15 Bytes of Fame

The "Dopest" Weather Forecast you'll ever see...

2010-06-02T19:24:00.001+01:00

Enjoy...Who says FOX can't be funny (laughing with them not at them)

Stars of Diff'rent Strokes react to Gary Coleman's death - Janet Jackson

2010-05-29T09:44:00.000+01:00

Janet Jackson - "Charlene DuPrey"

Janet Jackson guest-starred as Todd Bridges' love interest Charlene on a series of episodes of Diff'rent Strokes

Janet Jackson said "I'm at a loss for words upon learning of Gary Coleman's passing, I want to remember him as the fun, playful, adorable and affectionate man he was. He has left a lasting legacy. I know he is finally at peace."

Stars of Diff'rent Strokes react to Gary Coleman's death - Todd Bridges

2010-05-29T09:34:00.003+01:00

Todd Bridges - "Willis Jackson"

Todd Bridges, who played Willis to Coleman's Arnold on the hit sitcom, has also spoken out.

"It's unfortunate," Bridges said in a statement Friday. "It's a sad day. It's sad that I'm the last kid alive from the show."

Stars of Diff'rent Strokes react to Gary Coleman's death - Charlotte Rae

2010-05-29T09:25:00.002+01:00

Charlotte Rae - "Mrs Garrett"

"I said a prayer for him this morning after hearing about his condition. Gary was so loving, so charming. He was the big star of the show."

Rae also starred in the "Diff'rent Strokes" spin-off, "The Facts of Life" -- which might never have happened without Gary's success.

"He was the reason the show was a hit."

Gary Coleman is dead RIP

2010-05-28T20:56:00.000+01:00

As a kid I loved Different Strokes. What a shame....

US child star Gary Coleman has died after suffering a brain haemorrhage in a fall earlier this week.

Coleman, 42, had been in intensive care at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center since Thursday.

He was surrounded by family and close friends when the decision to turn off his life support machine was taken tonight.

It was the third time the 4ft 8in actor had been hospitalised this year, after suffering seizures in January and February.

Jessica Simpson says no to daily teeth brushing

2010-05-05T20:52:00.000+01:00

She claims it makes her teeth slippery and seemingly prefers the feel from a generous two days coating....eeeew!!!!

Jessica Simpson doesn't brush her teeth every day - because she doesn't like them to be too "slippery".

The blonde beauty avoids scrubbing her gnashers more than three times a week instead choosing to floss.

During an appearance on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' , she revealed: "I don't do it because my teeth are so white and I don't like them to feel too slippery but I do use Listerine and I do floss everyday. But I don't brush them every day.

"My lips just slide all over the place... I can't catch up with my mouth.

I need a little coating."

Despite her sporadic dental hygiene, Jessica is adamant she always has pleasant smelling breath.

She added: "I know it's gross but I always have fresh breath. It's really weird but I have great breath."

The 29-year-old singer also revealed she is on the lookout for a new man and insists a guy doesn't have to be famous to date her.

Free entry to the Tower of London

2010-05-03T20:08:00.000+01:00

Tower of London - Free Entry

Top 10 UK Attraction

Take a guided tour of the Tower of London with one of the Yeoman Warders, the famed Beef-eaters, one of the most famous fortified buildings in the world. Discover its 900 year history as a royal palace and fortress, prison and place of execution, mint, arsenal, menagerie and jewel house all for free

History

The Tower of London, founded by William the Conquerer in 1066-7, holds some of the most remarkable stories from across the centuries. Despite a grim reputation as a place of torture and death, this powerful and enduring fortress has been enjoyed as a royal palace, served as an armoury and for a number of years even housed a zoo!

Crown Jewels

The Tower is still home to her majesty's Crown Jewels, on display for visitors to see, and the infamous Beefeaters tasked with the job of guarding them as well as showing visitors some of the attractions highlights.

Prison

The famous Yeoman Warders have bloody tales to tell; stand where heads rolled and prisoners wept. The Tower held many famous prisoners, from the highest levels of society; some in astonishing comfort and others less so… Visit the places of their confinement and read the graffiti left by prisoners from over 500 years ago.

Free Entry

How do I get to visit for Free ? London Pass is the answer, Visit the Tower of London with a London Pass and benefit from:

Free entry worth saving up to £17.00 per person.
Beat the queses that can last for 30 minutes to 1 hour with fast track entry to avoid the long lines.
Get a 20% Discount on meals and drinks at the Tower's restaurant the Armouries Cafe.

Even better with the London Pass you not only get free entry to the Tower of London, but over 55 other top London attractions like The London Zoo , Thames River Cruise, Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace as well as free transport around London and a free 128 page London Guide book.

How does it work?

The London Pass is a ‘smart card’ - like a credit card with a computer chip inside - which allows you completely cash free entry to your choice of 56 London tourist attractions.

It’s a bit like an ‘all you can eat’ buffet - once you’ve bought your London Pass you don’t have to pay to get into any of the attractions covered by the pass and the more sights you see, the more money you save.

Get your London Pass HERE with 5% of the retail price with this code: londpas05

Spike Lee discovers he is mixed race.

2010-05-03T18:01:00.003+01:00

Spike Lee the award winning African American film Director has discovered he may have descended from a white slave owner.

Lee was taking part in the U.S. version of the genealogy documentary series 'Who Do You Think You Are?' when he made the discovery.

Lee, who made Do The Right Thing, Malcom X and She's Gotta Have It traced back his ancestry in Atlanta, Georgia, confronting a number of issues including slavery and meeting a new relative.

His first stop was at the Dublin library at the Atlanta University Center, where he met archivist Melvin Collier.

The director wanted to get information about his great great grandmother Lucinda Jackson, who was born into slavery and died in 1934.

Mr Collier helped him find a newspaper obituary for Jackson that named her
three sons but not Lucinda's husband.

He later found out that his name was Mars.

In Lee's debut movie, 'She's Gotta Have It' he named his character Mars, inspired by his grandmother, who had mentioned someone with that name who she said was a 'crazy uncle'.

Discovery: Lee investigates his slave ancestors, discovering that he could be a descendant of a slave owner, and meets Guinevere Grier, pictured, a white woman who is his cousin twice removed

The film director tells Guinevere 'I always knew who I am,' Lee tells her. 'Now I know more'

Lee noted that Mars in the movie was also crazy.

The 53-year-old director then visited the Georgia archives in Atlanta to find out more information on Mars, who he knew as a man born as a slave.

If like Spike Lee you are also interested in researching your family history, there are an increasing number of internet based resources that can help.

Websites like Genes Reunited with millions of birth, marriage and death certificates, census records and other tools that means you too can trace your family tree from the comfort of your home.

Halle Berry splits from Gabriel Aubry

2010-05-03T17:03:00.001+01:00

Another day, another Hollywood couple split. Hot on the heels of Sandra Bullock's is Halle Berry whose relationship with Canadian model is now over.

Halle Berry reportedly "kicked out" Gabriel Aubry several months ago after realising their relationship was over.

The Oscar-winning actress decided to end her four-and-a-half year union with the Canadian model as she knew her future wasn't with him, but wanted the split to be as amicable as possible for the sake of their daughter, Nahla, two.

A source told People magazine: "She kicked him out months ago because he wasn't able to pull his weight in the relationship and she wanted to move on.

A representative for twice-married Halle confirmed the break-up, saying: "They have been split for some time, but remain friends and committed parents to their daughter."

Gabriel, 34, has recently spoken out about the split saying the priority for him and 43-year-old Halle was little Nahla.

He said: "While I will not comment on all of the wild inaccuracies being speculated about in the media, I am sad to say that Halle and I have decided together to separate at this time.

"She is, and will forever be one of the most special and beautiful people that I have ever known, and I am certain that we will continue to have only love and respect for one another."

"We have been blessed with the most amazing daughter in the world, and her happiness and well-being are the most important thing for both of us. Please respect our privacy during this very difficult time."

Is Nick Clegg the new Obama ?

2010-04-16T21:44:00.001+01:00

He is relatively unknown and by general consensus stands very little chance of making it all the way to number 10, the Prime Minister's official residence. His party, the Liberal Democrats, has for decades has been viewed politically as second class citizens lorded over by the dominant Labour and Conservative parties, and at best were seen as a junior partners to whomever emerged as the leader.

Last night technology may have changed all that. Britain's first election debate on TV gave Nick Clegg an equal platform with the Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the Conservative opposition leader David Cameron and boy did he make the most of it.

His charisma, poise and composure marked him as the clear winner form the debate.

Like Obama's coming of age moment in Iowa, Nick Clegg has seized the the baton in this race, the question is can he carry it all the way to the finish line.

Yes it might sound crazy, a Liberal Democrat Prime Minister but that's what they said about Obama and unlike in America where it was a seemingly endless marathon the British election campaign is a quick sprint and it will be all other by May 6, making it easy to sustain early momentum.

Prime Minister Nick Clegg anyone? Or is just a pipe dream....

Lin Yu-chun hits all the right notes.

2010-04-12T23:42:00.000+01:00

Yes he is a "He" He is Lin Yu-chun from Taiwan a contestant on the countries version of American Idol, X-Factor etc and his incredible rendition of "I would always love you" made famous by Whitney Houston has set the internet buzzing.

ABC News reports

As a younger man, Taiwan's Lin Yu-chun sang for hours on end, trying to get his mind off the sneers he endured because of his portly figure.

The round-faced soprano with the bowl haircut never imagined his voice would one day transform him into an international sensation.

But now, he is being compared to Britain's Susan Boyle, the plain-looking 48-year-old who shot to stardom after singing "I Dreamed a Dream" on "Britain's Got Talent."

Lin's Whitney Houston-like rendition of "I Will Always Love You" on Taiwan's "Avenue to Stardom" talent show last Friday has already racked up some 1.3 million views on YouTube, and the number is climbing fast.

For the 24-year-old with the disparaging nickname of "Little Fatty," the event has been a life-changer.

"I now have more confidence in pursuing a singing career," Lin told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "You don't have to be a good-looking man or woman to succeed. Just be yourself and try your best."

Lin said he had long suffered from a lack of self-confidence because of his plain looks and rotund figure.

"Being fat draws a lot of mockery in our society," he said.

To cope with the pain of his exclusion, he locked himself in his room and sang along with the songs of Celine Dion and Mariah Carey.

But the artist who really grabbed him was Houston — particularly the song "I Will Always Love You," from the soundtrack to the 1992 film "The Bodyguard."

"I played it again and again even though my parents couldn't stand it any more and asked me to stop," Lin said.

Lin has had a bumpy start to stardom.

After graduating from college last year, he failed to make much of an impression on another Taiwanese talent show, where judges criticized both his looks and his high-pitched voice.

"One said I should instead pursue the career of a comedian, and another questioned whether it was right for a man to sing soprano," he said.

Now all that is behind him.

"(The show) has reinvigorated me," he said.

Still, Lin said, he is doing his best not to let his new found fame go to his head.

"I'm trying not to be overwhelmed," he said.

Russell Brand and Katy Perry to tie the knot in India.

2010-04-11T21:20:00.000+01:00

He was long regarded as the Bachelor's Bachelor but it looks like ladies man Russell Brand has not only found true love but is soon to head off to the alter with Soul mate Katy Perry in exotic India ...if the accidental revelation by pop princess Rihanna is to be believed.

The Rude Boy singer let it slip during a radio interview that the couple are set to wed in India after talking about her party plans.

“She put that (the hen party) on me last week. Now I have to come up with something cool, because she’s getting married in India, so I’m like, okay now what do I do to match that for a bachelorette party?” Rihanna said.

We’re sure the Barbados beauty will come up with something extravagant, and now she’ll have to go the extra mile for spilling their secret wedding location.

The I Kissed A Girl singer started dating Brand in September and the whirl wind romance led to their engagement only six months later.

Erykah Badu charged over video shoot.

2010-04-03T21:56:00.000+01:00

We reported on the brewing controversy over Erykah Badu's video shoot for her new single Window Seat. It seems it has all now come to a head as Dallas Police have charged her for stripping naked on a street among pedestrians for her music video shoot.

She ended by re-enacting receiving a fatal gunshot to the head at the spot in Dallas where President John F Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.

Sergeant Warren Mitchell said Badu was charged after a witness offered a sworn statement to police on Thursday.

Badu's spokeswoman had no immediate comment on Friday.

The singer, who was born in Dallas, performed a walking striptease in front of tourists and pedestrians during the shoot in Dealey Plaza on 13 March for her video for the song Window Seat.

Sgt Mitchell added that the police department has had "people calling from all across the country to express their concern".

"Having a fact witness that was there, is what let us file the charges," he said.

"After much discussion, we feel that these charges best fit her conduct. She disrobed in a public place without regard to individuals and small children who were close by."

He said Badu can either fight the charge or pay the fine. Disorderly conduct is punishable by a fine of up to $500 (£328).

Witness Ida Espinosa, 32, declined to comment to The Associated Press on Friday.

I am Bisexual - True Blood star Anna Paquin

2010-04-01T20:55:00.000+01:00

True Blood star Anna Paquin has caused a stir after she came out today confessing to be bisexual.

Oscar winner Anna Paquin came out a video campaign for gay rights advocates, surprising the "True Blood" star's fans and causing the organization's web site to crash.

The actress' message came in a celebrity-laden public service announcement for the Give a Damn campaign, a web-based anti-discrimination effort backed by singer Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund.

"I'm bisexual," Paquin said, before adding that "one hate crime is committed approximately every hour of every day in this country."

Paquin last year confirmed that she is engaged to her boyfriend and "True Blood" co-star Stephen Moyer.

A representative for the actress could not immediately be reached for comment.

Lauper, Whoopi Goldberg, Elton John and Sharon Osbourne were among the other stars who appeared in the message.

"I've come to realise equality means a lot to people who don't have it and that, as a straight person, I have a responsibility to stand up for gay and transgender people each and every day," Lauper said in a statement.

Tiger was too frugal say mistresses

2010-03-31T23:45:00.000+01:00

Two of Tiger Woods mistresses have accused the golfer of being stingy during the affairs had with them according the People.

Mindy Lawton and Jamie Jungers recently said that Woods refused to buy expensive dinners or give them money. Both women have attributed this to the downfall of their relationships with him.

