Kitchen" and "Bobby Flay`s Barbecue Addiction" on the Food Network. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOBBY FLAY, CELEBRITY CHEF: You want this to be 165 in the leg. OK, that`s about right. Really sweet. Got that beautiful hickory wood smoke flavor. Just gorgeous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: If there was only smell-o-vision. That`s world-renowned chef Bobby Flay, of course, turning a basic chicken into a gourmet extravaganza.

And I just spoke with Bobby at his famed New York City restaurant Bar Americain, and I had to ask him what this Daytime Emmy nomination means to him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Bobby, do you know the exact name of the category in which you are nominated?

FLAY: I believe it`s Outstanding Culinary Program.

HAMMER: Culinary. OK. Everyone listening? He said "cull-inary."

FLAY: Do you say "cool-inary"?

HAMMER: "Kyool-inary" or "cool-inary."

FLAY: Yes. All right. I say "cull-inary."

HAMMER: Can we go with that as the official?

FLAY: I`m a high school dropout, don`t go with me. I`m the last person.

HAMMER: You`re also, if nobody`s told you, a very successful person in the restaurant and culinary business.

FLAY: In the culinary business. Exactly.

HAMMER: Congratulations on that. You won last year, but I know that doesn`t take away the excitement.

FLAY: Oh, no.

HAMMER: I mean, there`s so many people that I`ve been speaking to who have gotten so many accolades throughout their career, but for people who didn`t start out in TV, I find that it`s a particularly exciting thing.

FLAY: It certainly is, I mean. And also you also want to win for all the people that are involved in the show. You know how production is. I mean, we all see you on TV, but there`s lots of people behind the scenes who -- who also deserve credit, too. So I love that part of it, as well. I think you get to see the people who are behind the scenes actually making the show, what it is, as well.

HAMMER: "Barbecue Addiction," your latest show and also something I know you`re very passionate about. I`m a lover of the grill. I`m a lover of barbecue. Why do you love this show so much?

FLAY: Well, because I get so excited about the flavors and the aromas of this show. I know you can`t really actually smell and taste it when you`re watching TV, but that`s my job: to get you to think that you actually are tasting it and smelling, you know, what it smells like.

HAMMER: Take us behind the scenes for a moment.

FLAY: Sure.

HAMMER: Bobby, what happens to all the food? Does the crew get a big feast when you`re done?

FLAY: Totally. And you know, I cook -- I cook for real. I`m not cooking TV food. You know, as a chef, I mean, that`s the only way I know how to do things. So I cook through the breaks, as well to make sure everything is seasoned well and tastes as good as it can possibly taste.

And yes, I mean, my job is to make sure that the crew is happy. Because you know, they have the camera. So I want them to make me look good. If I`m not feeding them well, you know, you never know what they can do with that lens.

HAMMER: That`s right. I promise I`ll feed you after.

FLAY: Exactly.

HAMMER: Just making sure.

You have the cookbooks. You have the Food Network shows. TV host, all of those things. I`m going to answer my own question to you, which is how do you balance it? But I imagine it`s all based in passion.

FLAY: It`s all sort of relates to each other. So it`s not like I`m -- I have my sort of arms in lots of different things. It`s all based on food, because you`re right: that is my passion. But I just -- you know, sleep is, as they say, overrated. I just go to work.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Good luck to Bobby Flay and all of the culinary nominees.

And now, on to an absolute TV legend. Game show host, Monty Hall is receiving the Daytime Emmys lifetime achievement award. Monty`s iconic show "Let`s Make a Deal" started 50 years ago. That`s right, all the way back in 1963. And it is still going strong today. In fact, it`s nominated for a best game show Emmy with its new host, Wayne Brady, who is now making the deals.

But I just sat down with TV`s original deal maker, the one and only Monty Hall.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: It`s terrific to have you here. I`m so happy about this honor. We`re going to get to spend some more time, again, on Sunday at the Daytime Emmy Awards.

You were just back on "Let`s Make a Deal" for the show`s big 50th anniversary with Wayne Brady.

MONTY HALL, TALK SHOW HOST: I did it from `63 to 1991, and then I did -- turned it over to other people, and I appeared every decade since then.

HAMMER: Well, shall we take a look at you in action with Wayne on the current incarnation of the show?

HALL: Yes.

HAMMER: Let`s see that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HALL: Two thousand dollars.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SCREAMING) Thank you!

HALL: Not bad, right?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Love it.

HALL: You don`t get the car, but you ended up with $2,000. Not a bad deal. Two thousand dollars is not a bad pay day at all.

