call at the airport. that was to say that my father had died, and my ex-husband didn't tell me at the time. and then the doctors were asking to see me. i knew -- i knew. it happened the same weekend. >> then three years ago, olivia lost her sister, rona, to brain cancer. >> she played a huge part in my life. pi loved her very much, of course. she was a lot of fun. ♪ >> olivia soon recognized music for those grieving. hence, her album "live on." and the song she, beth nielsen chapman, and amy sky performed for us "stone in my pocket." ♪ i'm telling everybody that i'm okay ♪ i always think something wonderful comes out of something bad or tragic. and this album came out of the loss of my sister. it gave me the idea. turning "grease" into relief. now let's turn to bon jovi. their new tour kicks off february 8th. front man, have richie sambora by his side. but even in his 50s, his hair remains perfectly in place -- minus the '80s blonde. your share always a topic of conversation -- >> because i still have it. >> and a great head of it. the color i'm surprised at. what was behind the change -- >> i'm old. getting old. you know, i'm not going to hide behind any of that stuff. it's just -- getting older. i'd rather just be me, you know what i mean? ♪ i got the george clooney hair going. ♪ >> jon's 54 and just released "this house is not for sale." the first without longtime lead guitarist richie sambora who left the band in 2013. ♪ this house is not for sale >> jon admits he was show shellshocked by the band's shakeup that he took a two-year break. what was that time like? to take a step away from this, what was that like? >> actually, you know, in truth, it wasn't good. it was scarring. you know, we didn't anticipate richie, you know, never showing up again. '14 was not a fun year. and '15 i started to write. but i wasn't ready physically. you know, so it took all of '15 to start that process. ♪ >> i mean, you've been doing this for over three decades. i wonder do you feel that way when you're getting on stage like, ooh, here we go? >> you know, to be brutally honest, the truth is yeah. i consider myself more like a tired athlete coming back one more time, you know. it's surgery. that kind of -- all right. then he goes and wins the super bowl. how many. >> how many more days until that thing drops? >> are you kidding me? >> to help promote the album, bon overy is using social media -- bon jovi is using social media with this teaser of him in the shower. >> look at this. [ laughter ] >> totally unplanned? >> yeah, not something that you would think, hey, come in the shower and shoot me. >> if worked with the ladies, though. a lot of the ladies like -- >> thanks. >> i mean, whatever works, right? next up, we tell you what won't work in fashion in 2017. that's next. y26i1y y17vy closed captioning and other considerations for "access hollywood" provided by -- anthony, lay it on me. which fashion trends should be gone by 2017? >> i'm all for accessorizing, but there over-the-top, crazy nail art has to go. the points, the cartoons, glitter, rhinestones. it is too much. as you see, there are celebrities who shall remain nameless at this point that are embracing it. i think -- too much. >> less is more. i see nude -- i did get my nails done. >> you did good. maybe aol rhinestone or two, but that's it. >> less is more. bye, guys. i'm sara gore, and this is open house. this week, we are bringing you with the best of broadway. we're on the hunt in beautiful fire island with tony award winner, jerry mitchell, and broker, jon wilner. plus, there's nothing like breaking into song to close a deal. this dynamic duo takes us inside a palatial manhattan townhouse with exquisite details. but first, we are heading to the vibrant space of choreographer, chase brock. everything in this room makes us happy, whether it is pictures of memories or objects that we've found-- which brings me to my favorite object in the apartment-- this vintage party lamp i found you're watching open house. we are getting started with prolific choreographer, chase brock. now, chase is known for his work not just on broadway in hits like spider-man turn off the dark, but also in film, television, and even video games. his lively brooklyn heights apartment is no less robust when it comes to color. designed to both delight and inspire, it's a true blast of happy hues, up, down, and all around. see for yourself. hi, i'm chase. i'm a choreographer, and this is my apartment in brooklyn bridge park. my husband and i moved here a couple of years ago and wanted to create a space that felt as fun and full of color and texture as our lives feel. so without further ado, let's take a look around. into the entryway, you see the view of brooklyn heights. but i also wanted to establish all of the ideas that we would be exploring throughout the apartment, including this awesome pop art brooklyn wallpaper, covered with everything from brooklyn heights, to the coney island cyclone, to biggie smalls-- icons of the borough we love so much. we painted the floor a beautiful black lacquer that surprised us by actually giving off a ton of light, and brings you right into the space. [music playing] we knew we were going to be spending a lot of time in this room, so we wanted to create