"With many of his mistresses, Woods was allegedly exceedingly cheap," Vanity Fair reports. "Mindy Lawton says the only thing he ever bought for her was a chicken wrap from Subway (he was stopping there on his way to meet her)."

Jesse James Nazi photograph released?

2010-03-31T23:07:00.006+01:00

More woe for Jesse James after his marriage to Sandra Bullock went into meltdown over allegations of his infidelity.

A photo showing Sandra Bullock's estranged husband Jesse James wearing an SS visor and miming a Hitler moustache has allegedly been uncovered.

According to US Weekly, the picture was taken approximately two years ago and shows the mechanic giving a Sieg Heil salute to the camera.

The photograph is reportedly similar to the one taken of James's supposed mistress Michelle 'Bombsell' McGee, in which she wears a Nazi military visor and swastika armband.

It is unclear where the photo was taken, but in the background there appears to be a replica of a Fokker Dr.1 triplane - the same one used by German WWI pilot The Red Baron.

Erykah Badu's "naked" video may bring charges.

2010-03-30T23:38:00.001+01:00

Police in Dallas Texas are apparently considering bring charges against Erykah Badu over here recent Music Video - Window Seat.

According to NBC affiliate, Dallas KXAS, they are reporting that Dallas Police Department might file charges against Erykah Badu for indecent exposure, for her stripping bare in her new video, Window Seat.

While police were not on the scene, if one witness comes forward to police, she can be charged. The video was shot March 17 in Dallas at Dealey Plaza where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Bystanders including children are seen in the video as the singer strips completely naked before a gunshot sounds and she falls to the ground with the words “groupthink” pouring out of her head.

"I expected the gossip blog sites to spin it negatively . I expected people to ride with me. I've been punished AND rewarded enough times by love and life to dedicate the whole thing to EVOLVING . i am happy." Erykah said.

"One can't oppose #groupthink , it's a part of human nature , but only recognize his/her position in the thing and redefine his/herself."

Sasha and Malia Obama adjusting well to White House life.

2010-03-30T22:52:00.000+01:00

President Obama has revealed in an interview that his two daughters are adjusting extremely well to life in the White House.

The President had a big pat on the back for his young daughters on Tuesday, saying they have taken swimmingly to life in the White House.

After more than a year at the US presidential mansion, Malia Obama, 11, and Sasha Obama, 8, have made their dad proud with their ability to balance their private life with life in the public eye, he told NBC television.

"The happiest thing about the past year and a half has been the girls' adjustment. They have just been terrific. They're doing well in school," Obama said.

"They're not as constrained. They can wander around. Their Secret Service protection is a lot more low key," he explained. "So they've got soccer, they've got basketball, they go sleep over at their friend's houses.

"Sometimes I've got 12 little girls screaming on the third floor of the White House. And they made a great adjustment."

Australian Minister brands Lewis Hamilton a d**khead

2010-03-29T23:39:00.003+01:00

Australian politicians are famous for not being restrained by diplomatic niceties in the same way many other country's politicians, but the out burst by Tim Pallas against Formular 1 driver Lewis Hamilton was particularly undiplomatic.

Tim Pallas, roads minister for Victoria, the Australian state where yesterday's Grand Prix was held, branded Hamilton a "d***head" on live radio.

But Aussie hero Mark Webber said his home country's attitude to the incident had "p***ed" him off".

Pallas made the jibe at Hamilton as he was quizzed about a government-backed advertising campaign to educate young people about driver safety, in which
ads feature the slogan: "Don't be a d***head."

Asked about Hamilton's conduct, Pallas replied: "He's certainly a very
silly young man, quite frankly."

The show host persisted: "Come on, you're the one who's using the language. Is he a d***head?"

Pallas responded: "Well, yes OK, I'll say it. He's a d***head."

The minister also called Red Bull star Webber "irresponsible" after the driver said Australia had turned into a "nanny state".

Webber fumed: "It's certainly changed since I left here. It p***es me off coming back here, to be honest.

"It's a great country but we've got to be responsible for our actions. And it's certainly a bloody nanny state when it comes to what we can do."

Although indignant at Webber's blast, Pallas insisted he was not as big a villain as Hamilton.

He said: "I think what Mark Webber has done has been totally irresponsible. But he didn't display the behaviour that Lewis Hamilton did, and that was to put people's lives at risk."

Ginkgo Biloba : Keeping Your Body and Mind Healthy

2010-03-28T11:48:00.005+01:00

Ginkgo Biloba

Healthy Mind

Ginkgo Biloba is reputed to help the maintenance of the brain's cognitive function as well as contributing to improved blood circulation. Together these can lead to enhanced brain performance and reaction, while also helping maintain memory with age.

Ancient Remedy

Some people may call Gingko Biloba a "Superfood" but one thing that is sure is that this ancient Chinese herbal extract, one of the oldest medicinal herbs known to man, has been ascribed the attributes of a remarkable natural health product.

Energy Boost

Ginkgo Biloba has been used as a herbal extract in China for thousands of years where it is reputed to boost energy and performance when taken over a long time, however recent research by University of Northumbria indicate that these improvements can be seen even after just a single dose.

Naturally Strong

Ginkgo is widely cultivated across Japan, China and Korea where the trees are noted for rarely suffering disease problems and are particularly hardy as exemplified by the fact that six Ginkgo tree in Hiroshima, Japan were one of the few living things to survive the atomic bomb in 1945 and are alive and thriving till today.

Natural Supplement

Today, the active ingredient of ginkgo biloba can be found in concentrated form in products like Holland and Barret's Ginkyo Bilbao Capsules which is the UK's leading brand of ginkgo biloba food supplements. The fresh green leaves of the Gingko Biloba tree are gathered in spring to create this beneficial supplement.

Buy now at £32.99
Holland & Barrett - Ginkgo Biloba Capsules (120mg)
Pack of 100 capsules.
Recommended intake 1 capsule a day.
Buy one today and get another at 1/2 price.

References

BBC Online : Herbal remedies 'boost brain power'
U.s. National Library of Medicine : Ginkgo MedlinePlus
Journal of the American Medical Association : Ginkgo biloba for preventing cognitive decline in older adults

£88 in Box Office Receipts : Uma's Thurman's dud....

2010-03-27T21:22:00.000Z

Spend $5m to make a movie and make £88 pounds in ticket takings not a formula to have Steven Spielberg or James Cameron quake in their boots.

It should have been a red carpet event. When just one British cinema was given exclusive permission to launch Uma Thurman's new film earlier this month, the film's producers presumably hoped that exclusivity would create a buzz around the movie. Though limiting the release would obviously limit takings, they must have hoped word of mouth could make it a slow-burning success.

But the tactic backfired catastrophically. Instead of audiences queueing round the block of the Apollo West End in Piccadilly Circus, London, to see the star of Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, they stayed away in record-breaking numbers.

Over its opening weekend, no more than a dozen people went to see Motherhood, a semi-autobiographical account of stressed-out Manhattan parenting written and directed by Katherine Dieckmann. The film made just £88 on the weekend of Friday 5 March. On its debut Sunday, box office takings were £9, meaning one person bought a ticket.

The disaster has now degenerated into a bitter confrontation between Metrodrome, responsible for marketing the film in the UK, and producer Jana Edelbaum, who blames the company for Motherhood's atrocious performance.

The film, thought to have cost $5m to make, earned just over £40,000 when it opened in the US last October, but Edelbaum had no idea quite how badly it had performed in the UK until contacted this week by the Guardian. "You're kidding?" she said. "We must have broken a new record for grosses."

Edelbaum is adamant that Metrodome must be to blame, and insisted that she would demand a full explanation. "Think how much crap succeeds at the cinema," she said. "Motherhood is not bad. It's a very decent movie. I've seen movies that are not half as good."

Is Beyonce Pregnant ?

2010-03-25T22:54:00.000Z

A number of websites are reporting from what is supposedly a "ROCK SOLID" source that pop Queen Beyonce and hubby Jay-Z are expecting their first child.

The main report is coming from celebrity website MediaTakeout which says

March 25, 2010. It's been a long time waiting . . . but now it's finally happened. MediaTakeOut.com just learned from a ROCK SOLID source that legendary singer Beyonce and her hip hop mogul husband Jay-Z are expecting their first child together.

According to our source Beyonce is doing fine and resting (for now), but she's expected to continue working throughout her pregnancy. And we're also told that Jay-Z is EXTREMELY happy to be having his first child with Bey.

Sri Lanka bans Rapper Akon over Bhuddist slurs

2010-03-24T23:29:00.000Z

Hip Hop star Akon has been banned from Sri Lanka after authorities on the Island took offence at the Video Sexy Chick which featured scantily clad women dancing around a statue of Buddha.

A spokesperson for Akon said later that, due to the protests, the star had "decided to postpone" his show.

They said they hoped to have the issue "resolved in the coming weeks".

In a statement, the government said the video for Sexy Chick by David Guetta, featuring Akon on vocals, "triggered a lot of disappointment among Buddhists".

It added some of Akon's lyrics were not "suitable for public articulation".

Spiritual man

On Monday, hundreds of people stormed the head offices of the Maharaja Broadcasting and Television Network, the media sponsor of the planned concert.

Four workers were injured and windows and parked cars were smashed after protesters threw stones at the building.

Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush call it a day

2010-03-23T21:03:00.002Z

Another day and another celebrity couple call it a day. Kim "the booty" Kardashian and Reggie Bush have called timeout on thier relationship, fortunately this time there are no lurid allegations and it just seems Reggie is not as keen as Kim on the high life.

According to TMZ, the couple put an end to their relationship after Bush grew increasingly tired of the intense paparazzi attention focused on Kardashian's private life.

Sources told the website that the break-up was amicable on both sides and without argument.

Last month, the pair denied rumours that they were engaged.

Who would have thought : Muhammed Ali is Irish!

2010-03-22T22:07:00.000Z

I kid you not! Apparently Muhammed Ali's great grandfather was one Abe Grady form the tiny town of Ennis in County Clare as Ireland's RTE News reports.

Ennis came to a standstill this afternoon with the arrival of Muhammad Ali for a host of events organised in his honour.

At a civic reception in the Co Clare town, the three-time World Heavyweight Champion was made the first Honorary Freeman of Ennis.

The 67-year-old was visiting the birthplace of his great grandfather, Abe Grady, who left the town in the 1860s.

As an overwhelmed Ali accepted the honour, his wife Yolanda 'Lonnie' revealed his celebrated defiance with a declaration to return, despite medical advice against travelling.

'Now that we know Muhammad is an Ennis man, we will be back,' she said.

Thousands of fans, spanning generations, had packed into the town's main square for hours before the civic reception was broadcast on a huge screen.

Lonnie announced that her husband, who has been battling Parkinson's Disease for 25 years and had never before visited Ennis, was overwhelmed by the experience.

Emirates State of Mind : Jay-Z shows Arsenal Interest

2010-03-22T21:58:00.000Z

Multi-millionaire and Hip Hop super star Jay-Z has indicated an interest in investing in English Premier League football side Arsenal.

Jay-Z has hinted that he may invest millions in Arsenal.

The rap superstar, married to Beyonce, already holds a stake in basketball's New Jersey Nets and may splash some of his estimated £500million fortune on the Emirates club after becoming a fan five years ago.

Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, said: "I don’t know a lot about the business of soccer, but in the future if the right opportunity presented itself, then who knows? I am a businessman, and I will always look at an opportunity, and if it feels right great."

His confession comes just days after rap rival P Diddy was linked with an unlikely takeover at Crystal Palace.

The 10-time Grammy winner, whose other business interests include clothing line Rocawear, said he started following Arsenal "when Thierry Henry was at the club. I just thought he was an amazing player. Ever since then I have been a big fan of the club and still today you play the beautiful football that Thierry did. I think he had a real long term-effect on the team.

Susan Boyle banks £4 million

2010-03-22T21:18:00.001Z

Britain's got talent and it's also got a new millionaire as Susan Boyle runner up in the 2009 edition of the reality talent show banks a mouth watering £4 million from royalties and appearances.

Britain’s Got Talent star Susan Boyle will receive her biggest birthday present next month– a £4million pay cheque.

Subo, who was unknown less than a year ago, will celebrate turning 49 on April 1 by becoming a multi-millionairess. The payout comes from her worldwide appearances and sales of her chart-topping debut album, I Dreamed A Dream which went platinum in six countries.

It broke the British charts’ record for the fastest-selling debut album in history, with 3.1 million bought in its first month. Elsewhere she has sold more than 8.5 million copies.

A source said: “Every day Susan wakes up having to pinch herself. She cannot believe how the public has taken her to their hearts everywhere.

"She has not wanted for anything since finding fame and now she will reap the benefit of her hard work.

Oscar winner Mo'Nique : Ours is an Open Marriage

2010-03-22T20:19:00.000Z

Oscar winner Mo'Nique had no qualms about being in an open marriage. Speaking just before she won an Oscar for best Supporting Female, the co-star of Precious revealed all.

On Sunday's Oscar Night edition of The Barbara Walters Special, the Precious star, 42, says that while she has "not had sex" outside her marriage to husband (and business manager) Sid Hicks, he is free to do so.

"Could Sid have sex outside of his marriage with me? Yes. That's not a deal-breaker," she says. "That's not something that would make us say, 'Pack your things and let's end the marriage.'"

And she says she wouldn't call it quits even if he had numerous flings.

"What if it's 20 times?" she asks. "So what? We've been best friends for over 25 years, and we truly know who we are. Often times, people get into marriages and they don't know who they're laying next to. I'm very comfortable and secure with my husband."

So how does she keep her husband's interest?

"He loves the hairy legs,” she says, adding that she never shaves. "And if Sid likes the hairy legs, there you go ... I'm 42 and very hairy."

The one time she shaved her legs, "it was so uncomfortable and painful," she recalls. "I said, 'Never again would I do that to myself.'"

Who is Michelle McGee?

2010-03-20T17:01:00.000Z

She is allegedly the "other woman" that stands to break the marraige between Jesse James and Sandra Bullock, but who is she ?

If you were, say, Jesse James and had the good fortune to land a wife like Sandra Bullock, you'd probably never look at another woman for as long as you lived, right? Well, that appears not to be the case. So who is this woman, Michelle McGee, who says she allegedly had an 11-month affair with Jesse? Radar has been researching her extensively, and has put up multiple posts in the past 20 hours about her. After the jump, the highlights. But to whet your appetite: she's an Amish stripper.

