Now that authorities say last week’s balloon boy incident was just a hoax, the public is getting re-acquainted with the underside of reality television. Richard and Mayumi Heene, parents of the 6 year-old boy thought to be trapped in a balloon before he was found in an attic, are expected to be charged this week with making up the whole scenario.

If what authorities are saying about the Heenes is true, they may have been hungering for fame, and saw the hoax as a great way to get a reality TV show. As everyone knows by know, the Heenes already starred in a past episode of the reality show “Wife Swap.”

Reality TV is littered with personalities who have cashed in on whatever public prominence they have gained to try and become a media star.

The latest is disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who is making a bid to star on Donald Trump’s reality show “Celebrity Apprentice.” Following his arrest last year on corruption charges, the much mocked Blagojevich became a reviled. But lack of popularity has never been much of a liability in the reality TV world, which relies heavily on villain-type personalities such as married provocateurs Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt.

Blagojevich’s wife, Patti, already had a role this year on the reality show “I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!” on NBC. At least the Blagojeviches keep it all in the family.

And then there are the parents who make their children the focus of a reality show, such as Jon and Kate Gosselin (”Jon & Kate Plus Eight”) and Nadya “Octomom” Suleman (”Octomom: The Incredible Unseen Footage”).

Rod Blagojevich and shows like “Jon & Kate Plus Eight” have parallels to the possible “Balloon Boy” hoax. Just as Jon and Kate Gosselin put their children in the spotlight, the Heenes did the same with their 6 year-old son Falcon Heene. And just as the “Jon & Kate” show rolled on even after the couple announced in June that they were divorcing, the Heenes may try to capitalize on their newfound fame, even as they deal with their own nightmare — namely criminal charges.

After all, being charged with a crime does not bar you from becoming a reality TV star. The governor’s wife appeared as a replacement for him on “I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!,” when a judge barred him from leaving the country to star in the show, because of the corruption charges he faces. But there do not appear to be many legal impediments to Rod Blagojevich starring in “Celebrity Apprentice,” because he would not have to leave the country for the show.

Similarly, could we expect to see the Heenes pop up in another reality show, even as they face criminal charges for allegedly orchestrating a hoax that got the fame in the first place? When did reality TV get so weird?

It’s make or break time for some reality stars — minor celebs who this summer in the U.S. have lingered on television and in the pages of celebrity magazines, making headlines for getting divorced, getting pregnant or singing a song on stage, and then talking endlessly about the experience. How long will they stay in the news?

Jon Gosselin, the Octodad who audiences of the TLC show “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ rooted for when he was a homebody husband, has endured some negative headlines since the June announcement of his pending divorce. The paparazzi these days are more likely to photograph him with a scantily clad woman in Las Vegas than being a doting dad, and that does nothing for his image. Jon is out there on his own now, his prized Ed Hardy T-shirts blurred out by TLC in his recent appearances on the show, as the program’s ratings continue their freefall.

In recent days, Gosselin has attracted some less than flattering headlines. There was US Weekly’s “Tim Gunn Slams Jon Gosselin’s Style,” in which the fashion maven said Gosselin’s too-big clothing choices represent the “slobification of America.” In a headline that sums up a whole story, a blog writer at the Los Angeles Times wrote “Jon Gosselin whines that Kate called him a ‘lame fish.’ Um, that’s lame duck, Jon.”

It’s clear that Jon Gosselin is not feeling the love these days. But the real question is, how long will he continue to make headlines simply for living the life of a bachelor, a life not that different from many other American bachelors? Will the declining ratings for his show spell the end of his fame?

Elsewhere, reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian is making headlines for something Jon Gosselin could never accomplish even if he wanted to — she’s pregnant. The socialite, who stars in the E! Network shows “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and “Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami,” has often lived in the shadow of her more famous sister Kim, but since announcing last month that she is pregnant, Kourtney has eclipsed Kim in the level of attention she is getting.

