As a kid growing up in Medford, Maria Menounos sometimes watched professional wrestling with her dad. It was like a soap opera, but instead of Luke and Laura, the wild-eyed characters were named "Ravishing" Rick Rude, Randy "Macho Man" Savage, and Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake. "My mother got so mad at us for watching it," she said yesterday, "but I got sucked into the storylines." WWE chairman Vince McMahon must have had an inkling when he invited Menounos and her "Access Hollywood" colleague Nancy O'Dell to host this week's "Monday Night RAW." Menounos jumped at the chance, but with a caveat: She wanted to wrestle. (And promote her next movie, "Serial Buddies.") "They agreed," Maria told us yesterday, "so I took six training sessions and learned the different moves - the leg drop, the arm drag, the sunset flip." The throwdown was televised live Monday night, and Menounos was dressed appropriately: Black spandex pants and a bikini top emblazoned with the Greek flag. (The evening's featured acts were Randy Orton, West Newbury's own John Cena and Chris Jericho.) Menounos was teamed with wrestlers Gail Kim and Kelly Kelly against "The Glamazon" Beth Phoenix, Alicia Fox, and Rosa Mendes. Believe it or not, Maria emerged victorious. "I kind of smashed my tailbone on that flip, but I got some ice on it and I'm fine," she said. "I told Vince, I want to come back with (wrestler) Maria Kanellis as 'The Golden Greeks' and come out to 'Zorba the Greek' music.'"

Lyons Group partners Patrick Lyons and Ed Sparks celebrated the opening of Kings Dedham with a bash at their new bowling alley/restaurant at Legacy Place. The crowd included Boston Concession bigwig Joe O’Donnell, Summer Shack chef Jasper white, WAAF jock Greg Hill, "Shutter Island" author Dennis Lehane, and media types WHDH reporter Sorboni Banerjee and fiancé WCVB reporter Jarrod Holbroook, WFXT reporters Sharman Sacchetti and Erin Hawksworth, and Fox 25 meteorologist Kevin Lemanowicz.

Caption: Jasper White and Joe O'Donnell at Kings Dedham.

Sex therapist Ruth Westheimer made moderator Ted Reinstein squirm with her frank talk during her appearance this week at the New Center for Arts and Culture. We'd love to tell you what she said, but our editor won't let us.

Eliza Dushku won't turn down an opportunity to hype the second season of "Dollhouse," her show with "Buffy" creator Joss Whedon. And who can blame her? She posed for a spread in Self magazine, joined Dr. Drew on "Loveline," and, now, shows her sexy side in Complex magazine. See it here.

Jude Law and swordplay? Yes.

The flack for "Top Chef" host Padma Lakshmi has confirmed to Usmagazine.com that she's pregnant. "Model, author, and Emmy-nominated Padma Lakshmi confirms that she is carrying her first child after years of struggling with endometriosis, a cause for which she has co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America," Lakshmi's rep told the site. "As a result of her condition, this pregnancy has been referred to by her physician as nothing short of a medical miracle, and due to its delicate nature, we ask/implore the press to respect Ms. Lakshmi's privacy at this time." The father? No one's saying, but she has been linked to Eels singer Mark Oliver Everett of late. (In 2007, Lakshmi split from "Satanic Verses" author Salman Rushdie - another bearded dude - after three years of marriage.) She was the object of E's desire in Eels's vid for “That Look You Give That Guy”:

Caption: Padma at the Emmys. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Harvard's 2009 Hasty Pudding Man o' the Year James Franco will guest star on ABC's "General Hospital" for a lengthy story arc this fall. The AP reports that the "Pineapple Express" and "Spider-Man" actor will play a mystery person who comes to the soap opera's town of Port Charles. The recurring role will begin Nov. 20 -- to coincide with November sweeps -- and will last about two months. Executive producer Jill Farren Phelps says it's "an honor that an actor of Franco's caliber would choose to spend some of his valuable time in Port Charles." The 31-year-old Franco will star as Allen Ginsberg next year in the film "Howl."

Caption: James Franco, the Hasty Pudding 2009 Man of the Year, receives the traditional pudding pot. Evan Richman/Globe Staff

After 30 years on television, Scott Wahle knows what to do when the camera rolls. That's probably why Boston Casting called the former WBZ-TV anchor when they needed someone to play a TV newsman in the Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz movie. "It all happened in about 48 hours," said Wahle, who was cashiered by the CBS-owned affiliate in May 2008. "I got the call, I auditioned, and then they called me and said I had the part." Wahle plays an MSNBC newsman reporting on the spectacular crash of a jetliner. (The scene was shot last week in Bridgewater, Ma., but it'll be Bridgwater, IN. on the big screen.) Wahle, who's done some stage work with the Reagle Players but never been in a movie, was told he'd have one line, but when he got to the set discovered he had a whole paragraph. "And then they said, 'We're shooting in five minutes,'" he said, laughing. "I had to learn it as fast I could. It was like I was a reporter again - I've got a live shot in five minutes." Since signing off at 'BZ, Wahle's been doing some teaching at Curry College, calling Cape Cod League games, and consulting. "I'd like to do more acting," he said. "I wanted to tell Tom Cruise that, for one minute, I'm the star of your movie...but I decided not to."

Caption: Scott Wahle (Mark Wilson Globe staff)

Food Network star Emeril Lagasse dropped by Belle Mer in Newport the other night, where he said hello to chef Jodi Bernhard and her culinary staff at the kick-off of the annual Johnson & Wales Emerill Lagasse Golf Classic. (The tourney took place this week at Newport Country Club.) A Fall River native, Lagasse is a Johnson & Wales alum.

Everett's own Ellen Pompeo - Dr. Meredith Grey on "Grey's Anatomy" - is a mom. Pompeo and husband Chris Ivery welcomed their first child, a girl, according to Usmagazine.com. "Her name is Stella Luna Pompeo Ivery," the actress's rep tells Us. "She was born Sept. 15." Pompeo, 39, and her 41-year-old music producer hubby were married in 2007.