March 29, 2010

Irish band Boyzone's album "Brother" has climbed back to the top of the U.K. rundown, ending Lady GaGa's double chart reign. The "Poker Face" hitmaker's "The Fame" record and her track with Beyonce Knowles, "Telephone", topped the British charts last week .

Her award-winning album was knocked to number two by Boyzone on Sunday's March 28 rundown, but her controversial duet stayed atop the singles chart. At three in the album chart was Justin Bieber's "My World", which climbed 30 places. At four was Laura Marling's "I Speak Because I Can", while the top five was rounded out by the "Glee" cast's soundtrack, "Volume Two".

Roger Daltrey is stunned by the success of his annual cancer charity gigs in the U.K. - because the star was convinced he'd have to cancel the residency at London's Royal Albert Hall after just two years. The Who rocker founded the Teenage Cancer Trust concert series in 2000, and has played with his band on four different occasions, as well as signing up stars including Noel Gallagher, Ronnie Wood and Chris Martin to perform.

And Daltrey admits he's shocked the shows have remained so popular. He tells Britain's Daily Star, "I'm amazed. It seems like yesterday that we started. I wanted to do something about the problem that teenage cancer sufferers have and I was determined to stick with it."

Aussie singer Kylie Minogue has stripped off for a new cancer awareness campaign, five years after she was diagnosed with the disease. The "Spinning Around" hitmaker poses in just a bedsheet in the saucy shoot for the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer 2010 fundraising initiative.

She joins Sienna Miller and Claudia Schiffer, who have also been snapped for the promo. Minogue says, "It means so much to me to be part of this year's campaign for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer. I wholeheartedly support their effort to raise funds for the vital work undertaken by Breakthrough Brest Cancer."

Madonna is set to fly to Africa to introduce her adopted daughter Mercy to her biological family, according to a U.K. report. The "Material Girl" 's four year old spent her formative years in an orphanage in Malawi before the singer took her home last year.

The tot's father James Kambewa launched a legal bid last April to regain custody of his daughter, but gave up his fight just two months later, June 2009. But now he's preparing to be reunited with little Mercy. Britain's The Sun claims Madonna is flying the girl, as well as her adopted son David, back to Malawi next week to meet the families they left behind.

Rihanna has reportedly stepped up her security after a male fan allegedly sent her saucy letters. The "Umbrella" hitmaker is said to have been the target of X-rated messages in the post from one mystery man.

And her rumored boyfriend - baseball player Matt Kemp - is so worried about the situation, he's advised the singer to be wary of any mail she receives, according to Britain's Daily Star. A source tells the publication, "Matt has asked Rihanna's team to be extra cautious since she was sent two very steamy letters."

The stepbrother of British singer Jamelia has been jailed for shooting a man during race riots in the U.K. Tobias Rowe will spend a minimum of 12 years behind bars after he was found guilty earlier this month of attempted murder in connection to a 2005 shooting.

The 27 year old was among a gang who targeted staff and customers in two bars in relation to a man allegedly raping a woman in Birmingham, England. Rowe was also found guilty of rioting, conspiracy to rob, two charges of possessing a firearm and possessing ammunition in relation to the riots. He was found not guilty of another charge of attempted murder and an alternative charge of attempted wounding with intent by a jury at Birmingham's Crown Court.

Abigail Breslin's Broadway show "The Miracle Worker" is set to close next month, April, after it failed to win over critics and audiences. The revival of William Gibson's play, about a young deaf and blind Helen Keller, played by Breslin, and her instructor, played by Alison Pill, has earned mixed reviews since it debuted earlier this year.

One critic wrote, "Surely this production, the first revival of The Miracle Worker to come to Broadway, could have highlighted the play's strengths more effectively... (director) Ms. Whoriskey's production never finds its focus."

The second "Waiting Sucks" promo of "True Blood" has been released and it again uses "on location" footage. This time the stage is given to Sam who is asleep in his car before someone wakes him up with the tip of a gun.

