Big Year For Alessandra Ambrosio

This year looks set to one of the biggest for Brazilian belle, here's a quick update on what she's been up to:

• She is the face of Valentine's Day for Victorias Secret and will be doing PR events around this on her own in NYC. Dates to follow.
• Alessandra has been chosen again to be the sole face of the new VS Very Sexy TV commercial and print campaign to be shot for the USA.
• Alessandra will be the face once again of Armani A/X for fall/winter 2007 The campaign will be shot in the next few weeks. This is a welcome return for Alessandra and Armani after their 3 season collaboration a couple of years ago.
• Alessandra has shot for the 2008 Wurth calendar in Jamaica within the last few days.
• She has just shot her next Hering (Brasil) campaign.

AskMen Top 99 List Revealed

Today the 7th annual AskMen Top 99 list was revealed. AskMen.com readers cast a record number of online votes this year – more than 8.5 million – to name the women who best embody the qualities of a “fantasy girlfriend.” Many of the industries top models were included on the list this year, many beating A-List actresses and singers. The ranked models are:

#4 Adriana Lima
#6 Alessandra Ambrosio
#12 Marisa Miller

#13 Heidi Klum

#14 Gisele Bundchen
#26 Tyra Banks

#27 Petra Nemcova

#37 Elsa Benitez

#38 Molly Sims

#44 Josie Maran

The New Face Of XOXO

....is Ana Beatriz Barros! The blonde, brazilian bombshell will be the face of the Spring 2007 XOXO 'Hugs And Kisses' campaign. She has featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition for 5 consecutive years and frequently models for Victoria's Secret and Intimissi. Last years campaign was fronted by Ana's best friend, and fellow Brazilian, Alessandra Ambrosio.

Another Bundchen/Brady Update

That's right folks....the pair have actually been spotted together for the first time! As reported by US Weekly, the pair were spotted together walking in New York. They were also spotted leaving Gisele's appartment the following morning within minutes of each other, Gisele to walk her 3 dogs under the guise of large sunglasses and Tom to presumably go home, although wearing the same clothes as the day before....draw your own conclusions!

More On Bundchen & Brady

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady won't be getting another Super Bowl ring this year, but he does have Gisele Bundchen to cheer him up. Brady, 29, whose Patriots were knocked out of the NFL playoffs this weekend, and Bundchen, 26, "started dating just before Christmas," a source confirms to PEOPLE.

Asked about the relationship by a Boston radio show, Brady said he didn't "have much of a response." Bundchen's rep had no comment. The couple-watch kicked into gear after the Boston Herald reported that the Victoria's Secret model was seen waiting for Brady outside the Patriots locker room on Jan. 14, after the team's win against the San Diego Chargers.

A Chargers rep tells PEOPLE that Bundchen "was in the stands. I'm 100 percent sure. (A Charger employee) saw her walking in concourse area."

www.people.com

Tyra Speaks Out About Her Weight

On her hit show America's Next Top Model, Tyra Banks has always stressed the importance of body confidence – but it still hurt when tabloids ran an unflattering photo of her in a bathing suit under headlines that screamed, "America's Next Top Waddle" and "Tyra Porkchop."

Now, for the first time in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Banks, 33, is publicly discussing her much-buzzed-about weight gain. "I get so much mail from young girls who say, 'I look up to you, you're not as skinny as everyone else, I think you're beautiful,' " she says. "So when they say that my body is 'ugly' and 'disgusting,' what does that make those girls feel like?"

As for how Banks feels about her own 5'10" body – which she says is at 161 lbs. these days, about 30 lbs. heavier than when she landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue in 1997 – she says: "I still feel hot, but every day is different. It's when I put on the jeans that used to fit a year ago and don't fit now and give me the muffin top, that's when I say, 'Damn!' "

In other words, yes: She has put on weight, though not nearly as much as those recent tabloid stories suggested. (Banks believes the pix were snapped at an unflattering angle.) "She has a very womanly, gorgeous body that goes up and down," says her good friend Heidi Klum.

