Eurovision - your views

Is the voting in the Eurovision Song Contest political?

Is it fair that the UK does not have to "do" semi-finals, because they are one of the biggest financial contributors?

And will Ireland's Dustin the Turkey get a string of douze points in Belgrade later this month?

If these are the sort of issues you think about, then the nice people at demandi have just the poll for you.

Click here to take part!

Pete Wentz sex tape not a sex tape

Well first it was a sex tape,  just like the Paris Hilton one, but it turns out its just some clips from a movie.

THIS IS SO NOT SAFE FOR WORK!!

But hey, even Perez Hilton gets stuff wrong. Even more amusing is the parody of the sex tape which you can see here:

Pete, of course, famously DID take pictures of his genitalia which were leaked all over the internet, but we aren't going to show you those. Oh no. You will have to find those yourself. Not that its difficult to. You kinda just Google it.

Pete Wentz on running with gays

First he credited gay fashion icons with inspiring his rock-androgynous look, and now, rocker Pete Wentz says if you’re looking for a good time, just follow the gays.

According to a reporter for New York Magazine, Wentz—who in past interviews has exposed himself to the Web and confessed that he’s made out with a boy—gave some love to the gays this week at his New York bar, Angels & Kings.

According to reporter Chris Rovar, when asked if he likes running with the gays, Wentz replied: “It seems sometimes like nobody knows how to have a good time anymore. But the gays are always having a good time.”

The Fall Out Boy bassist told The Advocate in a previous interview he had no problem making out with a boy because “everything above the waist is fair game.”

Wentz recently became engaged to fellow rocker Ashlee Simpson, who herself has been at the center of pregnancy rumors. So far, no date has been set.

Angela D'Amboise © 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

No pre-nup for Mariah

Pop diva Mariah Carey’s shotgun wedding to rapper Nick Cannon was such a whirlwind, she failed to secure a pre-nup before tying the knot.

Carey, 38, married rapper and actor Cannon, 27, Wednesday at the home she recently purchased in Eleuthera, in the Bahamas, The NY Post reported.

"They have been smitten with each other for days, weeks," a friend of Carey’s told The Post. "And she’s always had a crush on him."
 

Despite Carey’s apparent bliss, other friends have expressed concern that Carey—who recently surpassed Elvis in the number of hits on the Billboard charts and whose single, “E=MC2,” recently hit the top slot—failed to sign a pre-nuptial agreement with the lesser-known Cannon.
 

“There was no pre-nup, there wasn’t time," a friend of Carey’s said.   

Rapper Da Brat was one of the few guests in attendance at, what a source called a “very impulsive,” ceremony.

Before the ink could dry on Access Hollywood’s announcement this week that the pair had gotten engaged after just a month of dating, Carey and Cannon were already headed down the aisle.

Long-time pals, Carey and Cannon really hit it off when he directed the video for her latest single, “Bye, Bye,” in late March. But word of the romance didn’t gain traction until Cannon attended the premiere of Carey’s film, Tennessee, on April 26.

"Everyone is happy to see her happy," Carey's friend said, according to The Post. "And it could work out—some people know each other for five years and get divorced, maybe this is true instant love."   

Carey’s marriage to Cannon is her second. The songstress was previously married to music mogul Tommy Mottola early in her career and they divorced in 1998.

 

Cannon was previously engaged to Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks, to whom he proposed via the Times Square jumbotron.   

Five months after he proposed Cannon and Ebanks called it quits.

Tracy E Gilchrist © 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

Whitney Houston - more bad news

Since her divorce from bad boy Bobby Brown early last year, diva songstress Whitney Houston has been desperately trying to get back on top of her game. The years of alleged drug use and bad behavior, however, may have finally taken a toll on her only saving grace, her voice. This week, while performing at the Plymouth Jazz Festival in Tobago, the singer not only struggled with her signature songs, but seemed to be on a complete different island.

Scheduled to perform before a sold out crowd, Houston managed only to last about thirty minutes before her once velvet voice began to give out on her.

According to Blackvoices.com, she abandoned her signature song “I Will Always Love You” half way through when she was unable to hit the high notes and squatted and strained on stage while giving a lackluster rendition of Chaka Khan’s classic “I’m Every Woman.”   

Fans were greatly disappointed after the show ended suddenly when she simply walked off the stage and refused to return. Houston banned photographers and journalists from near the stage, and only her own personal cameraman was allowed to capture images of her as she performed.

The most awkward, yet not surprising, moments of the concert came when Whitney consistently shouted to the audience "I love you Trinidad!'

It would have been a nice gesture except that she was performing in Tobago, and the crowd frequently reminded her of that fact.

Dylan Vox © 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

LiLo reportedly fights for her laydee

Lindsay Lohan's tumultuous relationship with Samantha Ronson is back in the headlines again after a screaming match erupted between Lohan and Ashley Olsen over the lesbian DJ in New York this weekend. According to reports, Lohan began screaming at Olsen after the Full House star said hello to Ronson, telling the Olsen twin to get away from her "girlfriend".   

The incident between the two young actresses reportedly occurred at the Beatrice Inn on Friday evening in New York City. According to the New York Post's Page Six, Ashley Olsen walked up to Ronson and said hello. Lohan, who has been romantically linked to the lesbian DJ, screamed at Olsen to "get your 15 year-old Full House ass away from my girlfriend!"   

The following evening, Lohan and Ronson arrived together at the Hawaiian Tropic Zone club in New York just before midnight, according to People.com. Ronson was working the DJ booth at the club while Lohan hung out at a nearby table with friends. According to unidentified sources, Lohan was spotted drinking Grey Goose and Red Bull cocktails. Lohan has been struggling to remain clean and sober since an extended stay in a rehab facility for alcoholism last year following two DUI arrests and a brief incarceration in jail.

Lohan was videotaped in January drinking champagne while on vacation in Capri, Italy. Her lawyer at the time claimed the incident was an accident. "After being handed a champagne bottle while on a dance floor in Italy on New Year's Eve and drinking from it, the good news is that Lindsay stopped herself, called her sponsor and got herself back on track," Blair Berk told People. "There is no magic cure here. The most unfortunate part of this is that Lindsay has to share her 'one day at a time' with the entire world."

ANN TURNER © 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

Lesbian gossip from Los Angeles!

For the girl with little or too much time on her hands, here’s the quickie lowdown on what’s hot in lesbian and cute-girl related pop culture. From Hollywood’s latest big-screen releases to television water cooler gossip, music, DVD releases and fashion and consumer culture, Meow Mix is a catty corner serving up the latest dish.

