The suddenly un-moustached Dr. Phil McGraw and wife Robin McGraw sketched out the sobering medical realities of multiple sclerosis at the Race to Erase MS Gala at the Century Plaza Friday night. The McGraws, left, stopped for a photo with benefit chair Nancy Davis and son Alexander Davis (photo courtesy of Charlie Gallay/WireImage). Heart blasted arriving guests with “Barracuda,” and Tommy Hilfiger walked in his own fashion show.
As MS affects mainly women, it was appropriate that auction emcee Tom Arnold was the odd man 
out among a telethon-esque women’s collaboration of “Lean on Me” led by Heart’s Ann Wilson, Avril Lavigne and Olympic Gold Medalist Lindsey Vonn (photo at right courtesy of Michael Buckner/Wireimage). Lavigne, a board member of the Race to Erase MS Foundation, performed a tight five-song set earlier.
Although “American Idol’s” ratings slide landed it 2.5 million viewers behind “Dancing With the Stars” this past week, auctioneer Nancy O’Dell pulled in more than $13,000 for four tickets to the upcoming “Idol” season finale. After all, it’s the last chance to see Simon spit nastiness in person. That doubled the $6,500 take that ABC dance pro Tony Dovolani shook loose for four tickets to the "DWTS" finale, even though he offered it with a pack of private dance lessons.
"DWTS" co-host Brooke Burke auctioned off a Maltese puppy for several thousand, something that would have upset the next red carpet to take over the hotel – Silver Spoon’s annual Dog & Baby Buffet. (Minnie Driver and Evan Handler helped Best Friends Animal Society promote adoption at the Mothers Day weekend event.)
Instead of a Mother’s Day pancake breakfast, Brody Jenner kept his mom – Elvis’ ex Linda Thompson – as his “plus-one” for the unofficial MS after-party at Trousdale. Katy Perry performed her new single for Usher, Russell Brand, Apolo Anton Ohno and Lavigne, who at that point in the night was now a music spectator.
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the smartest celeb of all? Apparently Michael McKean from “This Is Spinal Tap.” The actor-singer and frequent Christopher Guest collaborator edged out fellow "SNL" alum Jane Curtin and Cheech Marin to win the “Jeopardy! Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational” on Friday night. Host Alex Trebek congratulated the winner (photo at left courtesy of "Jeopardy!" Productions).
Note to talent managers: Gone are the hack days of "Celebrity Jeopardy!" The gameshow is paying $1 million to a charity of your talent’s choice.
McKean scored $1 million for his charity of choice, the International Myeloma Foundation, by proving he’s Hollywood’s Ken Jennings and outsmarting the CNN A-team– Wolf Blitzer, 
Anderson Cooper and Soledad O’Brien.
While McKean was giving money away, Nigel Lythgoe called out his collaborator Simon Cowell for a different flavor of “philanthropy” at Tuesday’s Brit Week Business Innovations Awards Dinner. Lythgoe (at right, with Cowell; photo courtesy of BritWeek) told the crowd, "Simon is a true entrepreneur, he puts other people’s money where his mouth is!" The Four Seasons Hotel hosted part of the monthlong celebration of the U.K.’s connections with California.
