Blog.PinkNews.co.uk

Chelsea players rate each other

Ahh how times have changed.

Ten, maybe even five years ago, if you had asked a footballer which one of their team mates they think is hot  you would have got a punch in the nose.

But those metrosexual Chelsea stars have no such qualms.

England captain John Terry told the club's TV station that he reckons that Frank Lampard is the best looking player on the team:

"The girls like him a little bit.  If I was that way I’d see something in him,” he said.

We at PinkNews agree - there's something about Frank. We are that way and we do see something in him.

However, most of the rest of the team, including Lampard himself, picked Carlo Cudicini (pictured)

Those Chelsea lads certainly got good taste in men.

Cudicini is 33, which is about 70 in football years. Still, nice to know he is rated by his pals!

Any Dream Will do strips down the cast

Any Queen Will Do, sorry, Any Dream Will Do- the BBC show that will pick the new star of the musical Joseph, has stripped its contestants down to a loin cloth.

Being a serious news website, PinkNews.co.uk would never dream of reproducing them, but here on the blog we can be a little bit cheekier!



Our favourite Joseph, Ben Ellis once again avoided being thrown out of the competition. And this is a perfectly good reason to use the photograph the BBC sent to us of him.

But the equally sexy Antony Hansen was dumped from the programme by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Photo credits: BBC Picture Publicity

Lord Lloyd Webber nearly sued over hung comment

Musicals person Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber apparently considered legal action after his ex-wife told Graham Norton that he was well endowed.

Sarah Brightman said:

"There are many great things about him, that was what popped out. I had Andrew's lawyers on the phone to me the next day, but a week later he changed his tune," according to contactmusic.com

That was what popped out. Very amusing.

But seriously - can you imagine any man EVER suing someone for saying he was hung like a donkey? Just makes no sense ...

Anyway as Graham is now working very closely with the "Joseph" creator on that "Any Queen Will Do" programme he now has the chance to find out if Sarah was telling the truth.

I caught a few minutes of that show last week when I was searching for some TV appropriate for my IQ bracket and do you know what?

I think that John Barrowman might be a homosexual. I can't quite put my finger on it but there is something about him ....

Beautiful thing

We could go on and on about what a great piece of journalism this is but you know what?

Just read the damn article

Eastenders bisex "shocker"

S'tenders star Shane Richie was quoted in The Sun as reminiscing that he wished he was a bisexual when he was younger.

“When I was 15 I thought it would be great. You go out and the barwoman’s copped off, so you could leave with the doorman," he told the Bun.

Or go home alone - again.

For the record, we are glad you are 100% het, Shane.

Shane is married with three lovely kids.

more Scary lesbian revelations

Another day, another celeb in a lesbian story

This time it is Scary Spice. You know the one.

Anyway, she recently sqeezed out a nipper that she claims is Eddie Murphy's.

He is not owning up to anything so there will no doubt be DNA tests and the like.

One of Scary's "best friends" has chosen this moment to tell Closer magazine that she has done sex with the nation's fourth-favourite Spice Girl.

Obviously she went to The Economist with this information first, but the idiots were not interested.

Christa Parker told the mag: "We had drunk quite a lot and it was late, so Mel suggested I stay over.

"Mel started complaining that she hadn't had sex for a while and was feeling horny. Mel said she needed sex and asked me if I wanted to.

"I'd had a bit to drink and said yes."

Even more amusing is the testimony of another girl who claims that Scary tried to seduce her.

Elizabeth Rodriguez says she was working as a sex toy consultant when they met.

WHAT? I don't remember that one being mentioned in careers class! Sounds fun - even if you do get hit on by Scary people.

photo: the cover of Melanie B aka Scary Spice's single Lullaby, which got to No 14 in the UK charts in 2005.

Big Brother ups gay numbers

"This year’s Big Brother is set to be a gayfest.

"Bosses plan to carry on camping right through the summer by lining up more gays than ever in the BB house."

This is from The Star by the way, not The Guardian.

"At least half of the 14 housemates have revealed they are homosexual or have bisexual tendencies."

Oh joy. Let the tabloid frenzy commence. See - its so great to be gay in 2007 - we get totally used by Channel 4 in a sad attempt to make even more money and generate even more headlines.

When BB started in 2000, they said it would never last. Sadly, it has.

Pizza parlour penis horror

Surgeons at St Thomas's Hospital in London are battling to save the penis of a man after he chopped it off in a pizza restaurant.

A deranged 35-year-old Polish man jumped onto a table at Zizzi's on The Strand on Sunday evening, a restaurant popular with gay diners.

He then hacked off his penis with a knife he had nicked from the kitchen.

Whatever is the world coming to?

Stuart McMahon, a sales rep who was in the restaurant, told National News:

"This guy came running in then charged into the kitchen, got a massive knife and started waving it about.

"Everyone was screaming and running out as he jumped on a table, dropped his trousers and popped his penis out. Then he cut it off. I couldn't believe it.

"The staff were really upset and there was blood everywhere."

Police stormed into the restaurant, sprayed the man (who has not yet been identified) with CS spray and scrambled around on the floor looking for his missing appendage. 

Several witnesses were treated for shock after witnessing the bizarre incident.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: "He was taken to a south London hospital in a stable condition."