 

Visual Pleasure on the Big Screen:

Baby Mama   

Hot nerd for the new millennium, Tina Fey, joins forces with her pal and Saturday Night Live alum, the unapologetically hilarious fool, Amy Poehler, in Baby Mama. A silly female-driven comedy—the likes of which haven’t been seen since the shlubby fat-boy gets the hot girl phenomenon overtook American comedy, Fey and Poehler play the estrogen card just right.

 

Sadly, writer extraordinaire Fey’s scribe skills aren’t work here. She just stepped into her acting shoes this time out, playing a woman whose biological clock is about to explode. Enter Poehler as a frightening, if not endearing, surrogate who becomes a live-in baby mama.

 

 

 

Throw in the ever-watchable Maura Tierney and hot cougar Sigourney Weaver and the eye candy alone makes it worth the price of admission.

Four Minutes

For serious cinephiles, check out the acclaimed German film, Four Minutes. Prison, piano music, a lesbian love story… this pristinely shot film has it all. Aging piano teacher Traude, who lost the love of her life to execution in WWII, is reinvigorated mentoring a young female piano prodigy, who also happens to be a full-on bad girl imprisoned for murder.

 

 

 

Haunting and hopeful, Four Minutes transcends age to deliver a powerful meditation on female relationships.

 

On the Small Screen:

 

A big fat WTF? Is in order for this season of American Idol. Tattooed, bad-assed Irish Lassy Carly Smithson received the proverbial steel-toed Doc Marten boot up the ass this week following her blistering hot rendition of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s "Jesus Christ Superstar".

Illustrating that tween girls and gay tween boys comprise the bulk of AI’s constituency, Carly’s fiery performance lost out to cringe-inducing light-in-the-loafers ballads by cupie-doll David Archuleta and overgrown Jim Henson creation, Jason Castro.

Even the show’s guest star, Lloyd Weber, commented that he never thought he’d hear Phantom of the Opera’s “Think of Me” and Cats’ showstopper “Memory,” “sung by boys.” Typically, I’m all for boys singing like girls and vice versa but when the one AI contestant hot, talented and mature enough for the average gay gal to lust over gets kicked to the curb, the gloves come off.

 

 

But at the end of the day, I blame that tart Simon Cowell and the AI machine for skewering Carly week after week— kind of like what the left-wing media has done to Hillary Clinton.

And here’s why…. If it’s not merely and old Irish / English feud between Simon and Carly then Simon’s steering the dumbass American public into voting for the only girl who could have taken this year’s cake. Four out of six Idols have been women and the two men who won are already relegated to the dustbin of pop-schlock culture. It's time for a boy to win to keep tween girls and gay boys watching. And Carly's the only girl who had a snowball's chance in hell of making it to the top this year. There I said it. Next week I'll tackle JFK and the grassy knoll theory.

 

Aural Stimulation:

 

Empress of Lillith Fair and Mistress of the ethereal vocal range, Sarah McLachlan releases yet another collection of her greatest performances-plus with Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff Volume 2, due out on April 29. And if anyone can put out another compilation / live record, it’s Sarah, who never fails to deliver a breath-taking performance.

Highlights on the new release include McLachlan teaming up with spritely songstress Cyndi Lauper on Lauper’s most covered tune of all time, “Time after Time.” Despite the countless renditions of the classic, McLachlan and Lauper’s voices silkily intertwine making the song as fresh as its original 1984 release.

Another gay gal pleasing moment is McLachlan and thef legendary Emmy Lou Harris taking on the mega-hit, “Angel.” Other hot duets include Bryan Adams joining McLachlan on “Don’t Let Go,” and, rather shockingly, Run DMC joining her on “Just Like Me.”

 

 

Not surprisingly McLachlan firmly plants her soaring vocal stamp on modern classics including The Beatles’ “Blackbird,” Paul Simon’s “Homeless” with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, “Rainbow Connection” and “Unchained Melody.”

But the single-most titillating moment on McLachlan’s new release, especially for the girls, is her obvious and adamant refusal to change up pro-nouns on the pining ballad “When She Loved Me.”

What to Wear:

Dame Dolly Parton, purveyor of big wigs, bigger boobs and haute couture trailer park chic has announced she’s churning out her own line of beauty products.

I want my own cosmetics line. When I first came [to Nashville] I really was the backwoods Barbie. Too much makeup, too much hair, the big boobs, country girl straight out of the mountains. It’s hard to take somebody looking like that serious, I guess, so I had to work double hard to prove myself,” Parton told Billboard Magazine.

 

 

A cultural icon worthy of her own theme park, Dollywood, it’s about damned time Parton shared some Smoky Mountain blue eyeliner with the rest of the world!

 

Check back next Friday for more "Meow Mix"!

Tracy E. Gilchrist
© 2008 LesbiaNation, All Rights Reserved.

   

Ashlee still claiming not to be pregnant

Ashlee Simpson still claims she isn’t pregnant, but that hasn’t stopped her dad from shopping around baby photos to the highest bidder. Reports suggest he’s looking for a cool million for Ashlee’s baby with rocker Pete Wentz.   

You know, that baby they both claim isn’t on the way.   

On the eve of releasing her third album, Bittersweet World, it’s gossip as usual surrounding the 23-year-old singer. Still struggling to recover from that Saturday Night Live lip-syncing debacle, Simpson’s now dodging rumors it was her father who leaked Mariah Carey’s latest album a week before it’s release date.   

Word is Joe Simpson was worried about his daughter going head to head with Carey in her second week of release, so he attempted to end some of the anticipation by getting Mariah’s music out there early.

Now Ashlee Simpson is fending off rumors she’s pregnant. When asked on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show whether or not she’d be drinking to celebrate her album’s release, she replied with a coy, "Who knows. Maybe."   

Wentz proposed to Ashlee Simpson last month. It is the first marriage for both.    

Angela D'Amboise © 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

Madge's man preferred cookie to nookie

Madonna’s man Guy Ritchie killed his sex drive with cookies, the pop icon revealed.

Filmmaker Ritchie climbed on the trendy Cookie Diet bandwagon and despite the diet's success, his famous wife, was not pleased with all of the results.

"My husband went on that cookie diet and it was such a turn-off because he didn't want to have sex. He's not on it anymore, thank god!" was the dirty laundry Madonna aired to Johnjay and Rich, a Phoenix-based radio show duo.

Ritchie dropped several pounds on the Cookie Diet, an 800-calorie-a-day diet that Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson have also tried.

