
Jenny McCarthy was a household name well before she ever set foot on Oprah's set. But the '90s Playboy Playmate and former host of MTV's Singled Out used Oprah's show to remake her public persona from pinup girl to health activist. In a series of controversial appearances, McCarthy savaged conventional medical wisdom and blamed vaccines for her young son's autism a belief that has been debunked by experts. But despite the outcry from health experts over McCarthy's claims, Oprah seemed unfazed. In May, McCarthy inked a multi-platform development deal with Harpo Productions that will give the former model her own syndicated talk show. She has also launched an Oprah-branded health blog.