Spears puts paparazzo in hospital
Britney Spears has reportedly caused the hospitalisation of a paparazzo after knocking him off his motorcycle with her car.
The troubled singer was trying to get away from a group of paparazzi near the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles on Monday night when the incident occurred.
The victim, believed to be a 'spotter' that notifies photographers of celebrities' whereabouts, was immediately taken to the nearby Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, according to TMZ. His present condition is unclear.
It is not the first time that Spears' driving has come under scrutiny. Last month she drove over another paparazzo's foot and was also involved in a reported hit-and-run incident in August, but the case was later dropped.
At the beginning of last month she pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanour charge of driving without a valid California driver's permit and has since obtained a temporary one.
Watson going ahead with album release
Russell Watson has opted to go ahead with his scheduled album release date despite his recent health problems, because he insists the fans deserve it.
The tenor was rushed to hospital last month with a brain tumour and had to undergo complex surgery to remove it.
He has since been recovering at home, but Watson released a statement today insisting that he would still release his upcoming album, even though he has been advised to delay it.
The statement said: "Russell is presently recovering at home. He had been advised by both ourselves and his record label to delay the scheduled release of his new record.
"His response was resolute and in his own words ‘there is absolutely no way that this record is to be delayed. After what I have just been through and with the near future in doubt it is unclear when and if there will be a good time to release the record.'
"'This has led to the decision that I would like the record to go ahead as planned. Although I won’t be actively promoting the record it is more for the fans who have waited long enough for this.'"
Watson’s management added: "With it still uncertain when and if he will have to undergo a period of radiotherapy treatment, we cannot make any more plans for the near future."
Beckham signs £20m underwear deal
David Beckham is to model Armani underwear in a £20 million deal.
The footballer will promote the fashion house's 'Emporio SS08' range for three years until 2010.
His first advertising campaign, which he shot on Friday, will appear on billboards and in magazines in January.
The deal is thought to be part of a strategy by Beckham's management team to maximise his earnings as his playing career draws to close.
His sponsorship earnings have dropped for the second year running following his move to the US, a series of injuries and the end of his contracts with Gillette and Vodafone. However, he still has deals with Adidas, Pepsi, Motorola and perfume maker Coty, and pockets £500,000 a week to play for LA Galaxy.
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Come on, does he really need more money? £20m for posing in his underwear once or twice a season is scandalous.
Joss Stone sad about British snub
Joss Stone has spoken out about the reaction she has been getting from her British fans and claims that she feels rejected by them.
The British soul artist has spent the last few years in the States and made a comeback to the country at the Brit Awards, but she was mocked for speaking with an American accent at the event.
She was then booed when she turned up late to one of her concerts and has failed to sell many copies of her second album after the success of her debut.
Stone told DJ Trevor Nelson on his BBC 1Xtra radio show: "I felt kind of sad about it actually. It's funny because the only country that hasn't liked it is my own.
"It's just like, well, thanks guys! It's like coming home and having them be like, 'Go away, we don't like you!'
"It's the whole country and it's like they're mad at me for being in the US.
"Maybe it's because I dye my hair, maybe because my accent is messed up. But I've got to let it go and get on with my music."
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She made a rod for her own back when she came back from America with that annoying fake accent and made snide comments about Robbie when he was in rehab and the Queen at the Brits.
Family want Jolie's adopted daughter back
The family of Angelina Jolie's adopted daughter Zahara have said that they want her to bring the child back to her home in Africa.
The actress adopted the Ethiopian girl from an orphanage when she was diseased and close to death, but now her grandmother has insisted that the paperwork is incorrect and that she should be returned because her mother is still alive.
But on the adoption papers, obtained by US magazine In Touch Weekly, it states that although she has family in Africa she has no living parents.
Mentewab Dawit Lebiso, who claims to be the girl's mother said: "I want my daughter to come home to see where she is from.
"Her grandmother and I both tried very hard to raise her, and I want her to come home to regain her identity."
The aunt of Zahara has also spoken out about Jolie and Pitt's adoption, saying: "My mother was very sad. At one point she was even thinking of trying to find a way to bring her grandchild back, but she has no money, so she can't."
But reports claim Jolie and her partner Brad Pitt will fight for their daughter. A source said: "She believes that Zahara is an orphan and the woman who claims to be her mom is mistaken.
"Zahara was days away from death and Angelina saved that child. As far as she is concerned, that bonded her to that little girl forever."
Spears to spend £80,000 on surgery
Britney Spears is rumoured to have had liposuction as part of plans to undergo £80,000 worth of cosmetic surgery.
The singer reportedly had work done on her hips and bottom while searching for a house in Nevada last weekend.
A friend recently told Closer that Spears wants a tummy tuck and boob job to help shed the weight she has gained since becoming a mother. She also intends to have a nose job and chemical peel.
The source said: "Britney rips pages out of magazines with pictures of the perfect body parts she wants. When she sees so many pictures of her in magazines, it is impossible for her not to scrutinise every detail of her body.
"She is so insecure over how much her body has changed since becoming a mother. She has said she will do whatever it takes to get back to her best, even if that means getting a helping hand through surgery."
It has also been reported that the 25-year-old is being treated by two psychologists in Beverly Hills.
Winehouse's beehive checked for drugs
Amy Winehouse's beehive hairpiece was checked for drugs when she went to visit her husband Blake Fielder-Civil in prison.
Police officers at Pentonville prison, where Fielder-Civil has been remanded in custody, were suspicious of the singer when she went to the jail yesterday.
According to The Sun, Winehouse was asked by a warden to run her fingers through the famous hair-do to prove that she did not have any drugs stashed in it, but nothing was found.
Winehouse's husband was arrested last week on charges of perverting the course of justice after allegedly trying to fix a trial in which he was accused of assaulting a pub landlord.
Lloyd Webber defends 'genius' Winehouse
Andrew Lloyd Webber has defended Amy Winehouse's performance in Birmingham on Wednesday and slammed people for criticising the star.
The composer, who was in the crowd for the show, insisted that Winehouse showed "flashes of genius" and claimed he could not understand why she was booed and people were walking out.
During the performance the singer dedicated a song to her husband Blake Fielder-Civil, whom she had visited in jail that morning. She also reportedly stumbled her way through a few songs and finally dropped her microphone and walked off stage after fans started leaving the venue.
But Lord Lloyd Webber claims she is the "new Ella Fitzgerald" and praised her, saying: "I thought there were moments when she was absolutely magnificent. I didn't notice her doing anything peculiar. I thought her voice was toned and she was handling material you would not expect a girl of her age to cope with.
"It was strange what happened. Suddenly, way into the show, the audience suddenly turned on her and she wasn't equipped to handle it.
"I was with Sir David Frost and he has seen it all. Neither of us could work out why the crowd turned on her - it just happened in one moment."
After being heckled by the audience, Winehouse bit back, saying: "Let me tell you something. First of all, if you're booing you're a mug for buying a ticket.
"Second, to all those booing, just wait til my husband gets out of incarceration. And I mean that."
The music impresario explained that by reacting in the way she did she had made things worse, but claimed the turmoil added to her appeal, telling The Sun: "There were moments during the show where she was up there with the A-list. Amy showed flashes of genius.
"It wasn't fair what happened to her. If she was working with me I would have a heart-to-heart about her obvious talent. I would beg her not to throw it away and advise her to get whatever help she needed."
Lloyd Webber added: "If she hadn't abused the crowd everybody would have gone home saying 'Gosh she's right back. Terrific concert.'"