Surgeons tried to re-attach his penis yesterday, but have not confirmed whether or not it was a success. 

This is the first time penis re-attachment surgery has been attempted in the UK.

London gets sex theme park

Amora - the sex theme park claims to be the world's first visitor attraction dedicated to love, sex and relationships. 

Buried deep under the London Trocadero, the £7m "Academy" uses interactive displays, exhibitions and technology to teach clueless Brits about sex.

After spending three years in development Amora will no doubt be the talk of the town.

Ever your humble servant, PinkNews.co.uk reluctantly went along to check it out.

There were male and female models with light-up erogenous zones, a film of unattractive people having orgasms, and tips on how to undress sexily and give a good massage.

Some bits were educational (finding out what a meatus is for example... the slit in your penis for you poor ignoramuses.) And there was lots of stuff on STDs.

To be honest, the "sexy" videos were tame compared to what is broadcast on Channel 5, never mind the amount of images gay men are exposed to on a regular basis. They had things like dildos - behind glass cases.

The wall of plaster-cast erections was reasonably amusing but then again hardly an eye-opener for your sophisticated gay.

If you need a helping hand, trained sex therapists wander round the halls giving advice to those who look lost and inexperienced. 

Perhaps because they've started mistakenly humping one of the exhibits.

Amora is for over 18s only, and tickets cost an hefty £15.  To book call 0871 2309876 or visit www.amoralondon.com. 

Heroes gay character disappears

Thomas Dekker, aka Zach from Sci-fi series Heroes has left the show because playing a gay character would kill his career. 

The popular TV series has been hailed as the new Lost.  Just with superheroes, and storylines that people can actually follow.   

But they have lost their only gay character because 19-year-old Dekker's management think playing gay could reduce his chances of getting straight roles.

Tell that lame excuse to Heath Ledger. 

Heroes co-executive producer Bryan Fuller said in an interview posted on popgurls.com:

"(Dekker's) manager threatened to pull him from the show because he was up for the John Carter role in The Sarah Connor Chronicles and she didn't want him playing a gay character because it might affect FOX's interest in hiring him.

"It got really ugly. I was very upset by it – I was not happy about it at all."

Fuller explains that the character of Zach was intended to be gay from the very start.

In the first episode of Heroes, Zach is teased about getting horny in the boys locker room.

In another episode, a school mate calls Zach a "gay-boy" and he dismisses the remark by telling his friend Claire that he knows and likes who he is.

"The show's been such a positive experience for so many people, we didn't want to get hung up on the fact that one actor's management felt that it was a career killer for him to play a homosexual, which, as a gay man, I found incredibly insulting.

"We had episodes planned for him to be in, and she pulled him from the show altogether. So that's why he sort of disappeared." 

Good riddance, too.

In an e-mail last year to AfterElton.com, a website that monitors the visibility of gays and lesbians in the media, co-executive producer Tim Kring apologised for the resulting mess: "It was certainly not our intention to confuse the issue of Zach's character being gay.

"We have too much respect for our audience to do that intentionally."

photo: NBC

Actor regrets not coming out to parents

Gay hero Sir Ian McKellen has told the magazine for older people, Saga, that he regrets not coming out to his father.

"I have few regrets in my life but that is number one," he told the magazine.

"My mother died when I was 12 and my father when I was 24.

"I knew by then of course. I was just getting round to it, thinking this was a conversation I had to have with my father. He died and I never told him."

In Serena's defence, when he was 24 homosexuality was still illegal.

Teenage boys traumatised by lesbian sex?

A father is taking the local council to court because his sons were exposed to "The Whole Lesbian Sex Book"

The teenage boys "found" the book, at the local library, and now their concerned father wants the council to pay £5,000 per child as compensation.

Do I really need to tell you what country this is happening in?

Yep, the Land of the Free.

“[They were] greatly disturbed” said Earl Adams his letter to the city, according to pandagon.net

“[We had] many sleepless nights in our house.”

Yeah I bet you did, lots of tossing and turning. Poor little angels.

The fact that the teenagers were apparently looking for books about military academies is more disturbing than their discovery of books about lesbianism.

The family live in Bentonville Arkansas, which as you know is a hotbed of Sapphic passion. 

David Gest, not gay, now single

David Gest is a free man.

His divorce from Liza with a Z came through today, ending their five year

marriage.

David now claims he feels no bitterness towards his ex and says he has huge

admiration for her Minnelli talent.

He also quashed a rumour that he'd built a shrine to Liza with a Z's mother Judy Garland, and insists he never even liked her music.

Earlier this week the pocket-sized stud muffin revealed he lost his virginity at the age of 13.

photo: ITV

Flasher in court for seventh time

A 43-year-old man who is addicted to showing his private parts to shocked members of the public has been spared jail.

Alastair Ferguson was in Southwark Crown Court to admit that he flashed his bits at Liverpool St Station on March 18th.

Mr Ferguson, of Hayes Close, Parsonage Road, West Thurrock, Essex, was first before the law on charges of exposing himself in 1989.

It seems it is an addiction, and he has even previously asked for an ASBO to be imposed banning him from railway stations.

The judge spared him jail for indecent exposure and breaking his ASBO and said that he seemed to do it when he has been drinking.