a living space that felt warm and inviting-- really open, and soft surfaces, and plenty of seating for entertaining our friends. it's a room that stimulates and embraces you at the same time. each room has its own really vibrant color story. and in this room, we really wanted colors that were far apart from each other on the color wheel. so we chose red and blue. the red and blue together create a really exciting tension, so there's the calming, soothing blue, and then a little dash of fiery red. we continue the color story in a key piece of furniture in the room, which is a sofa, in a really wild red and blue dove right into. and of course, what's a red and blue sofa without a giant yellow banana pillow? we really wanted to bring a sense of collage to the rooms so that it felt like a collection of found chairs-- plastic chairs, classical chairs. there's wooden chairs and a coffee table, which is white marble. we really wanted to continue that sense in our art and our accessories. so all around, you'll find little surprises on any given surface. design, like theater, should always be filled with surprises. books are a huge part of our life. we use them for reference, for research, and of course, for inspiration. so one of the key things we wanted in this design was to be surrounded by our books. our book shelves have a tendency to be boring, and so we wanted to each particular bookcase to have its own flavor and color story. everything in this room makes us happy, whether it is pictures of memories, or objects that we've found-- which brings me to my favorite object in the apartment-- this vintage party lamp i found in a brooklyn antique shop. how can you not feel happy looking at it? and since we didn't need to change anything in the kitchen, we wanted to bring one really bold, vivid gesture. so we decided on this yellow chrome, cherry-scented wallpaper. well, this wallpaper brings up another design trend in our home-- yellow. let me show you now where we really allowed yellow to explode. [music playing] this is our bedroom. sometimes i think of it as a bowl of lemons or as the center of a sunflower. but one thing is certain-- it is yellow. when you wake up, it just makes you feel like anything is possible. but it's also a room about fun. i'm going to tell you a secret. i have an obsession with designer frames, and i keep them in this room on the window sill, so they become not only an accessory for me, but an accessory for the space. but i don't want you to think it's totally manic with color and patterns. even the most loud spaces need a dash of serenity. and i find mine in this meditation corner. but everyone has a favorite room. follow me into mine. because you have to walk through the closet to get to the bathroom, we wanted to paint it black, so that it became a neutral space that could disappear when we're inside the bathroom or the bedroom. but when you're inside, the clothing becomes the color star. although there is one more star-- this sputnik chandelier, which adds just the right dash of glamor. and after spending this time together, i hope you can guess which side is mine. because we decided to take advantage of the ceiling height, we went floor to ceiling, which gave me double the space for my clothes, and even left room for my sneaker collection. you can see why i love this room. so thanks for stopping by. as you can see, i truly believe a home should be fun, inspiring, and recharging. i hope you enjoyed this look at ours. don't go away. coming up, we tour an historical upper east side townhouse with broker duo tom postilio and mickey conlon. in part by coldwell banker. this is home. this is where awesomeness happens. find your home at coldwellbanker.com. welcome back. now we're heading to a gorgeous townhouse on manhattan's upper east side. this home is lavishly appointed with old world detail and charm. it's so elaborate, you just might say it's the kind of place that practically compels you to break out in song. we're tom postilio and mickey conlon of douglas elliman real estate. please join us for a tour of this magnificent townhouse at 163 east 64th street. let's go inside. you're in for a real treat. floor, over 90 contiguous feet of wonderful entertaining space. you can have a party for 150 people here and never bump into the same person twice. mickey conlan: here, the vestibule sets the stage for what is a thoroughly continental experience. and what a stage it is-- parquet de versailles flooring, lavishly upholstered walls, and one could almost imagine marie antoinette sitting over there. this regal living room is as comfortable as it is grand. tom postilio: imagine yourself mingling in this beautiful room, listening to music from the antique steinway, as it wafts through the house. mickey conlan: the stunning murals on the wall were inspired by the fragonard rooms at the frick museum. tom postilio: the parquet of versailles floors continue through here. and we have a beautiful marble mantle. but your guests are going to need a drink. perhaps a little bubbly. mickey conlan: when opening a bottle of champagne in this bar, one must be very mindful of the cork's because we would not want to damage the one of a kind lalique ceiling, which is exclusive, of course, to this bar. tom postilio: