With 2009 drawing to a close, The Hollywood Gossip staff looks back on this wild year, naming finalists for our prestigious, 3rd Annual Celebrity of the Year award.

It's time for us to pay tribute to the special celebrities who made this year the most memorable for THG and for celebrity gossip fans across the nation and world.

These stars have given us their best, their worst, their off-the-wall antics and, in the case of today's finalist, probably the messiest reality TV divorce of all-time.

Recently, our kountdown kontinued with all those krazy, kurvy Kardashians in the #4 spot. Now, it's on to Celebrity of the Year Finalist #3: Jon Gosselin!

Jon thinks he should be higher, but he'll have to settle for #3.

It's hard to believe that it was only six months ago that Jon Gosselin was known as your run-of-the-mill reality show father of eight who loved ATVs, Ed Hardy t-shirts, Bluetooths, etc. His wife was painful but they made it work.

Until they didn't.

Jon was caught cheating with teacher pal Deanna Hummel, setting in motion an epic train wreck as his marriage and reality show simultaneously unraveled.

Free from the grating banshee that is Kate, Jon proceeded to get with Hailey Glassman ... and Kate Major, and Stephanie Santoro. Often at the same time.

He befriended Michael Lohan, hosted pool parties in Vegas, tried to start his own clothing line and earned a place in the upper echelon of global douchebags.

When his wild partying and nightly interviews on The Insider caused TLC to cut him out and rename their show Kate Plus 8, he proceeded to pull the plug on the show, citing child exploitation. They countersued for breach of contract.

What he'll try to pull next is anyone's guess, but a run like he had is worthy of top three status in 2009. Here's a little photo tribute to the infamous Jon ...