But while her husband slimmed down, Madonna was less than pleased with the sexual side effects.   

"He did lose weight, but he didn't really need to lose that much weight. I think he did it because all his friends were doing it and he wanted to see if he could do it,” Madonna said.

Sanford Siegal, the doctor who devised the Cookie Diet in 1975, shot back at Madonna’s assertion, saying that he’s "treated more than 500,000 patients" and he "can't recall any of them reporting a similar effect on their sexual appetite."

He added, "In the case of my cookies, they taste good enough but I can't imagine anyone preferring them to sex."   

Tracy E. Gilchrist © 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

Ashlee Simpson pregnant - or is she?

Pop star Ashlee Simpson is reportedly pregnant, according to an article posted by US Magazine on Monday.

An unidentified source close to the 23 year-old singer told the magazine Jessica Simpson's younger sister is expecting her first child with 28 year-old fiancé Pete Wentz. However, Wentz is denying the pregnancy rumours are true.

US Magazine announced on Monday morning that a source close to Simpson had confirmed that she was expecting.

A spokesman for Simpson refused to comment on the rumoured pregnancy, saying only that the couple was "ecstatic" about their engagement and "can't wait to be man and wife."

Another report in OK! Magazine cited an unidentified source who said the baby is due in October and Simpson has recently been experiencing "fierce" morning sickness.

In contrast to the baby rumours spreading through the gossip blogs, Simpson's fiancé, Fall Out Boy band member Pete Wentz, says the reports of Simpson's pregnancy are false.

In an e-mail to MTV News on Monday, Wentz said: "There is a witch hunt for people to be pregnant whenever they get engaged in Hollywood."

"I can't wait for the story about how I'm really in a gay relationship and this is all just a cover. ...I mean really, this is crazy. ...I mean, we're engaged, that's true, and happy about it."

The couple went public with their engagement last week, but so far no wedding plans have yet been announced.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

Zac Efron, Studio 54 and Andy Warhol

High School Musical cutie Zac Efron could be stepping up into a new adult role in a new movie.

Richard and Robert DuPont may not mean much to you, but in New York they are kinda iconic, being teen twin twinks from Connecticut who came to the Big Apple, got mixed up with the Studio 54 crowd, took lots of the drugs and did sex with famous old gay men.

Now nearly 50, they recently acted as associate producers on the movie Factory Girl, which was about that whole Warhol thing.

"We were Andy's proteges," they told the Daily Mail.

Richard and Robert DuPont  recently discussed what they got up to during their time as precocious runaways in the Studio 54-era Warhol camp. Andy, it seems, had a thing for twins.

"He would kiss me, and yes he touched me – he would sometimes jerk me  off," says Richard, according to SX News.

"Warhol also used Richard to recruit "cute  friends" to take part in the creation of the oxidation paintings.  "Andy would watch. He didn't touch himself, but he did this moaning.  'Oh!…Oh!…' It was like he was having an orgasm while he watched us.

"Or at least faking one. And then he would take us to lunch and give  us $100, or some of his silk-screen wallpaper of the cow or Mao."

Now the reclusive twins, 48, have said Zac is "top of their list" to play them.

What a scoop!

Still, allows everyone involved to print a pretty picture of Zac.

Enrique's dad speaks out

The grand old man of Spanish crooners has taken a leaf out of the book of Heineken.

"If I was gay I would be the best gay of all history," said Julio Iglesias.

Blimey, that is some boast. We disagree.

Hair is, like, so 70s, don't you think?

We are confident that any of his dishy sons would make a much better gay.



Like that one.



Or indeed that one.

But Julio's comments do beg the question:

Who WAS the best gay in all of history?

Our money is on Christopher Biggins.

Kylie split from "gay husband"

They think it's all over - the net is abuzz with stories that tiny singer Kylie Minogue has drifted apart from a man known as her gay husband.

Just last year William Baker, who is the chanteuse's stylist and erstwhile confidante, was busily promoting his "behind the scenes" documentary about Kylie, White Diamond.

Isn't that a cider homeless people drink? Anyway.

Tedious and sycophantic, the critics said of the Baker-directed doco, that provided less insight than a Newsround report.

Apparently the Australian is unhappy that Baker spoke to the press about her breakup with loverat (copyright: the tabs) Oliver Martinez.

A source told Metro:

"After being so close for so long it is now just a professional relationship.

"When two people spend too much time together there can be tension, and there has been tension."

 

Joss Stone's steamy same-sex kiss!

Just when we were starting to recover from her bizarre ramblings at last years Brit Awards, Joss Stone says she's out to shock us again.

The 20-year old singer has just landed her first major movie role playing a lesbian holiday park entertainer.

The part in quirky British comedy Snappers will apparently see her character indulging in a "long, lingering French kiss" with another woman.

The star is sure that the new project will surprise some of her fans, commenting: "There are things that are going to really push the boundaries - I'm excited!"

Let's just hope that her performance is slightly less irritating than her recent turn in the Cadbury's Flake adverts!

Peaches "furious" at trans comments

Part-time broadcaster, full time party girl Peaches Geldof is said to be furious after her Wikipedia page claims she is a transsexual.

A mischievous hacker has altered her entry on the online encyclopaedia to read: "Peaches Geldof is hung like a donkey. She is one hot ladyboy."

The 19-year old daughter of Bob Geldof has apparently emailed close friends asking: "WTF is going on with my Wikipedia? It's sick. Bell me up if any of you know who did it."

It is believed "bell me up" is a reference to the telephone.
 
According to the Daily Star, her friends think she's blown the whole thing out of proportion with one source commenting: "I don't know why she's bothered, it's obvious she's a girl."

Perhaps so, but it does make the name of her DJ-ing duo Trash Pussies all the more ironic...

Woman in leotard slams Mayor Ken

A 49-year-old American who lives in London has spoken out about the state of the capital's Tube network, despite the fact she travels almost everywhere by chauffeur-driven limo.

Madonna Ciccone, aka Mrs Guy Richie, is well-known for adopting photogenic African children who aren't orphans and for bringing the leotard back into fashion for middle-aged women such as herself.

Despite her embarrassing attempts to become a lady while in England, she still appears to not know to close her legs.

She launched a furious attack on the incumbent mayor of London, who is up for re-election this May.

"Will Ken Livingstone get my vote? No. The traffic in London is worse than ever now. All Red Ken wants is roadworks going on everywhere.

"Don't use the Tube; can't use the roads? No. I'll just have to walk I guess," she told Q magazine.