Perhaps no drinking might help keep the little fella safely tucked away.

Yanks discover tablets to cure gayness!

At last! The dark days are over!

Goodbye, rainbow flag; hello, stars and stripes! 

Pink News is proud to report that American gay men can finally join the superior race of mature, upstanding, Republican-voting, gun-toting, lady-loving straights. 

And all because of a miracle “anti-effeminate” drug that removes chronic BGD (Big Gayer Disease).

This, according the knowledgeable makers of Hetracil:

"More than 80 million Americans suffer from some type of homosexuality, and one in eight persons need treatment for homosexuality during his or her lifetime. Homosexuality is not a character flaw; it is neither a "mood" nor a personal weakness that you can change at will or by "pulling yourself together."

But how do you know if you are a homosexualist?

Hetracil provide foolproof way of measuring the level of infection:

“Homosexuality is diagnosed only when [sexual fantasies about other men] take at least an hour a day, are very distressing, and interfere with daily life.”

See? Easy as taking your temperature – just get your watch out and see what comes up. Presumably, if it only takes up half an hour a day, you must be a bisexual.

Please make our day and yours by reading the promotional material for Hetracil

Sharon Osbourne emulates Shakespeare

Sharon Osbourne has once again demonstrated her linguistic acuity with a measured and considered response to the news that rock band Queens of the Stone Age don't want to play at her Ozzfest cultural event.

The band’s singer, the comically titled Josh Homme, has intimated that they will not be returning to the festival.

Ms Osbourne's response makes one proud to come from the land of Shakespeare, Milton and Bernard Manning:

"I hope he gets syphilis and dies. I hope his dick fucking falls off so his mother can eat it," the ASDA favourite told Blender magazine.

There is a woman who knows how to curse, girls and boys. The use of his mother at the end was particularly impressive.

Well done!

Silence of the Lambs - Beckham edition

BEFORE                                                    AFTER

Tourettes sufferer  Gordon Ramsay has played a nasty surprise on Britain's first family.

No, not the Jordan Andres.

Them Beckhams.

The Mirror reports that Dame Victoria Beckham was asked by Ramsay if some lambs could live in her back garden.

She said yes. They were delivered on Monday. Dame Victoria thinks they are adorable.

Gordon forgot to mention to the poshest woman in England that the lambs are to feature in the last episode of his high-concept Channel 4 show The F Word.

As food.

"There was no way she'd have agreed to it had she known and she's less than impressed at the news" a source told The Mirror.

Posh doesn't eat meat. Though I am led to believe that Rebecca Loos does.

photo: conor lawless@flickr.com

Anna Nicole saga - now with bisexuality

The man who was confirmed to be the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby is bisexual, according to American paper of record The National Enquirer.

Larry Birkhead's alleged gay lover, Kerrick Ross, told the paper:

"He apparently had sex with Anna Nicole and fathered her baby, but there is no question: He also had sex with me.

"We were together for about two months and had sex eight to 10 times, always at my apartment. He often spent the whole night with me.”

Mr Birkhead’s lawyers have denied the allegation.

A custody hearing for Anna Nicole’s daughter, Dannielynn is due to take place on Friday.

Anna Nicole died of a drugs overdose in February, aged 39.

Her son Daniel, 20, died last September from drugs. Daniellynn was born days later.

She famously married an 89-year-old oil billionaire, J. Howard Marshall, in 1994. She was previously a Playboy model.

Lindsey Lohan's lezzzzzz-bain affair

Sorry, didn't mean to wake you.

Important? No, not really.

Just that another over-exposed star is in the lesbian area again.

After Drew Barrymore, Carmen Electra, Natalie Portman, Dolly of Parton and hundreds of others, Lindsay Lohan is the latest to show Sapphic tendencies.

It's Lesbian Story Mark 2 - "friend" or "ex-lover" of star makes with the goods to the press.

Former publicist Jonathan Jaxson wrote in his blog:

"Lindsay actually has always been quite open. Maybe she was tired of the boys and that is why she decided to spice it up with BFF (best friend forever) Samantha Ronson."

Yada. At least it makes a nice change from Lesbian Story Mark 1 - publicity-hungry celeb "lets slip" in the course of a promotional interview that she has/might/thinks about/would consider doing it with another lady.

Though of course the phrase "former publicist" is not quite as believable as, say, a nun.

But there you go - the tabloids get yet another opportunity to picture sexy celeb pics and str8 men everywhere get something else to think about while they exercise their democratic rights.

Gay week on cool live band channel

Yay!

Mad as bag of kittens, Canadian band Kids On TV are this week to be found on the totally cool liveroom.tv

Kids On TV are part rock group, part manic performance art, with a dash of in your face striptease and 100% bonkers. And gay. If you have 20 minutes to spare, check them out.

"There’s a healthy dose of naked flesh, break-dancing & tight pants waiting for you," the PR for liveroom.tv said in her email to PinkNews.

Oh I see, so all you need to say to gays is "nude men" and they will trample over each other to get a look??

You know us so well PR lady.

One of the band IS very cute in his little pants and white face make-up and knee protectors.