Michelle reportedly entered the Miss Ink Contest in Las Vegas this year. Heck, even this girl's armpits are inked, with roses and switchblades, natch. She's a mother of two. How did two pregnancies not mess up all her stomach tattoos? And she is also a stripper. She's worked in at least three clubs in San Diego over the past few years, under the name Michelle Bombshell. She's currently dancing under the alias "Avrey" at Pure Platinum Kearny Mesa Club. She's also posted racy photos of herself online, at the site SocalGlamourGirls.com.

She also reportedly told her boss all about Jesse James. Her boss says, "She told me that Jesse's marriage to Sandra Bullock was for publicity, and that's why he did Donald Trump's show, 'Celebrity Apprentice.' He never called on Sandra for money or influence because their marriage was a sham she said."

Jedward are down but not out!

2010-03-19T23:01:00.002Z

After Sony cancelled their record deal the most irritating twins ever Jedward seem to have bounced back with a bang after their Manager Louis Walsh reveals he has got them another record deal this time with Universal Ireland.

The X Factor judge reckons he can still make the 18-year-olds millionaires – with more music, TV adverts and even Easter eggs in the pipeline. He spoke exclusively to Guilty Pleasures after tying up a deal with Irish Universal, saying the record company’s executives were won over by seeing the twins on The X Factor tour in Ireland this week.

Walsh moved quickly after Sony abandoned its £90,000 deal with John and Edward when their debut single – Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby) – with Vanilla Ice failed to hit the top spot.

‘It’s Sony’s loss and Universal’s gain. F*** ’em!’ Walsh said. ‘Alarm bells started ringing when Sony signed them to the Arista label. I tried to call them the other day and no one in the company knew who they were! ‘The boys were on stage with The X Factor tour last night and totally stole the show. ‘The guys from Universal in Ireland came along and absolutely loved them.

Siobhan Magnus was the one to watch

2010-03-18T07:11:00.000Z

The Boston Herald reports on a night of triumph for local girl Siobhan Magnus as she survives this week's cut on American Idol.

Siobhan Magnus survived to sing another week on Fox’s “American Idol.”

Her moody rendition of “Paint it Black” stuck out from a number of shaky performances from the show’s top 12 during Rolling Stones week.

Pre-teens rejoiced and somewhere Mick Jagger and Keith Richards chortled when it was revealed fresh-faced Tim Urban also made the cut, forcing the genuinely talented Lacey Brown upon the judges’ mercy.

For the first time, Simon Cowell and his chums have the power to save a contestant in the top 12 from elimintion. The catch: The decision must be unanimous and only used once per season.

Brown kept her composure singing “The Story” while the judges quickly deliberated her fate. As “Idol” faithful know, the Texas songbird failed to make the top 24 in the eighth season. Despite inconsistancies early on as a member of this year’s top 24 - a shaky take on “Landslide” comes to mind - it looked like smooth sailing for the bottle redhead.

Sadly, the judges didn’t think she was worth keeping.

After Oscar triumph heartache for Sandra Bullock

2010-03-18T06:58:00.000Z

Sandra Bullock has withdrawn from the London Premiere of the "The Blindside". She won an Oscar for her performance in the film and was due to be the star attraction at the Premier in London's Leicester Square.

Sandra Bullock has axed a planned UK tour amid claims her husband Jesse James has been cheating on her.

Heavily tattooed model Michelle McGee said she has had a fling with Jesse, 40, for the past 11 months.

The storm is thought to have made Oscar winner Sandra, 45, axe her visit here - to have included a premiere of her film The Blind Side next week.

She blamed "unforeseen personal reasons". Michelle - described as 24 on a "glamour girls" website - claimed she romped with tattooed Jesse while his wife was away shooting the movie - and he told her they had split up.

She told a US magazine: "I asked him, 'What's going on with you and Sandra?' He said: 'She doesn't live here. She's filming. I can't talk about it'."

Who the hell is Justin Bieber?

2010-03-17T23:04:00.000Z

If you old enough to vote and buy yourself a drink you might never of heard of him but the teenage sensation from Canada is on his way to being the biggest thing since...well since the last teenage sensation!

And like so many stars of this decade he is particularly huge on the Internet and in his case Twitter and if you've been on Twitter recently you'll have noticed.

The story is Justin Bieber was discovered when his performances were seen on YouTube by his manager to be Scooter Braun. Excited by what he saw Braun flew Bieber to Atlanta, Georgia, to consult with R&B star Usher and soon followed a deal with Island Records

His first singles "One Time", "One Less Lonely Girl", "Love Me", and "Favorite Girl", were all Top 15 hits on the Canadian Hot 100 and Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. This accomplishment made Bieber the only artist in Billboard history to have four singles from a debut album chart in the Top 40 of the Hot 100 before the album's release.

An Album soon followed and Bieber also became the first artist to have all songs from a single album to chart in the U.S. Hot 100.

But it is on Twitter the online messaging system that Bieber-mania really comes into its own. Bieber is the most talked about person on Twitter, and nearly the most talked about topic, period.

Bieber-mania is growing on Twitter and is creating a deafening crescendo of chatter that is rising above virtually every other conversation on the popular social media site, which sees 50 million tweets posted daily.

Bieber has been on Twitter almost a year but it wasn't until January that his popularity growth really started registering, said Ingo Muschenetz of What The Trend.

He started out the year around seventh in the weekly Twitter reports and now is consistently dominating the list of the most talked about people.

"He is very, very popular on Twitter, he ranks No. 1, easy," Muschenetz said.

"He's certainly No. 1 unless something else comes along, like when the earthquake in Haiti happened that took the No. 1 spot for a few weeks.

"If it wasn't for the Oscars, he definitely would have been No. 1 (this week)."

As of mid-Friday, Bieber was ranked among the Top 140 most popular Twitter users but his numbers of followers are multiplying daily.

He averages about 11,000 new followers every day, which on Friday helped him pass the Twitter accounts of the influential tech blogs TechCrunch and Silicon Alley Insider.

If his Twitter account's growth continues its frenetic pace, which it steadily has for months, he'll likely crack the Top 100 by April.

But it would still take months to approach the Top 10, an elite company of Twitter users with more three million followers, such as Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama, Ellen DeGeneres, Britney Spears and the top dog, Ashton Kutcher.

Bieber may be far behind that group with almost 1.37 million followers but he's got a shot at eventually catching them, said Muschenetz.

Bieber tweets have ramped up as hype builds for his new album, "My World 2.0," due out March 23. He's also appeared on celebrity charity songs for Haiti and has even been getting public shout-outs from rapper Lil Wayne.

It also helps that he's an engaged Twitter user that communicates directly with his legions of fans who send loving tweets to him daily. And he reached out to a three-year-old fan who became a viral video sensation recently after her family videotaped her crying because of how much she loved Bieber. Earlier this month, he surprised her on the late-night "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" show much to the delight of Bieber's fans.

Bieber's popularity on Twitter is also buoyed by his detractors, who can't stand to see his name on the list of trending topics over and over again.

"Justin Bieber trends really high and some people love that and some people hate that," Muschenetz said.

"(The haters) then tweet about the fact that he's trending, which only makes him trend higher."

Tiger and Elin rebuilding their marriage?

2010-03-16T19:04:00.001Z

Tiger Woods announces his return to Golf and now we find out that Tiger and his estranged wife Elin Nordegren may be close to reconciliation. Is the Tiger constellation back in the ascendancy.

Tiger Woods and his wife Elin Nordegren are rebuilding their marriage - amid speculation the golf star's return to the fairway could make TV ratings history.

Billionaire Woods, 34, and Nordegren, 29, have been photographed together for the first time since Woods' rampant secret sex life was exposed last November.

They were seen strolling down the driveway of their Florida mansion.

Both are decked out in sports apparel from Nike, one of Woods' few remaining sponsors. They are expressionless as they walk side by side, and it was unclear if she was wearing a ring.

Is Jedward's "15 minutes of fame" finally over

2010-03-16T18:54:00.000Z

We were told they were the new face of the entertainment industry, that they would make millions, that their fame was set to go global, but today X-Factor twins Jedward were brought back to earth with a bump as their recording contract was cancelled.

John and Edward Grimes, 18, were signed to Sony after surviving several weeks on the X Factor, despite being ridiculed for their performances.

The record deal was announced in January with the teenagers saying they were delighted to be ''like our idols... living our dream''.

But their first song, Under Pressure, a duet with Vanilla Ice, was beaten to number one last month by US band Owl City and dropped out of the top 10 a week later.

Jedward failed to top the charts despite benefiting from huge exposure performing the track with the 90s rapper at the National Television Awards.

Louis Walsh, who decided to manage Jedward after they were voted out of the X-Factor, confirmed they had been dropped by Sony and said he is talking to other labels.

Ashley visits sickly Cheryl

2010-03-15T21:36:00.000Z

Ashley Cole paid a visit to estranged wife Cheryl Cole who's been feeling very poorly.

Ashley Cole shared a 'strained but cordial' chat with poorly Cheryl when he paid a visit to say get well soon.

While the world waits for the singer to instruct divorce lawyers to proceed with a formal split, he dropped in to their �6million Surrey mansion on Friday to see her.

She is bed-bound suffering from bronchitis and the injured footballer wanted to give a personal 'get well soon' message after returning from a sports injury clinic in France.

Ashley Cole was seen today leaving the London address where he is staying following the break down of his marriage

Relations between the pair were 'strained but cordial', a source told The Mirror.

Ashley hobbled up the steps to the front door on crutches after arriving in his supercar.

Another Take That star in cheating scandal

2010-03-15T21:29:00.000Z

It seems there is no end to the cheating revelations from celebs. After squeaky clean Mark Owen now bandmate Howard Donald is struggling save his marriage.

It’s not been a good week for Take That, with news emerging about Mark Owen’s infidelity - and now Howard Donald is facing a public backlash after it emerged he had a fling with a married fan.

The 41-year-old singer is alleged to have had an affair with 28-year-old mum of one, Merith Van Onselen, in 2008.

According to reports in The Sun, the dad of two, who was single at the time, seduced the Dutch fan when he was DJ-ing in a club in Berlin.

The pair are then said to have embarked on a “passionate” eight-month affair behind Merith’s husband Dave’s back, while he stayed at home looking after their baby daughter, who is now three.

Sam Mendes and Kate Winslet are to split

2010-03-15T21:14:00.000Z

Hollywood Power couple Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes have announced their marriage is over.

It has been announced that Kate Winslet has separated from her director husband Sam Mendes after nearly seven years of marriage. Skip related content

"Kate and Sam are saddened to announce that they separated earlier this year," confirmed lawyers for the Oscar-winning actress.

The statement added: "The split is entirely amicable and is by mutual agreement. Both parties are fully committed to the future joint parenting of their children."

Winslet married Mendes, whose box office hits include American Beauty, in a secret ceremony in May 2003 on the island on Anguilla in the Caribbean. They have a son together, Joe Alfie Winslet Mendes who was born in New York on 22 December 2003.

The pair began their relationship after Winslet split from director Jim Threapleton in 2001, with whom she had daughter, Mia Honey, 9.

Wyclef Jean accused of paying mistress through Haiti Charity

2010-03-14T20:30:00.001Z

Wyclef Jean has been embroiled in allegations that he has used his Haiti charity Yele Haiti to make payments of tens of thousands of dollars to a woman rumoured to be his mistress.

Yele Haiti, the sketchy foundation that Wyclef Jean founded to help the Haitian people—which received millions in the outpouring of generosity following the wake of the earthquake there—paid Jean's mistress and personal assistant $105,000 in 2008.

According to Yele Haiti's 2008 tax return, which was posted this week by the Smoking Gun, the charity paid Khatou-Chevassus $105,000 as an independent contractor in 2008 for "program development." That amounts to roughly one-third of all the money Yele spent that year on management and general expenses.

So what did she do for that money? Khatou-Chevassus is currently listed on Yele's web site as the organization's vice president. But according to five sources familiar with Yele's operations, in 2008 she served as Jean's personal assistant—working on his commercial endeavours as well as his charitable ones—and was involved romantically with the former Fugees star.

Sarah Killen : The rise of the Twitterati!

2010-03-14T13:49:00.000Z

We probably could all guess by now that the if there is one place it is easy to gains some fame, it is the Internet. Just how easy it is may be a bit of a shock to people.

Take the case of soon to be married Sarah Killen. Unknown to anyone other than friends, work mates and family as most of us are. Then out of the blue talk show host Conan O'Brien decide to make her the only person he follows on Twitter and BOOM instant Twitter made celebrity - Twitterati.

March 5th she had 3 followers on Twitter now she has 28,000.

Bride-to-be Sarah Killen has the US TV star Conan O'Brien to thank for her sudden Twitter fan explosion.

The ex-Tonight Show host picked Miss Killen, 19, from Michigan, as the only person he would follow on Twitter.

‘I’ve decided to follow someone at random. Sarah Killen, your life is about to change,’ his posting read last Friday.

Since then she been showered with gifts, including a wedding dress and free wine, and is getting 150 new Twitter followers a minute.

The Cole Crisis : Cheryl orders Ashley out after 20 minute talks

2010-03-14T13:20:00.000Z

Attempts by Ashley Cole to reconcile with estranged Wife Cheryl Cole seemed to have hit the buffers after he was ordered out of the marital home only 20 minutes into attempts to persade Cheryl to take him back.

Furious Cheryl Cole threw disgraced husband Ashley out after just 20 minutes when he turned up for their first face-to-face meeting in a month.

Heartbroken Cheryl refused to speak to him, see him or even allow him into the same room as her at their £3million mansion, we can reveal.

She stayed out of sight in the living room in a humiliating snub to philandering Cole, who was given just a few minutes to pack some clothes.

Then enraged Cheryl got her mother Joan, 50, to show him the door.

Just hours earlier Cole, 29, had been bragging to friends that he expected to win back X Factor judge Cheryl – despite repeatedly cheating on her.

He arrived at short notice on Friday night assuming he would get his first opportunity to grovel in person since Cheryl, 26, ordered him out of the Surrey mansion three weeks ago.

Is Big Mike the man to beat on American Idol ?

