After months of speculation (some of which appeared on this very blog), we now have nearly official word that Asia Nitollano, “winner” of the CW reality hit Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll, has left the group. CW honcho Dawn Ostroff announced at a press conference last week that Asia has left the group to pursue a solo career. No word on whether that will be in the field of music, prizefighting or linguistics. Regardless, the disagreeable French fry fanatic clearly has a bright future ahead of her.

Of course, this has cause a few to grumble about the legitimacy of the show — what was the point if the winner didn’t end up with a prize (especially when promos for a second season aired during the first season’s finale)? Ostroff was careful to point out that Asia left the group (she wasn’t, say, thrown out for being a total jerk) and that she did so only after the finale aired.

I couldn’t care less about what happens to the winner of the show, as long as craptastic reality TV like Search continues to be churned out. It’s all about the means, never the ends, people. Have you learned nothing from America’s Next Top Model (besides how to smile with your eyes)? Besides, is there really a big difference between fading into the background of the Pussycat Dolls and falling of the face of the earth, anyway? [Chicago Sun-Times, Image credit: Getty]