Well, at least in London a menopausal woman in a pink leotard can walk the streets without anyone caring! Or having her sectioned.

The Mayor's campaign has, of course, been thrown into complete disarray after this intervention from one of the world's most talented actresses. 

Her mastery of the English accent has brought many to tears and London voters are unhappy that the leotard queen cannot herself stand.

After all, her policies would be universally popular - who could disagree that this one would be vital to London's continued reputation as in international finance centre:

"I would make it so that young musicians, aspiring musicians wouldn't have to pay the congestion charge or pay taxes.

"They would be exempt from those kind of things so they would have more money to do other things."

Sensible policies for a happier Britain - and how about a special roadwork-free lane for limos while we are at it?

London residents have been beside themselves over rumours that Madonna may be on the brink of leaving her husband and the city and returning to New York.

What will we do without her constant bitching about everything from British builders to the British weather?

Ricky Martin, Chace Crawford and other hetties

 by Ross von Metzke.

Who among us doesn’t remember abs man from American Idol?

OK, so his name is Alan Ritchson (see pic above) and while he didn’t exactly get very far on the singing competition, who can forget that attempted strip tease meant to entice Paula in which every gay viewer across America fell off their collective couches.   

It’s that collective gay gasp that’s continued to propel his career, from his Smallville appearance as Aquaman to his independent album to his numerous modeling gigs for companies including International Jock and N2N underwear.

Yeah, I know which one of those you picked up on. Smoking hot Alan in jock straps.   

Alan’s working on a couple of independent features and you can see him—well, an animated him—in the direct to video Justice League: The New Frontier, playing (but of course) Aquaman. If his animated self is anywhere near as hot as the real thing, you bet we’re dusting off our Blockbuster cards.

You know, for the past four years, I’ve stared at Priscilla Presley’s face and wondered if she got into a fight with Jocelyn Wildenstein or just crashed a Weho pumping party.   

Turns out the latter is close to the truth—she’s one of many celebs pumped full of industrial silicone by recently jailed Dr. Daniel Serrano. Licensed to practice medicine in his native Argentina—the plastic surgery capital of the world, according to many—he was running a bogus operation stateside, and now, he’s reportedly being shipped home by immigration.

I wanna know how a celebrity is going to walk into a plastic surgeon’s office without some frame of reference. I mean, seriously—if I were a woman going into get my face done today, I’d march my ass right up to Susan Lucci and say, “Who do you use”?

I would not be following around Meg Ryan with a pair of binoculars to see who glued those trout lips on her kisser, least of all following someone to his backseat in the K-mart parking lot to find out how many $20’s he’ll take for a quick refresh.

Still, I don’t wish any ill will on Priscilla—or Dyan Cannon, Nikki Kidman, Sly Stallone, Jessica Lange, Michael Douglas, Cher or any other number of celebs who’ve gone under the knife more times than I can count.   

Heads up—for future reference, what the FDA approves is just fine. We don’t need to be dabbling in disaster.   

Even though half of Hollywood is probably using something the FDA didn’t approve. What is it with celebrities and additions… the only think more addictive than illegal substances in perusing the gossip sites to find out who’s addicted to something.

Which is why yesterday’s most emailed post on Perez Hilton—Whitney Smoking Crack….Caught On Tape!!!!—pissed me off.   

 

I mean, don’t get me wrong—I clicked frantically, thinking it might explain why her big comeback album is two years in the making. But imagine my surprise when all I came up with is a You Tube of ’80s pop blip Rick Astley.   

Now I can do a mean “Together Forever” at karaoke, don’t get me wrong. But is that how we’re driving page views these days? Misleading the reader.

Not that I was Whitney to fall of the wagon, but if you’re gonna make a promise, hold up your end of the bargain.   

Now, for Ricky Martin naked in a sauna… click here!

I didn’t say pictures… hahaha!   

But at least we’ve got related info.   

Some Ricky Martin fanatic—which is why you should take this news with a grain of salt—claims he shared a sauna with Ricky Martin over in Calcutta.

Calcutta? I can think of a lot of discreet places closer to home for Ricky than Calcutta. But this man swears it was him hidden beneath that beard and moustache, despite the fact that when he confronted the pop star, he was told he had the wrong guy.

The naked steam allegedly took place at the Grand Oberoi hotel and Ricky, the man says, has a tattoo on his lower pelvic area.

Later, when Ricky seemed to need help finding his locker, the man was all too happy to oblige—for an autograph. This timer, Enriqua gave it, smiled and left.

Is this exchange to be believed? Who can say… but, as it turns out, Martin actually was in Calcutta recently, working with a children’s organisation.

Damnit to hell—I walk into a steam room at Burke Williams and get Gene Simmons. I’m going to have to steam internationally more often.   

On the subject of gays in strange places, J.C. Chasez is absolutely insistent that he isn’t one, despite the fact that every time he’s out in public, Gossip Girl Chace Crawford seems to be at his side.   

Chasez swears they’re just friends, and takes issue with the fact that because they like to hang out and be affectionate in public that everyone thinks they’re dating.

First off—you don’t have to be dating to be screwing, which is how so many of the gay boys kick things off, after all.

Secondly, though some may consider this narrow minded of me, what does a 31-year-old seasoned vet of the recording industry who’s moving behind the scenes as a producer have in common with the 22-year-old pin-up star of the CW’s breakout hit show?

My gut says dick, but seeing as how I’ve seen nothing with my own two eyes, I’ll reserve judgment.   

We so want two gay ’Nsyncers. Make it happen, J.C.—that’s totally get your album released.   

Word on the street says another queen is sick of one of her gigs and wants to call it quits A.S.A.P.   

That queen is Tyra Banks, and for those of you crossing your fingers she wants to hang up her hat on her talk show, keep praying—no, word says Miss T is over America’s Next Top Model. She’ll continue to Exec. Produce, but she wants someone else in front of the camera.   

 

Why? Any number of reasons, from her rumoured spat with Jay Manuel—they aren’t talking, sources say—to the fact that she claims she only ever saw the show lasting three or four seasons (they’re closing in on eight).

Hell, maybe Tyra just wants to do a face plant into the nearest cheesecake. She’s earned that right. For more than a decade, she was swimsuit ready in a moment’s notice. Let the bitch eat.

For now, at least, Tyra’s committed to another season.   

Hey, if you get your wish, there’s always Kirstie Alley’s new diet plan—she could totally use a new side kick now that Valerie kicked the fat actress to the curb.   