2010-03-14T13:11:00.000Z

Micheal Lynch wow'ed the audience and Judges with a heartfelt rendition of "This Woman's work". It had Randy Jackson beaming with satisfaction, Ellen DeGeneres impressed, Simon Cowell soberly appreciative and Kara DioGuardi in a flood of tears.

Sean Fennessey in his GQ blog breaks down the reaction to Big Mike's Big Moment.

There are but eight men left, and many of them are even better than we initially predicted. But two more have to go. Song choice was the crucial theme tonight. Tim Urban went predictable and preposterous with Leonard Cohen's "Hallejuah." Lee DeWyze dipped into electro-pop with Owl City's Postal Service redux, "Fireflies." Andrew Garcia attempted to rekindle the flame he first blazed with his cover of Paul Abdul's "Straight Up" by reconfiguring Christina Aguilera's "Genie in a Bottle." It all mattered very little. This was all prologue to Michael Lynche's moment. So maybe he deserves some extra attention.

THE GOOD THING: Michael Lynche's astounding, near-moving vocal performance of "This Woman's Work." So many things were right with this; it was so gripping so as to be emotional. The bulky, log-necked Lynche, best known as the guy whose wife gave birth during Hollywood week, has been a gregarious but deceptively unlikable force in these first few weeks. Last night's performance shifted everything. It nodded at Maxwell's famous and revered cover of Kate Bush's gobsmacked original about responsibility and family, from the bracing soprano open to the throat-slashing, heartbroken closer, so delicate and strong simultaneously. Listen and hear how Lynche throws in a little Luther Vandross, a splash of Sinatra, and a lot of femininity. This was a savvy choice by Lynche, who is so big he has become known, unfortunately but predictably as "Big Mike." By paying tribute to his wife and newborn child, nodding at two different and essential artists, and wrestling the spotlight upon his burly shoulders, Lynche gave this season the sort of charge that always happens, but never feels less than thrilling.

THE BAD THING: Everything else about Michael Lynche's performance. The way he swaggered around the stage. His hand motions. The smug, knowing smile that crept onto his face at song's end. Even the tacky red handkerchief in his coat pocket. Whether hustling low-rent James Brown or sloppy, babyfaced Maroon 5 in past weeks, Lynche has been a classic Idol groaner all year. He grins, he chuckles, he riffs with the judges. Just the sort of loathsome garbage that looks as natural as a two-billed duck and flies like one, too. The quickness with which Lynche zapped the good will from his performance was like a lightning bolt metaphor for American Idol: Good thing, then, in a flash, bad thing. No matter, he'll fly through to the Top 12 and likely be cursed by his wondrous performance until he is eliminated.

Restaurant Nora : Michelle Obama's favourite restaurant

2010-01-17T23:58:00.000Z

Today was Michelle Obama's 46th birthday and as a gift her hubby, President Obama to you and me, took her out for a surprise dinner at her favourite DC restaurant, Restaurant Nora.

Being Nosey we've had a look at well.

The restaurant describes itself as

...America's first certified organic restaurant. This means that 95% or more of everything that you eat at the restaurant has been produced by certified organic growers and farmers all who share in Nora's commitment to sustainable agriculture....

Sounds very "green", is it the sort of place where you guaranteed healthy but not necessarily tasty food? Well what do the crtics say?

The Washington Post

The homey space is decorated with quilts and has a formal, but familiar feel. A bit over-traditional for hipsters, it's parent- and grandparent-friendly.

You'll pay for the quality. The tasting menu is $75 and $65 for vegetarians. A la carte entrees cost around $30.

Reviews from actual diners on the traveller review forum TripAdvisor was somewhat mixed but still good enough to rank 22nd of the 1000+ DC restaurant ranked.

The reviews ranged from

We had a nice bottle of pinot noir that he recommended. We loved the beef carpaccio that we had for a starter and we both loved our salads (his: spinach & arugula; mine: caesar). Ditto for our mains (his: beef; mine: veal curry). I never order veal due to the mistreatment of the animals - however, these are happy calves! It was quite a treat - many different flavors on one plate. We also ordered dessert (his: chocolate chocolate mousse cake with raspberry sauce and vanilla ice ream; mine: the best apple pie I have ever had with rum raisin ice cream). It was an extraordinary meal. We lingered and did not feel rushed. Our check for all of this was $200 - a little pricey but comparable to other restaurants of this quality and style. I highly recommend Nora!

(Clearly appealing to the more "concious" diner)

to the somewhat unimpressed

I understand their focus on serving organic food, but they go a little overboard. Is it really necessary that the menu state that their waiters are dressed in shirts made of 100% certified organic cotton?

Bottom line: go here only if you're not price-sensitive. For my money, I'll go elsewhere to get the same quality of food at a much lower price.

Well if you fancy finding out what it like to dine like the First Family you can head over to Restarant Nora at 2132 Florida Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008

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Lewis Hamilton and Nicole Scherzinger's relationship hits the buffers...

2010-01-11T22:09:00.001Z

Lewis Hamilton and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger have called it a day after two years.

Reports say

The 25-year-old British racing driver and US pop star, 31, said they wanted to concentrate on their careers.

A joint statement from their spokesmen confirmed: ''Nicole Scherzinger and Lewis Hamilton can confirm that they have decided to go their separate ways.

''The two of them have decided to focus fully on their careers and will remain close friends.''

The pair started dating after meeting at the MTV Europe Awards in Munich in November 2007.

Former world Formula 1 champion Hamilton said he was like a ''besotted schoolboy'', while Scherzinger, who accompanied Hamilton to Grand Prix around the globe, called him her ''soulmate''.

Reports last month said the high-profile pair were close to separating because of the racing driver's reluctance to settle down.

Hamilton, who previously dated beauty queen Vivian Burkhardt, is hoping to win back his F1 title this year but faces competition from current world champion Jenson Button as his McLaren teammate and Michael Schumacher, who is out of retirement.

Interting how on one hand she is needs to "concentrate on her career" and on the other hand she is leaving because of "Hamiltons's reluctance to settle down"

We Wonder ?

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2009-12-29T22:37:00.010Z

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Noughties Random Facts (2000-09) - Biggest digital downloads US

2009-12-29T15:20:00.001Z

This was the decade when the digital download in the form of the ubiquitous MP3 file became a real rival to CDs for delivering music. Almost all musical charts (at least those with any with credibility) now record a combination of digital (MP3) downloads and sales of physical units to determine chart performance.

We look back over the years 2000 -2009 and find out what biggest digitally downloaded singles of the last decade.

The Digital Download (MP3) US Top 10.

1.
Flo Rida feat. T-Pain, "Low" (2007) - 5,214,000

2.
Lady Gaga feat. Colby O'Donis, "Just Dance" (2008) - 4,690,000

3.
Jason Mraz, "I'm Yours" (2008) - 4,619,000

4.
Timbaland feat. OneRepublic, "Apologize" (2007) - 4,439,000

5.
The Black Eyed Peas, "Boom Boom Pow"(2009) - 4,349,000

6.
Soulja Boy Tell'em, "Crank That" (2007) - 4,315,000

7.
Lady Gaga, "Poker Face" (2008) - 4,200,000

8.
Coldplay, "Viva la Vida" (2008) - 4,140,000

9.
Taylor Swift, "Love Story" (2007) - 4,005,000

10.
Katy Perry, "Hot N Cold" (2008) - 3,945,000

Noughties Random Facts (2000-09) - Biggest Films of the Decade

2009-12-29T14:19:00.001Z

The noughties was the decade of the movie franchise as the box office was dominated by mutli-series films with Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings all featuring multiple times in the top ten grossing films of the decade.

1
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Studio - New Line Cinema
Earnings - $1,119,110,941
Year - 2003

2
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Studio - Walt Disney Pictures
Earnings - $1,066,179,725
Year - 2006

3
The Dark Knight
Studio - Warner Bros.
Earnings - $1,001,921,825
Year - 2008

4
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Studio - Warner Bros.
Earnings - $974,733,550
Year - 2001

5
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Studio - Walt Disney Pictures
Earnings - $960,996,492
Year - 2007

6
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Studio - Warner Bros.
Earnings - $938,212,738
Year - 2007

7
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Studio - Warner Bros.
Earnings - $929,359,401
Year - 2009

8
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Studio - New Line Cinema
Earnings - $925,282,504
Year - 2002

9
Shrek 2
Studio - DreamWorks Animation
Earnings - $919,838,758
Year - 2004

10
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Studio - Warner Bros.
Earnings - $895,921,036
Year - 2005

Noughties Random Facts (2000-09) - One hit wonders

2009-12-29T13:55:00.000Z

The following artists have all had ONE number one selling single (only) in the UK in charts but have not managed another Top 20 hit ... ever! The one hit wonders of the noughties

2000 - Black Legend - You See The Trouble With Me
2000 - Spiller - Groovejet
2000 - Rui da Silva - Touch Me
2001 - DJ Pied Piper - Do You Really Like It
2002 - Las Ketchup - The Ketchup Song (Asereje)
2003 - Tomcraft - Loneliness
2003 - Michael Andrews feat. Gary Jules - Mad World
2004 - Frankee - F.U.R.B (F U Right Back)
2004 - 3 Of A Kind - Babycakes
2005 - Steve Brookstein - Against All Odds
2005 - Nizlopi - The JCB Song

Pope Benedict attacked on Christmas Eve (Video)

2009-12-25T10:42:00.001Z

Pope Benedict was unfortunately attacked and knocked down by a woman before the Christmas Eve mass at St Peter's Basilica – he was unhurt, and completed the ceremony.

The woman, said to be mentally unstable, managed to grab him by his vestments near the neck as a security guard tried to overwhelm her.

The Vatican said she had also tried to jump at the Pope last year. French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, 87, was standing a few metres away and fell and broke his leg during the incident.

In a sign of the times the event was captured instantly by one of the millions of phone cameras that are part of our lives....

Rage Against The Machine storm to Xmas No.1

2009-12-20T22:33:00.000Z

It is probably the biggest chart upset in recent times.Tonight it has been announced that US rock group has topped the UK charts to grab the Christmas No.1

Over the last few years the best selling single at Christmas has always been held by the winner of the X-Factor competition. Shayne Ward (2005), Leona Lewis (2006), Leon Jackson(2007) and Alexandra Burke (2008) all won the X-Factor and went on to have Xmas No.1's

2009 X-Factor winner Joe McElderry was expected to repeat the formula with his début single 'The Climb', however it was not to be. A Facebook based campaign that had started in protest of The X Factor's dominance of the Christmas Number 1 title and pushed Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name" as an alternative, proved a formidable competitor.

In a sign of how times have changed the upset was achieved on the back of Facebook and Twitter campaigns, and the song being available as an internet download only. Rage of the Machine sold 500,000 to beat McElderry's 450,000 which was sold as both an Internet download and physical CDs.

Interestingly both labels are signed to Sony records so the competition which boosted sales for both artistes would not have been unwelcome.

Hollywood Actress Brittany Murphy has died aged 32.

2009-12-20T22:04:00.002Z

Hollywood actress Brittany Murphy has died suddenly at the age of 32. She passed away at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center near Beverly Hills after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest.

Murphy was married to British screenwriter Simon Monjack. The couple lived in Los Angeles.

Reports said the LA fire department responded to a medical call at Murphy's home in West Hollywood at 0800 local time (1600 GMT). Two hours later, she was pronounced dead at hospital.

Britanny was best remembered for her roles in hit Clueless as well as 8 Mile where she appeared alongside rapper Eminem.

Murphy once dated Ashton Kutcher, who co-starred with her in the 2003 romantic comedy, Just Married.
Kutcher tweeted Sunday morning about Murphy's death: "2day the world lost a little piece of sunshine."
"My deepest condolences go out 2 Brittany's family, her husband, & her amazing mother Sharon," his tweet said.

Can American Idol survive without Simon Cowell?

2009-12-17T23:51:00.001Z

Love him or loath him it is indisputable that the real star of American Idol is a certain Mr Simon Cowell, the nastiest Judge to hit America since Isaac Parker in the 19th century.

Well it looks like Simon is tired of being Mr Nasty in some else's show, despite being paid over $35 million to do so, and wants to be Mr Nasty in his own show. Press reports suggest that he is preparing to bring his his mega-successful show X-Factor from the UK to the USA.

Cowell, whose "Idol" contract expires in May and who has been in talks with Fox since last summer, is preparing to announce the new arrangement with Fox early next year which will see him leaving AI in 2011 to front a US version of the X-Factor.

"There are discussions going on with 'American Idol' and also about the possibility of bringing 'X Factor' to the United States, but no decisions have been made, and nothing has been finalized," Cowell's spokesman Max Clifford said.

"The X Factor" is a British phenomenon produced by Cowell, who's also a judge on the show. Unlike on "Idol," Cowell and two other judges mentor the "X Factor" contestants, adding competition as the judges -- as well as the musicians -- are competing against one another.

"X Factor" also allows groups to compete in addition to solo singers; "Idol" does not. But just like on "Idol," viewers vote on which singers stay or go.

Since its debut four years ago, "The X Factor" has been one of the most popular shows in Britain. More than 19 million people, the show's biggest audience ever, tuned in Sunday night to watch singer Joe McElderry win in the finale. The winner of the show's third season, Leona Lewis, has become an international recording star.

Will AI survive the loss of Cowell, it could possibly if the right panel is found, however the likely hood is that FOX current home of "Idol" and future home of the American version of the X-Factor is likely to support both and that ultimately would prove the death knell for AI.

As Simon would say "I am sorry...it is a no from me!

Christmas Gift Ideas....Last minute Christmas ideas

2009-12-16T21:31:00.008Z

More Christmas Gift ideas from us. This time we have teamed up with Argos with a great idea for the last minute Christmas gift bargains.

The great thing as about Argos is you can shop online from the comfort of your home and avoid the last minute Christmas gift rush.

"You can do that with any online company!" you say. Ah! but do you get the choice of having it delivered or going to pick it up at your convenience - I don't think so
and that's just what Argos offers.

Forget about waiting at home between 9am and 5pm waiting for a delivery man who eventually turns up at 4.59pm, now you have the choice.

If you buy online before 11am on the 22nd, your Christmas gift will be delivered to you at home by the 23rd.