Later this week Montreal’s Lesbians On Ecstasy will be on liveroom.tv

Sounds like a normal night in Fire to me. Have you ever noticed that lesbians always seem to have pills to sell?

NOTE:  PinkNews does not condone drug use. Or lesbianism. Or people dancing round in tiny pants.

photo: David Hawe

Now the boys are playing bi

Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz has confirmed that like so many bi-curious stars, he's all talk and no balls. 

The rocker has teased gay fans in the past by saying he often kisses boys because "everything above the waist is fair game."

And who could forget the time he took a picture of his own penis with his mobile phone, which then "leaked?"

But now he's admitted that he could never go further with a man because he hates the sight of male genitals. 

He told The Advocate:  "I'm not a real big fan of penises.  Like my own, whenever I look at it, I just don't find anything attractive about it.

"I can't believe girls are into it."

I know. Chicks are like, weird.

"I just can't get past that thing.  It's weird looking."  Just how weird looking?  Maybe you should see a doctor... better to be safe than sorry, Pete.

However, he still fancies Christian Bale, who played Batman in Batman Begins.  "That's a good-looking dude."

Oh look! Another Hollywood lipstick maybe lesbian!

A depressingly familiar story this one.  Yet another middle-ranking starlet has "come out" to confess that she might be tempted to go gay.

Which one?

Does it matter? Natalie Portman if you must know.

Hilarious. One can only imagine the degrading and disgusting things an actress must have to go through to get to the top, or even to the bottom of the top, in Tinseltown.

Going down on chicks I am sure does not compare.

Surprised la tout Hollywood is suddenly talking about "keeping their options open"?

God no - it is just another career opening for these actresses. I mean if they are willing to allow 70-year old directors and producers to paw them just for the right role, why not shack up with Ellen or Jodie if it gets you the next big break.

Not that we are saying that Ms Portman is making it up or anything - and in her defence so does not appear to be in the middle of promoting a movie .... perhaps that is why she has come over all lesbianic ...

oh no sorry hold on

"Natalie also spoke briefly about her nude scenes in new movie Goya’s Ghosts," says the Currant Bun.

My bad.

Interestingly, according to the Word of the Lord God (wikipedia) Ms Portman made her same-sex comments in, er, June 2002 .....

anyway, cos we love you, here is the bloke version of this story
Note that it was written by one of those lady journalists ....

David Gest not gay - thank TBJ

photo: ITV


Odd TV-personality David Gest has revealed that he is really puzzled where all these gay rumours about him come from.

"I am straight. Bring me one man who I have ever been with because there are none," he said, according to contactmusic.com

"I've never felt the need to prove my sexuality. What am I supposed to do, go around telling everyone I'm straight?

"I was around 13 when I lost my virginity. All the kids around me were experimenting with sex, so I went from feeling girls to sexual intercourse as quickly as I could."

Thank The Baby Jesus. The reputation of gays is taking a battering this week as it is, without Gesty doing a big coming out thing.

Gest is currently judging Grease Is The Word on ITV1. At least he knows his place.

This is a man who went from Zero to Hero by coming FOURTH in I'm A Celebrity .... Get Me Out of Here last year.

He was once married to Liza Minnelli - hey, who wasn't?

Hollywood star lost "both" cherries in one night

A silver screen legend has written a biography about his bisexual life in Hollywood.

And he only waited until the age of 81 to tell all.

Farley Granger may not be a household name anymore, but his gay-tinged performances in Alfred Hitchcock's Rope and Strangers On A Train are still well-regarded.

His new book reveals that as a young Naval recruit at the age of 21, he lost his cherry to a hooker in Honolulu - then minutes later hooked up with a hot male officer.

"I lost my virginity twice in one night," he writes.

What an anecdote. He became best mates with Judy Garland, he reveals, and went to lots of parties with famous people.

The boy-count is a bit disappointing however, with no REALLY big names appearing in as notches on his bedpost.

Not even a fumble with Rock Hudson.

tATu - the last thing on my mind

om
TATU to make big screen debut!

Pseudo-lesbian pop group tATu! are making a movie, called In Search Of tATu!

Singers Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova will - get this - play themselves in a delightful true story romp.

The "plot" involves two female fans desperate to meet their musical idols. Their musical idols being tATu!

Two interesting things about this tedious story - first the movie is based on a book called "tATu! Come Back." (see above)

It was written by a Russian Parliament Deputy called Alexsei Mitrofanov.

It is about two lesbian teenagers who meet and fall in love at a tATu! concert.

It is described as a text message collection. How weird is that? It is based on a true story!

The movie is to be directed by Roland Joffe. He helmed The Killing Fields and The Mission in the 1980s and Super Mario Bros in the 1990s.

Onwards tATu!

On the sofa with John Major

Howell James, right, at the Village Politics event

One of the most prominent gay men in the British government has shared a little anecdote of life at  Number 10 before Blair.

Howell James, currently the Permanent Secretary for Government Communications, was speaking at a Village Politics event at the National Liberal Club last night.

Mr James was Political Secretary to Prime Minister John Major from 1994 to 1997.

An audience of around 120 gay political types was told by the Perm Sec that one of his most vivid memories of Downing St was on Election Night 1997, "sitting on the sofa in the flat, between John and Norma, watching the results come in."

