Gossip Girl

Leighton Meester has revealed that she will leave Gossip Girl in 2012.

The actress - who plays Blair Waldorf on the CW drama - said that she will leave when her current contract ends in "two more years" to pursue a career in film, reports E Online.

"[I] obviously enjoy working on the show and living in New York," she explained. "[But] it allows you to be ready for when the show's over."

Asked whether she believes that Gossip Girl will continue after 2012, Meester said: "I don't know but I think there's that old saying about wanting to go out on top."

Gossip Girl's executive producer Stephanie Savage has dropped some hints about what is to come for Serena and Ben in the future.

In the last episode of the show it emerged that Lily (Kelly Rutherford) had falsely accused Ben (David Call) of having an affair with Serena (Blake Lively), who was his student at the time. After discovering the news, Serena went to visit Ben.

"The biggest obstacle for them will be can Ben ever actually get over what Serena's family put him through," Savage told TV Line.

"It's fine to blame Lily, but at a certain point it becomes part of a larger conversation about who these people are and how they conduct themselves. And just the reality of Ben trying to get on his feet and figure out what he's going to do with his life is pretty challenging now, and how does Serena fit into that equation - if she does at all?"

Gossip Girl returns for a new episode on January 24 on The CW.

Illeana Douglas is to make a guest appearance on The CW's Gossip Girl.

TVLine reports that the actress will play Carol, the older sister of Lily (Kelly Rutherford), in a forthcoming episode.

The character will first appear in an episode scheduled for early April and could recur throughout the fourth season.

Douglas has previously played recurring roles on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Ugly Betty. She also recently signed up for a guest role on new NBC drama The Cape.

The role of Carol was previously played by Breaking Bad star Krysten Ritter in a flashback episode.

Gossip Girl's executive producer Stephanie Savage has suggested that Dan and Blair could begin a romance.

Savage refused to confirm whether the pair's relationship will develop but told TV Line that she believes the duo could become attracted to each other.

"The Dan and Blair connection is something that's been there from the earliest episodes," she said.

"Their relationship to Serena, and the degree to which they're polar opposites and represent everything that the other hates, makes their dynamic really charged. At the same time, they are characters that have a lot in common. They are the most book-smart characters. They share a lot of the same interests. And as much as they might want to hate each other, there are a lot of reasons for them to like each other. So it's a really fun dynamic to write."

Savage acknowledged that some viewers may be unhappy about the prospect of a Dan and Blair romance, saying: "I would say that those issues that fans are struggling with are exactly the same issues they'll see Dan and Blair struggling with. There's a lot of ambivalence and even revulsion on their part."

She continued: "[Writing such a polarising storyline is] definitely nerve-wracking. But it's also exciting, and that's kind of the tightrope of working on a show like Gossip Girl where fans are so passionate."

Gossip Girl returns for a new episode on January 24 at 9/8c on The CW.

Ed Westwick has said that he is ready to leave Gossip Girl.

The British actor, who plays all-American playboy Chuck Bass on the teen drama, told reporters that he doesn't think he can get much more out of the character.

He said: "It's all about the work, you know. The feeling you get when you connect to the work.

"And that's what I had with Chuck Bass in the beginning - I was fascinated by him. But now, to be completely honest, I'm ready to do something else. Really ready to do something else."

Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester has revealed that she likes the dynamic between Dan and Blair.

The duo have recently had a number of scenes together and reports have hinted that they could begin a romance.

"I like that friendship," Meester told MTV News. "I can't tell you [what's going to happen].

"I like working with Penn [Badgley] and so that's been very fun. I think that they're good for each other in a lot of ways, in a way that Chuck and Blair aren't."

However, Meester added: "I like Chuck and Blair, though. I think they're good together. And it's sexy."

Gossip Girl continues on Mondays at 9/8c on The CW in the US and on Wednesdays at 8pm on ITV2 in the UK.

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Gossip Girl's executive producer Josh Safran has insisted that Chuck will never intentionally hurt Blair.

In the last episode of the show, Chuck (Ed Westwick) reacted furiously after discovering that Louis had proposed to Blair (Leighton Meester) and punched a glass wall. Blair ran away but her face was cut in the struggle.

However, Safran has now told E! Online that Blair is "not afraid" of her former boyfriend.

"We feel it's very important to know that she's not scared," he said. "If anything, she is scared for Chuck and what he might do to himself, but she is never scared of what he might do to her. Leighton and I were very clear about that."

Safran acknowledged that the relationship between Chuck and Blair is "volatile", but said: "I do not believe - or I should say we do not believe - that it is abuse when it's the two of them. Chuck does not try to hurt Blair. He punches the glass because he has rage, but he has never and will never hurt Blair. He knows it and she knows it."

Safran also revealed that there is "definitely a reckoning" for Chuck and promised that there will be "lovely moments and thrilling moments" in the upcoming two-part season finale.

"Episodes 21 and 22 take place in a little more than one night," he teased. "And then there's a little more jumping ahead like we have in the past. There are definitely cliffhangers.

"I'm trying to think, 'Do we tie stuff up in bows?' Well, every bow has a string that someone can pull, some I'm not entirely sure if we tied up anything... I feel like this year, more than ever before, the map of the next season will become very clear in the finale. So even when there are cliffhangers in this finale, they very much tell a story of where we are going."

Gossip Girl, which has been officially renewed for a fifth season, airs on Mondays at 9/8c on The CW in the US and on Wednesdays at 8pm on ITV2 in the UK.

TVLine has learned exclusively that Gossip Girl is parting ways with Taylor Momsen (Jenny) and Jessica Szohr (Vanessa).

A source close to the show confirms that the two actresses will not be returning as series regulars for the CW soap’s upcoming fifth season, but added that both have been invited back on a guest star basis.

The insider also confirms that GG‘s core five — Blake Lively (Serena), Leighton Meester (Blair) Penn Badgley (Dan), Ed Westwick (Chuck) and Chace Crawford (Nate) — will all be back in the fall. Additionally, Kaylee DeFer — who joined the cast this spring as Serena’s rabble-rousing cousin Charlie — has been promoted to series regular status.

The departures of Momsen and Szohr hardly come as a complete surprise. Momsen — who has made no secret of her desire to make music her primary focus — has appeared in only a handful of episodes this season. Similarly, Szohr’s alter ego has been given little to do save for a little eavesdropping and meddling here and there. What’s more, Vanessa recently revealed that she was leaving town to study abroad.

Blake Lively has taken legal steps to ensure a string of recently surfaced nude photos are taken out of circulation.

The images – which show a blonde haired woman, purported to be ‘Gossip Girl’ star Blake, taking pictures of her naked body – ran across various websites on Tuesday evening, prompting the 23-year old actress to issue a stark warning.

“The photos of Blake Lively which have just surfaced on various websites are 100 percent fake. Blake has never taken nude photos of herself,” her representative told Us Weekly, adding: “Blake will pursue legal action against the publication which initially published these photographs and any other outlet that publish them in any manner.”

Elsewhere, the actress has been linked with Leonardo DiCaprio – single following his recent split from Bar Refaeli – after they were spotted enjoying a weekend break in Italy.

Previously the pair were snapped hanging out together on a private yacht during the 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival in May.