You also have the choice of ordering online and picking up your gifts from one of Argos's 740 stores across the UK.

So what Christmas preszzies do Argos have to offer...

Christmas gifts for men

Wii console (console, sports, sports resort, motion + controller) + big beach sports + Accessory Kit + docking station - £169.99 (Buy now or reserve for pickup)

Xbox Arcade for £139.99 and get Fifa 10 and Forza for free (Buy now or reserve for pick up)

Christmas gifts for women

Half Price - Kodak 7in Digital photo frame - Was £69.99, Now £29.99
(Buy now or reserve for pickup)

Juicy Lucy I Love You Sister Necklace - 19.79. (Buy now or reserve for pickup)

Christmas gifts for boys

Transformers/Transformers - Revenge Of The Fallen £34.97 (Buy now or reserve for pick up)

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 from £37.99
PC Version (Buy now or reserve for pick up) | XBOX 360 Version (Buy now or reserve for pick up) | PS3 (Buy now or reserve for pick up)

Christmas gifts for girls

Go Go Pets Hamster Car and Garage. £14.99 (Buy now or resrve for pick up)

Fur Real Teacup Bunny £21.99 (Buy now or reserve for pick up)

And you can search for items like this from some of Argos's thousands of products with mega hot deals on offer each day at prices only available on the Internet.

Christmas Gift Ideas....Celebrity Perfumes

2009-12-04T15:43:00.008Z

Gifts for Christmas will be dominating most of our thoughts with the holiday season in full swing. I imagine most of use are looking for good Christmas gift ideas for Xmas 2009. Well at 15Bytes of Fame we are here to help in what ever way we can.

CELEBRITY PERFUMES
These are great gifts ideas for men or women. There are a wide range of celebrity perfumes available. They combine a functional, useful and much loved traditional gift with the passion your loved one shares for their favourite actor, actress or musician.

We have teamed up with Perfumania.com to present 5 celebrity perfume gift suggestions for men and women.

The great thing about this is not only do you get a great gift idea, but over the holiday season Perfumania.com are offering free shipping on orders over $65 (US only) PLUS a buy one, get one free offer on a wide range of their perfumes PLUS savings of up 90% on normal retail prices.

CELEBRITY PERFUME GIFT IDEAS (FOR WOMEN)

GLOW perfume by Jennifer Lopez

GLOW perfume by Jennifer Lopez (J Lo) was launched in 2002. GLOW J.LO is a soft, sexy scent touched with subtle, clean freshness. Bright citrus fruits are mingled with sheer florals, warmed with soothing vanilla and musk. Glow is bursting with feminine sparkle and alive with warm sensuality. GLOW J. LO is infused with notes of Orange Flower, Grapefruit, Orris, Jasmine, Vanilla, and Musk. GLOW J.LO is a fresh, clean, sexy scent recommended for casual use. Buy - $41.99

NAOMI CAMPBELL By NAOMI CAMPBELL

NAOMI CAMPBELL By NAOMI CAMPBELL
Naomi Campbell's signature scent is very feminine, Seductive and irresistible. This scent catches the hypnotic strength of pure feminine beauty. The top fragrance notes are bergamont, anise, red pepper, jasmine, magnolia, orchid and fig and the base notes of vanilla, sandalwood and cedarwood which makes this fragrance a romantic type fragrance. Buy - 25.99

PASSION, created by Elizabeth Taylor

PASSION, created by Elizabeth Taylor
PASSION, created by Elizabeth Taylor, was introduced in 1987. This fine fragrance contains jasmine, bergamot, rose and is accented with tuberose, vanilla and musk making PASSION perfect for formal use. Buy - $35.99

CELEBRITY PERFUME GIFT IDEAS (FOR MEN)

CELINE For Men By CELINE

CELINE For Men By CELINE
Celine fragrance for men, is a bold fragrance bursting with fresh woody notes by Celine Dion. Spicy cinnamon, mandarin and nutmeg make up the signature accord. The base notes are hazelwood, cedarwood, geranium and vetiver root. Buy - $36.99

JORDAN By Michael Jordan

JORDAN By Michael Jordan
JORDAN cologne, by Michael Jordan, is classified as an oriental, woody fragrance. This masculine scent is the combination of the following notes: On the top, mandarin, bergamot, bitter orange, sage, greens, white ivy, and cypress. In the middle, white nutmeg, black pepper, cardamom, and jasmine. On the bottom, sandalwood, cashmere musk, oak, blond woods, and amber. Jordan shower gel is a great compliment when worn in combination with the cologne, creating a longer lasting fragrance experience. Jordan cologne is packaged in a sky blue bottle and is enclosed in a blue and silver box. Other Michael Jordan fragrances are 23 and Michael Jordan. $25.99

Peter Dickinson : The Voice of X-Factor

2009-12-03T16:40:00.004Z

If you ever watched TV on Saturday night for any length of time, you would have definitely heard his voice.

X-Factor, Britain's Got Talent and Family Fortunes, one thing they all have in common are the deep dulcet tones of ITV's Saturday night "voice over man" Peter Dickinson.

Such has been Peter's fame that he is now becoming a star in his own right and is stepping out from inside the sound booth, as he appears in this BBC comedy clip.

So come Saturday night and the X-Factor and you hear the phrase "THE JUDGES! CHERYL! DANNII! LOUIS! AND SIMON!" you will be able to put a name to the voice that is Peter Dickinson's

Rachel Uchitel denies Tiger Woods affair.

2009-11-29T00:39:00.004Z

Rachel Uchitel who has been widely named as "the other woman" in alleged affair with Tiger Woods has come out to emphatically deny any such relationship.

She admits she's met Woods on a number of occasions, but told the New York Post she was "very concerned" to hear about the smash-up.

"God forbid Tiger got into a car wreck because of this false report of him having an affair, Despite it being completely untrue, it still must have certainly caused some problems at home -- if I was his wife, I probably would have killed him," Uchitel said.

Rachel Uchitel

She went on to defend herself saying "this is nothing to do with me. We have never had an affair, and the claims we did are completely false. We have never had an affair, talked on the phone or sent any type of text, sexy or not.

"I'm really upset about it because I'm being portrayed as a home-wrecker, when it simply isn't true."

Who is Rachel Uchitel?

2009-11-28T08:26:00.008Z

Today's Newspapers are full of reports that golf billionaire Tiger Woods was involved in an car accident on late Friday night at about 2:30am.

There are a number of different reports on the accident in the newspapers and as well as statements from police including one making clear that no alcohol was involved.

An accident at 2.30 am for a man with an extremely clean cut reputation seems odd, is there more to it that might be obvious.

Some newspaper reports have suggested an argument between Tiger Woods and his wife, former Swedish model, Elin Nordegren may have triggered the accidents, while at least one paper has gone further to name one Rachel Uchitel in connection with the argument.

The UK Sun reported on its website on Saturday morning:

Sources said Tiger and beauty Elin had been arguing before the accident.

Reports in the US claim he has been cheating on her with party hostess Rachel Uchitel, 34.

Rachel is said to have followed Tiger around the world.

She was photographed at the same hotel where Tiger was staying while playing in the Australian Open.

Lawyers for the golfer have denied the allegations.

The Sun

TMZ the celebrity website that has built its reputation on celebrity scoops reports on the accident, and also alleges a woman was involved but does not name anyone.

We're told he said his wife had confronted him about reports that he was seeing another woman. The argument got heated and, according to our source, she scratched his face up.

We're told it was then Woods beat a hasty retreat for his SUV -- but according to our source, Woods says his wife followed behind with a golf club. As Tiger drove away, she struck the vehicle several times with the club.

TMZ

So who is Rachel Uchitel?

The earliest press mentions of her date back to 9/11 when she suffered the tragic loss of her finance James Andrew O'Grady, 32, an investment banker who for worked Sandler O'Neill & Partners in the Twin Towers.

The pair had just returned from a 10-day vacation in Greece before the tragedy and were due to wed the following May.

A few years later there are press reports that she found love again in the arms of Steven Ehrenkranz. Steven also an Investment Banker who had himself narrowly escaped the tragedy of 9/11, and had recognized a Rachel an old school friend in a photo on the cover of The New York Post reporting on her search for her fiance.

They met later at a mutual friend's Halloween party and eventually married in November, 2004. A society wedding in the Deco splendor of the new Cipriani event space in the Toy Building in New York.

Sadly it was not too last, and Rachel moved on from the marriage and also from New York. She moved to Las Vegas where she set up in Nightclub and hospitality management and it seems made quite a success of it.

After the successful stint in Vegas she returned back to New York. In an interview with the Black Bookmark, an online resource for creatives she reveals how she achieved success in Southampton ("aka the Hamptons"), Long Island's ultra-trendy, ultra-rich enclave. (Pictures of her in the Hapmtons)

“I’m currently director of VIP operations for Pink Elephant in Southampton. I spend my weekends at the beach with the two loves of my life—Ozzy Osbourne and Rudy Giuliani—my affenpinscher and brussels griffin. I’m back in the city during the week.

In the Hamptons, I’m obsessed with Nello, Lily Pond (where the cutest guy in New York works, who I am crushing on), and of course Pink Elephant. I own a Turnberry apartment in Vegas. I love going there for long weekends when it’s not too hot out. I love Saint-Tropez and spend a few weeks there every year. The Four Seasons in Thailand (Chiang Mai) is my favorite place in the world.”

She also sheds some light on her love life.

Although I’ve been romantically linked to a famous baseball player, a Broadway star, a musician, and various film and television actors, I will never kiss and tell!

Rumours have also circulated about an affair with a married TV star but nothing has been confirmed

Katie Price quits Jungle, dumps Alex Reid

2009-11-24T20:05:00.004Z

Things haven't turned out for Katie Price in the way she would have expected. Her stint on the reality TV show "I Am A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here" (IAACGMOOH) has turned into a disaster and it seems forced her to come to the conclusion that her high profile relationship with Alex Reid was going nowhere.

It was also so different when a few days ago Price jetted into Australia to star in IAACGMOOH after having had her botox topped up in Los Angeles. She was keen to rekindle the popularity she enjoyed during the her last stint on the show in 2004 where she met her ex-husband Peter Andre.

She was sadly mistaken, the British public it seemed where not in a forgiving mood and had clearly taken the side of her ex Peter Andre in their somewhat bitter separation and it showed. Price was voted day after day by the public to take part in a series of humiliating tasks, eventually after her sixth nomination she had enough and walked off the show.

As if that was not enough drama, she announced in an interview with show hosts Ant and Dec, that she had split with Alex Reid because she wants to be single. Not good for Alex as reports had it he was on his way to Australia to propose to her.

Say what you like about Katie Price, but you can't say she does not know how to grab tabloid headlines.

Twi-Hards and the Twilight movie phenomenon

2009-11-22T09:18:00.006Z

If you are of a certain age it is entirely possible the words “Twilight”, “Twi-Hards”, “Bella Swan”, “Edward Cullen”, “New Moon” or the actors Kristen Steward and Robert Pattison mean little or nothing to you but for millions of fans of the Twilight film franchise these represent the hottest movie franchise in years.

Twilight is part of the recent wave of Vampire romantic fantasy films and TV shows that have hit the screens along with TV hits True Blood and The Vampire Diaries.
The common theme they all have is the Vampires are no longer just sullen dark brooding evil creatures, but rather come blessed with striking “boy next door “ looks and just want to be loved by the women of their dreams.

Amazon.com Widgets

This appeals to the perennial desire of many a young woman to tame a bad boy, to heal his hurts, to staunch his emotional wounds and it is this dangerous but cute theme that has pulled in millions of adoring teenage and early twenties mainly female fans and propelled this genre to the hottest trend in Hollywood.

The first Twilight movie start Robert Pattison as the incredibly handsome but aloof Edward Cullen a 108 year old Vampire who wants love but is held back by the knowledge that for him it has a high price.

Bella Swan is a 17 year old girl played by Kirsten Stewart who moves to the tiny in the middle of nowhere town of Forks in Washington where her live, love becomes intertwined with Edward and this relationship underpins the appeal of the movie.

Normally a relationship between a 108 year old man and a 17 year old girl would trigger interest by some not-so friendly law authorities, but in the world of teenage Vampires they may have been around for decades but in all senses they have not transformed from the teenagers they once were.

Edward and Bella develop a relationship at High School, but Edward is held back by fears that his innate Vampire yearnings for blood may drive him to harm her if they get too intimate. The love he has for her is overriding but unfulfilled and he is forced to demonstrate this as he battles a troop of not-so friendly vampires who move into town with intent of doing real harm to humans including Bella.

It is the pureness of their love, the bad boy who deep inside is truly in love that has spawned the obsessive hordes of Twi-Hards, ardent (mostly teenage) devotees of the film. This devotion in turn has sent the film soaring to box office records.

The recently sequel to the original Twilight, ‘Twilight Saga: New Moon’ posted the largest opening-day box office gross on record, taking in $72.7 million on its first day. While the original Twilight movie made for $37 million has grossed over $384 million to date.

No Love for Katie and Pete on Amazon

2009-11-17T22:35:00.001Z

Cast your mind back to when Katie Price and Peter Andre were one of the Hottest couple in show business, when anything they touched turned to celebrity gold, well almost anything.

One thing they were never able to capture the public's interest with was their music and in particular their debut album as a couple - A Whole New World.

No where has it more clear than when you read through the hilarious comments on Amazon for the album.

Here are a sample and the common theme is they are deliciously over the top and very very tongue in cheek.

One reviewer wrote:

"If you can imagine a soothing blend of jojoba oils, vanilla, and WD40 being poured into both ear holes simultaneously, then you will have only been able to scratch the surface of the feast of pleasure that is Katie And Pete's "A Whole New World" Album. Similar in it's ambition to Wagner's "ring cycle" but less German, "A Whole New World" is one of the best sound combinations that has ever been recorded."

another revealed:

"A heady mix of intoxicating and life affirming works from our English rose, Katie Price and her Greek beau Andre. A collection of achingly beautiful songs that depict a revealing and harrowing portrait of the human condition.