Sam's family is explored in the third season which is premiering on June 13. He gets a younger brother Tommy Mickens who is portrayed by Marshall Allman. Meanwhile, Tony-nominated actress J. Smith-Cameron will play the recurring role as Melinda Mickens aka Sam's mother. Tommy is a dirty but good looking youngster who works at a Tire Depot in Arkansas while Melinda is described as "dirt-poor, hung-over and trashy-looking".

Emma Thompson opened up about her past family heartache on a U.K. TV show on Sunday, March 28, revealing her beloved grandmother was raped as a child. The "Nanny McPhee" star confessed that her nana, Annie Jackson, was sexually attacked by her employer when she worked as a maid during World War I.

The unnamed man repeatedly raped Annie, then aged 12, and eventually left her pregnant - in the hope she would give up the baby to him and his wife, who were unable to conceive. But Annie fled back to her family home and went on to have the tot, who was Thompson's Uncle.

The team partners with the FBI in an attempt to apprehend a serial killer before he shoots his next victims. On April 4, "Cold Case" will air the second part of a two-episode arc that involves guest star Susanna Thompson as an FBI agent who takes the case personally.

In this week's episode, viewers learned that a tough FBI agent with ties to Stillman shows up to enlist the team's aid in finding the killer who has eluded her for 30 years. It turns out that FBI Agent Diane Yates has a hidden agenda in finding the murderer - to get a revenge for having her marriage ruined by the killer.

"Acapella" music video has arrived in full and it sees Kelis as the last woman standing on earth who adopts the tribal way of life. The video was filmed in Los Angeles with British director Chris Cottam and fashion photographer Rankin. Wolves are also brought forward in this clip.

"It has a really strong, universal, tribal vibe to it. When I say that, I mean it's no particular tribe; it's a little bit of everything," she told Rap-Up. "It's like if the world were to end and there was one woman standing, what would it be like?"

Baseball player Darryl Strawberry has been fired from "The Celebrity Apprentice", not based on Mr. Trump's decision but on his own accord. The guys' team Rocksolid lost to the women's Tenacity in the task to create a four page advertorial for Lifelock and Norton 360 although the execs said they would have to change both ads if they actually use them.

In the first boardroom, everyone in Rocksolid seemed to put the blame on their project manager Michael Johnson. But the Olympic Gold Medal sprinter defended himself, shifting the weight to Rod Blagojevich who had no clue how to use laptop. Michael said Rod was his worst player.

Eddie Cibrian's ex-wife has accused the actor's new girlfriend LeAnn Rimes of ruining plans for their son's upcoming birthday by refusing to let the boy spend it with his mother and father.

Brandi Glanville was dumped by Cibrian last year after he embarked on an affair with his Northern Lights co-star Rimes. The singer/actress subsequently split from her husband Dean Sheremet and the stars have since set up home together in Los Angeles.

Lindsay Lohan has blasted reports alleging her wild lifestyle has left her facing an early grave, insisting she's "fine" and "healthy". The "Mean Girls" star has earned herself a reputation as a Hollywood wildchild in recent years thanks to a string of boozy nights out, arrests for drug possession and driving violations and stints in rehab.

Lohan hit the headlines again this week when she was snapped falling into a cactus bed in Los Angeles after a night out. She blamed her high heels and the overzealous paparazzi for "pushing" her into the prickly patch of plants, but a source close to the star told TMZ.com her reportedly erratic behavior has friends and family worried she's back on drugs.

Uma Thurman's new film "Motherhood" has epically flopped at the U.K. box office - the film only made $132 in its opening weekend. Thurman plays a stressed mum who struggles to balance parenting and her career in the new movie - which only took $60,000 in the U.S. when it opened last year.

But the response to the film was even worse in Britain - where only one person went to watch the movie on Sunday, March 7, and the film only garnered an embarrassing $132 during the whole weekend.

