It was as one would naturally expect - the thrill and honour of a lifetime being invited yes, by the one and only Donald Trump to be part of the distinguished panel asked to choose Miss USA 2008. Hopefully my friends - and even my 'frenemies' - took the time and effort to watch GW LIVE from Las Vegas on NBC the Friday night of April 11, as Judge #7 of a panel of 11 selecting the American beauty who will now go on to compete in the Miss Universe Pageant in Vietnam this June.

History now records that Miss Texas - the 26-year-old beauty Crystle Stewart - was crowned the new Miss USA that Friday night from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and will go on to represent the United States at the Miss Universe pageant this Summer. And a superlative Miss USA she will be. A stunning self-confident beauty she is Crystle Stewart - though I will admit that GW had her as his #2.

Group shot of all the 2008 Miss USA pageant judges, including GW. (Photo courtesy of Darren Decker, Miss Universe LP, LLLP)

Miss Pennsylvania LauRean Merola was actually my choice to be Miss USA. She had a certain spunk and charm and a set of incredible six-pack abs which you probably did not see on TV, but which was clear to all in the judges' row and was clear to all in the swimsuit parade. Stunning body, I liked her from the get-go. But I am happy with the winner - Miss Texas. She won me over in the Evening Gown section of the pageant. Classy, beautiful gown she wore, and she exuded such elegance and supreme confidence as she cantered in perfect tempo to the live band that provided the background music that night. Judge #7 - that would be GW - gave the highest possible score - 9.97 in that particular section of the competition to Miss Texas. From what I understand, most all the judges on the other side of the table - Heather Mills, Rob Schneider, Joey Fatone, Christian Siriano and Amanda Beard. All picked the girl from Texas as their Queen, so it was more than a unanimous decision.

It was a glamorous, exhausting weekend to say the least. I left for Las Vegas the Thursday morning (April 10) before the pageant. I was up at 6:00 am EST giving live radio interviews with radio stations from Anchorage, Alaska to Huntsville, Alabama. Talking to morning radio jocks in Indiana, Nevada, California, even Hollywood about being asked to be a judge at the Miss USA 2008 Pageant and of course hyping and building buzz for my memoirs ''Uncensored Vanities'' which will be published this November 2008 by Rodale/Modern Times Publishing which is one of the blue-chip publishing houses in America. The same publisher and book Editor (Leigh Haber) - I might add - who publishes and edits the distinguished American politician Al Gore, is the same publishing house and editor who bought, edited and who told me when I turned in the complete manuscript of my book that Uncensored Vanities is genius - so yes - I have every reason in the world to start building the hype and the buzz for GW's coup de grace. I will tell you from now, however, that my book is not for the faint of heart or the ''bhutto'' ignoramus who comes with his or her ridiculous, illiterate ignorance and prejudice against people they consider not like them. But back to the über-glam weekend in Las Vegas and Palm Beach.

Got to Vegas that beautiful Thursday evening, checked into my penthouse suite at Planet Hollywood - such a humungous room which provided a glorious view of the kitschy Eiffel Tower of the Paris Resort & Casino right next door to Planet Hollywood. That fabulous fake and campy, and gargantuan replica of the Eiffel Tower is GW's new favourite Las Vegas landmark. GW immediately went shopping. Called Mrs Stewart-McConnell on the phone to tell her I was safely in Vegas and headed straight to the Gucci store to find the right pair of shoes to wear with my Carlos Campos tuxedo on pageant night. She was heading out herself - somewhere in Miami - with a gaggle of her favourite gals to have a bite to eat. Found the perfect Gucci loafers to match the awesome tux from the next hot menswear designer born in Belize (formerly British Honduras) now a resident of the über-melting pot that is New York City - Carlos Campos - then went to the gym for a quick workout. The next morning we had to be up at 8:00 am to meet the other judges for breakfast. Finally - which meant of course the moment to meet the newly minted divorcee Heather Mills.

Yes - she is a nut - Paul McCartney's infamous ex-wife is now worth almost $50 million which, as those who follow international news will know, was the divorce settlement from her recent much- publicised divorce battle. I liked Heather most of all, because she took the task at hand diligently. She was very serious and dedicated about this opportunity to choose the next Miss USA and she did it well. So I don't care what anyone says - I like Heather Mills. My fave judge - the one I bonded with over the course of the two days - was Judge #8 - the gorgeous blonde I sat next to on the judge's dais. That would be Kelly Carlson, the TV vixen from the fabulous TV show Nip/Tuck on F/X cable channel. We bonded immediately that morning at breakfast. Whippet-thin as she is, I loved the fact that she had her Mum from Minnesota with her on this trip. She was a sweetie.