To which a colleague at the back of the room added loudly, "happy memories."

Mr James also fondly recalled leaving Downing St with his possessions in a little box, as the New Labour hordes took up residence.

He returned to the centre of Government in 2004 in his new role, overseeing the delivery of all government communications. He even said some nice things about Alistair Campbell.  What a gent.

Times journalist Matthew Parris, another former Downing St staffer, also attended the event.

Whispers reach the PinkNews.co.uk office that a gay candidate for Mayor of London will speak at the next Village Politics get-together.

Meanwhile, Village Drinks organisers are concentrating on their mega-party on 26th April - a classy event that will celebrate the launch of their new online community website.

It's called Village People.  I know. 

All sensible gays are invited to come along on the 26th -  more details can be found by clicking here

Bafta nominations - 10% gay

Gay entertainer Stephen Fry has been nominated for a Bafta award for Best Comedy Performance for QI. His documentary series The Secret Life Of A Manic Depressive was also nominated.

The biopic of Kenneth Williams, Fantabulosa, has been nominated for Best Actor (Michael Sheen) and in the Best Single Drama category.

Lesbian drama Sugar Rush was nominated alongside Channel 4's Shameless, which has continued to feature gay storylines.

Some heterosexual programmes were also nominated for some awards:

ACTOR
JIM BROADBENT - Longford (Channel 4)
ANDY SERKIS - Longford (Channel 4)
MICHAEL SHEEN - Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa! (BBC4)
JOHN SIMM - Life On Mars (BBC1)

ACTRESS
ANNE-MARIE DUFF - The Virgin Queen (BBC1)
SAMANTHA MORTON - Longford (Channel 4)
RUTH WILSON - Jane Eyre (BBC1)
VICTORIA WOOD - Housewife 49 (ITV1)

ENTERTAINMENT PERFORMANCE
ANT & DEC - Saturday Night Takeaway (ITV1)
STEPHEN FRY - QI (BBC2)
PAUL MERTON - Have I Got News For You (BBC1)
JONATHAN ROSS - Friday Night With Jonathan Ross (BBC1)

COMEDY PERFORMANCE
DAWN FRENCH - The Vicar Of Dibley (BBC1)
RICKY GERVAIS - Extras (BBC2)
STEPHEN MERCHANT - Extras (BBC2)
LIZ SMITH - The Royle Family: Queen Of Sheba (BBC1)

SINGLE DRAMA
HOUSEWIFE 49 - Victoria Wood, Piers Wenger, Gavin Millar, David Threlfall (ITV1/ITV Productions)
KENNETH WILLIAMS: FANTABULOSA! - Andy de Emmony, Ben Evans, Martyn Hesford (BBC4/BBC Drama)
LONGFORD - Peter Morgan, Tom Hooper, Helen Flint, Andy Harries (C4/A Granada Production for C4 in assoc. with HBO)
ROAD TO GUANTANAMO - Michael Winterbottom, Mat Whitecross (C4/Revolution Films)

DRAMA SERIES
LIFE ON MARS - Production Team (BBC1/Kudos Film & Television)
SHAMELESS - Production Team (C4/Company Pictures)
SUGAR RUSH - Production Team (C4/Shine Productions)
THE STREET - Jimmy McGovern, Sita Williams, David Blair, Ken Horn (BBC1/Granada Television Ltd)

DRAMA SERIAL
LOW WINTER SUN - Greg Brenman, Adrian Shergold, Simon Donald, Rhonda Smith (C4/Tiger Aspect Productions)
PRIME SUSPECT: THE FINAL ACT - Andrew Benson, Philip Martin, Frank Deasy, Andy Harries (ITV1/ITV Productions)
SEE NO EVIL: THE MOORS MURDERS - Lisa Gilchrist, Neil McKay, Jeff Pope, Chris Menaul (ITV1/ITV Productions)
THE VIRGIN QUEEN - Coky Giedroyc, Paula Milne, Paul Rutman (BBC1/A BBC Drama/Power co-production)

CONTINUING DRAMA
CASUALTY - The Production Team (BBC1/BBC)
CORONATION STREET - Stephen Russell, Tim O'Mara, Steve Frost, Kieran Roberts (ITV1/ITV Productions)
EASTENDERS - The Production Team (BBC1/BBC Drama Production Studios)
EMMERDALE - Keith Richardson, Kathleen Beedles, Lindsay Williams, Piotr Szkopiak (ITV1/ITV Productions)

FACTUAL SERIES
ROSS KEMP ON GANGS - Clive Tulloh, Amelia Hann, Ross Kemp (Sky One/Tiger Aspect Productions)
STEPHEN FRY - THE SECRET LIFE OF A MANIC DEPRESSIVE - Production Team (BBC2/IWC Media, part of the RDF Media Group)
TRIBE - James Smith, Steve Robinson, Bruce Parry, Sam Organ (BBC2/BBC)
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? - Alex Graham, Lucy Carter (BBC2/Wall To Wall)

