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Rob and Amber got married on Saturday

Plus: ‘Home Makeover’ taxes;  ‘Newlyweds’ no more
/ Source: msnbc.com

We regularly receive questions about Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich, the couple who got engaged at the finale of "Survivor All-Stars" and are now competing on "The Amazing Race."

Many viewers, even those who might have been fans of theirs on "Survivor," have been less than thrilled that the two were allowed on a second reality show, feeling that one million-dollar prize is quite enough, thank you. Others disagree. And there still seems to be a fascination with the couple's wedding.

According to the newspaper from Amber's hometown, the two over the weekend at Atlantis resort in the Bahamas. According to CBS, the wedding did, in fact, take place Saturday. The paper also reported that wedding guests had to sign confidentiality agreements and thus couldn't comment on the event. However, the paper was also to ferret out such vital information as  "Reportedly bridesmaids will wear teal," and  "In a prior CBS interview, Brkich revealed she wanted males at the wedding to wear summery white linen."

According to and CBS, the wedding will air on May 24 from 9-11 p.m. on CBS. That's the same day as the "American Idol" singers give their final performances, and the day before the double whammy of the "Idol" and "Lost" finales. It'll be a TV-riffic week.    —G.F.C.

Q: Some (let’s be honest here - ALL) of the makeovers on “Extreme Makeover - Home Edition” cost big bucks to accomplish.  Do the recipient families have to pay federal income taxes on these windfalls?     —Jackie

A: Families who cried on camera when introduced to their newly renovated homes on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and similar shows might have been crying again last week, when federal income taxes were due. That’s because the renovations done to the house — and paid for by producers and sponsors — are taxable.

But don’t worry too much about the families, at least those who’ve participated in the two big renovation shows. The producers who changed their lives do their best to shield them from an unbearable tax burden. Variety reported last week that producers for “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” have “an innovative scheme” for getting around the tax burden. Basically, the show leases the house for two weeks. That makes all of the changes and improvements tax-exempt. That sounded sketchy to tax professionals . But a year later, Endemol exec David Goldberg told Variety, “we haven’t had any issues with it.”

FOX’s copycat show, “Renovate My Family,” also deals with the same issue. But instead of sidestepping taxes, they send a 1099 form to the families. One family found out that their renovations were worth $529,148 — income they’d have to pay taxes on. But Rocket Science isn’t leaving them hanging; the company is paying the taxes, “offering $215,000 to cover their tax liabilities,” Variety reported.    —A.D.

Q: Do you know if this will be the final season for "Newlyweds" on MTV? One advertisement says season finale, another says series finale.    —Anonymous

A: Alas, Nick and Jessica’s series came to an end last month. It’s hard to believe that this is the end, especially since we’ve had false stops before. (Last summer, Jessica told US Weekly that the show was “done!” Then it returned in January for a 10-episode third season.) But episode 310 was labeled “Newlyweds Series Finale,” and that’s definite. Even more tragically, Jessica’s tragic sister Ashlee’s MTV show also ended its run, so no more Simpsons for us.

But never fear: there are plenty of train-wreck celebrity marriages coming to your television screen. Most notably, UPN is using home movies shot by Britney Spears and her husband Kevin Federline to construct a reality show that will start airing next month. Last week, MTV started airing “Meet the Barkers”; it stars Blink-182’s Travis Barker and his wife, former Miss USA Shanna Moakler. Bravo is planning “Being Bobby Brown,” a series focusing on the singer and his family. Even “Amazing Race 6” couple Jonathan and Victoria have shot a pilot for a VH1 reality series focusing on their lives.

Best of all, “The Surreal Life” returns in the fall for a fifth season. Living together in a house will be Omarosa from "The Apprentice," Janice Dickinson from "America's Next Top Model," Jose Canseco, Bronson Pinchot, and Pepa of Salt-n-Pepa fame. Not even Jessica could compete with that crowd.  —A.D.

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper is MSNBC.com's Television Editor. is a writer and teacher who publishes , a daily summary of reality TV news.