A Royal Hostess

These days there are three major avenues for disgraced politicians, celebs, executives, and royals to regain their public lives following a scandal:

• Go on a reality TV show a la Eric Roberts and former Tiger Woods mistress Rachel Uchitel soon to be checking in to VH1’s Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew Pinksy.
• Hire lawyer to top victims Gloria Allred, a la former Citibank babe Debrahlee Lorenzana.
• Or go on a public apology tour that goes so well that struggling news network CNN hires you—albeit for about $500,000—but when you’re Eliot Spitzer, any chance to get away from working with your father-in-law after you’ve admitted cheating on his daughter with a high-priced hooker turned New York Post advice columnist Ashlee Dupree, probably sounds good.

When it comes to British royal mess Sarah Ferguson, a combination of these avenues could be her way to redemption.

Ferguson is no stranger to controversy, having endured the nickname “porky” while she was married to Prince Andrew, was close to declaring bankruptcy since their divorce, and was recently caught on tape trying to sell access to her famous ex for $724,000.

A tearful session on Oprah’s couch apparently scored so well with viewers that the queen of forgiveness and makeovers herself is offering the Duchess of York her own talk show on OWN, Oprah’s new cable network set to launch January 1, 2011.

London’s Mail quotes a source close to Ferguson saying that “Oprah was impressed by Sarah's ability to face up to her errors and to apologize publicly for them."

This wouldn’t be Fergie’s first time as a hostess. Besides her royal duties, the disgraced duchess hosted an eight-part talk show in England that generated buzz about a Stateside gig that never materialized—until now.

And headlining Oprah’s network is much better than going the Celebrity Rehab route. When news broke of Uchitel’s involvement with the VH1 show, Donald Trump, who was considering her for the next installment of his Celebrity Apprentice, said she’s no longer a valuable asset in his eyes.

And since she isn’t facing charges from her strange attempt at bribery, hiring Allred is out.

So an apology tour and TV hosting gig it is.