SPECIALIST FACTUAL
MUNICH: MOSSAD'S REVENGE - Anthony Geffen, Tom Whitter, Peter Miller, Calum Walker (C4/Atlantic Productions Ltd)
NUREMBERG: GOERING'S LAST STAND - Peter Nicholson, Simon Berthon, Dan Korn, Piers Vellacott (C4/3BM Television)
PLANET EARTH - Alistair Fothergill, Mark Linfield (BBC1/BBC)
SIMON SCHAMA'S POWER OF ART - Clare Beavan, Simon Schama, Basil Comely, Mark Harrison (BBC2/BBC London Arts)

SINGLE DOCUMENTARY
BREAKING UP WITH THE JONESES - Ursula Macfarlane, Saskia Wilson, Dave Nath, Gregor Lyon (C4/Betty TV)
EVICTED - Brian Woods, Deborah Shipley, Jeremy Wales, Katy Sheppard (BBC1/True Vision)
9/11: THE FALLING MAN - Henry Singer, John Smithson, Sue Bourne, Julian Ware (C4/Darlow Smithson Productions)
RAIN IN MY HEART - Paul Watson (BBC2/BBC)

FEATURES
THE APPRENTICE - Dan Adamson, Sanjay Singhal, Martyn Smith, Sir Alan Sugar (BBC2/TalkbackThames/Mark Burnett Productions)
THE CHOIR - Jamie Isaacs, Ludo Graham, Drew Hill, Sam Grace (BBC2/Twenty Twenty)
DRAGONS' DEN - Helen Bullough, Dominic Bird, Paul Mackay (BBC2/BBC Entertainment)
THE F WORD - Ben Adler, Jon Swain, Pat Llewellyn, Eileen Herlihy (C4/Optomen Television)

SPORT
THE BOAT RACE - John Watts, Tony Pastor, John McKenna, Phil Heslop (ITV1/ITV Sport)
F1: HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX - JENSON BUTTON'S FIRST WIN - Neil Duncanson, Gerard Lane (ITV1/North One Television)
CRICKET ON FIVE - Jeff Foulser, Gary Franses, Dylan Jane, Diana Keen (Five/Sunset and Vine Productions)
WINTER OLYMPICS - BBC Sport Production Team (BBC2/BBC Sport)

NEWS COVERAGE
BBC TEN O'CLOCK NEWS - TERRORISM PLOT AT HEATHROW - BBC Ten O'Clock News Team (BBC1/BBC News)
CHANNEL 4 NEWS - NEWS FROM IRAN - Jon Snow, Deborah Rayner, Ben Monro-Davies, Martin Collett (C4/ITN)
GRANADA REPORTS: MORECAMBE BAY - Production Team (ITV/Granada)
ITV EVENING NEWS - THE ISRAEL/LEBANON CRISIS - Julian Manyon, Mark Austin, Geoff Hill, Rob Bowles (ITV1/ITN)

INTERACTIVITY
DISPATCHES - WAR TORN: STORIES OF SEPARATION - David Modell, Cassian Harrison, Oliver Doward (Channel4.com/Dispatches)
MELTDOWN AND THE BIG CLIMATE CHANGE EXPERIMENT - Frances McNamara, Jonathan Renouf,  Paul Bradshaw, Tolu Aina (Supporting BBC4)
THE SECRET POLICEMAN'S BALL - Clive Tulloh, Lisle Turner, Mike Agnew, Adil Abrar (C4/Tiger Aspect Productions)
TERRY PRATCHETT'S HOGFATHER - Aidan Conway, Giles Pooley, Rod Brown, Ian Sharples (Sky One Networked Media)

INTERNATIONAL
ENTOURAGE - Doug Ellin, Mark Wahlberg, Steve Levinson (ITV2/HBO)
HOUSE - David Shore (Five/Heal and Toe Films/Shore Z Productions/Bad Hat Harry Productions in assoc with NBC Universal Television Studio)
LOST - JJ Abrams, Carlton Cuse, Damon Lindelof, Jack Bender (Sky One/Buena Vista International Television)
MY NAME IS EARL - Greg Garcia, Marc Buckland, Bobby Bowman (C4/Twentieth Century Fox)

ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME
DANCING ON ICE - Will Smith, Katie Rawcliffe, Jayne Torville, Christopher Dean (ITV1/ITV Productions)
DERREN BROWN: THE HEIST - Derren Brown, Simon Mills, Andrew O'Connor, Anthony Owen (C4/Objective Productions)
HOW DO YOU SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE MARIA? - Production Team (BBC1/BBC Entertainment)
THE X FACTOR - Richard Holloway, Claire Horton, Andrew Llinares, Siobhan Greene (ITV1/TalkbackThames in association with SYCO TV)

SITUATION COMEDY
GREEN WING - Victoria Pile, Dominic Brigstocke, Tristram Shapeero, Rob Harley (C4/TalkbackThames)
THE IT CROWD - Ash Atalla, Graham Linehan, Derrin Schlesinger, Lorraine Heggessey (C4/TalkbackThames)
PULLING - Sharon Horgan, Dennis Kelly, Phil Bowker, Tristram Shapeero (BBC3/Silver River)
THE ROYLE FAMILY: QUEEN OF SHEBA - Caroline Aherne, Craig Cash, John Rushton, Phil Mealey (BBC1/Granada Productions)

COMEDY PROGRAMME
THE CATHERINE TATE SHOW - Gordon Anderson, Aschlin Ditta, Geoffrey Perkins, Catherine Tate (BBC2/Tiger Aspect Productions)
LITTLE BRITAIN ABROAD - Matt Lucas, David Walliams, Matt Lipsey, Geoff Posner (BBC1/BBC Comedy)
LITTLE MISS JOCELYN - Gary Reich, Jemma Rogers, Gareth Carrivick, Jocelyn Jee Esien (BBC3/Brown Eyed Boy Productions)
THAT MITCHELL & WEBB LOOK - David Kerr, Gareth Edwards, Robert Webb, David Mitchell (BBC2/BBC Comedy)

George Michael - no news today

Plant enthusiast George Michael has said there will not be a Wham! reunion.