the etchings feature the north wind blowing across the universe. which will leave your guests literally starry-eyed. it's the most exclusive bar in all of the city. well, of course, it is. it's yours. set them up, joe. mickey conlan: less talk, more champagne. tom postilio: cheers. mickey conlan: cheers. i've worked up an appetite. well, let's wobble into the dining room. well, it looks like we're the first to arrive. tom postilio: where is everybody? mickey conlan: this banquet-sized dining room can truly hold 18 of your nearest and dearest friends, either real or imaginary. and speaking of imagination, imagine yourself dining under the glow of this 19th century viennese chandelier. mickey conlan: or by the glow of the fireplace. and the charming view of 19th century townhouses behind us cheers. and after dinner, the perfect place to retire to is the library. follow us. this is nice. this is very nice. back in 1872, imagine that this is where the gentleman would gather for cigars and cognac. tom postilio: the room is paneled in richly carved english pine, original to the house. mickey conlan: and this french bronze 18th century chandelier depicts sea nymphs, and incidentally weighs over 460 pounds. we trust that it's anchored to the ceiling properly. tom postilio: viola! and here we are in the full floor master suite. and the first thing we notice is what a quiet sanctuary this is. mickey conlan: and the extraordinary windows, including these wonderful dormers up top, tom postilio: and there's another wood burning fireplace. oh, come on. another? tom postilio: a fireplace in the master bedroom is pretty extraordinary. but there's one more great surprise. follow us. mickey conlan: just look at this-- your own private secret garden. i love it! thank you so much for joining us on the tour of this iconic new york townhouse. shall we play our guests out old new york style? yes, indeed. warm up those pipes. (singing) la, la, la, la. [playing piano] (singing) give my regards to broadway. remember me to herald square. it's nice. got their starts in the real estate, they were performers, believe it or not. tom was a singer, and mickey was on broadway. and now you can see why. still ahead on open house, we're on the hunt for a home on fire island, new york's vacation hot spot. welcome the back to open house. now we're on a house hunt out in fire island-- as beloved for its rustic charms as it is for its beaches. tony award winning director and choreographer, jerry mitchell, of kinky boots fame, has finally decided he wants a bigger home for entertaining. does broker jon wilner have the right fit for him? well, let's take a look and see. hey, my name is jerry mitchell. and i am a broadway director and choreographer looking for a beautiful home here on fire island in the pines. i'm jon wilner, and i'm the owner of island properties at the pines in fire island pines, new york. today, we're going to show two houses on fire island pines, to jerry mitchell, the director of kinky boots. you know, my price range is wow me. i've been working hard, dancing hard. they say you can't make a living, but you can make a killing on broadway. so i made a little bit of a killing with my last hit kinky boots, and i'm ready to buy a home. i'm ready. - how are you? - oh my, god. - good to see you. - i'm house hunting. - great. we have two great houses to show you today. show me-- cheap, but fabulous. we're going to wow you. [laughter] let's go. here we are from the walk. oh, baby. that's a big house! wow. jon wilner: i thought you'd like it. jerry mitchell: oh, my god. wow, that's a big house! jon wilner: all of this is easily maintained. i know it looks very lavish. jerry mitchell: well, it's so beautiful. and in the pines, you don't usually see a yard this big-- jon wilner: i know. jerry mitchell: --and this planted. it's really quite spectacular, huh? wow, ok, wait. before we go in-- kicking off my flip-flops. how come? dancers make better decisions barefoot. and we're at the beach. - ok, great. - come on. show me the place. ok. this is amazing. this is incredible. jon wilner: and there's 130 feet of waterfront. jerry mitchell: oh! jon wilner: it's the only house that has that. jerry mitchell: look at that. and i love how it just goes right out to the water. this is incredible! jon wilner: jacuzzi, heated pool, and great sunsets. jerry mitchell: ok, well, when do i move in? [laughter] jon wilner: there's three bedrooms, a den, and gym. and the sauna is retractable. jerry mitchell: wow. how unbelievably beautiful. this is truly amazing. i just love how you can just go from outside to in and inside to out. jon wilner: the flow is great. jerry mitchell: yeah. yeah-- and beautiful-- the kitchen has everything. but look. you're sitting here at the dinner table, and you're looking at that. let's see some places to sleep and dream. oh! beautiful. jon wilner: you wake up in the morning to that. jerry mitchell: yeah. jon wilner: jerry, there's plenty more to see. walk around. rry mitchell: ok. i'll be peeking. jon wilner: ok. well, we've come to the first property, which is stunningly beautiful. it's just-- it's a big piece of land. and that's really a huge plus for me. there's no the house in the pines like this house. it's on a corner lot. it's got 130 feet of waterfront. it's spectacular. he said wow him. i wowed him. i think he's going to like second place also. it's going to be a very hard choice for him. i don't think you can top this place. well, let's see. ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! tell us what your favorite part of that bay front home was on twitter with hashtag, openhousetv. stay tuned. we are catching up with jerry and john right after this break. y26i0y y17vy welcome back. now we are back on the hunt in fire island with broker jon wilner and tony award winner, jerry mitchell. jon has already shown jerry a modern, spa-like home with amazing bay views. now they check out a very different kind of home-- this one, further inland. let's see which one jerry prefers more. this house is three bedrooms. it's winterized all year round for living. and i can't wait to show this one to you. all right. here we are. flip-flops off. wow! beautiful. beautiful, beautiful. look. i feel like i'm camping. it's such a different feel to walk into this house. and feel like i'm inside, and feel like i'm in a campground. is less formal. it's more open in the sense that you could be cooking in the kitchen and talking to your guests. jerry mitchell: or talking to my guests floating in a pool. jon wilner: that's true! come on! dinner is served. jon wilner: on a rainy day, what better to curl up in front of a fireplace with a book? jerry mitchell: it's a great quiet house for reading and writing. and then, of course, you have this. [laughter] and what's a house in the pines without a pool? [laughter] so the master bedroom, you can just jump out right into the pool and right back into bed. that's why this is the deep end. jerry mitchell: beautiful. nice high ceiling. and look at this beautiful bleached wood-- stunning. oh, my god. this is a big bathroom-- and a shower. jon wilner: and down the hallway we have the guestrooms. jerry, i'd like you to take a look around. look at the guestrooms. and look at the beauty of all of it. jerry mitchell: all right. thank you. jon wilner: enjoy it. jerry mitchell: beautiful. so we left the last place. we took a little walk. and now we're here at this second home, which is inland. and it's a beautiful home-- complete different feeling from the other home-- where the other one was open, and out, and right on the water. this is a much more quiet place, i feel. yeah, it's a beautiful home. oh. jon, incredible! two amazing houses-- i love them both. each has its pluses in a different way. for me, it's still somewhere in the middle. well, i'm going to sit down with jerry and go over exactly what his needs are. it's very possible that one of these houses will fit that need. but i have other selections to show him as well. it's very rare for a buyer to know exactly what he wants. and it's my job as the broker to figure that out and realize it-- and to deliver. stick around, because there's so welcome back. on your goals for the coming year. most people think of self-improvements, like getting healthier or starting a new career. but here's a thought. in a spirit of new beginnings, a resolution surrounding your home should also be on your list. i'm alexandra filiaci with coldwell banker real estate. at coldwell banker, we know the huge role that home plays in our everyday lives. and that's why home should be at the top of your new year's resolutions list. a few small things you can do to make your home feel updated are give rooms a fresh coat of paint, upgrade fixtures, like door knobs, faucets, or light switch plates; switch out accessories, like throw pillows or rugs; and organizing your storage spaces. these tips will help your home start the new year off on the right foot. if you're thinking about buying or selling next year, now is definitely the time to start preparing before the big spring rush. if you're planning to sell your home next year, make from home improvements and repairs you've made. this will be really helpful to you in the future-- for example, redesigns of rooms, new flooring, bathroom updates, or anything else that increases the value and appeal of your home to potential buyers. focusing on curb appeal is another great thing you can do when you're getting your home ready to sell, such as a fresh coat of paint on your front door, treating your lawn to a fresh landscape, and sprucing up your front porch. consider investing in smart home tech like a smart thermostat, or smart lighting, to help increase that wow factor for potential buyers. and remember, bragging rights are totally allowed when it comes to all the improvements you've made in your home, no matter how big or small. if you're considering buying a home next year, here's some steps you can take now to help prepare. first and foremost, take your time in choosing a real estate professional that you want to work with. it's essential that you feel comfortable with the person who will be helping you make one of the biggest decisions of your life. and get pre-approved for a mortgage. this will really help speed up the process when whether you're just looking for ways to give your home a fresh feel this year or you're ready to make a move in the coming months, make sure your new year's resolutions take an extra look at the place that