Kourtney Kardashian made headlines for talking about her food cravings, the possibility of posing nude while pregnant and the fact that she considered an abortion. Will the public lose interest, or will the stream of headlines continue all the way to the delivery room? If so, that could make Kourtney Kardashian a celebrity who went from a minor deal to a big deal, simply for getting pregnant. If not, she will likely end up in her sister’s shadow — again. Not to be outdone, Kim Kardashian this week was back to making headlines the old fashioned way for a reality star, by being photographed in her underwear.

Then, there’s perennial reality stars Heidi Montag and husband Spencer Pratt, who were at the top of the celebrity news for a short time last month, after Heidi performed for a few minutes at the “Miss Universe” pageant. With her venture into the music business, Heidi seems aware that she needs to show some talent to stay in the spotlight, but critics were largely unimpressed, and she may have to head to “The Hills” again for another season of the MTV show. Does the Montag-Pratt team show signs of wear, or will they still be around as a quote machine for years to come, no matter how Montag’s music career goes?

One thing is certain, reality TV is here to stay, and if Jon Gosselin, Kourtney Kardashian and Heidi Montag fade from view, there will be plenty of others happy to take their place. After all, they have enough competition for the spotlight just within their own families.

Her “reality” TV show “The Hills” may be largely fake, but current Playboy covergirl Heidi Montag says her recent musical performance at the “Miss Universe” pageant was the real deal, denying the plethora of reports that she was lip-synching her new song “Body Language.”

Getting into a limousine at Los Angeles International Airport, Montag responded with a smile when a paparazzo asked if Sunday’s performance was lip-synched. “I was as live as live can be,” Montag said.

Her husband Spencer Pratt also had a grin on his face as he said, “It was the livest performance in history.” And with that he rolled up the tinted window on his limousine. The whole exchange can be seen on video on the celebrity website TMZ.com.

But apparently, TMZ is not convinced. The news outlet’s headline reads, “Heidi Montag — Biggest Lie in the Universe.”

Montag also told the paparazzo that performing at the “Miss Universe” show was the “best experience” of her life. That is probably true, but what about her claim to have performed live? Was she just joking? Does she count dancing to a recorded vocal as performing live? Or, in the words of John Lennon, are Montag and Pratt just playing “mind games forever” on the public?

Hollywood’s resident reality TV villain Heidi Montag performed her song “Body Language” at the “Miss Universe” pageant on Sunday, as several critics reacted by saying it was bad — but could have been worse.

Montag, 22, gained fame for appearing on MTV reality show “The Hills,” becoming a TV celebrity before she made her mark with anything resembling what celebrities normally do to get famous, like singing or acting. On “The Hills” and on subsequent TV appearances, Montag has earned a reputation for being a personality whom TV viewers don’t really like, but can’t keep their eyes off.

Of late, Montag has tried to make a name for herself as a singer. She also appeared in the September issue of Playboy, as her husband, fellow reality TV “bad boy” Spencer Pratt, interviewed her for the piece. Among other things, Montag told her husband that she experienced great sex with him and she might want another boob job.

As for Montag’s performance at the Miss Universe pageant, a writer at Entertainment Weekly said it featured “moderately competent lip-syncing, some Britney-wannabe choreography … and that’s about it.”

But celebrity blogger Perez Hilton wrote, “while it was most definitely bad — it wasn’t EMBARRASSINGLY bad!”

Ditto for paparazzi website X17, an outfit that is very familiar with Montag. They wrote, “you have to admit that it could have been way worse!”

Check out the video of her performance below.

(Writing and reporting by Laura Isensee)

The first contestant got voted off reality television show “I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!” on Thursday night, and (shock) it wasn’t Spencer and Heidi Pratt. All week long, speculation in celebrity media reports has been about whether they would be allowed to return to the TV contest show after seeming to walk off in a huff on Monday’s show and head back to Hollywood.

For those who don’t know, on “I’m a Celebrity,” B-list stars compete in challenges like eating bugs to see who can survive a battle of willpower in a Coast Rican jungle.

