Mark Wahlberg packs quite a punch as boxer "Irish" Mickey Ward in "The Fighter" – and we're not just talking about his critically acclaimed performance. According to the actor, those on-screen sparring scenes were the real deal.

"I was really hitting people and they hit back. Hard," Wahlberg tells the Hollywood Reporter. "This wasn't a stylized fight. It was real boxing."

Indeed, Wahlberg – who plays a troubled boxer attempting to become the world's lightweight champion – spent four years prepping for the role, even building a boxing ring in his home and training 8 to 10 hours a day.

"You have to make it real," explains the 39-year-old actor, who also shared with the Hollywood Reporter his key to delivering a knockout film fight.

"The real secret in doing a scene where I was hit in the face was to make sure it was the last shot of the day," Wahlberg said.

Fox is looking at a popular British quiz show to garner a midseason ratings boost.

"Million Dollar Money Drop" premieres on December 20 and will air for four consecutive nights.  The quiz will then air on Tuesdays for five weeks starting January 4.

Hosted by actor/comedian Kevin Pollak, teams of two begin each game with $1 million in cash.  The teams then risk that money by placing the cash on trap doors that correspond to up to four possible answers for each question.  If they put any money on a wrong answer, that cash is lost.  Teams can put money on multiple answers, but one trap door must be left with no cash on it.

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If you thought Ricky Gervais could've pushed the envelope a bit more the last time he hosted the Golden Globes, he agrees.

"I don’t think I was too bad," Gervais told reporters last week about his first turn as Globes host. "I don’t think I went far enough."

Gervais will get another chance when he returns for his second and final year on the 68th annual awards show taking place January 16. (Nominations for the Globes will be announced on Tuesday.) "I’m going to have even more fun with it, probably go a bit further, push the boundaries a little bit more. I think you always should," the Brit comedian said. "What’s the worst that could happen? I didn’t expect to be invited back a second time and I certainly – and I won’t do it a third. So I’ve got nothing to lose. So, yes, I’m going to go for it."

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We are shocked that it hadn't happened before.

"Real Housewives of Atlanta" super fan Anderson Cooper joined cast member NeNe Leakes on Bravos' "Watch What Happens Live" immediately following her hit show on Sunday night. Cooper has gone on record saying NeNe is one of his favorite "Housewives," and she in turn has referred to him as her "Boo," so host Andy Cohen brought the pair together for a bit of fun.

The two recapped some of the most memorable moments from Sunday night's show, including a laser machine which Kim used to purportedly burn off fat (while eating pizza) and Anderson questioned what cast member Dwight does for a living...to which NeNe responded, "Lie."

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Get ready for more Gwyneth on "Glee" – Ms. Paltrow has promised that she will be making another appearance on the hit Fox series.

The 38-year-old Oscar winner confirmed the news to "Access Hollywood," telling the entertainment show that her beloved substitute teacher character, Holly Holiday, will soon be back in the halls of McKinley High.

"Country Strong" star Paltrow, who called her "Glee" stint "the best job ever" didn't reveal her upcoming storyline or when the episode might air.

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[Editor's Note: This post contains spoilers on who won this season of "Amazing Race" plus info on who you may be able to see next season. Look out below!]

First of all, congratulations to Nat and Kat for a race well run, not to mention making "Amazing Race" history as the first all-female team to win the $1 million prize in 17 seasons.

However, if you were like me, you started pulling for Brook and Claire (of watermelon-to-the-face fame) to win it all the last couple of weeks. I don't know what it is - perhaps the Brook-and-Claire-flair hypnotized me - but I had my fingers crossed that they would win.

Luckily, for fans like myself, the Home Shopping Network pair will get a second shot at winning the race next season as part of "Unfinished Business," a second "all-star" season that will allow contestants who made various mistakes on the race to redeem themselves. Update, 4:57 p.m.: Don't believe everything you see on CBS promos. As an eagle-eyed commenter noted, Brook and Claire were on 'The Early Show" this morning and evidently, Claire's pregnancy prevented them from taking part in the next season. So consider this list of former racers only as potential competitors in the next season.

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The year of the Jersey girl continues.

The New York Post reports that "Jersey Shore" star Jenni "Jwoww" Farley has a book coming out in February. "The Rules According to Jwoww" will reportedly feature "secrets on landing a mint guy, staying fresh to death and kicking the competition to the curb."

The book is said to have been inspired by the 1995 best-seller "The Rules: Time-Tested Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr. Right." Jwoww will be joining castmate Snooki in the author arena, as Snooks is said to be working on a novel about love on the Shore.

Speaking of Snooki, The New York Observer reports that the diminutive star has launched her own Tumblr account.

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It doesn't look like there will be any New Year's resolutions regarding weight loss from Carnie Wilson.

The Wilson Phillips singer famously underwent gastric bypass surgery for the cameras, but now appears to have made peace with her battle with the bulge.  She recently told PopEater "I'm fat as f**k, what can I say?"

The mother of two, who once weighed more than 300 pounds, has been very open about her struggle with her weight. Following her surgery, she reportedly lost 150 pounds in 16 months. She later gained weight following her pregnancies and even participated in the VH1 show "Celebrity Fit Club," where she lost over 20 pounds.

But these days, she seems to be over it. "You know, after all these years, it's just like we are who we are and it's a struggle for me and sometimes I'm heavier and sometimes I'm thinner," she told PopEater.

Two celebrity weddings went down over the weekend, and there's a third soon to come: Susan Sarandon's daughter, actress Eva Amurri, is engaged to former MLS soccer player Kyle Martino, according to People.

The 25-year-old "Saved" star told the Twitterverse her exciting news on Saturday, writing, "The most wonderful man on this planet is now my FIANCEE!!!!!! #Engaged!"

Martino, who is known to Amurri as "the most wonderful man on this planet," is now a commentator on the Fox Soccer Channel. The 29-year-old is originally from Connecticut, but now lives in California with Amurri.

"What a week: I became a cartoon character, did a Maxim shoot, and got engaged!" Amurri tweeted Saturday. " Lol. Not bad, not bad. Thanks for all the congrats!!" Amurri's rep added that the couple "couldn't be happier."

Actress Joanna Garcia and New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher have tied the knot - and in front of another celebrity couple.

Swisher and Garcia exchanged vows on Saturday at a wedding ceremony in Palm Beach, Florida, according to Us Weekly. Garcia’s “Reba” co-star Reba McEntire and friend Jamie Lynn Sigler served as bridesmaids, and former N’Sync star Lance Bass also stood as part of the wedding party. Spotted among the 375 guests in attendance was none other than Swisher’s Yankees teammate Alex Rodriguez and his ex, Cameron Diaz.

Although Diaz told Playboy over the summer that she wasn't dating the baseball player, the two have recently been seen spending some quality time together. RadarOnline had photos of the pair lounging in the sun on a yacht in Miami in late November, which was followed by images of Diaz and Rodriguez strolling in swimwear while in Mexico.

But, their appearance at the Garcia-Swisher nuptials could have been just a coincidence: According to E!, Diaz knows Garcia from way back when the two were dating Justin Timberlake and Timberlake's William Rast partner Trace Ayala, respectively.