Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Former wrestler and Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura tells us politics has been the last thing on his mind in the past few years. He and his wife have been enjoying living the simple life in Mexico. "I haven't been doing anything in politics since I left office. I live way down in the Baja now, where there's no electricity or paved roads. I live there for about six months out of the year," says Ventura.

"Being from Minnesota, I've grown tired of the winters. I've watched my parents become prisoners of their own home as they've gotten elderly. They basically can't go outside and I swore I'd never let that happen to me. I've always loved warm weather and the ocean. I'm back to being the adventurous person that I am and I'm going to do it until I can't do it anymore."

When asked if he ever plans to return to politics, Ventura responds, "I guess you could say a part of me does miss it, but my hair — well, what I have left of it — is very long now. In the words of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, they have the lyrics that if you're going to get yourself elected, you better cut your hair. If you see me with a shaved head, then that means I may be coming back to politics. But I can tell you unequivocally at this point in time, there are no plans for a haircut."

However, it doesn't mean that Ventura will be gone from the spotlight. He has a brand-new TV show, "Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura," premiering Dec. 2 on truTV where he sets out to uncover the truth behind the most compelling modern-day conspiracy theories. "People can choose to believe these conspiracy theories or not, but I guarantee if they do watch the show and pay attention, they will get frightened. It frightened me at times doing this show and I've done a lot of things in my life. Hopefully, I was able to channel that fear into performance," he adds. "I'm getting ready to go down to Mexico after this TV show breaks. I'll stir the pot and then ya'll will have no one to talk to because I'll be down there surfing."

MANY STEPS AHEAD: "Dancing With the Stars" pro Louis Van Amstel says his journey in working with Kelly Osbourne has been so emotional for him, "I really get choked up when I see what she's doing." Osbourne is the underdog, squaring off against Donny Osmond and singer Mya, going into tonight's (11/23) competition finals.

He recalls when he first got together with the peppy and popular 25-year-old offspring of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, it was a mere six months after she went through rehab for prescription drug addiction.

"We're sitting on the plane next to each other, and I'm reading her book ("Fierce"); I'm reading about this girl in this book. I thought, 'S—-. I'm sitting next to her, and it's only a half a year ago she was going through this'... I knew it would be a special three months."

Viewers have seen Osbourne's transformation. She's dropped three dress sizes in addition to gaining mastery in difficult ballroom dance techniques. Van Amstel tells us that one of the things he's encouraged her to do along the way is not to think too much. "I believe that the more you think, the more problems you have learning. I think the world overthinks everything. At first, Kelly was up in her head, trying to learn. I said, 'You don't have to think.' She trusted me enough to stop thinking."

HAMMER TIME: Mark Harmon, who was a carpenter before he was an actor, reveals he's never given up the skill of working with his hands and he's passed it on to his sons. Sean, a 21-year-old film student, and Ty, a 17-year-old high-schooler, are comfortable working with carpenter's tools, says Harmon. "That's rare today for young people to know the craft, and it's nice." Harmon picked up carpentry during a summer job while he was in high school, "and I also spent weekends with my dad in his workshop. I liked that a lot." His dad was football great Tom Harmon.

NEW VENTURES: Tabatha Coffey, who is currently starring in the second season of Bravo's "Tabatha's Salon Takeover" and is a big hit with viewers, tells us she's ready to start being more of an entrepreneur. "What I would like to do next is a product line. It's something that I've thought about and dabbled in for a very long time," says the tough-as-nails Australian hair stylist. "I'd love to fill in some of the gaps that I feel a lot of my clients are looking for. It's the products I wish I had without having to mix four or five things to get them." And who knows? Pretty soon, there may be more little Tabathas running around. No, not babies. "I would like to do more hands-on education for hairdressers. Whether that means opening up a training academy or traveling around a little bit more and teaching some classes to educate stylists. It's definitely something I plan to do more actively."

With reports by Emily-Fortune Feimster

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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