On Thursday’s episode, audiences were supposed to find out if, after Monday’s antics, Heidi and Spencer — dubbed “Speidi” in the media — would be allowed to return. Instead, it appears the on-again, off-again saga of the husband-and-wife team has yet another chapter.

NBC is dragging out whether the couple is really — like, for sure — back on the survival show. Viewers have to tune in to a special two-hour episode on Monday to see if the newlyweds, formerly of “The Hills” on MTV, make it back to camp after a trial stay in a creepy house called the “Lost Chamber”. (And if that is not enough Speidi, fans who love them — or love to hate them — can check out a mini-marathon of “I’m a Celebrity” on MTV over the weekend.)

The tease is no surprise, really. Aside from competitors arguing about Speidi and flashbacks of their plea to return, Thursday’s highlights included how former supermodel Janice Dickinson grossed out other campers and became a jungle thief by nabbing a pillow and shower kit. Exciting? We’re not so sure. But 5.2 million people tuned in to watch Thursday’s episode, according to initial overnight ratings. That’s not as much as the premier, which drew 6.4 million viewers, but on par with Tuesday’s 5.5 million viewers and up from Wednesday night’s 4.8 million.

Angela V. Shelton, part of the comedy duo called “Frangela,” got voted off on Thursday night, the first contestant to officially leave. Shelton told reporters on a conference call on Friday that she thinks Speidi should not be allowed back on.

“They quit. They quit something like 20 times. At some point it all became ridiculous,” Shelton said.

Shelton shared her strong opinion of the Pratts, calling them “immature.” “They have a tendency towards low blows,” she said.

Shelton added that if the couple is allowed to return, the rest of the cast will accept them and give them a chance to redeem themselves. “These are not grudge-holders,” she said.

(Writing and reporting by Laura Isensee)

There’s no such thing as bad publicity, as they say in showbiz (see Sacha Baron Cohen and his MTV stunt with Eminem), and this back-and-forth is creating buzz for the NBC show, where Hollywood D-listers like “American Idol” contestant Sanjaya Malakar and born again Christian Stephen Baldwin battle for survival — and a return to fame — in a Costa Rican jungle.

Spencer and Heidi Pratt, dubbed Speidi, exited the jungle on the summer adventure’s first episode, which drew 6.4 million viewers. Yet on the second day, celebrity Web site TMZ reported they asked to come back and the couple reappeared on Tuesday night.

Adding to the confusion — and the buzz – have been reports that a Speidi double faked the couple’s return to Los Angeles airport and that Spencer and Heidi are telling people they never really planned to quit, bragging it was to mess with the competition.

The show’s publicist was not immediately available for comment. But on the show’s official Web site, Spencer and Heidi’s mugshots are faded out and slapped with a big, fat “QUIT.”

That leaves viewers with one option: to tune in to find out if they’re gone for good or not. And maybe it’s better if they stayed. This is, after all, a show in which people are humiliated, and we must admit a certain guilty pleasure in seeing Speidi squirm.

“I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here” got off to a flying start on Monday — but it appears that the reality survival show’s most talked-about stars may already have quit.

Unless it’s another stunt by publicity-savvy Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag who spent the first episode of the show either playing mind games with their D-list pals in the Costa Rican jungle or wondering how they were going to manage without regular sex for a few weeks.

Celebrity web site TMZ said the recently married pair known as “Speidi” walked (or trekked?) out after Monday night’s broadcast — even before viewers had a chance to vote on who should be thrown off. 

NBC weren’t commenting, perhaps hoping that all the publicity over the villains from “The Hills” would get an even larger audience on Tuesday than the  6.4 million who tuned in for the premiere of the summer jungle adventure, whose contestants also include a surprisingly tough Sanjaya Malakar , the 2006 “American Idol” contestant best known for his hair.

That may be so.  But if  Speidi has really gone — and it’s not just another manufactured stunt to keep viewers glued to the show — will anyone still be watching the remaining celebs eating bugs four nights a week for the next four weeks?