In fact, Banks says that since she retired from modeling in 2005, the number on the scale has fluctuated from 148 lbs. to 162 lbs., depending on how well she is taking care of herself. "I feel more comfortable when I'm lighter – I sleep better, I snore less, I have more endurance when I work out, my arms look better," she admits.

Still, she isn't freaking out about wearing size 32-waist jeans or about "the fat roll" she claims to have on her back. (Her biggest source of figure angst is her size-DD breasts, which she says make it hard to find clothes that fit: "I would love for them to be a size and a half smaller.")

But, she adds, "I've made millions of dollars with the body I have, so where's the pain in that? If I was in pain, I would have dieted. The pain is not there – the pain is someone printing a picture of me and saying those (horrible) things."

In fact, it appears that by adding a little padding, Banks the businesswoman has earned a bit of credibility: Her talk show is now entering its second season, and the most recent season of Top Model delivered its strongest ratings ever. "(TV execs) think it's better when I'm at 155 lbs. – at 145, they feel I'm not as relatable," she explains.

Besides, Banks is having a lot more fun these days eating the pancakes off a friend's plate at IHOP than trying to fit into designer sample sizes. Of course, if someone would come up with a miracle cure for cellulite, she's not above admitting she'd be first in line. "I think every woman," she says, "would want to do something about their cellulite!"

www.people.com

Bianca Expecting First Child

It is reported that italian beauty Bianca Balti is currently pregnant with her first child which is believed to be due in May 2007. It is suspected to be a baby girl however this hasn't been confirmed. She has been married to Christian Lucidi, an Italian photographer, since June 2005. We wish them all the best!

Alessandra Back On The Runway?

Brazilian belle Alessandra Ambrosio has been somewhat absent from runway shows in the last few years, especially in her home county of Brazil, however Sao Paulo fashion week could see her return and walk the famous runway with other brazilian stunners such as Izabel Goulart and Raquel Zimmerman. She is believed to be doing the Cori show which she produced an advertising campaign for earlier this year, however this has not yet been confirmed.

Adriana Enjoying Vacation

While the Fashion season was rolling in Rio, top brazilian model Adriana Lima was tanning in her hometown of Bahia, Salvador. She was seen at the concert of Timbalada this Sunday.

The In's and Out's of Karolina....

It's been a slow news day so I bring to you a cute interview with Karolina Kurkova!

What's the best meal you've eaten in New York?

Pure Food & Wine’s Raw Tiramisu — it’s the most amazing I’ve ever had.

In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?

Create fantasy.

Where do you get your coffee?

I’m sorry … I don’t drink coffee, but I do love having my green juice in the morning.

What's the last thing you saw on Broadway?

The last thing I saw on Broadway was my agent David Bonnouvrier walking into the office on Broadway.

Do you give money to panhandlers?

I do if they strike me as truly being in need.

What's your drink?

Virgin piña colada.

How often do you prepare your own meals?

Four times a week.

What's your favorite medication?

I don’t take medication, but I have a thirteenth-century Buddha in my apartment and I use essential oils. Both give me a feeling of peace and well-being.

What's hanging above your sofa?

Nothing.

How much is too much to spend on a haircut?

I haven’t had my hair cut in years, but if I wanted a new haircut, I would ask a friend to cut it and pay them by taking them to a great dinner.

When's bedtime?

Midnight.

Brunch: pro or con?

Nothing’s better than a great brunch after a night out shaking my booty in my Louboutins!

What's your thread count?

I love my Pratesi and organic sheets from Coco-Mat. They are so great I don’t even think about the thread count!

What do you hate most about living in New York?

The dirt, but I wouldn’t change New York for anything.

What's your brand of jeans?

Earnest Sewn.

When's the last time you drove a car?

I haven’t driven one — I’m still waiting to get my driver’s license!

Who should be the next president?

Angelina Jolie.

Times, Post, or Daily News?

All three, of course!

Yankees or Mets?

I don’t follow baseball, but my favorite hockey team is the Rangers!

What makes someone a New Yorker?

It’s all about the attitude

http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2007/01/model_karolina_kurkova_really.html#more