Katy Perry kissed Justin Bieber at the Nickelodeon's Kids Choice Awards and she likes it. She posted on Twitter a picture of her planting her lips on Justin's cheek with a message read, "Told you I would tap that. Yummy."

The "I Kissed a Girl" hitmaker and the Canadian teen singer, who once also got a kiss from Rihanna, reunited at Perez Hilton's birthday party later on. The two pop stars were snapped by photographers sharing a hug and laugh at the bash.

Grammy-winning singer Gretchen Wilson is scheduled to release her long-delayed studio album "I Got Your Country Right Here" across the United States on March 30. Her fourth effort, it is aimed to follow up her 2007 chart-busting record "One of the Boys".

"This is the album of my career; This album turns the page for me. I'm proud of every song on here, and I'm excited about the team we've put together to get this music out to the fans," she said. "Every song on it is one that I truly believe in. And the sequence of this record is perfect, as far as I'm concerned."

Jude Law is reportedly fuming over his ex-wife Sadie Frost's plans to reveal all about their marriage and subsequent divorce in a forthcoming autobiography. The "Alfie" star was married to Frost for six years before they split in 2003 and now the fashion designer is set to lift the lid on their life together in her memoir.

But Law is not impressed and is said to be seeking legal advice from his girlfriend Sienna Miller's lawyers about the book. A source tells Britain's Mail On Sunday, "Jude has told Sadie that he wants to know exactly what is written about him. He is very worried that some of the revelations could be damaging to his career and upsetting for their children when they are old enough to read it."

Pop star Stacy Ferguson aka Fergie was left red-faced at a Black Eyed Peas' concert on Wednesday, March 24 when she slipped and fell to the floor. The band was performing their track "Let's Get It Started" in Kansas City, Missouri when Fergie, dressed in a futuristic robot costume, lost her footing and landed faced down on her hands and knees.

But the star refused to let the mishap throw her off key - she jumped straight back to her feet and continued singing the song with her bandmates.

Scottish actor Gerard Butler personally apologized to his former high school crush - after namechecking her on a U.S. TV show. The actor was a guest on comedian Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show on Wednesday, March 24 and was asked if any woman had ever shunned the "300" star.

Butler pretended it was still a sore point, saying, "This girl, Julie Morrison... was the one you'd end up round the back of the bike sheds with... I'll never forget her walking up the stairs... and I said something to her and then I gave her a long, lingering look... and she looked at me and gave me these come-to-bed eyes."

Rap superstar Jay-Z made one female fan's dreams come true on Friday night, March 26 when he sang happy birthday to her in front of a star-studded crowd at his concert in Los Angeles. The "Empire State of Mind" hitmaker was playing at the Staples Center when he spotted the devotee holding up a 'Birthday Girl' sign and treated her to a special performance.

The show, which was attended by celebrities including Tobey Maguire, Ryan Phillippe, Chris Rock, Christina Aguilera, Pete Wentz and wife Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, also saw a guest appearance from rap legend Ice Cube, who took to the stage with Jay-Z's tour mate Young Jeezy to perform his track "Check Yo' Self".

Latin superstar Shakira plans to settle down and start a family next year after she completes her upcoming world tour. The "Hips Don't Lie" hitmaker, 33, is set to promote her latest album "She Wolf" with a trek around the globe later this year.

But she's already looking beyond the live shows and admits she's looking forward to taking a break from her career to have a baby with longterm boyfriend Antonio de la Rua. The Colombian beauty says, "My plan is to do a world tour and then to think about having a baby. My body clock isn't going crazy, but I feel ready. My body feels ready. Antonio and I have talked about it and it's the next step for us."

New Kids On The Block star Joey McIntyre has opened up about his struggles as a father after revealing his baby boy Rhys was born severely deaf. McIntyre's wife Barrett gave birth to their second son in December 2009, but the tot was found to suffer from a serious hearing impairment after failing a series of tests shortly after he was born.

