Tucker Carlson: “There was a lot of touching…It was getting a little steamy! We cut away at the end.” Blond beauty FNC anchor Ainsley Earhardt had rocker Richie Sambora all hot and bothered this morning seemingly. In fact, by the end of her interview of the lead guitarist of Bon Jovi, she appeared to have the bad boy all primed for a romp in her perfumed “Bed of Roses” at Churchill Downs.
In the bumper promo preceding Ainsley’s interview of Sambora, Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Anna Kooiman cooed, “Our Ainsley Earhardt is at Churchill Downs. A very special guest: who’s that?”* As the camera panned to Ainsley and the Bon Jovi rocker, Sambora amorously caressed Ainsley’s bare left shoulder: Beaming, Ainsley animatedly answered, “I never thought I would say this but I’m getting warmed up by Richie Sambora.” Embracing her tightly, Sambora remarked, “Wooh! I’m getting warmed up, too, Baby!” As Anna chuckled off-camera, a reddening Ainsley turned to Sambora, exclaiming, “Thank you!”
After the commercial break, Anna and her co-hosts, Tucker Carlson and Clayton Morris, introduced the Kentucky Derby segment. Segueing to Ainsley’s interview, Anna remarked, “Our very own Ainsley Earhardt looking good! She’s doing some star-gazing right now, though: Who’s there with you, Ainsley?” Still in the embrace of Sambora, Ainsley replied, “One of our Fox favorite celebrities, Richie Sambora is here with me. Anna, you’re looking good in your hat.” Turning to Sambora, she added, “And, you look good, too!” Looking into her eyes, Sambora responded, “Oh, sweetheart! No, you look beautiful! Honestly, Ainz!”
Before the split-screen ended, viewers were treated to the priceless reactions of the co-hosts: Tucker’s jaw literally dropped and his eyes rolled as he looked at Anna in incredulity. Turning toward Tucker, a similarly disbelieving Anna smilingly arched her eyebrows, gnashed her teeth, and looked downward. Meanwhile, Clayton managed merely a chuckle as tried to look away.
During the interview itself, the mutual admirers discussed Sambora’s Barnstable Brown (B.B.) performance, his donation of his custom-made Swarovski guitar played at the B.B. to a diabetes charity, and their shared diabetes concerns. Before the confab was over, Ainsley smilingly noted, “US Weekly just voted you and Heather Locklear, your ex-wife–you have a daughter together–voted you the happiest exes. What’s the secret?” When Sambora replied that one has to keep the child’s interest first and that he thought he and his ex were better friends now than we they were married, Ainsley answered, “Good!”
Subsequently, Ainsley mentioned Santora’s designing of clothes, giving him the opportunity to plug his companies, Nikki Rich (women) and Chrome (men): After doing so and picking his Derby horse (California Chrome), he casually commented, “But, I did, I did buy you something, Baby!” As Santora reached into his back pocket, a flattered Ainsley asked, “What did you buy me?” “From the gift shop,” intoned Sambora.
Flushed, Ainsley queried, “You bought this for me?” Boldly, Sambora replied, “Yes, I did, Darling!” As he handed what appeared to be a short white skirt (with a powder blue Churchill Downs print), an appreciative Ainsley responded, “Vineyard Vine(s), this is the official designer of the Derby. How beautiful is that! Right up my alley!”
“[My] pleasure!” answered Sambora. And it was to be. As Ainsley displayed his tribute to her for the camera, Sambora reached forward and downward toward her blue-dress-clad hip. Patting Ainsley’s hip thrice, Sambora slyly said, “Hey, it matches your thing.” Elated, Ainsley answered, “How great! Thank you so much!…Thanks, Richie! And, thanks for being there with us today!”
As Ainsley hugged him anew, Sambora aptly exclaimed, “My pleasure!”
When the beaming Ainsley segued to her three co-hosts, Anna took the toss: Holding up her ring finger a la Beyonce, Anna scolded, “Richie, easy! We know you like your blondes but she does have a ring on her finger.” Turning to Clayton, she laughed, “I think he’s really liking his Ainsley Earhardt today.”
Not willing to cast such stones too hard, Clayton jested, “There’s a lot of touching going on down there at the Derby. Well you know why: The mint juleps have been flowing since 7 a.m.”
Holding Sambora close, an unrepentant Ainsley riposted, “I’m not letting go!” Concurring, Sambora exclaimed, “I’m not letting go either!”
Nor were Ainsley’s F&FW colleagues: Not surprisingly, meteorologist Janice Dean was intent on joining in on their fun. As the show concluded with producers giving a shout-out to Ainsley’s hatmaker Frank Olive Hats (with two pics of its hats atop Ainsley), Anna declared, “It’s no wonder that Richie Sambora was putting the moves on our Ainsley Earhardt: She looked so good out there the last couple of days at the Derby.”
Interjecting, meteorologist Janice Dean exclaimed, “Where’s the picture, where was the picture of Richie Sambora?” Almost unresponsively, Clayton commented, “He was pretty close there.” Not satisfied, Janice demanded, “Like what was he doing?” Snuggling up to Clayton playfully with both of her arms around his shoulders and raising her right knee toward his body, Anna chuckled, “The whole interview was like this.” Concurring, Clayton chuckled, “It was like this. ‘Don’t stop.'”
Stirring the proverbial pot, Tucker chimed, “There was some touching.” Racily, Janice rejoined, “Some touching?” Smiling goatishly, Tucker answered, “There was a lot of touching, actually.” With mock concern, Janice queried, “It was TV friendly, though?
In a denouement of the F&FW fun du jour, Tucker riposted, “Oh, yeah! No, it was totally within bounds but it was getting a little steamy! We cut away at the end.”
*Fox & Friends Weekend – 05/03/14 (@ 9:26 a.m. ET).
Carpe Diem 