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"America's Got Talent" judge Howard Stern has revealed that NBC executives have ordered him to cease bad-mouthing his fellow network star Jay Leno, after cutting comments Stern made on his radio show last Monday, Aug. 21. During the shock jock's XM radio show last week, he mocked the "Tonight Show" host for announcing that he had to fire 20 people from his staff, and personally took a salary cut to avoid more layoffs.

Bing: More about Howard Stern | 'America's Got Talent'

In the rant, Stern called Leno a "spineless maggot," insisting that the comedian wanted to get rid of a handful of employees, but didn't have the guts to take the blame, and NBC execs agreed to take the fall for him. After his harsh remarks, Stern revealed to listeners the next day that he got a call from his NBC bosses regarding his outrage at Leno. Stern divulged, "I got sort of a threatening kind of comment from one of the executives ... I said, 'Do not tell me to not talk about Jay Leno. I will f***ing talk about Jay Leno for four hours if you tell me not to.' I was done with Jay Leno, now I'm all fired up again. F*** Jay!"

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The situation holds even more weight because he is currently serving as a judge on NBC's hit summer show, "America's Got Talent." And as much as he has enjoyed his time on the show, he is easily willing to give up his post than keep quiet about his thoughts on Leno. He added, "I don't answer to anybody, everyone knows that. That's part of the game, and that's why I'm a great judge - I would tell people if they suck. I will tell anybody anything, but don't tell me anything ... Nobody cares what I think ... I don't care who I work for. "I love my job on 'AGT,' I love working for the people at NBC, they've been nothing but wonderful, But please don't tell me what to say. I'd rather leave than not talk about Jay Leno. I don't care ... Fire me too."

"America's Got Talent" airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT and Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Reality TV doesn't need a defender but Kim Kardashian is more than willing to take the job.

The 31-year-old starlet, who acknowledges that she is famous for being famous, recently told V Magazine reality TV is entertaining and a part of the culture.

Bing: More on 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' | Kim Kardashian

"I don't take offense to it at all," said Kardashian in response to criticism from the likes of Jon Hamm and Jeremy Renner. "I'm not naïve to the fact that I'm not a singer or an actress or anything like that. I've never claimed to be anything that I'm not. I think (reality TV) is still a new form of entertainment that was kind of an unexpected thing."

Kardashian, who along with her family stars on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and a number of subsequent spinoffs also on E!, went on to compare reality TV to rap music. Kardashian is also not so secretly dating rapper and producer, Kanye West, 35.

"When rap music first came out, people were like, 'We don't understand this. What is this? It's just a fad,'" she said. "But rap music is definitely here to stay, and I think reality shows have proven they are as well."

Plus: Reality TV stars who drive us crazy | 'Survivor: Philippines'

Kardashian, who took to Twitter this weekend to show off her new blond highlights, her butt in a fresh pair of jeans and a huge gold ring that spells out "KimYe CRAY" (um, that's her and Kanye's name combined and "cray" is a slang word for crazy, in case you didn't know), said she'd also like to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame someday.

"I think that it would be a huge achievement and a goal that anyone would want," she said.

"Keeping Up with the Kardashians" airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on E!

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Keith Urban confirms "American Idol" bosses have asked him to join as a judge on the upcoming season of the hit singing competition. The country singer is among the many celebrities that have been rumored to be in talks with show producers about joining the panel, and Urban has finally confirmed that he is on the shortlist to replace Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler as a judge.

Bing: More about Keith Urban | 'American Idol'

Urban recently spoke on a radio show in his native Australia about a possible future on "Idol" but is waiting for the final decision, just like the rest of America. He reveals, "They did reach out to us. But they have been reaching out to a lot of people, so I think they are just figuring out which way they are going to go too." Urban is up against an impressive group of artists for the spot, including singer Nick Jonas, Season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert, and N.E.R.D. rapper Pharrell Williams.

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But whether or not he is offered the job, Urban assures that his main goal at the moment is his music. He adds, "All I can say right now is that I’m trying to make an album and it’s strange how these opportunities all come in one big fell swoop. But my priority right now is to just make a record and that really has to lead the charge for me." If hired, Urban will be joining confirmed judge Mariah Carey for the 12th season of "American Idol," due to begin in 2013.

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Jonas Brothers singer Nick Jonas has promised to give contestants tough love if he's chosen to become a judge on "American Idol." A number of celebrities have been thrown into the pool for potential judges, including Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams, but one artist who has confirmed it might be a legitimate possibility is singer Nick Jonas.

Bing: More about Nick Jonas | 'American Idol'

In an interview with the Huffington Post, the teen heartthrob insisted that although he has a nice guy demeanor, he won't be afraid to tell singing hopefuls the truth. He admits, "If I can help someone be better, that's the ultimate goal, not putting them down or making them feel irrelevant. As much as we are going to get along, there still is a bit of tough love there, which is important."

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But before he jumps to conclusions, he is still waiting for word that the job is his. He adds, "It's something I would like to do if it was right, but it's got to be right on both ends. It's an ongoing discussion, but as soon as we know if it's right ... I would be the youngest judge, but I’ve also been a professional musician for about eight years of my life." If hired onto the panel, the 19-year-old will be sitting next to pop legend Mariah Carey, who has been confirmed for the upcoming 12th season of Idol.

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There is seemingly no end in sight for the feud between the reality stars, and Jacqueline has continued to fuel the fire by making a thinly veiled comment directed towards Staub on Twitter.

Bing: More about Jacqueline Laurita | 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey'

On Aug. 18, Jacqueline originally took to the microblogging site to explain why she doesn't hold anything back when it comes to dealing with issues in front of the cameras. She wrote, "The reason I’m so open about my personal struggles & experiences is bc (sic) I’ve learned not only do people reach out to help me but it also helps others. You've seen my struggles with fertility, mother/daughter relationships, Friendship divorces, even with stalking, psychotic prostitution whores."

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Jacqueline continued, "Oops! Did I say that out loud? Sorry, delete that last part." Although Danielle has not been on the show for the past two seasons, the drama between them continues to be one of the most famous feuds in Housewives history. In season two, Jacqueline's daughter Ashley pulled out Danielle's hair during a fiery arguement, leading the former Housewife to hit Ashley with a lawsuit.

"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.

Ryan Lochte's plans to dominate TV as we know it are taking shape.

The gold medal-winning swimmer and the evil mastermind behind the catchphrase "Oh jeah" was a guest on "The Tonight Show" Thursday and joked with Jay Leno about his single status. Lochte, 28, added that he wouldn't mind being the center of attention on ABC's "The Bachelor," but would have to talk to his family first.

Bing: More on Ryan Lochte | 'The Bachelor'

"If they asked me to do 'The Bachelor,' I would consider it," he said, adding that for the past four years he's been training for the Olympics and wasn't able to date seriously.

Lochte, who is clearly enjoying his newfound status as a heartthrob, said he's also thinking about becoming a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars."

"In college I took a dancing class. I got an A, so I think think I’d be pretty good at it," he said.

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Lochte isn't just weighing his reality TV options. The Rochester, N.Y., native recently shot a cameo on the CW's "90210."

Season 5 of "90210" returns Monday, Oct. 8, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW. "The Bachelor" season 17 debuts in 2013 on ABC.