The couple admits it had difficulty coming to terms with the news at first, but the family is gradually learning to deal with it. Barrett tells People.com, "What's wild is we will never really know how (anything) sounds for him. We went through a full range of emotions. As a mother you want to protect your kids. I thought, 'How could I let this happen?' I felt responsible."

Fans of country legend Willie Nelson have been forced to wait another seven months to see their idol live after he postponed a series of concerts on his U.S. tour this week due to a "scheduling conflict".

The singer announced the six shows in early March and was scheduled to perform for fans in Wisconsin on Tuesday, March 23 and concluding in Iowa on Sunday, March 28. But Nelson canceled the dates at the last minute, citing "an unanticipated scheduling conflict".

Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle is so excited about her worldwide success, she's convinced she'll be worth $24 million by next year. Boyle shot to fame on Simon Cowell's "Britain's Got Talent" last year when a clip of her singing spread across the internet and gained her legions of dedicated fans. She went on to release her debut album "I Dreamed a Dream", which became the biggest-selling CD of 2009 in the U.K., and has now sold more than 8.5 million copies globally.

Boyle has reportedly been living off an allowance from Cowell, but she will receive her first big payout from her worldwide sales when she turns 49 on April Fool's Day. And the singer is looking forward to buying a new five-bedroom, three-bathroom riverside property in her hometown of Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland. Boyle says, "I'm no April fool - I'm going to be worth 16 million pounds next year."

Hollywood couple Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher have launched a new campaign against child slavery in earthquake-ravaged Haiti to put a stop to the unethical practice. The pair has teamed up to voice their concerns over the country's 'restavec' system, in which a child is sent to work as a domestic servant for another family as a means of supporting themselves.

Moore and Kutcher claim the slavery prevents youngsters from gaining an education and experiencing their childhood, and have used their Demi & Ashton foundation to sponsor a pledge to encourage members at a United Nations meeting on Wednesday, March 31 to donate to Haiti and call for the restavec system to be banned altogether.

Michael Jackson was resuscitated by doctors an hour after he suffered the cardiac arrest which led to his death, according to the King of Pop's father Joe Jackson. The "Thriller" superstar's heart stopped after he was allegedly given a dose of powerful anaesthetic Propofol by his personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray last June 2009. The medic has pleaded not guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter after Los Angeles prosecutors charged him with administering the drug to the singer.

Joe Jackson wants Murray held to account for medical malpractice and his lawyer Brian Oxman revealed last week that he was preparing to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the doctor on behalf of the family patriarch. In the legal documents, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court and obtained by Britain's News of the World tabloid, it is alleged that Jackson was revived for 10 minutes after being admitted to the UCLA hospital on 25 June 2009.

Hollywood star John Cusack suffers from a regular case of mistaken identity - movie fans frequently get him mixed up with Kevin Spacey and Matthew Broderick. The "Being John Malkovich" star admits he is always recognized in the street, but people can't seem to pinpoint which movie they saw him in.

He tells Us Weekly magazine, "Sometimes people say, 'I loved you in American Beauty', or 'I loved you in Ferris Bueller's Day Off'. I go, 'No, no, no!'"

Paramount Pictures made use of the 23rd Annual Kids Choice Awards to promote "Iron Man 2". During the event, a TV spot that contains a couple of new footage was played. Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Spark is seen demonstrating his powerful new weapon with Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff's assistance. There's also a scene of Don Cheadle's Rhodey trying out his War Machine suit.

"Iron Man 2" will see Tony who is asked to share his technology with the military after the world is aware that he is the man behind the armored superhero Iron Man. However, Tony is unwilling to divulge the secrets behind the Iron Man armor because he fears the information will slip into the wrong hands. With Pepper Potts, and James "Rhodey" Rhodes at his side, Tony forges new alliances and confronts powerful new forces.

Actress Courteney Cox struggled when she had her first baby, Coco, aged 40 - because the late birth had such an impact on her body. The former "Friends" star, now 45, welcomed her daughter with husband David Arquette in 2004, and admits the birth took its toll on her figure.