"Wham! was of its time. When the group started, Andrew and I were both kids.

"We were at an age where how you were developing as a person was just as important as the songs you were writing," he told WENN.

George also "hit out" at the way in which Robbie Williams has been treated by the press in the wake of the successful reunion of the band that launched him:

"I can't believe the way the media have treated Robbie Williams over this.

"It's their dream come true for Take That to have come back and knocked a bit of stuffing out of him," he said. 

George also reportedly said he would not be getting married soon as he wants to keep it "private."

Publicity-shy George also told Femalefirst.co.uk that a long time ago he got a bit scared:

"I ended the 80s very afraid to tour again. I was frightened of that level of celebrity.

"I was so distressed that I could never imagine going on the road again," he said. 

And finally, contactmusic.co.uk reports that George is "desperate" to get an acting gig on a soap opera - preferably Coronation St.

"It would be a great place to learn to act," the painfully-shy performer said.

I mean really. One goes away for a few days and those George Michael stories just pile up.

300 Star goes to St Trinians

The eagerly-anticipated 21st century take on the St Trinian's movies is already shooting in Ealing, and today some more fabulous cast members were announced.

Lena Headey, last seen smouldering all over the shop in gay-fest gore movie 300, will take the role of new teacher, Miss Dickinson.

Gay icon Celia Imrie (who can forget her multiple bitchy lines in a string of Victoria Wood sketches and programmes) will be bringing along her poshest accent to play Matron.

Lovely Duckface from Four Weddings, Anna Chancellor, will play Miss Bagstock.

Fresh from his potrayal of gay writer Truman Capote in Infamous, Toby Jones will star as the Bursar.

Of course, as you all know Rupert Everett will be starring as unorthodox headmistress Camilla Fritton and her brother Carnaby Fritton.

Colin Firth from Bridget Jones’ Diary will play amorous Education Minister Geoffrey Thwaites and Russell Brand will take the role of Flash Harry, played originally by Minder actor George Cole.

MTV thug hurls homo abuse at cops

American actor Jason Wahler was arrested on Sunday after punching a hotel security guard, and passing out drunk in a hallway in Seattle.

Classy.

The 20-year-old star of MTV's The Hills and Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County then went on to hurl racial and homophobic abuse at a police officer. 

He was released on bail nine hours later. 

It's not the first time it's happened either.  This is the jailbird's third arrest since September, when he punched a city worker and a truck driver in Los Angeles. 

The violent thug was sentenced to a short spell in prison, and ordered to attend Alcoholics Anonymous.  He also had to attend a session on tolerance for using racial slurs in that incident.  Clearly, this didn't work.   

PinkNews.co.uk suggests that the star is made to watch his own cheesy, mindless and inane TV shows for punishment this time around.  That'll learn him.

Corrie codger reveals gay anecdote

photo: ITV.com

Actor Bill Roache, famous for his role as Ken Barlow in Coronation Street, has revealed that he was once chatted up by a gay film director. 

According to the Daily Mirror, when Bill was a struggling young thespian, the late Brian Hurst tried to shamelessly seduce him by saying at an audition: "One more thing - I'd like to sleep with you!"

Bill politely declined the offer but still got a small part in 1958 film Behind the Mask, his very first film role.

He says, "I felt I'd made it as an actor because I'd been propositioned."

Bill is the only surviving member of the original Corrie cast.  The soap first aired in December 1960.

He is father of tasty actor Linus Roache.

How to out yourself as a foolish magazine

An American gay lifestyle magazine has controversially "outed" two celebrities including the film star Jodie Foster.

Out, published by PlanetOut the Nasdaq quoted company that also owns the slightly smutty gay.com dating and "news" website has also outed the CNN "star" Anderson Cooper

The magazine has also published its list of America's top gays, rather like the Independent on Sunday's annual Pink List.

"I would be lying if I told you I wasn't aware of your list," Aaron Hicklin, editor of Out told yesterday's Independent on Sunday.  "We wanted to do a little of what the Independent does, to have a dynamic list where people are ranked and where people are rising and falling on an annual basis."

PinkNews.co.uk doesn't like outing people unless there's very good reason to, perhaps only if they are a politician who has consistently voted against gay rights. So we're rather confused how you justify outing Ms Foster and the CNN anchor most of us here in Britain have never heard of.

We prefer the Independent on Sunday's approach to gay lists, only listing those who want to be out.

Maybe this year, it could even include Benjamin Cohen the founder and former editor of PinkNews.co.uk . He now graces our screens a couple of nights a week explaining (all be it somewhat camply) the latest business or technology developments on Channel 4 News.