WAYNE BRADY, CURRENT HOST, "LET`S MAKE A DEAL": How are you? Thank you so much for being with us here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m so happy.

BRADY: I`m happy, too. This is a really good day, seeing how you made it look so easy. I was over there going, what am I doing?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: It`s like the microphone never left your hand, right? It must feel great doing that with Wayne.

HALL: It`s getting back on the horse again. You know, secondhand, I`ve been doing it all my life and continued to do it.

HAMMER: And when Wayne took over this show, I have to believe you had some sage advice for him. There has to be something you told him.

HALL: I own the show, so I pulled him aside.

HAMMER: Don`t screw it up.

HALL: Like a Dutch uncle, and the most important thing I said to him is I said two things, No. 1 the star of the show is the contestant. Because I want all the -- all the reactions and actions to take place on the contestant. And if they look good, you look good.

And the second thing is, if a woman is going for a car, a new car.

HAMMER: Yes.

HALL: And she loses it and still kisses you, you did something right.

HAMMER: That`s right.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Thanks to Monty Hall. What a treat that was for me.

Well, don`t go anywhere. There is so much more excitement to share.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RACHAEL RAY, TALK SHOW HOST: I literally do by definition what I would do on a day off as my job on the show. To be, you know, awarded by and nominated for an Emmy for something that I consider like a day off is pretty amazing.

HAMMER: I`m going behind the scenes with Rach, and she tells me the one thing she`ll never ever do as an Emmy nominee.

Plus, the breakout star that is turning traditional game shows upside-down.

BILL EICHNER, "BILLY ON THE STREET": True or false! True or false! Lea Michele can play the flute.

Sir, it`s wedding bells for Julie Benz from "Dexter."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m so glad.

EICHNER: Good. Me, too.

HAMMER: From Funny or Die to an Emmy win? Billy Eichner tells me why his show, "Billy on the Street," is so darn addictive.

You`re watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Right now we are celebrating the best of daytime TV, past and present, with a look at two jaw-dropping talk-show moments from this season.

Robert De Niro breaks down on "Katie," and the ladies of "The Talk" strip down on TV.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATIE COURIC, HOST, "KATIE": Do you feel a greater responsibility about doing a film that David had so much personally invested in?

ROBERT DE NIRO, ACTOR: Well, of course. I mean, I understand what he...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys." I`m A.J. Hammer. I`m coming to you from the Beverly Hilton here in Beverly Hills. This is where the Daytime Emmy Awards will be seen live, right here on HLN. It`s happening Sunday night at 8 p.m. Eastern. I am so excited about it.

But right now I have the game show showdown. One of the breakout new hosts in the game show world this year is Billy Eichner. He is raw; he is hilarious in his hit TV series, "Funny or Die`s Billy on the Street." It is all about getting in your face.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILLY EICHNER, HOST, FUNNYORDIE.COM`S "BILLY ON THE STREET": Miss, for a dollar name three white people. Go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three white people?

EICHNER: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Could be dead or alive?

EICHNER: Yes. Famous, please.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Elvis Presley.

EICHNER: OK. One.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Michael Jackson.

EICHNER: He was not white.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, I`m sorry.

EICHNER: Oh, God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Billy Eichner is so great. He may be the wildest and perhaps the funniest game show host ever. Can you believe this guy, almost out of nowhere, up for a Daytime Emmy against Alex Trebek? I`ve got to ask Billy what it`s like to be battling for Emmy gold against a TV legend.

This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The best and brightest in daytime television return to HLN.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Emmy award goes to...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you so much. Woo!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Daytime Emmy Awards. Sunday, June 16, 8 Eastern. Only on HLN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: And now SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys. Tonight I am going one on one with the breakout new host in the world of daytime TV. I`m talking about the great Billy Eichner. He is raw; he is hilarious; and his hit Fuse series "Funny or Die`s Billy on the Street" is all about getting in your face.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EICHNER: True or false? True or false? Lea Michele can play the flute!

Sir, it`s wedding bells for Julie Benz from "Dexter." Oh, boy.

Sir, it`s wedding bells for Julie Benz from "Dexter."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m so glad.

EICHNER: Good. Me, too.

Katy Perry! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Well, as you can clearly see, Billy`s guerrilla street antics are outrageous, and they are totally hilarious. And this game show host is up for an Emmy in a world that is dominated by shows with decades of history. How`s he feel about that? You`ve got to watch what Billy Eichner revealed to me about his Emmy showdown.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Great meeting you, man.

EICHNER: You too, A.J.

