Fiona Hutchison (Jenna, GL) jumped at the chance to appear on a recent episode of the Gayle King Show titled "Pregnant and Loving It." And there's no one who fits the bill better than the very pregnant Hutchison, who is due to have her second child this month.  Hutchison invited Soap Opera Magazine to tag along with her, her husband, John Viscardi (ex-Tony, OLTL), and their 17-month-old beautiful baby boy, "Hutch," as she shared her expertise on what host Gayle King refers to as "the world's oldest profession."

As Hutchison and family piled in the car in anticipation of the two-hour trek to the set of the Hartford, Conn.- based show, fate smiled on her not once, but twice: little Hutch napped during most of the ride, and the route to the studio offered an irrisistable temptation - sticky buns' "Of course I had to stop to get my sticky, gooey bun fix," she explains. "When a craving hits, you simply have to have it!"

At the studio, King and her staff displayed the utmost professionalism and geniality.  "The atmosphere was very friendly.  Hutch was running the hallways and examining all three green rooms Hutchison laughs.  "The show was very comfortable and organized.  It's much like Oprah in that it’s very nice to deal with.  Gayle's a real pro.”

Not surprising since King is no rank amateur when it comes to television. In addition to her normal responsibilities as the 5:30p.m. news anchor for the CBS affiliate in Hartford, she is perhaps even more well known to audiences as Oprah Winfrey's best friend.  "We really try to create a warm atmosphere here," King says.  "We wanted to create a show that you can watch and your kids can watch . It's about raising healthy, happy kids, being healthy and happy about yourself and feeling good about your relationships.  We have a little fun with it and, hopefully, people will learn something along the way."

Not long after touchdown, Hutchison was whisked into hair and makeup, leaving Viscardi to entertain little Hutch back in the green room.  While some men shrink from the self-sacrifices and responsibilities of child care, Viscardi actually relishes the job.  "He wakes up smiling," says the proud papa of his little boy.  "He has the best disposition in the morning.  Better than mine!"  In between pre-show preening, Hutchison discussed with producer Jill Pollack the details of her upcoming segments.  Even though Hutchison looks great au natural, King's makeup artist, Claudette, gave the GL actress a touch-up and curled her long brown hair, which was up for the segment on pregnancy exercise.  As Claudette applied the finishing touches to Hutchison’s already stunning countenance, King greeted and warmed up her studio audience.
 

Papa Viscardi, meanwhile, moved himself and Hutch into the audience to get a ringside seat for the day's taping and to get a better look at Mommy.  Following segments focusing on stress management with noted practitioner Dave David, M.D., and the latest trends in baby gear, with co-authors Alan and Denise Fields (Baby Bargains),
 
 

Hutchison took a deep breath and prepared for the upcoming segment on exercise during pregnancy with her personal trainer, Bob Shaw.  Hutchison credits Shaw - the owner of the New York City fitness club Physical Structure - for her svelte figure when she returned to GL a mere three months after Hutch was born.
 
 

"Bob helped me get back in shape after I had, Hutch," Hutchison explains.  "He's been helping me through this pregnancy, and I want him to keep helping me after it as well." Unlike her pregnancy with Hutch - during which Hutchison gained close to 40 pounds - she has gained a mere 20 pounds this time around.  She  says that's thanks to Shaw's exercise program healthier diet  Hutchison also shared her own baby survival tips, which include making an emergency bag stocked with baby necessities.

Ultimately, however, the actress was upstaged by another Hutchison - her son, who emerged as the star of the show.  The audience ate up the little star, himself a veteran of three TV appearances.  Hutch was more than happy to jump into his mom's waiting arms after he was introduced to the audience, but when he saw himself on the TV monitors, he just had to break free and investigate.
 
 

After the show, Hutchison et al. headed back to New York to claim the remains of the day as a family.  "There are too few times we get to do things as a family because of the hectic schedule, so if there's an opportunity to spend the day together, we take it," says Hutchison.  "Even if I do a talk show in the middle of the day, we'll at least have the rest of the day.  So maybe we'll go to the zoo or to the museum, or if the sun pokes its head out we'll go to Central Park.  And before you know it it’s dinnertime, story time and  it's bedtime."

--Lisa Backus