Jenny McCarthy pulls plug on deal with Oprah Winfrey Network

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The Oprah Winfrey Network confirmed it no longer has a show in development with Jenny McCarthy. | Frederick M. Brown~Getty Images

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Updated: July 29, 2011 1:41PM

O prah Winfrey has been handed another challenge as she works to reverse the fortunes of her fledgling OWN television project.

Apparently due to those old “creative differences,” South Side native Jenny McCarthy pulled the plug on her development deal for a talk show on Winfrey’s new network — and reportedly will take the concept to NBC.

Now, I want to stress that the Peacock Network’s representative would not admit any McCarthy tie to NBC, saying only, “We do not comment on projects in development.”

However, a number of sources have confirmed the actress, autism advocate and Mother McAuley High School grad believes her talks with NBC will get her show on the air quickly — and showcased to a far larger audience than she would have had at OWN.

The Winfrey-owned network did issue a curt confirmation that “OWN does not have a show in development with Jenny McCarthy.”

† I also understand that Winfrey and her OWN team are deeply disappointed by McCarthy’s impatience with the rate of progress in developing the new program.

“OWN clearly needs a big infusion of compelling programming if it’s going to begin to build a decent-sized audience, but Jenny should have thought twice — or three or four times! — before burning a bridge with Oprah,” said a veteran TV exec, very knowledgeable about OWN, Winfrey’s organizational process and her production team.

“If she’s not careful, Jenny could become the white Iyanla.”

That comment was a reference to another former Winfrey protege — Iyanla Vanzant — and her short-lived syndicated talk show, launched independently of Winfrey’s Harpo corporate umbrella. Vanzant made peace with Winfrey only many years later, during a couple of “Oprah” episodes during the just-completed final 25th season.

GETTING UPSTAGED? While Kelly Rowland put a good face on things the other night at her album release party in New York, I’ve heard she was a bit miffed that her longtime Destiny’s Child partner, Beyonce, stole quite a bit of Rowland’s thunder.

As first reported by the New York Post, Beyonce’s larger fame quotient seemed to transfer the spotlight to her on a night that should have been Rowland’s big showcase.

“Plus, Beyonce should have been the one who should have gone right over and congratulated Kelly when she arrived at the party — rather than holding court across the room, forcing Kelly to come and pay homage to her,” said a music industry pro who was there.

MORE TO COME: According to Amy Winehouse’s closest associates, there are enough recorded tracks by the late singer to turn out at least two more albums of Winehouse songs — they hope in the near future.

CUSTODY CAPER: Even though Sandra Bullock has no further interest in Jesse James, the Oscar winner has told pals she is pleased her ex-husband was granted sole custody of his daughter Sunny, whom Bullock adores.

The actress has long advocated — especially while she was still married to James — that Sunny have only limited exposure to her troubled mother, Janine Lindemulder.

ON HIS TOES? No official confirmation yet, but TMZ is reporting Rob Kardashian — the lower-profile brother of Khloe, Kourtney and Kim Kardashian — is on board for the next season of “Dancing With the Stars.”

Rob would be the second member of his family to compete on the hit show. Kim hit the ballroom in 2008 but was voted off after just three weeks.

MAKIN’ MUSIC: Things continue great for the local band Kids These Days and trumpet man Nico Segal, who recently have had a lot of local media attention and are opening tonight for none other than Snoop Dogg at House of Blues.

SEEN ON THE SCENE: Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Britain’s Manchester United, took his famous soccer team — plus a group of Aon execs — to Chicago Cut steakhouse, where (separately) J.B. Pritzker was spied dining with poker champ Phil Hellmuth. … Richard Dent caused a stir Wednesday night at Harry Caray’s Tavern on Navy Pier — greeting fans and signing autographs. … After the MMA Organization Strikeforce press conference at Harry Caray’s on Kinzie, mixed martial artists Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson posed with the Harry statue in the eatery’s lobby. … While in town for a Dove ice cream promotion, Ralph Macchio satisfied his Italian cuisine roots by making a beeline for Rosebud on Rush.