Move over,
Joan Rivers

Lisa Rinna is an actress (Days of Our Lives, Melrose Place) and dancer (Broadway's Chicago, Dancing With the Stars), but she's also a style aficionado (she owns the L.A. boutique Belle Gray), which makes her the perfect choice to replace Joan Rivers as the fashion know-it-all for the TV Guide Channel. The gay-friendly gal talked with us about her stint as the cable network's correspondent not only for the red carpet show prior to Sunday's Emmys but for the fashion wrap-up show the following day.

Lisa, who are you excited to see on Sunday? Fan-wise, I love those boys from Entourage...Sopranos, Helen Mirren. All the big stars are nominated for guest appearances. I'm just a big old fan at home. It's great [that I'm reporting for TV Guide] because I'd be doing it at home, yelling at the TV, "She looks great!" or "What was she thinking?"

What's on your TiVo?Dancing With the Stars [laughs].... I just deleted Entourage and TheSopranos because they're over.

Do you think Helen Mirren will show up on Sunday? Yeah, I do, because I think she'll win [for Prime Suspect: The Final Act].

What about Salma Hayek for Ugly Betty?Salma, God, love her. She's so pregnant. I don't know how far along she is, but she looks... But her on the red carpet--there's nothing better. But that pregnant, I don't know. If I were her, I wouldn't go.

What do you do if you're really pregnant and you have to go to an awards show? What do you wear? Great designers will design a dress for you. When I was seven months' pregnant and went to the Oscars, Versace did a dress, a pregnant dress, for me. Now, with the empire dresses and the Grecian, flowy stuff, you can look great.

What designers are you in love with now? I love the Cavallis, and the Vera Wangs. Now I'm looking for a dress [for the Emmys]. I'm considering J. Mandel, Badgley Mischka, Tula, Marchesa, Reem Acra, Elie Saab, a new designer named Erin Featherstone. Luckily, I hired myself a good stylist, Jennifer Rade, she's one of the best in the business. Jennifer's also doing the fashion wrap-up show with me on Monday. As is "Ross the Intern."

How snarky can you get? I can't get real snarky, 'cuz I'm not a snarky person. It's not in my nature.

But you'll be opinionated? Oh, I 'll say what I think. And I'm sure Jennifer and Ross will be snarky for me.

There are a lot of great television roles for women over 35 right now. With fashion catering to 17-year-olds, do you think awards shows give glamorous women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s a time to shine?It doesn't matter what age you are, you can look fabulous. But I think this is a great trend--to see women of all ages looking amazing. Yes, those girls on the runway are 17, but a good dress is a good dress, whether it's on a 17-year-old body or a 45-year-old body. And all these women keep in good shape.

You should know. You had a rockin' body on Dancing With the Stars. How do you keep it up? I don't keep it up, I just don't let it go [laughs]. That's the key: I just keep moving. When you get past 40, it's more about moving. As my girlfriends all call it, we have to "turn up the furnace." Meaning you got to work, you got to run, you got to move. I haven't given up dancing. I work out six days a week. As long as I do it six days a week, I can eat whatever I want. When I did Broadway, I worked six days a week, eight shows a week. If I go home and be sedentary, I'm gonna lose everything.

Do you look forward to working out? Yes, because it's sort of my Prozac. It's a way to keep my head clear; it's a way to have time by myself. Whether it's yoga, a dance class, or whatever it is, I always find pleasure in it. Being a mom, it's so nice to have an hour by yourself.

Tell me about Chicago.Chicago was the most unbelievable experience I've had to date. Just a dream come true.

Was that the first time you worked with [husband] Harry Hamlin? We've worked together before, but we never did Broadway. It was so fun. He's such a good actor, he's on time, and he knows his lines.

Would you like to go back to Broadway? I'd love to do it again. I caught the bug.

Did you get to see any good shows while you were in New York? We saw Grey Gardens. It was amazing. It was my favorite show. But I also loved Xanadu. Those were my two favorite shows.

That's a very gay sensibility! Put that in your magazine!

How's your store? We're expanding the Sherman Oaks store. Now we'll have the whole corner. We're going into Vegas; we're looking at Scottsdale, Ariz.; San Francisco; and Kansas City.

So, on Sunday, are you frightened Joan Rivers might come out of nowhere and grab for your hair? Yes, I am. As I've been walking down the street this week I've been looking over my shoulder!

Live at the Emmy Awards, with Lisa Rinna and Joey Fatone, airs Sunday, Sept. 16, at 3 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on the TV Guide Channel. Emmy Awards Fashion Wrap, with Lisa Rinna,airs on the same channel Monday, Sept. 17, at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.