She says, "I had a baby at 40, and my body will never be the same again. I gave birth to Coco two days before my birthday. I just couldn't believe I had a kid and I didn't know what to do with her. Things get harder the older you get. Forty-five is hard and it struck a nerve with me."

"Lethal Weapon" star Danny Glover is shocked by the extent of the devastation caused by the Haiti earthquake, comparing the destruction to the aftermath of World War Two. Haiti was rocked by a massive earthquake in January, leaving hundreds of thousands dead and an estimated one million people homeless.

Glover traveled to the Caribbean country last week to witness the disaster zone for himself, and he was stunned by what he saw, likening it to the devastation caused by the bombings of the Second World War. He tells Reuters, "We have to understand the magnitude of this, really the magnitude of this. This is... the pictures I remember watching, of looking at the remnants, the aftermath of World War Two."

The father of Michelle McGee, the woman at the center of Sandra Bullock and Jesse James' marriage breakdown, has defended the tattoo model for speaking out about her alleged affair with the TV mechanic, insisting she is no homewrecker.

Bullock's world came crashing down just days after she won Oscar gold on March 7, when McGee went public with claims of an 11-month affair with James while the Hollywood star was on location shooting her award-winning movie "The Blind Side".

James Cameron's "Avatar" ruled Britain's Empire Film Awards on Sunday night, March 28, taking home three of the top trophies. The sci-fi epic won the coveted Best Film honor and Cameron landed the Best Director award, while Zoe Saldana was named the Best Actress at the ceremony in London.

"Inglourious Basterds" star Christoph Waltz won the Best Actor award for his role in Quentin Tarantino's movie, while Aaron Johnson won the Best Newcomer honor for his portrayal of a young John Lennon in "Nowhere Boy". Guy Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes" landed the Best Thriller film award and "Star Trek" won Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy film.

Gerard Butler's animated adventure "How to Train Your Dragon" has fought its way to the top of the U.S. box office chart with opening weekend takings of $43.3 million. The DreamWorks movie, which also features the voices of Jay Baruchel and America Ferrera, tells the tale of a Viking boy who tames a fire-breathing dragon.

The 3-D film ended "Alice in Wonderland"'s three-week run at number one; Tim Burton's Disney fantasy slips to second place with $17.3 million, taking its total gross in the U.S. to $293.1 million.

Katy Perry had an extra large surprise for celebrity blogger Perez Hilton at his Hollywood birthday party on Saturday night, March 27 - she showed up on an elephant. The pop star joined Melanie Brown, Lindsay Lohan, Paula Abdul, Liza Minnelli, Justin Bieber and Leona Lewis among the celebrities at the party, held to mark Hilton's 32nd birthday.

Lewis kicked off the fun at Paramount Studios by singing "Bleeding Love" and "Outta My Head", thanking the blogger for his support, while rapper Eve and Minnelli also performed. The veteran belted out a medley of hits, including "Cabaret", but the highlight of the circus-themed event came after a montage of video tributes from the likes of Kylie Minogue and Lady GaGa - when a scantily-clad Perry arrived, singing "Happy Birthday", on the back of an elephant.

British singer Alexandra Burke threw a huge party to celebrate the release of her new single "All Night Long" - but cops were called to break up the raucous bash. The 2008 winner of Simon Cowell's British TV show "The X Factor" held a party at her home in Hertfordshire, England, with 500 bottles of champagne for guests.

But after local residents called police to complain about the noise, officers turned up at Burke's house in the early hours of the morning and ordered her to end the celebrations, according to Britain's The People.

A friend of Peaches Geldof's late mother Paula Yates is terrified the rock offspring is spiraling out of control, because she's leading a "toxic lifestyle". Yates died in 2000 from an accidental heroin overdose aged 40 and her close pal, Gerry Agar, fears Geldof is heading for a big downfall following the release of raunchy internet pictures which shows her looking intoxicated.