HAMMER: I mean, how mind-blowing is that? You and Alex Trebek nominated in the same category.

EICHNER: I know.

HAMMER: Could you ever have imagined?

EICHNER: I never could have. It`s very, very bizarre. Very bizarre. But an honor. You know. I mean...

HAMMER: I`m sure. And I`ve got to tell you, I think you`ve got a good shot here.

EICHNER: Really?

HAMMER: Well, you`re the next generation.

EICHNER: I don`t think I have a good shot.

HAMMER: Taking nothing away from Alex and all that. Well, we`ll see. You`re going to be all dressed up in there on Sunday night.

EICHNER: Yes.

HAMMER: What I love about your show, particularly as a New Yorker, is you`re right there in the streets. You`re running up to people, as we saw. Half the people, they are potential contestants who want to talk to you. The other half seem to want to run away.

EICHNER: Oh, yes. A lot of people just run right past me, and then I run after them.

HAMMER: Let`s watch how that happened.

EICHNER: OK, great.

HAMMER: Roll that, Charles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EICHNER: OK, guys. It`s Billy. I`ve got cash in hand, and I`m ready to give it away if I can find anyone who knows a damn thing. Let`s go.

Sir, for a dollar. Are you ready?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

EICHNER: Name three Seven Dwarves, three of the Seven Dwarves. Go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sleepy.

EICHNER: That`s one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dopey.

EICHNER: One more.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Grumpy.

EICHNER: It`s yours. There you go! Take it!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: You know...

EICHNER: It`s very sophisticated.

HAMMER: Sophisticated. But it`s dangerous, Billy. It`s New York City.

EICHNER: That`s true.

HAMMER: What`s the most extreme reaction that you`ve gotten that perhaps you`ve never actually been able to put on?

EICHNER: An old lady slapped me across the face. Just like really slapped me hard. Which I loved. Because I was like that`s a guarantee of another season.

HAMMER: Were you able to include that in one of the shows?

EICHNER: We were not, because she didn`t sign the release. But she was very mad at me.

HAMMER: I love it. You run up to them and you chase them down. You ask them something. Then somebody has to run after them to get them to sign a release.

But you`ve gotten stars to do wild things. Pink went through a lightning round of questions while you were suspended from a trapeze with here.

EICHNER: Yes.

HAMMER: Rachel Dratch ran an obstacle course in Brooklyn.

What I`m going to do right now is I`m going to flip things around, break some celebrity news. I`ll give you a dollar if you can tell me what celebrity has turned down what when you asked.

EICHNER: The rapper Nas. Do you know Nas? He`s a rapper. He really did not like me. And he`s the only rapper to turn down the prize that I gave him, which was a bird cage. Because we made him play -- he`s like a hardcore rapper. We made him play a game called "Does Nas Know Anything about Cher?" Which is very me. But Nas did not get that joke.

HAMMER: Was he embarrassed by the idea that...

EICHNER: I think he was embarrassed by everything that was happening. Yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HAMMER: My thanks to the incredibly funny Billy Eichner. Best of luck, Billy.

We have a lot more of daytime TV`s best tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER (voice-over): Well, "The Talk" has officially passed its newcomer stage, and the hosts are ready to party like rock stars. They get their first Daytime Emmy win on Sunday night.

SARA GILBERT, CO-HOST, "THE TALK": The thing that I think we love the most is when we get nominated for best show, we all get to celebrate together, so that`s the sweetest nomination.

HAMMER: And I look forward to being part of it.

I`m on location with the ladies of "The Talk." So are they really girlfriends on and off-set? I`ll have the revealing answer.

Plus, the young heartthrob that has daytime fans restless. Max Ehrich talks to me about the thrill of his first nomination for Outstanding Younger Actor on "The Young and the Restless."

You`re watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys." I`m A.J. Hammer. I`m at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. This is the home of the Daytime Emmys.

I`m going to be hosting the show along with HLN`s Robin Meade and "Good Morning America`s" Sam Champion. We will be live right here on HLN, Sunday at 8 p.m. Eastern, and you know anything can happen on live TV.

And one thing nominee Max Ehrich is hoping will happen is his first Emmy win. He`s nominated for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series for his role on "The Young and the Restless" as Fen Baldwin, the bully. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why are you picking on Jamie?

MAX EHRICH, ACTOR: I don`t know what you`re talking about.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please, don`t even. You`re the only person that could have sent that nasty Faceplate message.

