Limbaugh off Philly's WPHT, replaced by Smerconish

Rush Limbaugh's show will no longer be running on "The Big Talker," WPHT-AM (1210). CBS announced that Premiere Media, which syndicates Rush's show, is taking it off WPHT's schedule, where he's been since 1999 (before that, he was on WWDB). Replacing him in the 1-3 p.m. slot will be longtime Philly broadcaster Michael Smerconish, whose national talk show has been running taped during afternoon drive time; it'll now run live.

"I am thrilled that CBS decided to make this change," Smerconish told us at "SideShow," "and I am anxious to once again welcome live callers from my hometown for the duration of my program."

Two radio stations, one in Pittsfield, Mass., and another in Hilo, Hawaii, dropped Rush's show after he attacked Georgetown University law student and contraceptive-rights advocate Sandra Fluke. She'd gone before a congressional committee to declare that women's contraceptive needs should be covered under taxpayer-funded health-care programs. Within a week, Rush had called Fluke a "slut" and a "prostitute."

That whole mess has nothing to do with the WPHT move, says CBS. Nor did it have anything to do with a "Get Rush Limbaugh Off the Air at WPHT" petition by the advocacy group MoveOn.org.

In fact, Rush is not being dropped from the Philly market. He'll move to another station. Which station, you ask? Well, it just might be Merlin Media's new acquisition WKDN-FM (109.6) in Camden. Rumors say Merlin may turn WKDN into a talk station and get Rush in there. The talk market seems to be moving, nationally, toward FM. Anyway, he's not going away, and he's on more than 600 stations. He's hard to miss.

- John Timpane

Ricki Lake weds in secret

Daytime talk-show host and Hairspray star Ricki Lake, 43, eloped with Christian Evans, 40, on Sunday, Ricki confirmed on Tuesday, tweeting a photo with the caption, "Yup. This is me. â ¦ Sadie Sadie married lady. :) :) Love is in the air." Ricki has two sons, Milo, 15, and Owen, 10, from a previous marriage.

Seal-Klum divorce, round 2

Seal, 49, on Tuesday filed dueling divorce papers in response to Heidi Klum's filing last week. Klum, 38, claimed in hers that the couple have a post-nup agreement and no shared property, says TMZ, while Seal's filing says there are "community and quasi-community assets." Heidi is worth $70 mil, Seal a meager $15 mil.

People mag says the couple, who wed in Mexico in '05, are agreed on one thing: their children. They both want joint legal custody with visitation for Seal of Leni, 7½, Henry, 6½, Johan, 5, and Lou, 2.

Tidbits 'n' pieces

Melissa Gilbert, 47, was treated for concussion and whiplash after bumping her head on the floor Monday on Dancing With the Stars while dancing to the White Stripes' "Conquest" with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. ... Eva Von Teese, beloved 19-year-old red-haired dachshund companion to Dita Von Teese, has died, the burlesque artist tweeted early Tuesday morning.

Today in ShowBiz news

Mademoiselle Snooki better brush up on her French: The nation that gave us the Statue of Liberty is so awestruck by the artistry on MTV's The Jersey Shore, it's itchin' for a Gallic version. Variety says a French network plans a show.

This article contains information from Inquirer wire services and websites. Contact "SideShow" at sideshow@phillynews.com.