And Agar is adamant Peaches' dad Bob Geldof is furious with his 21-year-old daughter for leading a turbulent life, because it mirrors his former wife's too much. Agar says, "Things have been going disastrously wrong for Peaches for a while because she refuses to listen to the people who try to stop her. She is surrounded by a group of toxic people who are addicted to her fame, and they will see this escapade as just another hiccup that they can gloss over. They have a really tight grip on her and so she believes them when they say she is untouchable."

2010 Jameson Empire Film Awards was kicked off on March 28 with a red carpet event held in front of the Grosvenor House Hotel. The likes of Jude Law, Rupert Grint, Chloe Moretz and Lynn Collins were snapped coming to the celebration.

Like other male attendees, Law and Grint wore dark-colored tuxedo. While the "Sherlock Holmes" actor kept it formal, matching his tux with a gray tie, the "Harry Potter" hunk looked more casual, unbuttoning his suit which has a red trim around the lapels.

Matt Damon was officially honored with the 24th American Cinematheque Award on Saturday, March 27 witnessed by his friends and family. The "Bourne" series actor came to the event accompanied by wife Luciana Barroso and took picture on the arrival carpet with best friend Ben Affleck who was on duty to present him the award.

The gala was opened with a speech from Jimmy Kimmel. "This is ridiculous, right? He's not even 40!" Kimmel joked. "We're giving the salute to someone in his 30s! Next year, let's give it to Vanessa Hudgens." He added, "I happen to know that Clint Eastwood did not get this award. Are you telling me Matt Damon is better than Clint Eastwood? Not even close! Even in the movies with the monkey, Clint was better," referring to the chimp in "Any Which Way But Loose".

Dame Elizabeth Taylor is refusing to undergo vital surgery, despite enduring crippling neck pain - because she reportedly feels too weak to have any more operations. The 78-year-old actress, who now predominantly uses a wheelchair, has been in hospital more than 100 times in the last 25 years to attend to back problems and have her hips replaced.

Taylor previously suffered a stroke in 1997 after surgery to remove a brain tumor and has been treated for skin cancer and bouts of pneumonia, amongst other ailments. But despite suffering from scoliosis - a curvature of the spine - and coping with a sore neck, the Oscar-winning star is refusing any more operations, according to Britain's Sunday Express.

Rihanna and Justin Bieber brought the fun to the stage of the 23rd Annual Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards. The Barbadian songstress was the first to sing at the March 27 ceremony, followed with live performance from the Canadian pop star.

Rihanna appeared on stage, riding a mini pink-camouflage tank with a troop dressed in military outfit. Kicking off her set with "Hard", she continued with "Rude Boy" and traded her military troop with two robots, similar to the ones with whom she made a duet at Echo Awards earlier this month. Before exiting the stage, she delivered "Don't Stop the Music".

Miley Cyrus, Taylor Lautner, and "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" were the big winners at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 27. Cyrus and Lautner were the night's Favorite Movie Actress and Favorite Movie Actor recipients, while "Alvin & The Chipmunks" beat "The Twilight Saga's New Moon" to land the Best Film prize.

Host Kevin James and Adam Sandler teamed up to kickstart the event at Pauley Pavilion with a comedy tune - funnyman Sandler actually performed while dressed as an angel, dangling from the roof. And teen sensation Justin Bieber could hardly be heard above the screams of young fans as he performed his hit "Baby".

Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas walked as a couple for the first time on the orange carpet of 2010 Kids Choice Awards held on Saturday, March 27 in Los Angeles. They were joined by the other Jonas Brothers, the eldest Kevin Jonas who brought along his wife Danielle Deleasa and the youngest Nick Jonas who arrived solo.

Another Disney star spotted posing for the camera was Selena Gomez who dazzled in Christian Cota frock, Sergio Rossi Girandola Bis gladiator sandals and Ippolita jewels. The event at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion was in fact attended by numerous young artists from Justin Bieber to Victoria Justice. The "Twilight" gang was represented by Taylor Lautner, Nikki Reed and Jackson Rathbone.