Paige Davis is leaving Hallmark Channel’s “Home & Family” lifestyle show less than two months into the show’s run.
Davis, who co-hosts “H&F” with Mark Steines in LA, has “decided to temporarily return to New York,” according to a Hallmark Channel release. Her last show airs today (9-11 a.m.). Starting Monday, she’ll be replaced, at least through the holiday season, by Cristina Ferrare, who’s got a knack for working on shows with “Home” in the title. Beyond that is anyone’s guess.
(Ferrare’s “Home” experiences include a co-hosting stint on “The Home Show,” followed by “The Home and Family Show” with Chuck Woolery and Michael Burger, which aired on Family Channel in the mid-to-late ’90s.)
“We deeply appreciate the contribution Paige made to ‘Home & Family’ and for the warmth and talent she brought to the set each day,” the network said in a statement, adding that Davis — who previously hosted HGTV’s “Trading Spaces” — is leaving “after much thought and careful consideration and after close to three months away from her own home and family.”
“Home & Family” launched Oct. 1 in conjunction with “Marie,” Hallmark Channel’s new talk show hosted by Marie Osmond.
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That was “Dr. Oz” host Mehmet Oz participating Wednesday night in “Stand Up for Staten Island,” a benefit for residents of the borough hard hit by Hurricane Sandy — and headlined by “Dr. Oz” warmup guy Richie Byrne, a Staten Island native, in partnership with Oz’s charity, HealthCorps.
Oz, who has family and roots in Staten Island, tried some stand-up comedy and also joined Byrne onstage for a rendition of “Soul Man.” The event, held at Gotham Comedy Club, raised nearly $20,000 for Project Hospitality, a non-profit organization which is conducting relief efforts in Staten Island. Joey Kola, Rob Bartlett, Eddie Brill,
Jim Gaffigan, R.C. Smith and Sherry Davey also performed at the event.
On this Monday’s “Dr. Oz,” Oz will welcome his father-in-law, and mentor, Dr. Gerald Lemole, who’ll make his first appearance on the show. Lemole, who was on the first team to successfully perform a heart transplant in the US, will offer advice on fighting cancer and heart disease.
More good causes . . . Wendy Williams, Pat Kiernan, Cheryl Wills and others will be at a benefit on Sunday (The Liberty Theater on West 42nd) to support the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation and to honor Ayelet Galena, Dylan Rabinovich, Ezra Fineman and Jill Hollander. It’ll be hosted by NY1’s Jessica Abo and is also expected to attract “Gossip Girl” star Kelly Rutherford and “Blue Bloods” co-star Sami Gayle.
Gift of Life runs bone-marrow donor drives nationwide to help people find a lifesaving match. When someone gets swabbed, it costs $60 to process that kid; one of the goals of Sunday’s “Marrow Match Gala” is to help get a total of 11,000 kits processed and into the bone marrow registry.
Guests are also encouraged to bring cleaning supplies and “gently worn winter clothing” for victims of Hurricane Sandy living on Staten Island.
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Last, but not least:
* The premiere of “Eddie Murphy: One Night Only” snared 1.9 million viewers Wednesday on Spike — the most-watched special event in the network’s history . . . “Moonshiners” continues to go great guns on Discovery, averaging 2.2 million viewers Wednesday (10 p.m.) to beat NBC and ABC in male viewers.