Has Lauren Conrad had enough of life as a reality TV star?

Maybe.

“It’s coming to a point where I love this show so much, but I’m ready to kind of walk away…I’ve been doing it for five years now. Five years on TV is a really, really long time,”  Conrad, 22,  said of life on MTV’s “The Hills” and its predecessor “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County”.

Asked by Extra about the media attention on her relationships, Conrad said; “It makes it more difficult. It’s more difficult when not only everyone knows about your problems, but they make them worse because things escalate and things get twisted…. It’s hard to have an actual friendship be torn apart in the media.”

Is L.C. talking about her famous feud with former BFF Heidi Montag? Or her split with  boyfriend Jason Whaler a couple of years ago.

And if Lauren quits “The Hills”, could the show survive?

Reality TV star and fledgling fashion designer Lauren Conrad, 22, told celebrity television show “Entertainment Tonight” that her reality program “The Hills,” which will premiere its fourth season on Monday, will have plenty of personal drama in its new season – with a couple reconciliations thrown in the mix. 
    
The show, which follows the lives of young women in Los Angeles, will be all about real emotions, at least as far as Conrad is concerned because the California native said she can’t act.
    
“I tried (acting) when I first moved to L.A.,” Conrad said to ET. “I took a couple of classes. Awful. Any opportunity you have to make fun of yourself I think is fun to do, but acting is an art and I don’t think I have a talent there.” 
    
Maybe it doesn’t matter. “The Hills” is, after all, a “realilty” show and while she admittedly can’t act, Conrad truly has her eye on designing clothes. She will attend her first Emmy Awards ceremony on Sept. 21, but for her acting. Conrad is designing gowns worn by Emmy presenters. 

ET’s interview with Conrad airs on Wednesday night. 

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis)

After her clothing line was yanked from all Los Angeles’ Kitson boutique stores, “The Hills” star Lauren Conrad is getting a new chance at showcasing her fashion design skills in a major way. The 22-year-old has been tapped to design a couture gown for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards trophy girls who hand out U.S. television’s top honors.

“When the show approached me, I was so excited,” Conrad said in an email to Reuters. “I love designing dresses and I can’t wait to see my own designs on the Primetime Emmy Awards.  The dress will be elegant yet simple with a Lauren Conrad Collection vibe.”

Conrad is a newcomer to the fashion scene and her eponymous clothing line, which was unveiled for the first time during this year’s at L.A. Fashion Week, has received stormy reviews. Kitson owner Fraser Ross even went so far as to describe sales of Conrad’s line at the boutiques as “lackluster” to New York magazine. Still, the Southern California casual-inspired dresses and tops are in high-end stores such as Fred Segal, Bloomingdale’s and Planet Blue. 

The Emmy  producers would seem to be smart by capitalizing on Conrad’s celebrity status and large following of fans.  “The Hills” is MTV’s highest-rated show, and Conrad regularly graces the front pages of celebrity gossip magazines. And she is just as coy about what her Emmy gowns will look like as she is savvy about dealing with her star status and the media.

When asked what the gowns will look like, she wrote: “You’ll just have to wait until Sept. 21 for the finished product.” The Emmys are given out in a nationally televised ceremony from L.A. on Sept. 21.

Meanwhile, another celebrity is trying her hand in the fashion world on a new cable reality TV series.  Forrest Whitaker’s wife and former model, Keisha Whitaker, will host a new reality show on cable TV’s TLC network named after one of the most popular questions at Hollywood red carpet events: “Who Are You Wearing?”

On each episode, four undiscovered designers will have the opportunity to create a red carpet dress for the celebrity guest judge of the week. Some celebrities who will be lending their red carpet prowess to the show are “Heroes” star Ali Landry, Laila Ali, daughter of boxer Muhammad Ali, and E! TV’s red carpet judge Melissa Rivers. The show premieres on August 22 at 10pm on TLC.