matters most. to start your home search, visit coldwellbanker.com. that's all for now. i hope you enjoyed this show. tell us what you think of the amazing homes you saw today on twitter, @openhousetv. you can also get daily design inspiration on instagram and facebook. and if you'd like to see any of these homes again, please stop by openhousetv.com. we'll back with more amazing homes and design next week. i'll see you then. i was in my room. it was all dark. and like everything was just spinning away from me into blackness. it was terrifying. >> it was a whirlwind romance with mister right that morphed into a mind-bending mystery. >> my blood ran cold. >> she was like, "i feel i'm being watched." >> my phone would be followed. he said, "you could be under surveillance." >> followed? surveillance? she'd stepped right into "the twilight z hidden codes. government agents. undercover spies. >> i was so scared. >> who was this man she was about to marry? >> your brain has got to be saying, holy cow. >> to learn the truth, she would launch a secret mission of her own. >> testing, testing. >> a high-stakes game of spy versus spy. >> you were your own detective here? >> i was. he wasn't going to stop unless somebody stopped him. >> i'm lester holt and this is "dateline." here's dennis murphy with "the mystery man." >> reporter: what's love got to do with it? well, as mischele lewis tells it, just about everything. love, her new guy, at long last made her tingle as though ginger ale had filled her heart. >> i felt really good about myself. he was just a wonderful person. >> reporter: but, why oh why, should something so good and rare lead to such a dark place? a shadowy world where nothing was as it seemed. where secrets became goggles blinding the truth. >> this is so intricate and so dark. >> reporter: as she was pulled deeper into the riptide of her fiance's hidden underworld, she'd join forces with a woman an ocean away to uncover the truth. >> he has intruded on every part of your body, of your mind. >> reporter: would mischele be as patient at the game of revenge as she'd been in the game of love? mischele lewis is a born caregiver. as a little girl in southern new jersey, she daydreamed about working somewhere in medicine, helping people. >> i knew i always wanted to do something in medicine from when i was probably 8 or 9. but it changed. i wanted to be a veterinarian, then i wanted to be a pedi adult she got her nursing degree and reported happily to the labor and delivery ward. you're with the team delivering babies, right? >> i do. it's wonderful every day. you connect with your patients. i'm there with them the whole way. i've cried with them. i've laughed with them. it's amazing. >> reporter: fellow nurse robyn meyers says mischele is a natural -- as a nurse, and as a best friend. >> she's a light in a dark place. she's wonderful. she's the one trying to brighten up somebody else's bad day. >> reporter: but mischele has seen her own share of bad days. for years, she struggled in a difficult marriage, eventually moving with her kids into her mother shirley's house. >> she knew that she would be the single parent. and she put her best foot forward to do that. >> reporter: after calling it quits with her husband, she started to explore the possibility of finding new love. she went online, and found a dating site called establishedmen.com. she liked the connotations of that name. >> i wanted somebody who was established, had their stuff together. >> reporter: and there on the website, one man caught her eye. his name was liam allen. >> he seemed to be well traveled, well versed. everything he had said was what i was looking for. >> reporter: they agreed to meet for coffee at the mall. >> i walked in. he was exactly like his photo. very warm smile, very nice, very charming. i would say it was probably a good four hours, four or five hours, that we just sat there and talked. >> reporter: so this was a long cup of coffee this day. >> it was a long cup of coffee. i had a really good vibe when we parted. >> reporter: as they talked more in the days that followed, liam allen opened up about his life. never married, no kids. like mischele, liam had been born in new jersey, but was raised in the united kingdom. nice lilt to the voice. >> liked the accent. >> reporter: another bonus, he was geographically desirable. nearby town of cherry hill. >> he had sent me photos of it. he had sent me renovation photos of before, during and after. >> reporter: all well and good, but she wanted to know more about his resume. the guy at the mall you met is nice, but i need to know more, and do you have some i.d., bud? >> well, i did go to the internet, typed in his name. nothing came up. i'm like, "okay, so he's not like some crazy criminal with a past record." >> reporter: mischele could feel herself letting go. she felt comfortable about starting to see liam more. >> it felt good to be myself again, to laugh again, to be happy. >> reporter: but mischele soon discovered liam allen came with boundaries. notably, he told her he couldn't spend time with her outside of the hours of 9:00 to 5:00. >> he did warn me that a lot of nights and weekends he would not be available. >> reporter: did you think it was a little off-putting? >> i