Of course, it was great to see my old friend Ken Paves, the now-famous hairdresser who is best friends with Eva Longoria and Jessica Simpson. Ken - I have known for years, and we had some good laughs; gossiping like ole hags during the time together as distinguished judges of Miss USA 2008. I hated that idiot Hollywood has-been Rob Schneider. Stupid a-e, washed-up has-been, when he turned up for breakfast that morning with a Zip Loc bag of carrot sprouts and alfalfa - I knew we were in the presence of a true Hollywood buffoon.

Of course I paid no attention whatsoever. I thought I was going to hate the washed-up boy band member Joey Fatone from NSYNC, so much so that before I met him, I made so much fun of him during the radio interviews I gave all morning on my way in the limo to JFK to catch my first-class Delta flight to Las Vegas. I would thrill this quip to all the radio jocks - ''I hear that Joey who puts the FAT in Fatone, is actually taking all the girls who do not make the Final 15 on pageant night, he is taking them for dinner at Taco Bell, right after the show is over." Of course, the radio jocks all loved that and roared and roared. Joey, however, turned out to be a cool guy and I like him.

The evening of the pageant - The Donald finally showed up at the judges' dinner before the LIVE show which was held at the Restaurant Koi in Planet Hollywood. The Donald is larger-than-life and such a character. When I told him I was heading to Palm Beach right after the coronation to attend Ivana's wedding at Mar-A-Lago, he immediately offered me a ride on the Trump Jet to Palm Beach. But GW is no sycophant; I declined the offer, more so because he was leaving for Palm Beach immediately after the show and as a judge I had to stay and schmooze and sit for photos with the new queen and attend her Victory Ball - as my pageant contract had required. And so that is what I did. Fulfilled my obligation, dashed back to my hotel suite - packed the Prada and dashed to the Las Vegas - McCarran International Airport to catch a midnight Delta flight to Palm Beach with a two-hour layover in Atlanta.

GW at THE WEDDING

Arrived in Palm Beach bright and early, and completely exhausted, to attend the big-money A-List wedding of the year - that of Ivana Trump (The Donald's first wife and mother of his first three gorgeous children Donald Jr, Eric and Ivanka) which was taking place at the legendary Trump resort, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach. I checked in to a local Hilton hotel, grabbed my swimsuit and ordered two pina coladas and went immediately to the pool for some sun. Slept and caught a sweet glow - GW is so pale from the New York winter -then headed back to the room for a quick ''disco nap''. Got dressed in white tie (as per the invite) and had the hotel order a limo to whisk G-Diddy to Palm Beach. Ivana Trump is like a ''Godmother'' to yours truly.

An incredible woman who has always been there for me, always provided support and advice whenever needed. Always asked me to many, many dinner parties at her fabulous Manhattan home. My ''Godmama Ivana'' as I have called her for more than 10 years. So it goes without saying - that this was a special day in more ways than one.

And what a wedding! The Donald was thrilled to see GW again, we have become great buddies The Donald and I, so much so that he has already asked me to be a judge again next year for Miss USA 2009. Ivana's wedding party featured her 25 bridesmaids and the most ravishing presence of Ivanka ( I can't wait for her wedding). She looked absolutely amazing in the most awesome canary-yellow gown that night. The wedding was to start at 5:00 pm but it wasn't until 6:02 pm that the ceremony by the pool of Mar-A-Lago finally got under way. With helicopters buzzing overhead and famous guests like Hollywood legend George Hamilton, who actually sat right behind me at the ring ceremony, Ivana and her young Italian stallion - Rossano Rubicondi, 24 years younger than she is - finally became man and wife. I had tears in my eyes, as most anyone who knows Ivana well, I am sure did. It was a wonderful, unforgettable evening to say the very least.

At the reception I was seated next to the famous sex therapist Dr Ruth, and we had such a ball dancing and gossiping and gasping at the humungous wedding cake which was almost as tall as the Empire State Building. I have never seen such a humungous wedding cake in my life. It was created in Belgium and took weeks to prepare.
Suffice it to say, this was one of the most unforgettable weekends of my life, and I will be in touch!

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