EHRICH: So now you`re going to protect her?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Well, thankfully, in real life, Max Ehrich is anything but a bully. And when I spoke with Max, I asked him what it`s like to be recognized alongside so many TV legends and what it`s really like to play the bully.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EHRICH: I was a victim of bullying. I`m from a small town in New Jersey, and I wouldn`t say being an artist is the cool thing to do.

HAMMER: Right.

EHRICH: So yes, I definitely was a victim, too, but you know, that definitely gave me some depth, and I`ve been able to use that for my work. And I`m happy that the story line got to spread the influence. I mean, you can see that epidemic right now. So many kids are being bullied just for being different at any cost. And it`s horrible.

HAMMER: It`s great that you can be sort of a face against bullying and, yes, obviously the fact that you were on the other end of it, I`m sure has informed your work and also your ability to talk to kids about what they may go through.

EHRICH: Yes. That`s why I was excited when I got the story line. It just touched home. Obviously, I`m on the other side of it. But just to spread awareness of it was enough.

HAMMER: So here you are and, what, you`re 21 years old now? I think you turn 22 this summer. You`re on the job just a year now, and you`re nominated for a Daytime Emmy. I have imagine that`s a pretty big deal to you, as an artist and as someone who loves what they do?

EHRICH: Yes. Just the fact that I get to do -- play make-believe for a living. Because that`s what it comes down to in the end. We`re telling stories, and we get to put on these character masks. And it`s so much fun. So the fact to get recognized by my peers for my work is -- that`s enough, to be honest.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: And Max`s "The Young and the Restless" co-star, Bryton James, is also nominated in the same category. So we, of course, wish all of the nominees the very best of luck.

The celebration is just heating up tonight as we dig into the talk show world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER (voice-over): The ladies of "The Talk" gave me an earful about their five big Daytime Emmy nominations.

(on camera): Sheryl, for you, we got to hear your voice on the radio for so many years, but this is the show that gave your face, really, this national stage.

SHERYL UNDERWOOD, CO-HOST, "THE TALK": Yes. That`s why hair and make-up is Emmy nominated, because this is not me.

HAMMER (voice-over): But can "The Talk" beat Ellen DeGeneres, "The View" and "Live with Kelly and Michael" for their very first Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show?

Can Rachael Ray whip up a win as Outstanding Daytime Host? I`m on location with Rach as she tells me all about her Emmy superstitions.

You`re watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys."

This is SBT on HLN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER (voice-over): Right now from Beverly Hills, it`s a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys."

Tonight, "SHOWBIZ Justice," soap opera style. Revenge killings, mob shootouts. They`re the wild crimes that dominated daytime this year. Tonight, our real CNN and HLN legal all-stars are looking for answers to the infamous whodunnits.

RAY: I literally do by definition what I would do on my day off as my job on the show. To be, you know, awarded or nominated for an Emmy for something that I consider like a day off, is pretty amazing.

HAMMER: Rachael Ray serves up sammies with a side of sweetness, but can she cook up an Emmy win for Outstanding Talk Show Host? I am one on one with Rach as she reveals her favorite part of the Daytime Emmys.

GILBERT: And the thing that I think we love the most is when we get nominated for Best Show, we all get to celebrate together.

HAMMER (on camera): Yes.

GILBERT: So that`s the sweetest nomination of all.

HAMMER: And I look forward to being a part of it.

SHOWBIZ is on location with the ladies of "The Talk." So are they really girlfriends on and off set? I`ll have the revealing answer.

A special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys," continues right now.

Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys." I`m A.J. Hammer. I am here at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, where HLN will be bringing you the Daytime Emmy Awards live this Sunday at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Now, before the statues are all handed out, I`m going to be live on the red carpet just before the Daytime Emmys. That will get underway at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. The dresses, the nerves. You know what`s going on, and I`ll be speaking with your favorite stars first on the red carpet.

And then it`s going to be a big-time party as I host the Daytime Emmys with HLN`s Robin Meade and "Good Morning America`s" Sam Champion.

Now, in just a moment we`re going to be chatting with one of the big nominees and one of our favorite soap stars, Heather Tom. She plays Katie Logan Spencer on "The Bold and the Beautiful." She won Outstanding Lead Actress last year, and she is now looking to defend her crown this year.

But first, "SHOWBIZ Justice," soap opera style. The soaps nominated for Outstanding Drama Series had some wild fictional criminal cases all in this past year. We`ve seen botched mob hits, a love triangle turn deadly, and some criminal trials that, quite frankly, were almost as crazy as the real- life ones we cover right here on HLN. So how would our HLN legal all-stars take on these cases?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER (voice-over): They were the year`s most shocking court cases.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I sure as hell didn`t kill a little girl.

