Peach Buzz: Gifford: I am inventor of ‘Spanx’

Atlanta businesswoman and Spanx founder Sara Blakely and her patent attorney may want to tune into B98.5 FM this morning at 7:20.

That’s when “Today” co-host Kathie Lee Gifford will repeat her claim that she, and not Blakely, actually invented the footless, slimming fashion accessory.

“I couldn’t believe it!” Vikki Locke told Buzz on Wednesday. Locke and morning show partner Steve McCoy taped the interview with the daytime diva Tuesday.

Locke says she had heard speculation in recent weeks that Gifford has been taking credit for inventing the multi-million dollar creation. The morning show personality has been close pals with Blakely for years and attended her splashy nuptials last year in Florida.

“I just decided to ask her to see what she would say,” Locke explained. “I said to Kathie Lee, ‘So, I understand that you invented Spanx.’ And sure enough, she told us, ‘I did!’ “

Gifford went on to explain that back when she co-hosted “Live With Regis & Kathie Lee,” she went on-air one morning and told Regis Philbin how she had cut the feet out of a pair of support hose.

Locke then graciously informed Gifford that she’s friends with Blakely.

Her retort: “Well, good for you. Tell your friend I’d be happy to be her spokesperson.”

Locke tried in vain to reach Blakely on her cellphone during the interview so she and Gifford could have a chat.

Added Locke: “She might be a little delusional!”

At press time Wednesday, Buzz was unable to confirm that Gifford also invented the Internet.

Walker reflects on his TV experience

University of Georgia football legend Herschel Walker tells us he hasn’t watched a single episode of “Celebrity Apprentice,” the NBC show he was fired from on Sunday night.

He says he was disappointed he didn’t end up winning money for his charity of choice, Alternative Community Development Services.

Says Walker: “I had a lot of fun.”

Walker says he was frustrated trying to manage folks who weren’t really his employees, which is why he had problems at times with the argumentative Tom Green and Clint Black. Cracked Walker: “If I could kick their butts physically, maybe, but that’s not the show. They wouldn’t let me do that.”

Walker managed to bond, however, with celeb co-star Joan Rivers. “I absolutely loved her. She told me to call her mom.” And overall, he said, “I got along with everybody. They called me the president because I was so politically correct.”

And you’ll see Walker again on the show. He will take part in the final challenge, which begins airing May 3 and will continue on the finale on May 10.

“Don’t stop watching the show,” he said. “You’ll see something. People on the show respect me more. When you talk about getting the job done, that’s my thing. I get the job done!”

Dauler’s ‘Earth Day’ tips irritate Seydel

Q100 chief imp Jeff Dauler found himself facing off against Captain Planet himself on Earth Day after the cartoon character’s caretaker caught the radio producer littering on Twitter.

Captain Planet Foundation chairwoman Laura Turner Seydel, who follows Dauler on the addictive Internet site, got a little irritated with Dauler’s increasingly absurd Earth Day “tips” he was posting Wednesday.

His tweets included the following:

“For Earth Day, I took all the copy paper in the office and threw it in the Dumpster so nobody would use paper! GO GREEN!” and “I poured a gallon of bleach into the Chattahoochee! Imagine how clean it would be if everyone did that today. GO GREEN!”

Seydel then posted the following message throughout the Twitter-verse: “@JeffDauler not funny. You will have people standing down by the river ‘cleaning’ it up.”

We’re guessing that Dauler didn’t recall that the Atlanta environmentalist co-founded the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Fund advocacy group with her husband Rutherford Seydel.

A chastised Dauler apologized by posting: “For real for Earth Day tips, follow my friend @LauraSeydel and check out her great green tips.”

Laura Seydel immediately recalled a hailstorm-hurling Captain Planet in mid-flight and he resumed work on a backyard compost project.

HIGH FIVE

The top-sellers at Eagle Eye Book Shop in Decatur this week:

1. “Chasing The Devils Tail,” David Fulmer

2. “Help,” Kathryn Stockett

3. “Lost Hours,” Karen White

4. “Arm Chair Birder,” John Yow

5. “Final Trumpet,” Karl Lenker

Courtesy: Eagle Eye Book Shop

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Actor Lee Majors (“Six Million Dollar Man”) is 70. Actress Joyce DeWitt (“Three’s Company”) is 60. Director Michael Moore is 55. Comedian George Lopez is 48. Actor Kal Penn (“House M.D.,” “Harold and Kumar”) is 32.

Contributing: Rodney Ho and news services

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