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Dirty Mouth

Pat O'Brien's voicemails, clipped on Opie and Anthony.

What Happened: In 2005, television host Pat O'Brien left a series of alcohol-fueled, sexually-explicit voicemails for a still-unnamed woman (although it seems she was a co-worker). When the voicemails leaked to Opie & Anthony's radio show (and Web site), the world got a very different glimpse face familiar from shows like 'The Insider' and 'Access Hollywood.' "Let's go crazy, let's get another woman, let's get some coke," O'Brien breathed into the phone, going on and on like a rabid dog over several voicemails. O'Brien's PR team went into serious damage control mode, shipping him off to the master of all judgments, Dr. Phil, in a ratings boost for the good doctor.

Career impact: Positive, at least after the scalding two-parter with Dr. Phil and painfully in-depth on-camera apologies to his staff and loved ones. Never a particularly charismatic presence on TV, O'Brien's public humiliation and well-publicized atonement and recovery actually made him more accessible to people, plus America loves a penitent bad boy.


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