Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Pop siren Nicole Scherzinger is getting a special kick out of fashion mags and websites following her as a trendsetter these days. "For a long time, people only saw me as a tacky Pussycat Doll who only wore leopard print," she candidly points out. "Once people have a certain view in their minds, it's kind of hard to get past that. Wearing ladylike clothes I love and feel good in — to get positive response from that is really fun. I have a great team of stylists."

Attention in the fashion world is just one indication that Scherzinger is at the top of the celebrity hot-list right now. There's also her first solo album — "Killer Love," which is coming out this fall — generating heat, and her latest reality role as an "X Factor" judge, alongside Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and L.A. Reid. The Fox show debuts Sept. 21, but she's already judged competitors in six cities and gone through a grueling "boot camp" experience. Contestants faced a series of tough challenges — and more than 125 were eliminated in just five days.

"That was the hardest part — letting people go," says Nicole.

She had her "X Factor" baptism as a guest judge on the U.K. version of the show. "I wasn't able to say 'no,'" she says. "I'd say, 'It's not a "no," it's just a "not now."' I empathized with all the performers," she recalls. She's saying "No" now, although Nicole says she still feels empathetic.

"For me, what has probably been the biggest surprise is that I've become more outspoken, that I speak my mind, that I've come out of my shell in that way. I don't know if it's Simon's dark side rubbing off on me or what," she says with a laugh, "but it's there. There's no acting — none of that. There's no 'So-and-so has this role.' It's real people, real emotions — that energy. Simon is very good about that."

The influence might have been a two-way street. A few weeks ago, Paula Abdul made the remark that notoriously caustic Simon was "turning into me," which people found a tad confusing.

She also notes, "The thing about Simon, working with him — in the beginning, they don't tell you anything. They just throw you in the deep and it's sink-or-swim. The one thing he does say is, 'Just be yourself. Don't hold back.' You are then inspired to sort of match his level."

Scherzinger has come a long way. She gets kudos for hard work, with a past that includes winning a season of "Dancing With the Stars," serving as a judge on "The Sing-Off" and doing an early career stint with the girl group Eden's Crush. "This is an awesome new chapter of my life," she tells us. "It feels like the stars are lining up."

SPEAKING OF REALITY: Casting is under way for another new kind of competition show — "America's Super Woman: Next Action Diva." The show will feature highly athletic actresses who are in their 20s and early 30s competing against one another for the coveted prize of a film contract for an action movie, plus cash. Producers are promising "amazing" celebrity judges.

Another indication of the blurring of reality TV, film and athletics: There's a class geared toward UFC fighters who are interested in sharpening their reality acting skills.

AND: Bipolar celebrities and their families may soon get into the reality TV action. A documentary series called "Bipolar Celebrities" is being planned for filming starting in October. Yes, really.

The plan is to have famous folks who bear the burden of that particular ailment to talk about their struggles and how they deal with it — along with their loved ones telling of their experiences. A book called "Beating Bipolar" that ties in with the show is anticipated for a 2012 release.

Perhaps bipolar disorder will come into vogue on TV. But it's hard to imagine anyone doing a better job of portraying the elusive condition than John Benjamin Hickey does as Laura Linney's bipolar brother, Sean, on Showtime's "The Big C." Not only does Linney deserve her Emmy nomination for her work in the brilliant show — Hickey should have received one, too.

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 2011 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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