HAMMER: In Port Charles, New York, a reputed mob boss and donor to that city`s "General Hospital" accused of murder in a heart-breaking case.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God.

HAMMER: And in Genoa City, Wisconsin, a "Young and Restless" defendant.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You want me to go -- to go to prison?

HAMMER: Accused of trying to kill her romantic rival almost 20 years ago.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are never going to get away with trying to kill Paul and me.

HAMMER: Even our veteran HLN legal all-stars are wowed.

SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I think these are serious cases.

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HLN ANCHOR: Truth is stranger than fiction, or is it?

HAMMER: Alleged crime lord Sonny Corinthos was accused of shooting out the tires of rival mob boss Anthony Zacchara, causing a chain-reaction accident that killed another motorist, Cole Thornhart, and his 3-year-old daughter, Hope.

HOSTIN: That`s what`s so sad in the case. You`re talking about true innocence getting injured because of true evil and malice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s a very powerful man who has built an empire on violence and vendettas.

HAMMER: At Sonny`s trial, the prosecution outlined the evidence: Sonny had threatened Zacchara.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m going to put you in a bag.

HAMMER: Zacchara`s eyewitness testimony.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was him. Sonny Corinthos.

HAMMER: And perhaps most damning of all...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you seen this gun before?

HAMMER: ... the gun used to shoot out Zacchara`s tires, which was found in the office of Sonny`s girlfriend. A largely circumstantial case.

HOSTIN: I tried a lot of circumstantial evidence cases. And just because you don`t see it snowing doesn`t mean it didn`t snow.

HAMMER: But Sonny`s defense attorney was masterful.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you actually see Sonny shoot out Anthony Zacchara`s tires on the night in question?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I did not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I did not.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The defense did a masterful job.

HAMMER: And the defense worked.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not guilty.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: This is America and even the sleaziest mob boss deserves the presumption of innocence, and he got it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re under arrest.

HAMMER: Then there was the trial of the young, the restless Phyllis Newman. Newman was accused of trying to run over her long-time rival, Christine "Cricket" Blair, all the way back in 1994. The discovery of Phyllis`s old rental car receipt proved she was the culprit, but there was one small problem.

LAURALEE BELL, ACTRESS WHO PLAYS CHRISTINE BLAIR: Statute of limitations.

HAMMER: Phyllis`s victim, Christine, is an attorney, and she found a big loophole.

BELL: I was a federal employee at the time of the murder attempt. No statute of limitations.

HAMMER: For CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin, who`s a former federal prosecutor, this case hits home.

HOSTIN: People do try to take out federal prosecutors, and there is no statute of limitations on that. Nor should there be. Phyllis is going down.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You cannot convict her of this crime.

HAMMER: But soon after Phyllis`s trial got under way, a courtroom shocker.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ms. Newman, you`re released.

HAMMER: The judge angrily dismissed the case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I cannot believe you would waste my time.

HAMMER: The judge was unusually cranky. Court sources suggest he`s being bullied at home.

WILL SMITH, ACTOR/RAPPER: Hey, Kool-Aid!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got your Kool-Aid.

HAMMER: Turns out the judge wasn`t cool with Christine`s legal end-run around the statute of limitations.

BELL: I was working with the Justice Department.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Working with, Ms. Blair?

BELL: A consultant for a rape case with legal aid.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A consultant, not a federal agent. Well, then I guess the statute of limitations doesn`t apply.

HAMMER: Christine wasn`t happy. And our legal all-stars sparred over the decision.

HOSTIN: I think the judge got it wrong.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: People should not abuse the criminal justice system just so they can have their way and get back at somebody.

Imagine if everybody did that. My gosh, we`d all be in court all the time, trying to use the criminal justice system to get back at someone.

HAMMER: Two shocking trials and two shocking ends.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The twists and turns, it`s like some kind of a soap opera.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: My thanks again to HLN host Jane Velez-Mitchell and CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin for having some fun with us there.

Well, we are really starting to get close to kicking off the 40th annual Daytime Emmy awards, and our next nominee has already reached an incredible milestone.

Just last year, Heather Tom, who stars as Katie Logan Spencer on "The Bold and the Beautiful," walked away with the Best Lead Actress Emmy, making her the only actor in Daytime Emmy history to have won awards now on all levels, including Younger Actress back in 1999 and Supporting Actress in 2011.