There you have it fellas… more mud slinging that a gay rodeo. Until we chat again, remember… take the time to stop and smell the gossip.

 
© 2007 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

LiLo, sex tapes and suing Oprah: the week in entertainment

Kristin Davis and Lindsay Lohan sex deny sex tape rumours; The Hills star Audrina Patridge defends nude photos; Halle Berry welcomes a new addition; ABBA drummer Ola Brunkert and legendary author Arthur C. Clarke die; R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe 'comes out'; Sarah Jessica Parker mad at Maxim's "Unsexiest Women Alive" list; Oprah gets sued and Amanda Overmyer exits Idol with grace.

   

Celebrity Sex Tape #1 - Lindsay Lohan   

A porn video featuring a woman rumored to be Lindsay Lohan surfaced on the Net on Thursday, launching the second celebrity sex tape blitz of the week. The video allegedly features Lohan engaged in a sex act with ex-boyfriend Calum Best. However, both Lohan and Best are denying they are the ones in the tape. This is not the first time Best has been linked to a sex tape. The model and son of English soccer star George Best previously made a cell phone video of himself having sex with two prostitutes, according to FoxNews.com.   

Gossip site TMZ.com states they have confirmed the video is not of Lohan, but instead were taken from an XTube.com video posted several months ago of an unknown couple. Though the case is likely closed on this rumor, apparently Best would have been happy to have actually had a real video of Lohan doing the nasty. His representative told In Touch Magazine, "If it was Column we would have it shrink-wrapped and put out onto a DVD for Christmas… We'd all be retired by now if that were the case."

 

>> Read more on this story.   

Celebrity Sex Tape #2 - Kristin Davis   

Steamy 'leaked' photos from a rumored sex tape featuring Sex and the City actress Kristin Davis exploded across the Net this week. The pics, featuring an attractive brunette with a strong resemblance to Davis, allegedly originated from ex-boyfriend Eric Stapleman. Stapleman claims, according to TMZ.com, the photos were taken years ago during their relationship and he sold them because he was angry with the actress.   

   

Davis, however, has stated through a representative that the photos are not of her and there "is no sex tape." While the latest information confirms that sex tape probably does not exist, it remains to be proven definitively whether the photos, at least, might still be of Davis.

 

>> Read more on this story.

 

Patridge Says Nude Photos Were "Artistic"   

Audrina Patridge, star of the MTV reality show The Hills, had no problem in acknowledging the nude photos of her leaked online earlier this week. The nude photos, apparently taken nearly five years ago, featured Patridge topless in a skirt and fully nude in a bathtub. Patridge quickly stepped up to say the photos were indeed of her, but that she was not ashamed of them.

   

The Hills star said in a post on her MySpace page that the photos were taken when she was "just out of high school and beginning to model… I was young and very trusting of others, and I didn't know to protect myself." Although she regrets having done them, Patridge said there was nothing wrong with the photos. "I intended them to be artistic and not in any way provocative… I'm not ashamed of these photos, but I don't want my young fans to think they have to do what I did."

>> Read more on this story.   

Halle Berry Welcomes New Baby   

Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on Sunday. The 41-year-old star and model boyfriend Gabriel Aubry named their newborn daughter Nahla Ariela, which roughly translates to "honeybee" and "lioness for God." Berry reportedly had not picked out a name until just before leaving for the hospital to give birth.

   

Interestingly, both the child's first and middle names are similar to characters in two Disney movies—Nala from The Lion King and Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Rumor has it this may not have been an accidental resemblance as a source close to the actress reportedly said Berry has "always been a huge fan of the Disney films," according to Stuff.co.nz.   

>> Read more on this story.   

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Sad Goodbye to Ola Brunkert & Arthur C. Clarke   

This week, the world said goodbye to two iconic figures, one in music and one in literature.   

ABBA drummer Ola Brunkert was found dead at his home in Spain on Sunday, the victim of a freak accident. Sixty-two year-old Brunkert, who played with the band and performed on their albums, died after shattering a glass door when he fell into it. "A glass door in the kitchen of the house was shattered and it appears that this man fell through the door. He then managed to get out into the garden where he died," a spokesperson from the Civil Guard told the press.

>> Read more on this story.   

   

Legendary science fiction author Sir Arthur C. Clarke also died this past week. Clarke died at his home in Sri Lanka from respiratory failure at the age of 90. Clarke wrote over 100 fiction and non-fiction books during his life and co-authored the film 2001: A Space Odyssey with Stanley Kubrick. Although Clarke was never open about his sexuality, he has long been believed to be one of the most prominent gay writers of the last century.

>> Read more on this story.   

R.E.M. Singer Michael Stipe Talks About Being Gay   

Although technically R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe has been out as a gay man for nearly a decade, this week he decided to finally talk more publicly about his sexuality. Stipe told Spin Magazine he made the decision to 'come out' more about being gay because he recognizes "that to have public figures be very open about their sexuality helps some kid somewhere out there."

   

Stipe said that although he has always been open with his band members, family and friends, he previously believed being vocal about his sexuality wasn't all that important. Now, however, he says he understands why the GLBT community needs public figures to embrace their sexuality openly.

>> Read more on this story.   

Sarah Jessica Parker Bashes Maxim   

Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker came out swinging this week at Maxim magazine for naming her the #1 "Unsexiest Woman Alive" on a recent list. Second on the list was Amy Winehouse, trailed by Madonna, Sandra Oh and Britney Spears. Although the Maxim poll was published way back in October, Parker has apparently been holding a grudge about it for some time.

   

In a recent interview with Grazia magazine, Parker slammed the magazine, saying "Do I have fake boobs, Botox and big lips? No. Do I fit some ideals and standards of some men writing in a men's magazine? Maybe not… It's so brutal in a way, so filled with rage and anger, so it was surprising to me that more people didn't talk about the providence of it, that it's coming from these men." Parker continued, "I played a lot of parts, women that are really interesting and attractive to me. Obviously someone thinks I'm palatable to some degree."

Oprah Facing Multiple Lawsuits   

Daytime talk show diva Oprah Winfrey is defending herself in two new lawsuits against The Oprah Winfrey Show in the news this week. One lawsuit is from a woman who claimed she suffered "severe and permanent injuries" after being trampled when the audience rushed for seats during a taping of the show. Orit Greenberg is seeking over $50,000 in medical fees and other damages. Greenberg claims she was pushed down a flight of stairs after show crew told audience members they could pick their own seats for the taping and a mad stampede ensued for the choicest seats.