thought it was a little bizarre. >> reporter: liam explained his odd schedule was related to his records software company. but still it bothered her. why could he barely send her a text while on the job? he used to talk about, what, being on the map and off the map? >> it's kind of what i started to use, was on the map and off the map for the blackout times. >> reporter: when mischele asked liam about why he was so distant, he slowly began to reveal some jaw-dropping information. his true line of work wasn't in computers. he took out his phone and pointed to some letters at the top of the screen. >> it just says, u.k. and he says, "it says u.k. because i work for the british government." >> reporter: liam allen went on to describe his assignment for the british ministry of defense as a kind of glorified chauffeur, shuttling foreign dignitaries and other vips back and forth between new york and d.c. and as for that medical software company, well, it was real. >> he also was asked to obtain personal medical information on >> reporter: targeted people. so he's in the secret world. it's a spy, mischele? >> pretty much. >> reporter: it was a doozie of a secret. liam allen, the easy chatting established man, turns out to be a spy for the british government. your brain has got to be saying, holy cow, what is this guy telling me, right? >> i was a little taken aback. >> reporter: are you starting to drift out of your body as you're hearing this story? >> i was a little concerned. but he was willing kind of hold my hand through it. >> reporter: and there was more. liam told her that to date him seriously, she'd need to follow his rules, and that meant disclosing her entire personal life to the british authorities and undergoing her own government security clearance. >> he told me that in the coming weeks he would bring me an application. i said, "oh, i have to apply to be with you?" he said, "no, because i work for the ministry of defense, you >> reporter: he's telling you you're going to be introduced into this secret life. >> pretty much. >> reporter: of british intelligence. >> he told me i could think about it. >> reporter: on the plus side, once she got clearance, liam said there'd be no more communication blackout periods. but if she declined the vetting process, she could never meet his parents or even visit his house. >> i couldn't meet them. i couldn't go to the cherry hill home. like, we had, like, no-go zones. >> reporter: so this is getting stranger and stranger, mischele. >> very. very strange. >> reporter: did you think this was really quite cool or kind of scary? >> a little of both. >> liam allen. was this guy some kind of a james bond or jason bourne? when we come back, the spy games begin. >> she was like, i feel like i'm being watched. it's starting to creep me out. >> what other secrets may this man of mystery be keeping? >> you put that name into google. >> i did. >> what came back? >> horrific, beyond anything i could have expected. ♪ the itsy bitsy spider went up the waterspout. down came the rain and clogged the gutter system creating a leak in the roof. luckily the spider recently had geico help him with homeowners insurance. water completely destroyed his swedish foam mattress. he got full replacement and now owns the sleep number bed. his sleep number setting is 25. call geico and see how much you could save on homeowners insurance. you think it smells fine but your passengers smell this... eliminate odors you've gone noseblind to for up to 30 days with the febreze car vent clip break out the febreze, and [inhale/exhale mnemonic] breathe happy. my hygienist told me to try... ...a mouthwash. so i tried crest. it does so much more than give me fresh breath. crest pro-health mouthwash provides all... ...of these benefits to help you get better dental check-ups. go pro with crest pro-health mouthwash. checkup? nailed it. school lunch can be difficult. cafeteria chaos. one little struggle... can lead to one monumental mishap. not with ziploc easy open tabs. because life needs ziploc. sc johnson. hey, searching for a great used yeah! you got it. just say show me millions of used cars for sale at the all new carfax.com. i don't want one that's had a big wreck just say, show me cars with no accidents reported pretty cool i like it that's the power of carfax® find the cars you want, avoid the ones you don't mthat stuff only lasts a few hours. or, take mucinex. one pill fights congestion for 12 hours. guess i won't be seeing you for a while. why take medicines that only last 4 hours, when just one mucinex lasts 12 hours? let's end this. it only takes a second for an everyday item to become dangerous. always keep laundry pacs away from children. keep them up, keep them closed, keep them safe. tide pods now come in a child guard zip pack. to help keep your laundry pacs safe and your child safer. >> reporter: the guy mischele lewis had been dating was shaping up to be mr. right, right up to the point he told her he worked for the british government, as some kind of covert operative. but she was willing to try to make things work and to field her mother's questions about him. >> after i kept badgering her sort of like a mother would, she finally told me. i said, "you're kidding? he works for the british