Divine could have been a first for US TV

Divine in John Waters' Pink Flamingos (1982)

Director John Waters has revealed that movie actor Divine was set to make TV history just before his death in 1988.

Drag artist Divine was set to appear on US show Married With Children as a gay "uncle" character.

He would have become the first gay character on American television.

"He was (going to be) the first gay male character, a gay uncle, which could have been hugely successful at the time," Waters said, according to contactmusic.com. 

Divine died just before the release of Waters' hit movie Hairspray.

The film was a huge international hit, and allowed Waters to go on to make other Hollywood fare such as Serial Mom and Cry-Baby.

Divine's drag role as Mrs Edna Turnblad in Hairspray will be played by John Travolta in a remake to be released this summer.

Also starring are Christopher Walken, Alison Janney, (CJ from The West Wing) James Marsden, High School Musical star Zac Efron and Michele Pfeiffer. 

Aniston to get pro-gay award

The woman who allegedly  wouldn't have Brad Pitt's babies is to be honoured in the US for her services to gays.

Jennifer Aniston, whose hair was iconic for most of the 1990s, will be given the GLAAD award at a ceremony later this month.

She is going to be honoured with Vanguard Award, which is for stars who help promote gay rights, on April 14th.

Ms Aniston has recently been the target of vicious attacks by camp blogger Perez Hilton, so it is nice to know that other gays do like her a lot and want to give her things.

GLAAD is the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, for those of you who live in a box or something.

It has lots of awards ceremonies and gets totally involved in any misrepresentation of your gays and your lesbians in the US media and does big reports into how many of them appear on screen and things like that.

We salute their work and express genuine jealousy that they get to hang out with proper Hollywood stars on a regular basis.

Corrie star's fantasy rapper

Antony Cotton, who plays Coronation Street's Sean Tully, has admitted that he fantasises about rap star Eminem.   

Strange choice, Antony.

Eminem has been accused of being homophobic, encouraging violence towards women, racism...  well, hating everyone, basically.

But Antony doesn't love him for his mind.  It's purely a physical thing.

Antony told Soaplife magazine: "He's gorgeous. I dream about him often and always kiss him goodbye in the dream and say 'I'll call you later'."

The actor also revealed that he loves his work on Corrie and said: "Corrie needed a strong gay character and it was always my dream to end up on the Street. 

"I love playing Sean. I've got no intention of leaving."

So, Eminem, if you fancy a drink, you know where Antony will be... in the Rovers Return.

JFK's gay friend

A new book will reveal that one of former US President John F Kennedy's closest male friends was in love with him.

Lem Billings first met JFK when they attended the same school, and their friendship lasted until his 1963 assassination.

Jack and Lem, by David Pitts, published in the US later this month, documents the friendship.

One of Lem Billing's lovers, Larry Quirk, told author: “There was a sexual element to his attraction to Kennedy.

"Billings loved Kennedy all his life beginning in the 1930s... Billings was the only person who loved Kennedy unconditionally, who didn't want anything from him except to be with him, and he recognised that.”

The book also reveals that Lem was offered a job in the Kennedy White House, but felt that he could be a liability if his homosexuality was exposed.

Gore Vidal, the gay writer who was a cousin of JFK, had a proper bitch about Billings' relationship with the President.

"He's the guy who carries the coat.... He's the guy who runs errands.... To Jack, Lem was a kind of idiot friend," Vidal told the author.

Catty.

Jack and Lem: John F. Kennedy and Lem Billings: The Untold Story of an Extraordinary Friendship is published by Carroll & Graf.
Available from April 28th. 

Yet another star's same-sex flings

Seems we have been writing variations on this story for a while now.

Sexy female celeb has single/hair product/film to promote.

Celeb thinks - what will get me lots of coverage?

Celeb "reveals" that she has had some sort of lesbian crush/snog/affair.

Bingo - the tabloids salivate all over it and print "sexy pictures" of naughty stars.

Let's look at The Mirror's coverage of today's new lesbian:

"SEXY Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie has admitted to a series of lesbian flings."

So she is sexy, and she has ADMITTED to the lesbian sex ....

"Fergie, 31, said she rebelled against a Catholic upbringing and went on a wild sex and drugs spree when she got to 18."

Catholic girl, another male sexual fantasy. Nice touch.

"She added: "I have had lesbian experiences in the past. I won't say how many men I've had sex with - but I am a very sexual person.""

Just so we are clear - she has done sex with lots of men too, so you are in with a chance lads.

"Fergie, real name Stacy Ferguson, also got drawn into Los Angeles' sordid drug and gang culture. She added: "I had a gun put to my head during a drug deal that went wrong. Luckily I got out of it.""

Sordid - nice word. And, just in case you were wondering why Fergie chose this particular second to "admit" her same-sex sex ........

"Fergie, who had a UK hit with Where Is The Love, stars with Quentin Tarantino in new movie Grindhouse - playing a lesbian."

Ah  - thought there might be something she wanted to sell.

Just try to imagine, say, Mel Gibson or Matt Damon "revealing" that they had had a boy-on-boy snog in order to drum up business for their latest film/restaurant/Crucifixion-themed cutlery set.

I fear we might have a few years to wait before we see that.