She has been nominated for an astounding 14 Daytime Emmy Awards, and she`s done it again this year with the nomination for Lead Actress. And now Heather is a new mom to son Zane, who`s already making his momma proud right there on the set.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Look at that guy. Look at him!

Congratulations. It`s great to see you again.

HEATHER TOM, ACTRESS: Thank you.

HAMMER: This Emmy nomination is obviously fantastic. But what I remember so much from last year, when you got up there, your exuberance on stage.

TOM: Yes.

HAMMER: And you just made it a point to just let everyone know how much you truly love what you do.

TOM: Yes.

HAMMER: I`m guessing that none of that has changed.

TOM: No. No. I`m so happy to be a part of the daytime community. I love my job. I`ve spent 23 years on daytime. And it just keeps getter better and better.

HAMMER: And life gets better and better.

TOM: Yes.

HAMMER: When we were sitting here last year talking about last year`s Daytime Emmy Awards, you were a few months pregnant at the time.

TOM: Yes.

HAMMER: What was it, October you gave birth to your son?

TOM: Yes, end of October.

HAMMER: And he`s already been on TV. I love it.

TOM: I put him to work, you know.

HAMMER: Come on "The Bold and the Beautiful."

TOM: No slacking off, drinking milk.

HAMMER: And we`re looking at the picture where you tweeted out the news to your fans. Everybody was responding and so excited, obviously, for you and for him. It really brings a new meaning to bring your child to work day.

TOM: Yes, it does. I mean, I`m lucky that I can bring him to work, and we have an environment there that`s really conducive for having my baby there and that it`s also nice that, you know, since he`s there, he might as well be earning his keep.

HAMMER: Yes, of course.

Do you see him following in momma`s footsteps?

TOM: Oh, gosh. I don`t know. I`m hoping for, like, surgeon, like brain surgeon.

HAMMER: Of course you are.

TOM: You know? Like something a little different.

HAMMER: Do you get nervous at all about the Daytime Emmys? It was a big year for you last year. This will be icing on the cake, I imagine?

TOM: I mean, it`s always a fun night. You get to see a lot of people that you don`t see on a regular basis. And, you know, it`s always fun; it`s always lovely to be nominated. And I always do get nervous, because I feel like it`s probably unlucky if I`m not nervous.

HAMMER: Well, that is a good way of looking at it, and look, I don`t know if your mantel can handle another award, but best of luck on Sunday.

TOM: Thank you.

HAMMER: I`m looking forward to seeing you there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: And that is why Heather Tom is such a fan favorite. You have got to love her enthusiasm.

OK, from soap stars and soap operas to game shows and talk shows. Fans of daytime TV have proven themselves loyal, cheering on the heroes, cringing at the villains. We get it. That is why all eyes will be on the showdown to end all showdowns this Sunday at the Daytime Emmy awards in the competition for the most outstanding, entertaining daytime talk show.

The drama, the competition, the heated debates. What`s not to love? Daytime TV is delivering it all and then some.

But which TV talk fests will reign supreme?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER (voice-over): There`s dancing, prizes.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, ABC`S "THE VIEW": I know it. I haven`t heard the other side.

HAMMER: Hot debates.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nick Cannon. Kristen Bell. Wanda Sykes. Alyssa Milano. Kevin Bacon.

HAMMER: And stars galore. It`s no wonder fans can`t get enough of daytime talk TV.

Still, with so many new players in the game, giving daytime viewers dozens and dozens of options to get their daily fix, only four will reign supreme in the ultimate showdown to be crowned the very best in Outstanding Talk Show entertainment.

Going head to head this year.

ELLEN DEGENERES, TALK SHOW HOST: Were you comfortable being naked before?

HAMMER: "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

KELLY RIPA, CO-HOST, ABC`S "LIVE WITH KELLY AND MICHAEL": Who`s the birthday girl? Shut up.

HAMMER: "Live with Kelly and Michael."

SHARON OSBOURNE, CO-HOST, "THE TALK": But the most beautiful woman alive? No. She`s got a good publicist, though.

HAMMER: "The Talk."

GOLDBERG: Hopefully, the ass (ph) stays on and the bone (ph) is loose.

HAMMER: And the ladies of "The View."

So who will walk away with top honors for top talk? So many great choices, it`s going to be a tough call. Either way, these daytime stars better get ready for a real showdown.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Well, my friends over at "The Talk" can`t stop talking about that showdown. They`re ready for their first win and their post-win party.

Plus, I find out the only reason Sharon Osbourne would ever walk away from "The Talk." Also ahead, I`m on location with Rach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAY: I literally do by definition what I would do on a day off, as my job on this show. To be, you know, awarded by being nominated for an Emmy for something that I consider like a day off is pretty amazing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: I find out if Rachael Ray has a speech prepared if she wins big on Sunday night.

