The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
Come meet the bedazzling yet bitchy faces of Gossip Girl, the hot new TV drama airing tonight at 10pm on ITV2.<\/p>
\r\nBlonde babe Blake Lively heads up the tres glam cast.<\/p>
\r\nShe plays Serena van der Woodsen, a former social butterfly whose surprise return to the Upper East Side party circuit sets the rumour mill on fire, spurring mystery blogger Gossip Girl straight into action with all the latest tales.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/25/Blake-Lively-0308.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Blake Lively 03.08"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
Serena's (sometime) best friend is Blair Waldorf, played by Leighton Meester.<\/p>
\r\nRuthless, scheming and oozing self-confidence, Blair is the queen bee of the Gossip Girl crew.<\/p>
\r\nShe organises all the parties and knows exactly who stands where in the back-stabbing hierarchy of her privileged social world.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/26/Leighton-Meester-0308-1.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Leighton Meester 03.08"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
This golden boy with the deep blue eyes is Nate Archibald, played by Chace Crawford.<\/p>
\r\nNate has got all the right connections going on, and has been dating Blair - well, since about Kindergarten. <\/p>
\r\nHowever, he also has an eye for Blair's bessie mate, Serena - a juicy twist that leads to lots of tense altercations over champagne brunches.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/25/Chace-Crawford-0507.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Chace Crawford 05.07"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
Penn Badgley stars in the role of Dan Humphrey, the token outsider who's madly in love with Serena but reckons she's way out of his league.<\/p>
\r\nHe's got more brains and integrity than the rest of the Upper East Manhattanites put together, but is that enough in a world ruled by what your parents do for a living?<\/p>","url":"2008/3/25/Penn-Badgley-0108.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Penn Badgley 01.08"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
Meet Dan's sister, Jenny Humphrey (played by Taylor Momsen) - a sweet lil' blonde chick who's greener than an English garden in bloom.<\/p>
\r\nDespite all her innocence, Jenny is desperate to gain entry into the Gossip Girl clique, and they in turn can't wait to corrupt her.<\/p>
\r\nShe's walking, talking proof of the Gossip Girl motto: you're nobody until you're talked about.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/25/Taylor-Momsen-0308.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Taylor Momsen 03.08"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
Ed Westwick plays Chuck Bass, the bad boy of the Upper East Side.<\/p>
\r\nChuck's dad owns, like, the <\/I>biggest hotel in town, and basically Chuck is out for everything he can get.<\/p>
\r\nThat includes the dirtiest gossip, the hottest party joints and the most naive girl he can lay his hands on at any of the many Manhattan events.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/25/Ed-Westwick-1107.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Ed Westwick 11.07"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
This is Kelly Rutherford, who plays Serena's mum, Lily van der Woodsen.<\/p>
\r\nLily is high society born and bred - she's all about keeping up appearances and will stop at nothing to further her daughter's social ambitions.<\/p>
\r\nOr indeed to cover up less than presentable family secrets.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/25/Kelly-Rutherford-1108.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Kelly Rutherford 11.08"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
Here she is with Matthew Settle, who plays Dan and Jenny's father, Rufus Humphrey, in the series.<\/p>
\r\nRufus is out of the loop as far as the New York elite are concerned - but nonetheless he's cool enough to be the kinda dad you wished you had yourself.<\/p>
\r\nHe wants the best for his kids, plus we have to say he's rather handsome.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/25/Kelly-Rutherford-Matthew-Settle-0108.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Kelly Rutherford Matthew Settle 01.08"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
Kristen Bell is the voice of the ever-elusive Gossip Girl.<\/p>
\r\nGossip Girl's blog is obviously central to everything that takes place in the insular world of elite New York teens - nothing gets past her beady eye.<\/p>
\r\nIn turn, every true Upper East Side Manhattanite is glued to Gossip Girl's latest updates and has direct links to their mobile phone.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/26/Kristen-Bell-0308.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Kristen Bell 03.08"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
Nicole Fiscella plays Isabel Coates, one of the mandatory peeps who surround Blair on a daily basis, massaging her ego and feeding off her popularity.<\/p>
\r\nLike all the other rich kids, she lives for gossip and wouldn't be caught dead in anything but her most glam, money-oozing togs.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/25/Nicole-Fiscella-1107.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Nicole Fiscella 11.07"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
Kati Farkas (played by Nan Zhang) is also a crucial component of the Gossip Girl world.<\/p>
\r\nRich, glam and preened to within an inch of her life, she's your stereotypical elite New Yorker.<\/p>
\r\nNaturally, she lives and dies by the gossip feed on her cell phone.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/25/Nan-Zhang-0907.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Nan Zhang 09.07"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
Here's Margaret Colin, who plays Blair's mother, Eleanor Waldorf, in the drama.<\/p>
\r\nAs a prestigous fashion designer, Eleanor always wants her daughter to look her best and is happy to throw money at whatever she might want.<\/p>
\r\nWhen it comes to a bit of motherly TLC, however, she's sadly lacking.