Highlights include a masterly interpretation of Don't Go Breaking My Heart, far eclipsing Ru Paul and Elton John's 1993 duet. Andre's shimmering prose is delivered in their inimitable style. Magisterial and epoch-making"

and a third shared this:

"Rather foolishly in hindsight, I thought the other reviews were just being sarcastic. However, having now listened to this peerless work of art I can see that they were actually holding back, perhaps recognising that meer words could never adequately capture the staggering genius of this modern masterpiece.

It is, quite simply, an aural feast to which we are all invited. When my grandmother heard it she danced around the living room, something she hadn't been able to do since she died eight years ago. In an age of conflict and fear we may have finally found a voice - or indeed two voices - that can speak peace to the nations. A Whole New World? With this album anything is possible."

Katie Price humiliated on Chelsea Lately Chat Show

2009-11-14T08:13:00.005Z

It looks like Katie Price's (aka Jordan) attempts to "break into" America has suffered another set back as she was humiliated on a US TV chat show.

Katie has wanted to break into the US Market for ages, although we have no idea what she has to offer them and that was made clear as she was relentlessly mocked in the interview she did on the Chelsea Lately show on the US Entertainment Network.

The interview started with Chelsea asking: "Why don't you explain to people what you do?" Katie Price starting off replying: "God, well, how long have you got?" - to which the deadpan hostess replied: "Six minutes."

Katie Price ranbled as she struggled to explain: "I started off as a model, I've got perfume out, bed linen, 33 books. I've got underwear, swimwear.

"You name it, I do it."

She said she was in LA for an "LA Botox" and a hairdo before she heads to the Oz jungle for I'm A Celebrity.

Katie Price added: "I always fly over here to get my Botox done. I'm mad, I love it."

Bemused Chelsea noted: "Anyone who looks at you will know that your forehead will never move." Ouch!

Katie Price continued: "I've even got LA boobs as well. I fly over every three months to get my hair done and Botox."

Chelsea sarcastically called Jordan "interesting".

Finally she cut in and said: "I'm not going to ask you anything any more. It's your business what you want to do.

"You can go live with your horses and your kids and get Botox - I don't give a ****!"

The Richest Men and Women on Prime Time US TV 2009

2009-11-11T23:32:00.005Z

We have got another list form Forbes this time it celebrates the great and the good of Prime Time US TV - yes it is the highest earners (Men and Women) on Prime Time US TV

MEN

1. Simon Cowell ($75 million - American Idol - Fox )
(Earnings - Top Show - TV Network)

2. Donald Trump ($50 million - The Apprentice - NBC )

3. Ryan Seacrest ($38 million - American Idol - Fox)

4. Charlie Sheen ($21 million - Two and a Half Men - CBS)

5. Steve Carell ($21 million - The Office - NBC)

6. Howie Mandel ($15 million - Deal or No Deal - NBC)

7. Kiefer Sutherland ($13 million - 24 - Fox)

8. Jeff Foxworthy ($11 million - Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? - Fox)

9. Hugh Laurie ($10 million - House - Fox)

10. David Caruso ($9 million - CSI Miami - CBS)

WOMEN

1. Tyra Banks ($30 million - America's Next Top Model - The CW Television Network)

2. Katherine Heigl ($18 million - Grey's Anatomy - ABC)

3. Marg Helgenberger ($9.5 million - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - CBS)

4. Eva Longoria Parker ($9 million - Desperate Housewives - ABC)

5. Mariska Hargitay ($8.5 million - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - NBC)

6. Julia Louis-Dreyfus (tie) ($8 million - The New Adventures of Old Christine - CBS)

6. Maura Tierney (tie) ($8 million - ER - NBC)

8. Tina Fey ($7 million - Saturday Night Live - NBC)

9. Marcia Cross ($6.2 million - Desperate Housewives - ABC)

10. Jennifer Love Hewitt (tie) ($6 million - Ghost Whisperer - CBS)

10. Ellen Pompeo (tie) ($6 million - Grey's Anatomy - ABC)

Rekated Posts: The richest celebrities in the world 2009.
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David Haye beats Nikolai Valuev

2009-11-08T00:12:00.004Z

Really the post title should be "David beats Goliath".

In case you've missed it, this is a boxing story (yes we do sports as well, well occasionally) of plucky British Challenger David Haye taking on the giant and I mean giant Russian champion Nikolai Valuev.

Nikolai stands at 7ft 2 and David a comparatively minute 6 ft 3.

Now just who would you put you money on? Well you would have been wrong ! In their world heavyweight championship bout tonight in Germany, David defied what looked like to the lay man as a lost case to beat the Russian giant on points after 12 rounds 114-114, 116-112, 116-112.

p.s just for the record most boxing pundits thought David would win, but why ruin a good headline...

Bon Jovi Tickets top £1000 a seat!

2009-11-03T00:08:00.005Z

Credit Crunch? What Credit Crunch! It seems either for people selling Bon Jovi tickets or those buying it the world is still awash with cash.

The Rock band are heading to England for 10 dates in June at the 02 Centre in Docklands.

Tickets range from £45 for seats at the back and in upper tiers to £200 for floor seats in the front block. But tickets for the front row of Pit 1, almost within touching distance of the stage, cost a staggering £1,275.03 each.

Angry fans said they felt betrayed by frontman Jon Bon Jovi's band, who last night performed their new single, We Weren't Born To Follow, on The X Factor.

Writing on Bon Jovi's official website, one said she had been a fan of the Livin' On A Prayer rockers for 24 years but was “gutted” by the high prices. “Have they not heard we are going through a recession?” she added.

Another said: “The prices of these tickets are ludicrous. You let us down, guys.”

Buy Bon Jovi Tickets

You can still can tickets at specialist ticket retailers like Ticket Network who have tickets for

Bon Jovi Tickets 2010-06-07 London, GL, O2 Arena

Bon Jovi Tickets 2010-06-08 London, GL, O2 Arena

Bon Jovi Tickets 2010-06-10 London, GL, O2 Arena

Bon Jovi Tickets 2010-06-11 London, GL, O2 Arena

Bon Jovi Tickets 2010-06-13 London, GL, O2 Arena

Bon Jovi Tickets 2010-06-17 London, GL, O2 Arena

Bon Jovi Tickets 2010-06-19 London, GL, O2 Arena

Bon Jovi Tickets 2010-06-20 London, GL, O2 Arena

Bon Jovi Tickets 2010-06-22 London, GL, O2 Arena

Vettel pops the question for Button.

2009-11-02T23:42:00.003Z

Asking your girlfriend or fiancee for their hand in marriage is a tough call for any guy. What is even tougher is if you aren't ready to take that step and you are put in the spot.

Spare a thought for Jensen Button. He's just won the Formula 1 World Championship, he is on top of the world and master of all her surveys, but someone forgot to send the memo to Sebastian Vettel.

The cheeky German had Button squirming during the press conference after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix the last of the Formula 1 season. The conference switched from the details of the race to Button's love life as Vettel peppered Button on when he was getting married.

“I hear you are getting married,” the 22-year-old Red Bull driver, with a prankster’s grin on his face, said to the world champion as they sat together in a news conference after the first day-to-night race.

“Are you proposing?” replied Button, who finished third for champions Brawn in the season-ending race under floodlights at Yas Marina.

“I heard you will get married,” clarified the German, who has already built up a reputation as a lover of English humour and practical jokes.

“You know, they write great things in the press. Thank you for that one Seb,” said the 29-year-old Button, who wrapped up the title in Brazil last month, with a pained look.

“But I am going to enjoy this, as we often look too far into the future and I want to just enjoy this moment and then I will look to the future after that.”

Button has been accompanied to most races this season by his Japanese-Argentine lingerie model girlfriend Jessica Michibata, with some British tabloids already wondering when he will pop the question.

Vettel refused to let the subject drop when asked later what he would be doing over the long break before testing starts up again in February. “Jenson’s getting married. So he’s busy,” he shot back.

Australian Mark Webber, second in a Red Bull one-two finish, interjected: “And we’re all invited as well, everyone. But Japan’s a long way, isn’t it?“

“What’s the date of the wedding, Jenson?” asked a newspaper reporter.

“I’m not getting married this year,” said Button.

“You don’t love her?” inquired Vettel in a voice full of mock concern.

“I think some things need to be kept private in life, and that’s one of them,” replied Button.

Alexandra Burke enjoys life at the top,

2009-10-29T22:49:00.004Z

Alexandra Burke is on the top of the world at the meoment, a No 1. Single , a No 1. album, fame, adulation and a bright future. She talks to the London Evening Standard on how all this feels.

She talks about her time on the X-Factor

"I mean, they do advise you not to be too professional. They say, whatever emotion you feel, just let it out. If you're acting too professional, that will be your biggest downfall.

"It's like, people on that stage are crying for their dreams. All that anger or sadness or anxiety that you might feel in the week builds up, and builds up, and then it's just that one moment on a Saturday night. On live TV. [The producers] do say: don't repress it. Otherwise you don't look human."

Her relationship with Simon Cowell

'If I don't like something you're saying, you will know about it. I'm not one to beat around the bush, I don't even let my mum and dad tell me what to do.' And Simon said: 'Alex, if I am ever wrong - which I never am - I will apologise to you. But if you're wrong, you need to learn to apologise to me.' Which is fair enough, isn't it?"

Her rejection before X-Factor

"I was told by a specific person in a management company that he wouldn't take me on because he had 'way too many' black people on his books. Like, huh? Why do you have to talk about me in terms of my skin colour?

Her fears after the attack on Leona

"I mean, I don't ring management for a security guard to go down the road but I tend not to go out very much by myself. It can take an hour or more to go round the corner for a pint of milk, so generally I get someone else to do it.

"The Leona attack is obviously going to freak out any artist. It was at a book signing, it couldn't have been prevented. It does make you nervous."

and much more.

Babara Windsor: The Queen leaves the Vic

2009-10-28T20:41:00.004Z

Babara Windsor has sent shockwaves through the Soap Opera fan-dom with her shock announcement that she is quitting EastEnders.

Babara has played the part of Peggy Mitchell the landlady of the Queen Vic for 15 years and has been a central character in the soap.

She say she want to leave the soap to spend time where her Husband Scott Mitchell who is 26 years her junior.

"I'll be so sad to leave Peggy behind. EastEnders has been wonderful to me and it's no secret that it changed my life all of those years ago," she said.

She added that Peggy has been a "wonderful character to play", and singled out showing the Queen around the set of EastEnders as "something that will stay with me forever".

"I'm looking forward to the future and I suppose when all's said and done, I should spend a bit more time with my old man, as he's not getting any younger."

Windsor's agent Barry Burnett told BBC News that the star had no intention of retiring from showbusiness.

"Oh no, absolutely not, can you imagine that? Anyone who knows Barbara knows what she's like," he said.

EastEnders executive producer Diederick Santer described Windsor's character as "truly iconic".

"Barbara has contributed so much to EastEnders over the last 15 years, plus countless episodes, and countless amazing storylines.

"She has made the Mitchells the premiere family of British soap," he added.

"I so much enjoy working with her - catching up with the gossip, listening to her stories, talking about the show, benefiting from her advice, and most importantly revelling in her powerful, funny, passionate performances.

"All of us at EastEnders - and our audience - are going to miss her hugely."

Find your roots with Genes Reunited

2009-10-26T22:33:00.000Z

Search for your ancestors in 679 million family trees, census, birth, marriages, death and military records. It's the quickest way to discover your family history!

It's free to build your family tree online and you can add your family in minutes!

Send messages to other members to discover a shared family history and ask advice from the UK's largest family history community

Footballer Frank Lampard and Christine Bleakey an item?

2009-10-26T19:46:00.003Z

Newspaper reports are speculating the Chelsea star and multi-millionaire Frank Lampard and One-Show co-host Chrisitne Bleakley may be an item. Both have recently split from their long term partners.

Frank Lampard called it quits from his long term relationship with Elen Rives early this year while Christine Bleakey split from fiance Mark Beirne.

London evening paper, London Lite reports the Chelsea midfielder was spotted getting “very close” to Christine Bleakley of BBC's The One Show at Amika nightclub in Kensington.

A club source said: “Frank and Christine arrived with a group of people from Strictly Come Dancing, including Zoe Lucker and Joe Calzaghe and the dancers Aliona Vilani and Nicole Cutler.

They all sat together at a table in the VIP area, with Frank next to Christine.

“He looked smitten. I didn't see them kissing, but they were flirting and looked really into each other.”

Earlier that day Lampard, 31, scored two goals in Chelsea's 5-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers, before going on to join the audience for Strictly Come Dancing — where Christine was a contestant last year. The source added: “Frank was being the man in the club — he bought at least three bottles of champagne for the group, even though he was barely drinking himself.

“There were some outrageous dance moves being pulled, and Frank looked on as Christine showed off the moves she learnt on last year's show, but didn't get too involved himself.

“Most of the group stayed for a lock-in until 4.30am, but I'm not sure if Frank and Christine left in the same car.”

Bleakley, 29, was reportedly first wooed by Lampard last month at the Pride Of Britain awards.

She broke off her engagement to leisure entrepreneur Mark Beirne, 35, in January and Mr Beirne reportedly blamed Adrian Chiles, 42, Bleakley's co-host on The One Show, for the split. Both Bleakley and Chiles have denied any romantic involvement.

Alexandra Burke beats Bublé, Houston to top album chart

2009-10-25T22:12:00.002Z

Last year's X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke has scored a remarkable double. Having topped the Singles chart last week with 'Bad Boys' has now has beaten Michael Bublé and Whitney Houston to top the UK albums chart this week.

Her debut album Overcome sold 132,065 copies in its first week of release to debut at number one. Her first single 'Bad Boys' which is also from the album was knocked off the top of the singles chart this week by Cheryl Cole's 'Fight For This Love'.

Crazy Love, the fourth studio album from Canadian singer Michael Bublé, was at two on the albums chart with sales of 78,006.

While Whitney Houston sold 51,632 copies of I Look To You, her first collection of new material since 2002, to debut at three.

The top three albums in the UK this week are

1. Alexandra Burke: 'Overcome'
2. Michael Bublé: 'Crazy Love'
3. Whitney Houston: 'I Look To You'

Robbie Williams gives free concert in Berlin

2009-10-25T14:49:00.006Z

It looks like Robbie is back on form after his somewhat bizarre appearance two weeks ago at the TV talent show the X-Factor.

First he had a well received appearance at his first concert in three years for the opening night of the Electric Proms season at the Round House, Chalk Farm, London.