You`re watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys."

Right now we are celebrating the best of daytime TV, with the man of daytime. Dashing, deceptive and daring. Michael Muhney and Peter Bergman of "The Young and the Restless" embody all of that and more as they face off for the Best Actor Daytime Emmy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER BERGMAN, ACTOR: It`s a nice detail. Kind of takes the lie to the next level.

MICHAEL MUHNEY, ACTOR: What are you talking about?

BERGMAN: You lied to me, Billy. You sent Victoria to Miami to screw me over.

MUHNEY: I can be with Sharon, and I`m unfaithful. I can be away from Sharon, and I`m unfaithful. Chelsea, baby, you better help me out here. I don`t know what to do. Tell me what I have to say or do that gets you to believe the words that are coming out of my mouth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys."

So here I am, poolside at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, where HLN will be bringing you the Daytime Emmy awards, live this Sunday, at 8 p.m. Eastern.

And just a few steps from here, I`m going to be hosting the big show with HLN`s Robin Meade and "Good Morning America`s" Sam Champion.

Now Rachael Ray has taken home two statues for Outstanding Talk Show. We`re going to get to see if she`ll add a third to her mantle for Outstanding Host on Sunday. It is going to be a big night for Rachael. She tells me that she`s looking forward to seeing the friends and the fans, and the champagne, of course.

But Rachael also reveals to me the one thing she will never, ever do as an Emmy nominee.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAY: It`s huge and weird, you know. I think of myself as a cook, you know, from upstate New York, and I get to come to work at this show and sit down with, you know -- I mean, I can`t even say it with a straight face. But I get to sit down with Oscar winners and presidents and rock stars and, you know, chitchat and then go into the kitchen and make dinner.

I literally do by definition what I would do on a day off as my job on this show. To be, you know, awarded by being nominated for an Emmy for something that I consider like a day off is pretty amazing.

HAMMER: Yes.

RAY: I do always repress a little bit, because so many people work so hard at this show. And they bring their children and their dogs and cats with them, you know, because we work real long hours.

So, you know, I think of it like our family is running in a big relay race, and it`s super fun for these folks to get, you know, awarded but I never -- I never prepare speeches for stuff like that. I`m superstitious. I`m a Sicilian, and it`s just too freaky.

HAMMER: Right. And of course, it`s such a big party being at the Daytime Emmys. I`m going to be right there.

RAY: Oh, my God.

HAMMER: It`s at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

RAY: It`s so much fun.

HAMMER: But they serve food. So imagine how daunting it is for the people in the kitchen, knowing that Rachael Ray is among those sitting at the tables, sampling their wares.

RAY: No, no. No, I know some of the world`s greatest chefs quite well. And let me tell you: any chef would tell you this, when we`re hungry we will eat anything. And sometimes we`ll bet each other to eat awful things. So actually, anybody who loves to cook and anybody who`s a chef, they`re pretty -- not picky.

HAMMER: OK. But will you have the fish or the steak? I just have to ask, because they asked me to find out.

RAY: I will have the champagne.

HAMMER: Yes. There will be plenty of that flowing and, hopefully, in celebration; a big toast for, perhaps, another win for you.

With all the amazing things that you`ve done on the show and the guests that you had, is there one thing that stands out as perhaps a singular, most memorable moment?

RAY: So many of them. Our first show of this season was very special. It was the first time we had first lady Michelle Obama for the whole show in the studio.

MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: The girls went to summer camp, right, so they were away for a month. And they were both away. So I would sit by the mailbox and wait for the notes.

RAY: Waiting for the letters.

OBAMA: It was like go, and they`d be, like, two sentences.

RAY: Michael J. Fox is somebody who I consider a friend and someone I just admire in every way. He`s my favorite optimist. The first time he came on the show to surprise a young woman who had raised $64,000 singlehandedly for Parkinson`s was pretty big.

And the day we launched our Yum-o! initiative, when President Clinton was here and my mom actually came to a show. And I think she even gave President Clinton a little bit of a hair flip.

HAMMER: Really? A little flirtation going on.

RAY: If you were able to join any rock band in history, which one would it have been?

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In history?

RAY: In history.

CLINTON: Just for kicks I`d play with the Stones.

RAY: All right.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: My thanks to Rachael Ray.