   

The other pending lawsuit comes from a woman who claims she was the one who came up with the idea for Winfrey's new hit show, Oprah's Big Give. Darlene Tracy claims the idea for the show was stolen from a reality program proposal she sent to Oprah's company in 2005. She claims she spoke several times with an executive producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show about the proposal around a show called The Philanthropist, but eventually was told they would be passing on the series. However, Tracy claims that only a year later, Winfrey launched the idea for Big Give—which she claims is basically the same as her proposed idea. A representative for the company said the claims were "without merit."

Read more on this story.   

Amanda Overmyer Exits Idol with Class   

Rocker girl Amanda Overmyer was voted off American Idol this week, but unlike some other vanquished contestants, she seems to be taking the loss in stride. Overmyer told Entertainment Weekly after leaving the show that she hopes she can make a career out of singing, but "this will not be the unicorn I will chase for the rest of my life."

   

Overmyer said she will see where her stint on Idol takes her, but that she is prepared to return to her life as a nurse who performs on the side if that's what ends up happening. When EW stated that usually ex-Idol contestants go on and on about how they are "destined to be a star," Overmyer replied frankly, "I hate those fucking answers. Are you kidding me?"

Ann Turner © 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

$4,000 hooker "all about the music"

The world now knows the ‘Kristen’ the press references when talking about defamed New York Gov.

Eliot Spitzer’s call girl is actually named Ashley Alexandra Dupre.

What the world doesn’t know—but could probably figure out if they thought about it for a minute—is that Dupre has her eye on Hollywood.

According to various reports, the woman Spitzer spent thousands of dollars to sleep with is actually an aspiring singer—in fact, a track called “What We Want” streams on her MySpace page.

According to the New York Post, Dupre even runs her own entertainment company, a venture her lawyer says is designed to further her singing and acting aspirations.

"I am all about my music and my music is all about me,” the budding talent says on her MySpace page. “It flows from what I've been through, what I've seen and how I feel.”

Whether Spitzer will figure into any of her lyrics remains to be seen.

The former Governor, who stepped down earlier this week amid wiretap recordings connecting him to a prostitution ring, is alleged to have spent thousands of dollars on sex with women.

Dupre was just one of the women he’s alleged to have slept with.   

Dupre made a brief appearance in court in New York Monday and is said to be eyeing various reality television projects. According to reports, Dupre brought in up to $4,000 a night for her services.

Ross von Metzke © 2007 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

Lesbian gossip from LA!

Let's keep our fingers crossed she's a baby dyke, Juno's Ellen Page teased the trendy True Religion jeans and retro-print t-shirts right off legions of Lesbos on Saturday Night Live this week.   

Too clever to actually cop to any actual girl on girl, Ellen bid a fond flip of the bird to the likes of the Village Voice's gossip monger extraordinaire Michael Musto, who recently opined about Ellen in his column, "Is she or isn't she?" The cutest, smartest actress to dissemble about her bedroom proclivities since one Ms. Jodie Foster, Ellen's fluid sexuality worked Musto into a good ole gay boy froth.   

"I mean, come on already, is she??? You know, Lebanese! She certainly dresses like a, you know, tomboy," Musto wrote.   

And this week, Little "E'"—Ellen Degeneres is "The Big E"—responded to the rumors on Saturday Night Live with a hilarious riff on what the masses consider all things Lesbo. For the skit, Ellen's thinly-veiled SNL alter ego returned home to her boyfriend—Andy Samberg—all butched out following an illuminating night at a Melissa Etheridge concert. Just to hear eat-her-with-a-spoon adorable Ellen utter the words, "Indigo Girls, Closer I am to Fine, great big lezzy jam and athletic girls in tank tops," was enough to send budding gay girls and dyed-in-the-wool dykes alike into fits of longing.

But the proverbial icing on Ellen's cake was when she dropped to her back with her legs in the air and queried, "Why does everything have to have a label? Why can't I just hug a woman with my legs in friendship if I want?"

Following up on Tina Fey's SNL mantra for Hillary—Seven Sisters—Clinton that "Bitch is the new black", Tina's erstwhile partner in crime, Amy Poehler, donned her Hillary drag for a skit that eviscerated the Democratic debate process in which Darryl Hammond, impersonating Tim Russert, interrogated Hillary while tossing Nerf balls at Barack—one minute I'm welcoming an anti-gay activist and gospel singer to my campaign and the next I'm sending Valentine's to the queer community—Obama.   

The real Hillary turned up with an "editorial response," and parried with her twin, Poehler. When little Amy asked, "How's the campaign going?" Hills responded with a very funny faux mélange of self-confidence and paranoia. "It's going great. Great. Why what have you heard?"

With support from Madonna, Barbra Streisand, Cher and Tina Fey, Hillary—it's small wonder her initials are HRC—has got the queer vote sewn up. But I'm not holding my breath for card carrying Texan and Ohioan homos to tip the scales away from her rival.

However, Jack Nicholson has thrown his support behind Hills with a video endorsement of famous Jack lines edited from his films.
   

Oddly there's no ax wielding, "Here's Johnny," in the mix.   

With the gay vote and now the pervy old man demographic behind her, she might just pull it out of the bag—or at least she'll be able to open a porn shop.

Nice girl Natalie Portman publicly objectified her on-screen sister—and by sister I don't mean the kind you find romping in the nude at the Michigan Women's Festival.

 

 

 

On the subject of her The Other Boleyn Girl, corset-clad co-star Scarlett Johansson, Nat said, "I would really want to grab Scarlett's breasts. She's got beautiful ones." Touché Natalie….touché. It doesn't take a Harvard grad to figure that out.

The student of gay girl action in Cruel Intentions, raven-haired Selma Blair, has become the teacher. She's signed on to play it gay on the big screen in Driving Lessons.

 

Selma's slated to play a "sarcastic lesbian schoolteacher" who gets down and dirty with a female student, played by Californication's Madeline Zima.

 

I can see it now, in a Notes on a Scandal-esque backlash, the politically correct among us will skewer the film on the basis that it makes all Lesbos look like predators, while privately drooling over the match-up.

Let's hope Selma gets a filthy tagline similar to her "f*** me…" in Todd Solondz's button pushing Storytelling.

Edgy teen star turned loopy shoplifter Winona Ryder's decided to tie the knot with Rilo Kiley guitarist Blake Sennett.   

Perennial groupie and erstwhile slut, the gal who won our hearts with Heathers, has dated Johnny—Wino Forever—Depp, Matt Damon, Adam Duritz, Dave Grohl and others… many others.   