<\/p>","url":"2008/3/25/Margaret-Colin-0905.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Margaret Colin 09.05"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
The Gossip Girl guys and dolls get together.<\/p>
\r\nWe have to say they're a very fine-looking bunch of kids - fitting, really, given the characters they play are all about perfection (at least on surface level, which is all anyone really cares about).<\/p>","url":"2008/3/25/Cast-0506.jpg","width":385,"height":420,"alt":"Cast 05.06"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
Now for the TV action itself.<\/p>
\r\nSerena has more heart than most of the Upper East Siders (though that's not saying a lot). <\/p>
\r\nShe's very attached to her brother, Eric van der Woodsen, played by Connor Paolo.<\/p>
\r\nHe's in the middle here.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/26/Blake-Lively-0308-2-1.jpg","width":385,"height":420,"alt":"Blake Lively 03.08 2"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
Chuck, as we mentioned before, is out to wreak as much havoc as one rich kid can in the tight confines of Manhattan island.<\/p>
\r\nAnd when it comes to the ladies, he just can't resist.<\/p>
\r\nThe more the merrier appears to be his motto - though it's money rather than charm that he uses to snare them in with.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/26/Ed-Westwick-0308.jpg","width":385,"height":420,"alt":"Ed Westwick 03.08"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
Lavish lunches like these - where a greek goddess lady is just part of the hired furnishing - are a central part of the Gossip Girl life.<\/p>
\r\nOne can't have gossip without brunches to fuel the whisperings, after all.<\/p>
\r\nDan the outsider seems slightly shocked by all the decadence though.
<\/p>","url":"2008/3/26/Penn-Badgley-0308-2.jpg","width":385,"height":540,"alt":"Penn Badgley 03.08 2"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
Serena, Blair, Nate and Chuck get ready to dish some dirt.<\/p>
\r\nOr claw each other's eyes out.<\/p>
\r\nOr snog, or bitch, or whatever other form of dramatic action fills the ever-turbulent lives of these rich New York teens.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/26/Blake-Lively-0308-8.jpg","width":385,"height":420,"alt":"Blake Lively 03.08"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
Dan has a bit of a thing for Serena, but will she feel the same way?<\/p>
\r\nShe, after all, is a Upper East Sider through and through - whereas even though he attends the same private school as her, he's clearly not from the same background.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/26/Blake-Lively-Penn-Badgley-0308.jpg","width":385,"height":420,"alt":"Blake Lively Penn Badgley 03.08"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
But then he's got a lot more heart than the so-called eligible men who otherwise fill Serena's life.<\/p>
\r\nIt's a tough ride for Dan sometimes, being on the edge of a gilded world that he envies and resents in equal measure.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/26/Penn-Badgley-0308.jpg","width":385,"height":540,"alt":"Penn Badgley 03.08"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
Blair and Serena are like, the ultra BFF of all BFFs, though their relationship is stormy to say the least.<\/p>
\r\nThey're like all bessie mates but with a whole loada money thrown into the equation, meaning they go on shopping trips to rival Victoria Beckham's, and have like, the most extravagant sleepovers ever.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/26/Blake-Lively-Leighton-Meester-0308.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Blake Lively Leighton Meester 03.08"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
This is one glamsome duo, we have to say.<\/p>
\r\nKinda like the new Carrie Bradshaw and her mates, but with an extra injection of youth, money and bitchiness.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/18/Blake-Lively-Leighton-Meester-0308.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Blake Lively Leighton Meester 03.08"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
Yup, Blair is one chiquita we would not wanna get on the wrong side of.<\/p>
\r\nShe's bratty, conniving and a total control freak.<\/p>
\r\nThe Gossip Girl party scene is her baby, basically - and she has the final say on who's in and who's out.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/26/Leighton-Meester-0308.jpg","width":320,"height":540,"alt":"Leighton Meester 03.08"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
However, the only person she can't really control is her boyfriend, Nate.<\/p>
\r\nHe goes along with whatever she says but you get the feeling his heart is not really in it.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/26/Chace-Crawford-0308.jpg","width":385,"height":540,"alt":"Chace Crawford 03.08"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
There's a lot of unaired tension between these two.<\/p>
\r\nAnd a lot of conflicting interests and motives in there too.<\/p>","url":"2008/3/26/Chace-Crawford-Leighton-Meester-0308.jpg","width":385,"height":420,"alt":"Chace Crawford Leighton Meester 03.08"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
However, like all of their gang, they look the perfect couple on the surface.<\/p>
\r\nWhich is where Gossip Girl Comes into it all...<\/p>","url":"2008/3/26/Chace-Crawford-Leighton-Meester-0308-2.jpg","width":385,"height":540,"alt":"Chace Crawford Leighton Meester 03.08 2"},{"caption":"
The Gossip Girl Gang<\/b><\/p>
Cos you might try to trick her, but Gossip Girl will air all manner of dirty laundry that festers beneath the surface.<\/p>
\r\nWe just can't wait to see what she has in store for us.<\/p>
\r\nBring on the show...<\/p>","url":"2008/3/26/Leighton-Meester-Chace-Crawford-0308.jpg","width":385,"height":420,"alt":"Leighton Meester Chace Crawford 03.08"}];