government?" and i said, "oh my gosh!" and she says, "mom, you can't tell him." >> reporter: mischele needed to prove she could keep a secret because liam had just given her a manila envelope stuffed with official-looking documents. the security clearance application. >> everything was very personal information, background information, date of birth, social security number. and then in the pages after that, it was almost like taking the s.a.t.s, it was, like, in essay format. >> reporter: did you do it? did you fill out the form? >> i did not. >> reporter: but mischele would soon find out that liam had already passed on her name to his bosses, and they were already checking up on her. >> in may is when i first received an odd text message from a number i didn't recognize. >> reporter: the person introduced himself as tom chalmers from the five star realty company. made an inquiry regarding one of our overseas properties located in the uk, specifically an allen home model. >> reporter: little light bulb there? >> not at first, it took me a minute. >> reporter: she noticed the texts were coming from the 202 area code, washington, d.c. >> that's when the light bulb hit. it was like, oh, these are -- >> reporter: this is part of your security clearance? >> yes. >> reporter: did you ride with it? did you play your part? >> i did. because i thought that's what was expected of me. so, yeah, i did. i went along with the code. it was crazy. >> reporter: and the ride was about to get a lot crazier. >> he said that my phone would be followed. like, mine and liam's phones were kind of like dots on a map. >> reporter: and liam allen even told mischele and her mom to expect some surveillance at their own house. >> he says, "don't be surprised if a car rides by. they're just checking you out." so, like, 10, 15, 20 minutes dark windows. and he says, "they've just seen you on the porch." >> she was like, "i feel like i'm being watched. i feel like i'm under a microscope, and i feel like it is starting to creep me out." >> reporter: if mischele's life was no longer quite her own, soon she was being asked to risk even more. again, in coded language, tom chalmers instructed her to transfer some money into a certain account. your personal money? >> my personal money. >> reporter: and what was that for? >> it was to basically prove that i was committed to everything. i was committed to liam, committed to the process. >> reporter: the money transfers of a few hundred dollars would be returned when the security clearance was complete. mischele followed through and held on. >> i had a strange gut feeling that told me i need to keep going, that the light at the other end will be worth it. >> reporter: liam allen would be worth it? >> he would be worth it. into their relationship, liam was decidedly on the map at home. turned out he was great with mischele's children, especially from nbc news in washington, this is "meet the press" with chuck todd. >> good first sunday morning of 2017. and a happy new year to everybody. on this special "meet the press" broadcast, we will look at the difficult and sometimes mutually beneficial but often contentious relationship between donald trump and the media. mr. trump of course has made no secret of his contempt for those of us who report the news and cover his campaign. along with promising to build a wall, press bashing was the surest route to an applause line. >> the media isn't just against me they are against all of you. that's really what they're against. they're not against me. they're against what we represent. among the world's most dishonest people. the one thing we have done, we have exposed the credibility of the press. they have the lowest credibility. >> given trump's reliance on free publicity and the access to news shows, including this one, it's worth remembering the joke someone cracked during the campaign. donald trump complaining about media is like an oil man complaining about the smell of crude. so this morning, we will take a close look at this love/hate relationship between donald trump and the press. i will talk to the editors of the "new york times" and "the wall street journal." to a group of top media critics from around the country. but i will start with three people whose job it has been to work for a president and deal with him every day of the week as well as deal with the relationship between the president and the working press. joe lockheart who was bill clinton's press secretary in the second term, nicole wallace and i asked them about the art of working with a president and what they think we can expect from a president trump. let's dive right in. all of you have had to move from a campaign to the white house. how hard is it to transition from being a campaign sort of advocate to suddenly the spokesperson for the united states of america? >> it's a very different reflex. and there's three phases to it, frankly. when you are in the primary, you talk to the party voters. the general election, you talk to the nation's voters. at the white house, you are talking to the world. it's a very different need for how to communicate what to say, how to be non-partisan at appropriate times and finally you have to know a lot of policy, because the job is politics, spin, but