He has gone on from there to Berlin where he gave a live perofrmance in front of thousands of screaming fans in Berlin today for a free concert.

The open air gig in front of the Max Schmeling Halle in Prenzlauer Berg, Berin delighted the Berliners who flocked to the event. Robbie thrilled the crowds with new songs like "Bodies", "Reality Killed the Video Star", "Starstruck" and "You Know Me" before delighting fans by finishing with his old hit "Angels". As an encore he performed "Come Undone".
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Cheryl Cole "I would snog Dannii"

2009-10-24T00:07:00.003+01:00

Cheryl Cole handed her drooling male fan base an XXX-tra special fantasy last night after confessing she would snog fellow X-Factor beauty Dannii Minogue.

The Girls Aloud star made her confession during a live web chat on MySpace where she played a game of 'snog, marry and avoid', choosing between Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Minogue.

The singer, 26, then stunned her fans when she picked the Australian stunner as her fantasy kiss writing "We would have to go snog Dannii" she wrote. "I'd kind of like to avoid the other two..."

"I'd kind of like to avoid the other two but I could not bear the thought of being married to Simon Cowell" she continued. "Because one, you would not get a word in edgeways, two he is always right, and three because it's enough just sitting next to him on the weekend"

She declared, leaving her no choice but to 'Marry' Louis.

New Hip Hop Albums for October 2009

2009-10-23T22:04:00.008+01:00

In the run up to Christmas expect a flurry of album releases in what is the most profitable season for record sales.

While we still await much promised albums from the likes of 50 Cents, Dr Dre and Snoop they have been some notable releases this month.

Mack 10 - Soft White - Mack 10's ninth album. Features collaborations with Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and Akon. The album debuted at #141 on the Billboard 200.

Ghostface Killah - Ghostdini Wizard Of Poetry In Emerald City [Explicit] - Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City is the eighth studio album by American rapper Ghostface Killah, released on September 29, 2009. Ghost first announced the album in a May 2008 interview, describing it as an R&B-inspired album, similar to songs he's done before with such artists as Ne-Yo and Jodeci.

Playaz Circle - Flight 360: The Takeoff - Signed to Ludacris' label the duo, Tity Boi (Tauheed Epps) and Dolla Boy (Earl Conyers) are hoping for good things from their third album. Not surprisingly the album features a guest appearance by Luda.

Warren G - The G-Files - Will this album achieve the highs of Regulate?

Skyzoo - Salvation - official debut album of Brooklyn rapper Skyzoo. The album was released on September 29, 2009, via Jamla Records, founded by Grammy-Award winning producer 9th Wonder, which is a sub-label of Duck Down Records.[2]. Carlitta Durand, an underground R&B singer, is the sole featured artist on the album.

X-Factor is back !

2009-10-13T22:22:00.007+01:00

X-FACTOR 2009 is on

The biggest event in British TV is back and is set to dominate TV ratings between now and when the eventual winner is crowned just before christmas.

Any self respecting blogger of celebrity and popular culture would definitely not miss commenting and following the show and we are no different.

We are even going one step further setting up dedicated blogs for each of the contestants.

Danyl Johnson

Lloyd Daniels

Rikki Loney

John and Edward Grimes

Jamie "Afro" Archer

Joseph Joe McElderry

Stacey Solomon

Rachel Adedeji

Lucie Jones

Olly Murs

Miss Frank

Kandy Rain

and we are still adding more

Stephen Gately star of Boyzone found dead

2009-10-11T10:54:00.003+01:00

Stephen Gately on of the stars of the long running Irish Boy Band Boyzone has been found dead in Majorca, Spain. A terse announcement on the Boyzone website says

Stephen tragically died yesterday whilst on holiday in Majorca with his partner Andrew.

We have no more details at the moment.

The rest of the band are traveling to Majorca this morning.

The News of the World's show business editor Dan Wootton told BBC News Gately had gone out for drinks, returned to his accommodation and gone to sleep, but never woke up.

Boyzone manager Louis Walsh, who is due to appear as a judge on The X Factor results show on Sunday, told the newspaper: "We're all absolutely devastated."

He said: "I'm in complete shock. I was only with him on Monday at an awards ceremony. We don't know much about what's happened yet.
Boyzone

"I only heard after The X Factor and we will rally around each other this week. He was a great man."

I've been away but I'm back

2009-10-09T21:40:00.002+01:00

Been away for a while... but I am back now. Back to blogging....

And now we have the divorce dance video...

2009-07-30T21:44:00.003+01:00

Millions of hits on You Tube are fine, but you know you have really hit it big time on You Tube when you get parodied. And that's just what has happened to Kevin and Jill Kheinz their Wedding Dance video has been a mega hit since it was posted two weeks ago and now along come the Wedding parodies.

The first to hit the net is titled "Kevin and Jill's last day" and is humorous reminder that so many wonderful weddings inevitably end in the divorce course, not that Jill and Kevin are heading that way.

Wedding Dance takes YouTube by storm

2009-07-24T22:07:00.004+01:00

More affirmation that we live in the era on instant celebrity. Another day and another Wedding Dance video takes YouTube by storm.

The Khienz who posted their wedding video shot at a Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota for the enjoyment of a few friends and family ( and it seems 1.7 million and rising YouTube viewers) are the latest instant fame phenomenon.

Irish Cinema warns customers over Bruno

2009-07-18T08:13:00.005+01:00

Sacha Baron Cohen loves courting controversy, and the characters he has created over the years have really pushed comedy and taste to the limit, from Ali G the sururban wannabe gangsta rapper, through Borat the interprid Journalist from the depths of Kazakhstan, to Bruno the uber-camp and flamboyantly gay Austrian TV reporter.

Of all his creations Bruno is arguably the most outrageous, so much so that a tiny Irish Cinema in Navan, Co Meath has issued a hilarious warning to its customers on its answerphone.

Click here to listen to the answerphone message

The message is clear, the sensitivities of the good folk of Navan may not withstand the assault Bruno launches of all things they consider good and proper. The announcer kicks off by reading off times for other films showing and when it comes to Bruno he has this to say

"Today we are showing Bruno at 3.15pm and 8.20pm and it carries a 16 cert. Now, Bruno is particularly vile. It leads to a hell of a lot of complaints from people who say, 'We didn't think it was that bad'."

"It is that bad, it will offend every prejudice in the book, believe me so don't come on after the film and tell us how horrible it was."

However as is said the exception proves the rule he ends his review with

"One or two people have enjoyed it though."

And if you don't know what Bruno is about, here is the trailer

Holly Willoughby to front "This Morning"

2009-07-15T22:22:00.005+01:00

Housewives (or should that be home makers), students, shift workers, Job seekers and slackers across UK are today breathing a sigh of the relief as the clarity returns to their lives. The question that haunted them for ages has been resolved as Holly Willoughby has been confirmed as the new co-host of ITV1's flagship daytime show This Morning.

Holly Willoughby who also present the Xtra Factor (X Factor's twin programme) on ITV2 was reportedly offered a £250,000 contract to replace Fern Britton on the programme, could she really say no to that kind of cahs no she couldn't saying that she would "never pass up the opportunity" to work with present host Phillip Schofield.

Britton announced her departure from This Morning in March after ten years on the famous sofa, saying she wanted to work on new projects. Her resignation coincided with revelations that she was earning a lot less than what ITV paid to her co-host Phil Schofield

Speculation over who would replace the 51-year-old has been rife since she announced she was to quit, with names including Myleene Klass, Melanie Sykes and Kate Garraway all mentioned.

Lewis Hamilton vs Jensen Button - Who's top?

2009-07-12T08:40:00.008+01:00

Not as Formula 1 racing drivers, cos to be honest I have no idea and it seems to be as a casual watcher of the sport that who is the best, depends really on who has the best car.

I am interested in the difference in the attention they have got from the British media. This year has been a great year for Jensen Button on the Formula 1 circuit. He is leading the F1 championship, like any self-respecting racing driver has a beautiful model girlfriend, and is British. You would think that would generate acres of headlines for him, but it doesn't seemed to have happened, at least not in comparison to the headlines around Lewis Hamilton over the last two years.

Jensen Button and girlfriend Jessica Michibata

Hamilton won the Championship in 2008 and came close as a rookie in 2007, he also has the glamour girlfriend - Nicole Scherzinger, but over those two years he amassed masses of headlines. This year a dip in form (that should really be a dip in the form of his car) has seen him out of contention for the Championship and the coverage of F1 outside the sports pages has up till now dropped across the board.

Lewis Hamilton and girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger

Then suddenly at today's German Grand Prix, Hamilton is back in contention at least for this race and even on the weather reports there are references to the German Grand Prix and how it would affect Hamilton's chances, no mention of Button.

I understand there is a fascination with Hamilton's back story, the first black British driver to make it in to F1, a profession that is the exclusive preserve of middle-class white males, the dedication of a dad who gave everything to see his son get where he was, and ultimately victory in only his second year on the F1 circuit.

Good back story, but what about Jensen's years toiling away at the rear end of the championship and just when everyone thought all his career would amount to was a footnote in history his upsets all odds as he roars onto a completely unexpected championship, isn't that news worthy?

This advert is guaranteed to make you smile

2009-07-10T20:43:00.003+01:00

What's not to like, a classic sound track from the 70's The Sugar Hill Gang's Rapper's Delight and cute babies roller skating...Did I hear an awwwwwwww! :-)

I think Evian have got a winner with this.

Michael Jackson Tribute : Video clips from the Memorial Service

2009-07-07T22:01:00.007+01:00

Today was the day Michael Jackson was laid to rest with a funeral and memorial service. Family, friends and 17,000 fans lucky enough to win tickets to the event gathered at the Staples Centre, Los Angeles to watch the tribute to the King of Pop

Tearful farewll from Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson

Lionel Ritchie sings at the service

Montage of Michael Jackson played at the Memorial Service

Stevie Wonder at the Memorial Service

Michael Jackson Tribute : BBC2, SKY to show memorial service Tuesday

2009-07-07T00:26:00.003+01:00

Michael Jackson fans in the UK who missed out on invitation for his memorial service tomorrow will be able to follow it live on TV tomorrow as BBC (BBC2), Sky (Sky Arts HD) and Channel 5 have all confirmed that that they will be showing it.

Programmes are expected to start at 6 pm.

Michael Jackson Tribute : Get Tickets for the Memorial Service

2009-07-04T10:21:00.005+01:00

Tickets for the memorial service for Michael Jackson are now available and the good news is they are on offer to fans across the world. Half a billion are expected to apply, with only 17,500 tickets to be made available to the public through a lottery.

To apply go to www.staplescenter.com. According to the website the Michael Jackson Public Memorial Service will take place on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. (US Pacific time) at STAPLES Center in downtown Los Angeles, California and simulcast inside to Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE across the street.

So if you don't live in the USA and you are applying, you really need to think how you would get across to Los Angeles by Tuesday.

Michael Jackson Tribute : Thriller co-star is "devastated"

2009-07-01T21:16:00.004+01:00

Tributes continue to pour in for Michael Jackson, and even from of the most unlikely places. Thriller co-star Ola Ray who now lives in Sacramento has spoken of her devastation over the death of Michael Jackson.

"I'm very devastated right now. I'm in shock. I'd like to say that Michael Jackson was my hero as well as my mentor,"

Her effusive praise went on "I am freaking out. I can't believe that he's gone. I really respected him as an entertainer. We made history together. He was the best and he will always be the best. May he rest in peace. God has him now. He may be gone but he's not forgotten. He's a legend. That's all I have to say. God bless you Michael. I love you man."

Ola co-stared with Michael Jackson in the video of Thriller 25 years ago when she was a budding actress and model. The single and accompanying video went on to become one of the biggest selling singles of all time.

Things however did not go so well for Ola Ray as her career failed to take off from there and she has been involved in legal battles with Michael Jackson to get what she claims are her fair share of royalties, with the latest suit filed last month. Makes you wonder what she is really devastated about.

Michael Jackson Tribute : BET Awards pay homage to the King of Pop.

2009-06-29T20:17:00.005+01:00

It was a night the great, the good and the not so good of Black Entertainment gathered at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles to honour the memory of Michael Jackson and despite have only a few days, what a show it turned out to be. There were moving performances at the BET Awards from a host of performers as they sang the classic which over the years have made Michael Jackson a legend

New Edition pay homage with a medley of Jackson hits

Ciara & Ne-Yo (Heal The World & Lady in my Life)

Janet Jackson thanks BET on behalf of the Jackson family. Ne-Yo and Jamie Foxx (I'll be there)

Michael Jackson Tribute : BET awards ceremony honours the King of Pop

2009-06-28T23:32:00.004+01:00

As I suspected in my last post, tonight's Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards night 2009 has been substantially re-written to honour the legacy of Michael Jackson who passed away last week.

A host of celebrities have been drawn in to star in a three and half hour show of which large parts will be dedicated to the memory of Michael.

Bobby Brown will reunite with New Edition to perform a Jackson 5 medley at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles tonight, other performers scheduled to honor Jackson with performances of his songs include Beyonce, Jamie Foxx, Ne-Yo and Maxwell.

These are all in addition to previously confirmed appearances by Jay-Z, Kanye West, Queen Latifah, Soulja Boy, Keri Hilson, Mary Mary, Fabolous, T-Pain, Keyshia Cole, Monica, Young Jeezy, Trey Songz and Tyrese. Also schedule to appear are the O'Jays, Alicia Keys, Wyclef Jean, Tyra Banks, Taraji P. Henderson, Idris Elba, Sherri Shepherd, Anthony Anderson, Paula Patton, Estelle, LeToya Luckett, Nichelle Nichols, Keke Palmer, Ray J, Snoop Dogg, Ving Rhames, Zoe Saldana and Marlon Wayans.

BET Awards 2009 Nominees : Beyonce, Lil' Wayne lead the pack

2009-06-28T09:48:00.010+01:00

The nominees for the BET 2009 awards to be held this Sunday night are out. Topping the nominees list are Lil’ Wayne and Beyonce lead with 5 nominations. Keri Hilson, T.I and T-Pain, each with four nominations, Rihanna, Jamie Foxx, Kanye West and Jazmine Sullivan all got 3 nominations.

