Binside TV: BARBARA WALTERS

Barbara Walters 10 Most Fascinating People of 2008 - #1 Barack Obama

Barbara Walters aired her annual special on the 10 Most Fascinating People of 2008. We would have been surprised if anyone other than Barack Obama topped the list.

It was not surprising to many that Obama landed at the top of the list after making history as the first African-American elected president. In an AccessHollywood.com poll earlier this week, viewers dubbed Obama "most fascinating" with an impressive 54 percent of the votes. source

The most surprising person included on the list was the "pregnant man" Thomas Beatie. What has Thomas Beatie who was born a woman done that is fascinating? Do you think that Barack Obama's title as "Most Fascinating Person" was diminished because Thomas Beatie was included in the top five on the fascinating people list? Tina Fey,Michael Phelps, Will Smith, Tom Cruise and Miley Cyrus etc. have careers which earned them a spot on the list.

Here is a complete list of the Barbara Walters 10 Most Fascinating People of 2008.

1 - Barack Obama
2 — Tom Cruise
3 — Sarah Palin
4 — Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon)
5 — Thomas Beatie (Transgendered Pregnant
Man)
6 — Rush Limbaugh
7 — Tina Fey
8 — Miley Cyrus
9 — Michael Phelps
10 — Will Smith

What exactly has the pregnant man done to earn earn money and fame? Watch the videos from the Barbara Walters 10 Most Fascinating people special if you missed it. Click on the links below.

Tom Cruise - 10 Most Fascinating People

Will Smith - 10 Most Fascinating People

Tina Fey - 10 Most Fascinating People

Miley Cyrus - 10 Most Fascinating

Michael Phelps - 10 Most Fascinating People

Rush Limbaugh - 10 Most Fascinating People

Sarah Palin - 10 Most Fascinating People

Frank Langella - 10 Most Fascinating People

Thomas Beatie Barbara Walters 10 Most Fascinating People of 2008 - #5

"This was almost the easiest year that we've ever had, because we had so many naturals," says Walters, summing up the selection process for her special, which airs at 10 p.m. Thursday on ABC. "Some of the people you just know you have to do."

Take Olympic super-swimmer Michael Phelps, or Will Smith and Tom Cruise, who, to put it simply, are Will Smith and Tom Cruise.

Then there's country's most famous hockey mom, Sarah Palin.

And, of course, "30 Rock" star Tina Fey, who helped define Palin to a national electorate with her hilarious impersonations on NBC's "Saturday Night Live." Or Rush Limbaugh, the powerful conservative pundit who is now getting ready to take on a new Democratic president.

Or 16-year-old singer-actress Miley Cyrus, the wildly popular star of Disney Channel's "Hannah Montana," who, Walters says, is "growing up."

Maybe not so obvious: Thomas Beatie, who will be interviewed as a representative of what Walters calls a larger subject: the emergence of transgender couples.

Or Frank Langella. Why? After decades as an acclaimed actor, Langella, 70, has the buzz of a latter-day breakout star thanks to his new film, "Frost/Nixon," Walters says.

By now, she has the winnowing process down to a science - including how she handles those who didn't make the final cut.

"If a celebrity's press agent calls, we say, 'You were right there, you were the 11th! Maybe next year,' " Walters jokes.

As usual, the No. 1 most fascinating person of 2008 will be announced on the program. But even here, a jaw-dropping surprise seems unlikely. Could it be anyone but President-elect Barack Obama? source