there's a lot of policy and you better learn it fast. >> i guess i would say -- how hard is it to kick the partisan thing at the beginning of this when you go in -- when you transition? how hard is that? >> well, i mean, we worked for someone whose top priority after winning an election was really bringing the country together. the first time he ran as a uniter. he came in after the recount which was excruciating for the country. he was acutely aware of that. so he didn't have an urge to continue campaigning after he had won. re-election was even more so. we were a country engaged in two wars with uneven trajectories at the time of his second inauguration. so there was no resistance on his part to sort of refocusing the country's attention on governing. >> i think it's an exercise in -- as a candidate you are responsible for nothing. all problems are made by someone else. all solutions are magically doable. you can implement that. >> you say it. >> you just say it. all candidates know that. then the transition period i think is sort of delaying taking responsibility. everybody comes in and their first instinct is every problem is the last guy's fault. you wake up one day and sometimes it's in january, sometimes it's in february, sometimes it's later and you realize, nobody is blaming the last guy anymore. then you -- it gets to the policy and to the fact that this is much more important. the stakes are higher. the words you use, the way you say it, the -- where the comma is matters. >> my boss -- president bush instructed me, never look backwards. no matter what happened, it doesn't matter. it's up to us to lead. no blaming. no looking back. it's an instinct you have, blame everything on the other guy. >> you got different advice than i got. i walked into the oval office between the re-elect and becoming white house communications director and he said, are you ready for the big league? this is the stuff that really matters. i think presidents realize that what you said, that what happens in a campaign is -- when it's over, poof, it vanishes. but what happens when you are president is permanent. >> this is a unique challenge for the trump communications team in this white house because there is an -- all right an antagonistic or feel there's an antagonistic feel between the press corps and the incoming president because the incoming president wants to have this. >> i think there's always antagonism and particularly with the president there's no president who ever woke up in the morning and called their press secretary and said, you are doing a great job, i love the way i'm being covered, everything is fair. even the criticism is helping me grow as a president. never happened. >> i'm shocked. >> but i think there's a real difference is this time to -- we're on opposite sides of the parties, but i think our transitions were really similar, because we shared a couple of things. we shared the idea that the press/president relationship was mutually beneficial. the reason people sit down in the briefing room every day is because both sides get something out of it. i don't think that's the case coming in here. i think that will -- the second is, while we might use a strange spin in some cases, traditionally for the last 50 years, we've operated on the same basic fact set. ari and nicole will look at the facts and i will look at them and we will have a great argument about who is right and who is wrong. we're really in a place where -- we haven't seen this i think since the '60s with nixon where they use -- they create their own facts. you redefine the past which means you can define the present and future. that's going to be very difficult for both sides to come to grips with. >> i think there's a different trend going on. it's two parts to it. the first is it's a double barrel hostility. this press corps can't stand donald trump. and donald trump is happy to return the favor. he uses it to his advantage. he can use it to his advantage because as the gallop poll indicated, confidence in the press to report the news fairly has never been lower. they have lost the trust of the readers and the viewers. >> this is on the press? >> absolutely it's on the press. >> i understand that. why doesn't -- why isn't there any responsibility on the partisans? >> i didn't say there wasn't. >> partisans have to -- >> a gallop poll which is something the media has to grapple with. >> should it matter to the democratic and republican actors in here that they have helped de-legitimatize it? >> we are missing the forest. we have elected a man who bullies female reporters at his rally as an applause line. a man who started a hot war with a female anchor instead of attending a debate she moderated.

Related Keywords

United States , New York , Manila , Philippines , New Jersey , Brooklyn , Brooklyn Heights , California , Washington , Herald Square , Coney Island , Hollywood , Sweden , France , Versailles , Îe De France , United Kingdom , America , Swedish , French , British , Itsy Bitsy , Nicole Wallace , Marie Antoinette , Sara Gore , Mickey Conlan , Robyn Meyers , Beth Nielsen Chapman , George Clooney , Lester Holt , Chuck Todd , Tom Chalmers , Jerry Mitchell , Jon Wilner , Douglas Elliman , Dennis Murphy , Jason Bourne , Mickey Conlon ,