Congrats to Winona and Blake, but it's a tad bittersweet when a tried and true pill-popping kleptomaniac with a slutty edge settles down.

Like the famous blackout that spawned the Baby Boom generation, everyone was getting laid on The L Word this week... except there wont' be much baby-making going on there. A heat wave and rolling blackouts made the L Word ladies—and Max—mucho horny.   

Locked in an elevator, Bette continued to do what she does best and cheat on her partner Jodi—albeit with her ostensible "lobster" for life, Tina.

Shane scratched her straight-girl itch with Molly and Max got it on with a boy… P.S.—if anyone knows where to get a t-shirt like the one Shane was wearing that was emblazoned with the names of my fave director Michelangelo Antonioni's films, this trendy little film history nerd would be eternally indebted.   

Life imitated art this weekend when Lesbian Turkish Oil Wrestling became a palpable reality—at least for the greased up girls in the ring.

That's right. OurChart.com teamed up with West Hollywood promoter Linda Fusco and Fuse events to allow Weho women to objectify and ogle slippery women. The L Word's breakout star of the season, Elizabeth Keener, was on hand to do her best Dawn Denbo and play ringmaster. Sadly, "lover Cindy" was nowhere in sight.   

Joining cutie-pie Keener was Clementine Ford, Cybill Shepherd's real daughter and Molly on the show, and the genius who directed the oil-wrestling episode, Angela Robinson.   

A perfectly wholesome evening of boozing and ogling half-naked chicks in a crammed, sweat-soaked environment, was had by all.   

Check out babe Bridget McManus, the next big thing in lesbian comics on AfterEllen.com's weekly "Brunch with Bridget," in which a P.J.-clad and bed-bound Bridget rubs elbows and pillow fights with lesbian luminaries.

This week's episode features Bridget and my friend, the very funny Andrea Meyerson, Laughing Matters series director and founder of the wildly successful lesbian outings—not outing—group, Women On A Roll. After this Vlog, gay girls nationwide will want to pillow fight—or pillow bite—with funny girl Bridget.   

     

Missed the last "Media Blender"? Read it here!

 

Tracy Gilchrist © 2007 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

Gay wins Project Runway: A nation rejoices!

 

“It made me smile, and it takes a lot to make me smile.”   

And with those words from famously stone faced Project Runway guest judge Victoria Beckham, viewers should have known 22-year-old Christian Siriano had a lock on taking home the US talent show title on the season finale earlier this week.

The pocket gay, as he’s been dubbed online—with lines like crediting himself as “sew fabulous” to his credit—became the youngest winner in the show’s history earlier this week, with judges Beckham, Michael Kors and Elle fashion director Nina Garcia singing his praises.   

The show’s design mentor Tim Gunn said Siriano and contestant Jillian Lewis were neck and neck until Beckham’s comment—“That collection is me”—sealed his win.   

As in seasons past, Siriano walks away from the show with $100K (£50k) seed money for his own fashion line, a brand new Saturn car and a spread in Elle magazine.   

After leaving the runway a winner, the notoriously flamboyant Siriano waved a hand in Beckham’s direction and offered a simple, “We’ll be in touch.”

Watch the thrilling finale!

Angela D'Amboise © 2007 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

Justin Trousersnake? Apparently not.

It was too good to be true.

It appears that the impressive bulge sported by Justin Timberlake in the upcoming Mike Myers movie The Love Guru is the real deal.

His outrageous performance as a Speedo-clad, handlebar-moustached hockey player, Jacques Grande looks to be pretty amusing, but an insider spoke out about his sizable crotch, telling Page Six:

"It's embellished, but that's the character."

Check out the trailer and Justin's funny turn:

Lopez names sprogs

The names of Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's newborn twins have finally been 'officially' released to the public. As previously rumoured, the newest members of the famous family are named Max and Emme, the couple's publicist confirmed.

 

Jennifer Lopez gave birth on February 22 to the twins, a boy and a girl, at North Shore University Hospital in New York.

Even as parents Lopez and Marc Anthony welcomed the new additions to their family, the bidding war for the first photos of the babies was already underway. The winner: People Magazine, which reportedly plans to shell out $6 million for the exclusive first pics.

 

Lopez gave birth to the long-awaited twins shortly after 12 a.m.

First to arrive was baby girl Emme weighing in at 5 lbs. 7 oz., followed by baby boy Max weighing in at 6 lbs. The twins are the first children for 38-year-old Lopez. Anthony has three previous children from two previous relationships.

 

"Jennifer and Marc are delighted, thrilled and over the moon," Lopez's manager Simon FieldsPeople.com. told

 

After long refusing to acknowledge her pregnancy to the public despite an ever growing baby-bump, Jennifer Lopez finally came clean in November.

At a media event during a Miami concert on November 8, Lopez and Anthony formally announced they were expecting.

The news that the couple were expecting twins was revealed by Lopez' father earlier this month in an interview with Escandalo TV. Lopez and Anthony were married in June, 2004.   

According to the New York Daily News, People Magazine won a bidding war to acquire the exclusive first photos of the twins. The magazine is reportedly offering to pay at least 6 million for the pics. People shelled out 4 million for the first photos of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's daughter Shiloh.   

The official name announcement confirms earlier rumours around the names chosen for the twins. Gossip sites across the web had already uncovered the names before the announcement because of a leaked conversation by Lopez's mother about two baby bracelets engraved with the names.

Ann Turner © 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

Pop diva laughs off Cowell gay rumours

American Idol judge Paula Abdul has denied rumours that her co-host, music mogul Simon Cowell, is gay, saying that he is just “comfortable in his own skin.”

Despite having a long-term girlfriend, Terri Seymour, Cowell’s sexuality is frequently the subject of media scrutiny.

Singer Abdul says she is sick of the constant rumours and evens goes as far as saying she fancies him herself, because “he's been doing more push-ups lately.”

She tells the UK gossip magazine Star:

“People say that all the time but no, he's not! His brother always jokes and says that he's gay but Simon has fun with it now. He's very comfortable in his skin.”

But even Paula is not impressed by those high-waisted trousers. “There's no excuse for him to dress that way,” she says. Quite right.

Freddie Mercury's gayness a shock to May

Brian May of Queen fame has insisted that it was not until the 1980's that he realised that 'flamboyant' band mate Freddie Mercury was gay.

He recalls: "When I shared a room with him on tour in the early days I can assure you it was girls who generally stayed overnight. "

It wasn't until Mercury began to bring men with "that particular Adonis look" backstage that Brian suspected all was not as it had previously seemed.