If it has not been taped already I would expect there to be a huge tribute to Michael Jackson as well.

Nominees

Video of the Year
Beyoncé – “If I Were a Boy”
Watch Video - Download MP3

Beyoncé – “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)”
Watch Video - Download MP3

Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain “Blame It”
Watch Video - Download MP3

T.I. featuring Rihanna – “Live Your Life”
Watch Video - Download MP3

Kanye West – “Heartless”
Watch Video - Download MP3

Best Male R&B Artist
The-Dream
Jamie Foxx
Ryan Leslie
Ne-Yo
T-Pain

Best Female R&B Artist
Beyoncé
Keyshia Cole
Keri Hilson
Jennifer Hudson
Jazmine Sullivan

Best Male Hip-Hop Artist
Lil Wayne
Rick Ross
T.I.
Kanye West
Young Jeezy

Best Female Hip-Hop Artist
Lil Mama
M.I.A.
Trina

Best Group
Day26
GS Boyz
N.E.R.D.
The Roots
Three 6 Mafia

Best New Artist
Keri Hilson
Kid Cudi
Ryan Leslie
M.I.A.
Jazmine Sullivan

Viewer’s Choice
Beyoncé – “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)”
Watch Video - Download MP3

Keri Hilson featuring Lil Wayne – “Turnin’ Me On”
Watch Video - Download MP3

Lil Wayne – “A Milli”
Watch Video - Download MP3

Soulja Boy Tell’em featuring Sammie – “Kiss Me Thru the Phone”
Watch Video - Download MP3

T.I. featuring Rihanna – “Live Your Life”
Watch Video - Download MP3

T-Pain featuring Lil Wayne – “Can’t Believe It”
Watch Video - Download MP3

Kanye West – “Love Lockdown”
Watch Video - Download MP3

Best Collaboration

Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain “Blame It”
Watch Video - Download MP3

Keri Hilson featuring Lil Wayne – “Turnin’ Me On”
Watch Video - Download MP3

Jim Jones featuring Ron Browz and Juelz Santana – “Pop Champagne”
Watch Video - Download MP3

T.I. featuring Rihanna – “Live Your Life”
Watch Video - Download MP3

Yung L.A. featuring Young Dro and T.I. – “Ain’t I”
Watch Video - Download MP3

Video Director of the Year
Benny Boom
Rik Cordero
Gil Green
Chris Robinson
Hype Williams

BET J Award
Musiq Soulchild
Raphael Saadiq
Seal
Solange
Jazmine Sullivan

Best Gospel Artist
Regina Belle
Shirley Caesar
Mary Mary
Smokie Norfu
Trin-I-Tee 5:7

Best Actor
Common
Idris Elba
Samuel L jackson
Will Smith
Samal Woolard

Best Actress
Beyonce
Taraji Henson
Rosario Dawnson
Jennifer Judson
Angela Bassett

Best Female Athlete
Tamika Catchings
Serena Williams
Venus Williams
Lisa Leslie
Candace Parker

Best Male Athlete
Dwyane Wade
Tiger Woods
Kobe Bryant
James Lebron
Reggie Bush

Performers
Beyonce
Drake
Keri Hilson
Soulja Boy
Ne-Yo
Jay Z
Mary Mary
Maxwell
Fabolous
Keyshia Cole
Monica

Michael Jackson Tribute : Lisa Marie Presley

2009-06-27T09:29:00.004+01:00

Theirs was a marriage so unusual yet in some way so expected. The daughter of "The King", Elvis Presley, and the King of Pop, it was a fusion of America's musical royalty.

Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson got married in 1994 just twenty days after Lisa Marie had divorced her first husband. Their marriage came at the height of the controversy surrounding Michael Jackson and in many ways Lisa Marie served as the crutch he needed through those trying times. The strain of the accusations eventually took their toll on the marriage and January 1996 they divorced.

Many people had claimed it was a sham, but lisa marie ahd come out time and again to stress it was a real marriage between tow people forced to live unreal lives. During the marraige the memorably appeared in Jackson video "You are not alone".

Michael Jackson You Are Not Alone

On Friday she gave a statement on her love for Michael and her regret she could not have done more.

"He Knew.

Years ago Michael and I were having a deep conversation about life in general.

I can't recall the exact subject matter but he may have been questioning me about the circumstances of my Fathers Death.

At some point he paused, he stared at me very intensely and he stated with an almost calm certainty, "I am afraid that I am going to end up like him, the way he did."

I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that.

14 years later I am sitting here watching on the news an ambulance leaves the driveway of his home, the big gates, the crowds outside the gates, the coverage, the crowds outside the hospital, the Cause of death and what may have led up to it and the memory of this conversation hit me, as did the unstoppable tears.

A predicted ending by him, by loved ones and by me, but what I didn't predict was how much it was going to hurt when it finally happened.

The person I failed to help is being transferred right now to the LA County Coroners office for his Autopsy.

All of my indifference and detachment that I worked so hard to achieve over the years has just gone into the bowels of hell and right now I am gutted.

I am going to say now what I have never said before because I want the truth out there for once.

Our relationship was not "a sham" as is being reported in the press. It was an unusual relationship yes, where two unusual people who did not live or know a "Normal life" found a connection, perhaps with some suspect timing on his part. Nonetheless, I do believe he loved me as much as he could love anyone and I loved him very much.

I wanted to "save him" I wanted to save him from the inevitable which is what has just happened.

His family and his loved ones also wanted to save him from this as well but didn't know how and this was 14 years ago. We all worried that this would be the outcome then.

At that time, In trying to save him, I almost lost myself.

He was an incredibly dynamic force and power that was not to be underestimated.

When he used it for something good, It was the best and when he used it for something bad, It was really, REALLY bad.

Mediocrity was not a concept that would even for a second enter Michael Jackson's being or actions.

I became very ill and emotionally/ spiritually exhausted in my quest to save him from certain self-destructive behavior and from the awful vampires and leeches he would always manage to magnetize around him.

I was in over my head while trying.

I had my children to care for, I had to make a decision.

The hardest decision I have ever had to make, which was to walk away and let his fate have him, even though I desperately loved him and tried to stop or reverse it somehow.

After the Divorce, I spent a few years obsessing about him and what I could have done different, in regret.

Then I spent some angry years at the whole situation.

At some point, I truly became Indifferent, until now.

As I sit here overwhelmed with sadness, reflection and confusion at what was my biggest failure to date, watching on the news almost play by play The exact Scenario I saw happen on August 16th, 1977 happening again right now with Michael (A sight I never wanted to see again) just as he predicted, I am truly, truly gutted.

Any ill experience or words I have felt towards him in the past has just died inside of me along with him.

He was an amazing person and I am lucky to have gotten as close to him as I did and to have had the many experiences and years that we had together.

I desperately hope that he can be relieved from his pain, pressure and turmoil now.

He deserves to be free from all of that and I hope he is in a better place or will be.

I also hope that anyone else who feels they have failed to help him can be set free because he hopefully finally is.

The World is in shock but somehow he knew exactly how his fate would be played out some day more than anyone else knew, and he was right.

I really needed to say this right now, thanks for listening."

~LMP

Michael Jackson Tribute : Berry Gordy father of Motown pays tribute

2009-06-26T23:07:00.007+01:00

Berry Gordy was the man who turned five kids from Gary Indiana and turned them in to stars - the Jackson 5, and this lay the foundation for the emergence of Michael Jackson. Like many across the world he feels a sense of loss over the death of Michael Jackson, however unlike many he knew the man not just the legend personally and shares his sorrow on this video.

Michael Jackson Tribute : Fans memories send Jackson back to No1

2009-06-26T21:30:00.004+01:00

As fans around the world struggle to come to terms with the loss of one of the world's greatest musical icons they are latching on to mementos and keepsakes as a way of preserving the memories.

One side effect of this is that Michael Jackson's music is seeing a huge resurgence in sales with his singles and albums taking top spots on iTunes, Amazon.

On Amazon the current top ten best sellers are

and things are no different on Amazon (UK) as memories of Michael Jackson also dominate.

Off the Wall: Special Edition

Fans pay tribute to Michael Jackson outside the Apollo Theatre, Harlem

2009-06-26T07:21:00.003+01:00

The Apollo Theatre Harlem, New York is the spiritual home of African American music and today thousands of fans gather to pay homage to Michael Jackson King of Pop.

RIP : Michael Jackson 1958 -2009

2009-06-26T00:57:00.001+01:00

...you've gone too soon.

Quincy Jones pays tribute to Michael Jackson

2009-06-26T00:29:00.004+01:00

Quincy Jones the legendary producer who together with Michael Jackson created three of the world's most phenomenal music albums - Bad, Thriller and Off the Wall has released a statement

"I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news. For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words.

Divinity brought our souls together on The Wiz and allowed us to do what we were able to throughout the 80's.

To this day, the music we created together on "Off The Wall," "Thriller" and "Bad" is played in every corner of the world and the reason for that is because he had it all...talent, grace, professionalism and dedication.

He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever.

I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."

Reports: TMZ says Micheal Jackson is dead

2009-06-25T22:48:00.017+01:00

Breaking news just coming in suggests that Michael Jackson has had a cardiac arrest and has died.

Reports are coming in from the entertainment website TMZ

I am in total shock !

Update 23:11 GMT

There is a lot of confusion. Most major news outlets are holding back from confirming or denying the story but they are all quoting TMZ extensively.

Update 23:27 GMT

The LA Times is reporting

Pop star Michael Jackson is in a coma and his family is arriving at his bedside, a law enforcement source told The Times.

Jackson was rushed to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center this afternoon by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics.

Fire Capt. Steve Ruda said paramedics responded to a call at Jackson's home at 12:26 p.m. He was not breathing when they arrived. The paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and took him to the hospital, Ruda told The Times.

Update 23:24 GMT

It looks like our worst fears are confirmed the LA Times has joined TMZ in reporting that Michael Jackson is now dead.

Pop star Michael Jackson was pronounced dead by doctors this afternoon after arriving at a hospital in a deep coma, city and law enforcement sources told The Times.]

May his soul rest in perfect peace.

Update 23:36 GMT
Confirmation now coming in from several news sources including AP, CBS and the BBC.

Update 00:44 GMT
The Los Angeles Coroner has confirmed his death.

.

Boom Boom Pow: Paris Hilton in rumble with will.i.am

2009-06-23T22:53:00.007+01:00

A major spat has broken out between celebrity blogger Perez Hilton and Black Eyed Peas star will.i.am. News of the spat seeped into the public domain early yesterday when Perez Hilton wrote on twitter at 12:34 that

I'm in shock. I need the police ASAP. Please come to the SoHo Metropolitan Hotel now. Please.

12:34 AM Jun 22nd from Sidekick

and two minutes later he sent the message

I was assaulted by Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas and his security guards. I am bleeding. Please, I need to file a police report. No joke.

12:36 AM Jun 22nd from Sidekick

Not to long after Perez allegations were sternly denied by will.i.am as he also went online to twitter to refute the allegations. His reponses were

I hit you Perez? Come on dude! I didn't hit you. Instead of calling police, you Twittered that I assaulted you. Sounds like somebody wants mad attention.

He then added

He added: 'They are lies. Shame on you. Shame on your behaviour. That's just messed up.'

It has been reported the spat originated from Perez's constant criticism of the Black Eyed Peas, with one report stating

Perez has frequently criticised Fergie's fashion sense on his blog, labelling her 'fugly', which mean 'fucking ugly', and has slammed the Black Eyed Peas' latest album The E.N.D. and track Boom Boom Pow
.

Later that evening, Will.i.am allegedly approached Perez outside the Cobra club, telling him 'never write things about my band on your website again'.

Openly gay Perez admitted he hit back with several slurs: 'I told him, "And you know what, I don't need to respect you. And you're a f**got. You're gay and stop being such a f**got.'

The alledged assualt is said to have occurred outside the Cobra nightclub following the MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto, Canada on Sunday night.

Chris Brown gets suspensed sentence for assualt on Rihanna

2009-06-22T22:37:00.006+01:00

A court in Los Angeles has sentenced R&B Singer to 5 years probation for felony assault. The charge arose over an incident in February this year in which Chris Brown was alledged to have attacked his then girlfriend Rihanna.

The judgement passed by L.A. Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg leaves Chris Brown facing a 4 year jail sentence if he violates the terms of his probation which includes 180 days doing community labor (8 hours a day : 1440 hours total) and maintaining a minimum distance of 50 yards away from Rihanna at all times – except at industry events, when it's reduced to 10 yards, He will be required to come back to court every three months and must enroll in a domestic violence counseling program.

The judgement came after a plea bargain by Chris Brown's team. This brings an end to a saga that shocked the entertainment world when it broke. They seemed to be the perfect couple and now both parties are left trying to rebuild their lives again.

Ronaldo and Paris Hilton what gives?

2009-06-18T21:49:00.005+01:00

He is famous for his dazzling skills on the football pitch and she is famous for ...well for being famous for reasons no one has fully worked out, and the unlikely 'friendship' between ex-Manchester United striker Ronaldo and heiress and party girl extraordinaire Paris Hilton is setting the celebrity circuit alight.

Ronaldo and Paris met up as Ronaldo celebrated his world record £80m transfer from Manchester United to Spanish giants Real Madrid at the posh My House night club on Hollywood Boulevard, LA. Witnesses in the club on the night said the the spark between the two was instant, with one clubber who was quoted in the The Sun newspaper describing the meeting

"Ronaldo and Paris were all over each other, kissing in a VIP booth. They were kissing on the lips and meeting people as a couple, holding hands or with his arm around her. Her hands were all over his lap. There was a lot of very suggestive body language."

"They looked adorable together. It was as though they'd been dating for ages. He was reclined all the way back in a chair with his legs spread wide open. It looked almost pornographic."

"Paris's black minidress was getting higher and higher as the night wore on. At one point people on a neighbouring table threw silver confetti at them. A bunch stuck to Paris's upper thigh, which she draped over Ronaldo's lap."

They met up again the next day for a private party and now Paris says she ready to jet over to Madrid to meet up with Ronaldo. Gushing over her new beau she has vowed that “I am totally going to Madrid to see him,”

Looks like we may have the making of a new WAG. Paris is currently in Dubai for the filming of her BFF (Best Friend Forever) Dubai show.