Phoebe Heyerdahl is Emily Wong!

Really? Cause I found her line delivery a little... Chobotic.

Emily and Khalisah would have been far better fits for ME3, since both had a pre-existing relationship with Shepard (for good or bad) since the first game. Rather than Shepard accepting a reporter on board, why not have had the Alliance and/or Council assign them onto the Normandy to drum up recruitment?

And if Shepard objected, I'm sure someone could remind them of how lucky they were to not still be sitting out the war in a prison cell.

Could even have gone further and had Allers, Wong and Al-Jilani all be on the ship, serving as a mini press corps that Shepard could interact with and occasionally field questions from. Or have the conceit be that the reporters aren't always on the ship, but occasionally are out in the field reporting from the front lines? Maybe even have one of them die during one of these assignments, leaving the others shaken?

I dunno, they could have done way more with this premise, than "chat with Allers a couple times to bang her".

That’s part of the problem right there. Some didn’t like Jessica period. Also that is not what Allers is there for.

I don't mind Jessica Chobot, I simply don't see what function or purpose Allers had that required her presence in the game, beyond a fling that doesn't amount to anything? Shepard doesn't bother to call her at the end of the game, she's not invited to the party in Citadel... and really, if you removed Allers from the game, what exactly would be different?

Even if you don't think that the decision to put an IGN host in ME3 feels like stunt-casting and/or meant to court better reviews, or that her voice-acting was merely fine (not bad, but not exactly good either), you're still left with the fact that Allers is a pointless character, who was poorly implemented, does nothing to impact the narrative and lacks any real story arc that could justify her inclusion.

(Conrad freaking Verner would have made more sense to be on the Normandy than Allers... and given that Conrad was revealed to have a doctorate in xenotechnology and dark energy integration, he'd actually have been a damn sight more useful!)

Nah, Conrad is just fine raising havoc on the Citadel and his degree wouldn't be any more useful on the ship.

The point of both Allers and Keri is to let the player RP a bit, by explaining why the PC took action X or Y. Allers actually does a bit more than Keri, evcause she also delivers some background information on the state of the galaxy.

Except that there's very little opportunity to actually explain much at all between the "punching" gags and flirts.

And I have a feeling if someone else was there I would have punched her.