The star, citing factors for his confusion regarding his friend's sexuality, claims that: "he seemed to be what these days you would call metrosexual.

"He was into his hair, his clothes - he definitely led the way with regard to preening."

Something that the man with the famously wild hair should think seriously about.

Mr May also points to the disparity between Mercury's onstage and offstage persona as justification for his his confusion.

He says that Mercury "was much shyer than his strutting onstage persona."

Brian, as you know, has a PhD in astrophysics, is a regular guest on astronomy programme The Sky at Night, is married to Angie Watts off EastEnders, wrote the songs Fat Bottomed Girls and We Will Rock You, is Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores Universtiy,  and was named 39th greatest guitarist ever by Rolling Stone magazine.

Sir, we salute you.

Keep an eye out for the Brits

Fights, tantrums and tanked-up pop stars can only mean one thing: the Brit Awards. The music industry's most notorious annual award show is back on our screens this month. Famed for its disastrous presenters, unruly guests and controversial performances, the Brit Awards is always great entertainment value and this year is set to be no different as the cream of the industry turn out in full force.

Never an event to shy away from controversy, the awards have produced some memorable pop moments in the past including the Spice Girl Geri Halliwell in her iconic union flag dress, Jarvis Cocker's stage invasion during Michael Jackson's performance of Earth Song, Robbie Williams challenging Liam Gallagher to a fight and a drunken tryst between DJ Brandon Block and Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood.

If you're tuning in to see some big names you won't be left feeling disappointed. Some of the industry's best known stars have signed up to perform this year, including music legend Sir Paul McCartney, who will headline the show with a very special performance and will also pick up the 2008 Outstanding Contribution to Music Award.

We will also see performances from the ultimate pop queen, Kylie Minogue, record-breaking nominee Rihanna, world-class British indie acts the Kaiser Chiefs, Mika and Mark Ronson.

Known for its history of unpredictable rock n roll antics, the Brit Awards has fittingly chosen rock music's favourite couple, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, as hosts. With Ozzy's metal mayhem and Sharon's outspoken honesty, the duo will guide the expected millions of TV viewers and 11,000 music fans partying in Earls Court through one of the most exhilarating nights in the UK music calendar.

X-Factor judge Sharon says: "Ozzy and I have been asked to host many awards shows in the past but this is by far the most prestigious and meaningful, especially for Ozzy, as it's about the music. We are proud to be Brits and are both incredibly honoured to have been asked to help celebrate the best in British music at the biggest music awards show in Europe."

Now in its 28th year of broadcast, the Brit Awards will go out live on ITV1 for a second consecutive year, so expect the unexpected and the controversial from the biggest personalities in the UK music industry.

The nominations for this year are:

British male solo artist: Jamie T, Mark Ronson, Mika, Newton Faulkner, Richard Hawley.

British female solo artist: Bat For Lashes, Kate Nash, KT Tunstall, Leona Lewis, PJ Harvey.

British group: Arctic Monkeys, Editors, Girls Aloud, Kaiser Chiefs, Take That.

British album: Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare, Leona Lewis - Spirit, Mark Ronson - Version, Mika - Life In Cartoon Motion, Take That - Beautiful World.

British breakthrough act: Bat For Lashes, Kate Nash, Klaxons, Leona Lewis, Mika. (Winner chosen by BBC Radio 1 listeners.)

British live act: Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs, Klaxons, Muse, Take That. (Winner chosen by BBC Radio 2 listeners.)

British single: Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love, Mika - Grace Kelly, Take That - Shine, Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby, Sugababes - About You Now, Mark Ronson ft Amy Winehouse - Valerie, Kate Nash - Foundations, The Hoosiers - Worried About Ray, James Blunt - 1973, Mutya Buena - Real Girl. (A live public vote will decide the winner on the night.) 

International male solo artist: Bruce Springsteen, Kanye West, Michael Buble, Rufus Wainwright, Timbaland.

International female solo artist: Alicia Keys, Bjork, Feist, Kylie Minogue, Rihanna.

International group: Arcade Fire, Eagles, Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon, White Stripes.

International album: Arcade Fire - Neon Bible, Eagles - Long Road Out Of Eden, Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, Kings of Leon - Because Of The Times, Kylie Minogue - X.

Critics' Choice Award: Adele

Outstanding contribution to music: Sir Paul McCartney

To find out how your favourite pop acts fare tune into ITV1 on 20 February for the live show.

Dolly Parton's puppies cause back problem

Dolly Parton fans will have to wait a few more months to see the legendary country diva perform tracks from her new album live on tour.   

Parton had been scheduled to kick off a 13-show tour on February 28 in Minneapolis to support her soon to be released CD Backwoods Barbie.

However an unspecified back problem related to her famous breasts has forced the singer to postpone her North American tour.

"Hey, you try wagging these puppies around a while and see if you don't have back problems," the down home country superstar said in a statement.

According to an  AP report, doctors have advised Parton to take up to eight weeks off to recover.   

"I know I have been breaking my neck and bending over backwards trying to get my new Backwoods Barbie CD and world tour together, but I didn't mean to hurt myself doing it," Parton added in the statement.

Ever cheerful, Parton also said doctors told her she will be "good as new in a few weeks, and I can't wait to get back out there."

The tour will be rescheduled for late April through May and tickets will be honoured for the new dates.

Duane Wells © 2008 GayWired; All Rights Reserved.

Britney's parents fear for her life

Jamie and Lynne Spears say they are “extremely disappointed” that their daughter, singer Britney Spears, was allowed to leave the psychiatric ward at the UCLA Medical Centre yesterday despite their wishes and the recommendation of her treating psychiatrist.

 

"We are deeply concerned about our daughter's safety and vulnerability and we believe her life is presently at risk," the pair said in a statement released to The Associated Press this morning.

"We ask only that the court's orders be enforced so that a tragedy may be averted."

 

According to the Los Angeles Times, hospital officials released Spears after a week of treatment because she no longer posed a danger to herself or to others, and they couldn’t continue to hold her against her will, despite the fact that Jamie Spears had been named his daughter’s conservator earlier in the week.

(A conservatorship is granted when a court determines a person is unable to care for his or her own affairs.)

 

Spears left the hospital quietly, the newspaper reported, with just a private security detail escorting her home. The scene stood in stark contrast to the one that occurred last week, when more than a dozen police officers accompanied the ambulance that took the popstar to the UCLA Medical Center.

 

“It occurred without any law enforcement intervention, and for the public that's a good thing," Capt. Sharyn Buck, commander of