And just like Rachael Ray, the ladies of "The Talk" had a huge year, too. They gave me an earful about their five big daytime nominations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GILBERT: The thing that I think we love the most is when we get nominated for Best Show, we all get to celebrate together. So that`s the sweetest nomination of all.

HAMMER: I look forward to being at the party.

(voice-over): SHOWBIZ is on location with the ladies of "The Talk."

Plus, win or lose, find out how Julie Chen and Sheryl Underwood are going to help me light up the stage at the Emmys.

You`re watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys."

This is SBT on HLN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Right now, we are celebrating the best of the best in daytime TV, and in this case, the best may be yet to come. That`s because this fall, Kris Jenner, a.k.a. Mama Kardashian, and fellow reality star Bethenny Frankel are ready to heat up daytime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BETHENNY FRANKEL, TALK SHOW HOST/REALITY TV STAR: I want to put your butt next to mine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

FRANKEL: Mine fits on one cheek. Right? I`m jealous.

KRIS JENNER, REALITY TV STAR: And I`m a mom with a pretty active family. When we`re all just hanging out, that`s my favorite time. Lots of laughs, great conversation and I thought, that would make for a great talk show.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys." I`m A.J. Hammer. I`m at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, where the Daytime Emmy Awards will be live this Sunday at 8 p.m. Eastern. And of course, it happens right here on HLN.

Now, right after the winners get their awards, they will talk with the ladies of "The Talk." Special Daytime Emmy correspondents Julie Chen and Sheryl Underwood will be with the stars just moments after they get their trophies. Julie, Sheryl and the other co-hosts could actually be right there in the winner`s circle, too.

I went on the location on the set of "The Talk," and the ladies had a lot to say about their five big Daytime Emmy nominations, including their nod for Outstanding Talk Show.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIE CHEN, CO-HOST, "THE TALK": Our top topic for today is host of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, A.J. Hammer!

HAMMER: I have to offer my congratulations, my huge congratulations on your daytime Emmy nominations, five of them. Two years in a row now. This is enormous.

GILBERT, CO-HOST: We`re really excited. I mean, the thing that I think we love the most is when we get nominated for best show we all get to celebrate together. So that`s the sweetest nomination of all.

HAMMER: And I look forward to being at the party. You know, guys, we all got to hang last year. And last year most of you said it`s great to just be invited except for Sharon, of course, who said, "We have to win." This is the year. This is the year to win.

CHEN: Well, I don`t like to jinx anything. I will say last year I was happy that Regis won because it was his final year, and I really felt like he deserved it. This year I`m not even thinking about it. I`m just happy to be nominated.

HAMMER: Sharon, you really became, in my mind, this unlikely huge TV grand dame of television over the years. Of course, most people got to know you watching "The Osbournes." But this is your gig and it just is like a perfect role for you, being here and talking about all this stuff every day.

SHARON OSBOURNE, CO-HOST, CBS`S "THE TALK": You know, it doesn`t feel like a gig or a job. It`s really a gift. It is. You can`t say this is work, because we come in, you know, we have the best time, and just blessed to be here.

GILBERT: Yes, and I think if Sharon ever felt like something was work she`d leave.

HAMMER: Yes, actually, I do -- I do get that impression, and actually, I believe she`s done that. But I digress.

And you sort of bounced around, did a lot of great things and had all of these great gigs over the years, but now I really watch you on the show, and it seems to me like you feel like you`re at home.

AISHA TYLER, CO-HOST, "THE TALK": Do you know what I mean? Like a hot guy can pretty much get away with anything. I think so.

It`s so great to spend time with women every day. I really feel like we`ve got this incredible -- sisterhood is kind of kicked around a lot. But I just feel like there`s a real friendship that translates onto the show. It`s not work. It`s just getting time to spend with your girlfriends.

HAMMER: And Sheryl, for you we got to hear your voice on the radio for so many years, but this is the show that gave your face, really, this national stage.

UNDERWOOD: Yes, and that`s why hair and makeup is Emmy nominated, because this is not me. This is an illusion.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: I always have such a great time with my friends from "The Talk." I am so looking forward to joining Julie and Sheryl onstage at the Daytime Emmys.

Well, thank you so much for joining us for this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ at the Daytime Emmys." And please, don`t forget to join me on Sunday; 7:30 p.m. Eastern is when I fire up SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S live red carpet Emmys pre-show. And then at 8, it`s on to the big event. I`ll be hosting the 40th annual Daytime Emmys with HLN`s Robin Meade and "Good Morning America`s" Sam Champion.

I`m A.J. Hammer in Beverly Hills. Remember, you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, Monday to Thursday, at 11 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END