Watch our exclusive interview with Lake from 2011 on what to expect from her new show, how her documentary The Business of Being Born sparked a birthing revolution and the lessons she learned after turning 40 years old:

Lake, 43, is veering away from the tabloid fodder that wooed younger viewers to daytime in her first go-round. She hopes to fill the void in daytime television left by Oprah’s departure and will tackle social and cultural subjects such as body image, social media and female hormones.

“It will be like the ‘old Oprah’, when Oprah was living the life like us,” Lake said in a live chat on her Facebook page. “I’m not an expert, I’m still trying to figure it out but I think it is important in daytime television to talk about things in a way that is not a three-minute segment.”

“I’m better at being myself than being anyone else,” Lake said. “My gift – if you would call it that – is relating to people.”

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Producer Ricki Lake and filmmaker Abby Epstein

Still busy dancing her socks off as one of the finalists on “Dancing With the Stars,” Ricki Lake releases “More Business of Being Born” this week

Ricki Lake, actress, contestant on Dancing With the Stars and Executive Producer, along with filmmaker Abby Epstein, today released an all-new, four part DVD series that continues their provocative and entertaining exploration of the modern maternity care system. “More Business of Being Born” offers a practical look at birthing options, as well as poignant celebrity birth stories from stars including Alanis Morissette, Gisele Bundchen, Christy Turlington-Burns, Cindy Crawford, Molly Ringwald, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Melissa Joan Hart. Whether they chose to deliver at a hospital, home or birthing center, the testimonies speak to the lasting power of the birth experience. The Los Angeles premier of Lake’s latest documentary will be Wednesday.

Related: Join In: Global Baby Shower on Twitter – Nov. 8, 8AM-5PM EST

“To be able to feel empowered, to be able to feel like I felt on that day — I can do anything,” Lake said of her own home birth experience, which was featured in her first documentary. “It’s gotten me through my divorce. It’s gotten me through living through 9/11, downtown, I was there on that day. Even Dancing With the Stars. I’m bruised from head to toe. I look like a Dalmatian. But I look back on that experience 10 years ago. If I can get through natural childbirth at home and deliver an 8-pound, 7-ounce baby without any drugs, I can do this.”

“It’s not about convincing everyone to have a home birth or convincing everybody to do what I did. It’s about educating the consumer about their right to choice and to be able to have the information to make the best choice for them when it comes to the birth of their child.”

Lake helped open the eyes of millions of soon-to-be parents around the world with the release of her documentary film, “The Business of Being Born.” The film shed light on the state of American health care today as it pertains to birthing babies, and how birthing babies has become more of a surgical procedure of convenience rather than a natural progression of life coming into the world. In that film, Lake gave birth to her second child at home in her bathtub.

Watch the trailer for “More Business of Being Born” below:

For more from Ricki Lake on genConnect:

• DWTS Ricki Lake’s Morning Pick-Me-Up
• Ricki Lake Confesses: I’m a Twitter Addict
• Ricki Lake on Lessons Learned at Age 40 and Her Upcoming Talk Show

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These are one expert’s views on the news. Share with us your thoughts in the comments box below.

On “Dancing With the Stars,” Julianne Hough dances to promote her new movie, “Footloose,” while singer Chynna Phillips gets booted off the competition.

Actress Julianne Hough danced during last night’s results episode of “Dancing With the Stars” on ABC to promote her new film, “Footloose,” which hits theaters this Friday. Hough is a two-time DWTS champion and beautifully graced the stage, dancing with her co-star Kenny Wormald. Country star Blake Shelton sang”Footloose,” after Hough and Wormald danced to “Holding Out for a Hero.”

The DWTS stage is what kicked off Hough’s career. She was dancing “on the very stage that basically started everything,” Hough said before the show. “I definitely got a little emotional.”

After her performance Tuesday night, Hough said: “I am so grateful to be here. This is my family – this is my home. Thank you guys so much for having me back on the show.”

Later, Hough and her brother, Derek – another DWTS hit – performed an energetic jive to “Shake Your Tail Feather.”

It seems that starring in “Footloose” was Hough’s destiny. The 23-year-old has been dancing to the music for years. She grew in Salt Lake City, Utah, and would drive past the mill at which actor Kevin Bacon performed his angry dance scene in 1984′s original “Footloose” on her way to dance class. She performed in a community theater group production of  the film in high school and, along with her brother Derek, starred in “Footloose: The Musical” in London in 2006.

We have no doubt Hough will light up the big screen with her performance, so check out “Footloose” at a theater near you, beginning this Friday!

Meanwhile, back on DWTS, singer Chynna Phillips was booted from the competition, while daytime talk-show host and actress Ricki Lake stunned the crowd with her performance; her partner is Derek Hough. “Brilliance in the ballroom,” one judge called her performance Monday night. Lake performed so well, that the 43-year-old and her partner Derek Hough received the first perfect scores of the season.

“You’re like the U.S. mail. You always deliver,” said judge Len Goodman. “You need a little more neck going on, but top of the leader board. I think so.”

We wish Ricki and the other DWTS contestants the best of luck with the rest of this amazing, star-studded season!

For related stories on genConnect:

• Dancing With the Stars Contestant Ricki Lake: Learn From Your Mistakes (VIDEO)
• DWTS’s Ricki Lake Morning Pick-Me Up (VIDEO)
• Ricki Lake, Nancy Grace, Chaz Bono, Ron Artest to Rock DWTS
• Ricki Lake Confesses: I’m a Twitter Addict
• Ricki Lake on Lessons Learned at Age 40 and Her Upcoming Talk Show

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• To stay on top of the latest contributions from experts: Sign Up for genConnect.

These are one expert’s views on the news. Share with us your thoughts in the comments box below.

We can’t wait to see Ricki rock the dance floor on DWTS.

Laurel House, aka Quickie Chick, is a fitness, health and lifestyle expert and author of Quickie Chick’s Cheat Sheet: Life, Love, Fitness, Food, Fashion, Finance (St. Martins, Spring 2012). She’s also the guru behind …

A Life Quickie is a tip, a trick or a piece of advice that helps fast-paced chicks enjoy an optimal life.  Whether it is how to cure a headache or how to muster confidence before a big meeting, use a quickie for every facet of your day. Everyone has a Life Quickie? What’s yours?

A Bummer With Benefits is the silver linings resulting from a not-so-stellar experience. Whether you lost your job but discovered you’re passion as a dog walker or your boyfriend broke up with you and then you found your husband, find the positive to every negative. Everyone has a Bummer With Benefits. What’s yours?

Share with us below.

More videos of Ricki Lake on genConnect:

• Ricki Lake Confesses: I’m a Twitter Addict
• Ricki Lake on Lessons Learned at Age 40 and Her Upcoming Talk Show

For more Life Quickies, visit QuickieChick.com.

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Watch genConnect’s Laurel House connect with Ricki Lake at BlogHer ’11. This talk show host, spokesperson and role model talks about using social media with her new talk show and her ability to connect with people.

genConnect is credentialed press at BlogHer ’11 in San Diego, CA, video interviewing the premier speakers and attendees. To see more of our video interviews and articles from BlogHer ’11, click here.

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