amy winehouse: January 2010

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Oops, our Cilla forgets to pack the sunscreen and, surprise surprise, gets burnt

In the pink: Cilla reveals the effects of a little too much sunshine

When all at home are shivering in the depths of winter, the temptation to soak up the Caribbean sun is irresistible.

But for a fair-skinned redhead like Cilla Black, it's all too easy to overdo it.

The 67-year-old star, who has a penthouse apartment on Barbados, looked seriously sunburned as she joined Prince Harry at a fundraising party for victims of the Haiti earthquake.

She said: 'Harry came straight up to me and said, "I didn't expect you to be here". So I said, "Surprise, Surprise". He groaned and told me, "I knew you would say that".'

She added: 'I've met all the members of the Royal Family except William and Harry.

'A few years back I notoriously performed at the Royal Variety Performance wearing a leotard and a flashing heart.

Paying the forfeit: Harry dancing beside a local musician

'I happened to see Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace a few days later and he said: "Glad to see you are wearing a little more than when I saw you last!"'

Earlier, Prince Harry, who is in Barbados for a polo match to raise funds for his African orphans' charity, had found himself paying a forfeit at a concert for Haiti.

He offered to dance on stage if viewers of the event, broadcast on TV across the Caribbean, donated thousands of dollars in the next 25 minutes.

When the pledges came through, he said: 'I can't believe I've let myself in for this.'

Surprise surprise: Prince Harry and Cilla Black meet for the first time in Barbados

Cilla and Harry were at a fundraising party for victims of the Haiti earthquake

Cilla has now met all of the Royal family, except Prince William

source: dailymail

Gerard Butler plays the music of love as he kisses violinist during chance meeting in the street

By James White

Street scene: Gerard Butler and a woman violinist kiss near Venice Beach, L.A.

Action film star Gerard Butler made the most of his celebrity status during a walk around Venice Beach, L.A. - by sweeping a woman who recognised him off her feet.

The British actor, 40, was enjoying a walk with friends when he spoke with the unnamed woman as she played violin outside her house.

The pair chatted for a few minutes before embracing passionately and exchanging telephone numbers.

Earlier the star was snapped laughing as he posed by a film poster promoting his 2009 film Gamer.

Romantic music? The pair embrace

Game for a laugh: Gerard Butler enjoys standing outside a DVD shop by a poster for his film Gamer

An onlooker said: 'He looked like he was having the time of his life - revelling in the benefits which come with being one of the most familiar faces in Hollywood right now.'

The impromptu display of public affection between Butler and his new friend came as rumours swept Tinsletown about his links with actress Jennifer Aniston

Warrior: The actor as King Leonidas leading his warriors into battle in 300

The pair - stars of the upcoming film The Bounty Hunter - appeared close at the Golden Globes recently, with sources claiming they kissed backstage.

Close: Co-stars Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler

source: dailymail

As Amanda Holden tries to conquer US television, has she got steel behind the botox?

By Alison Boshoff

Holden on: Amanda is known for her determination

A week-day afternoon at Daniel Galvin's London hair salon. Amanda Holden is having her highlights refreshed and toenails painted.

She is holding court, a stream of chatter diverting her hairdresser Lino and the other stylists, who giggle at her jokes and bring her cups of tea.

'I want to be buried with a mobile phone, just in case I'm not dead,' she chirrups, to general amusement.

Later, she holds forth on the subject of the credit crunch. 'My mortgage rate is keeping me in shoes,' she says. 'I know you're supposed to save up for two years' time when it's going to be 12 per cent, but Christian Louboutin's doing a massive trade out of me.'

Some might think it tactless to talk about buying £800 shoes when so many are going through genuine hardship, but they all love Amanda at Daniel Galvin's.

She has been going there since she was married to Les Dennis, so there is considerable loyalty to this 38-year-old blonde, who has become a household name surprisingly late in the day.

But, as her latest show lands flat on its pert behind, you start to wonder if, for the rest of us, the joke is beginning to wear a bit thin.

Amanda Holden's Fantasy Lives, which involves her trying her hand at unusual careers, started on ITV1 last week with poor ratings and a hostile reception.

Despite the release of promotional pictures of Holden wearing very little(she was trying her hand at being a showgirl in Paris), it attracted just 2.48 million viewers on its first outing.

One critic wrote: 'My fantasy would include Amanda disappearing from TV forever.' Another observed that she had little to offer, 'apart from an weirdly immobile face and a cackle like a drunk auntie . . . It's a televised retraining package, allowing Holden to learn new skills so she won't flounder when the public rises up and bans her from television'.

Her previous big project was a turkey called Big Top, which pulled in 3.3 million viewers for BBC1, falling to just over two million.

So what is going on in Amanda's world? And, as she once again sits on the judging panel for Britain's Got Talent, the question is: how much longer will she be able to work her charms on her boss, Simon Cowell?

All of her friends say she will be all right: she has a cockroach-like determination to succeed and seems to have something of that creature's invincibility, too.
Her father, Frank, was a Naval petty officer who left her mother, Judy, when Amanda was four and her sister Debbie was three.

The family lived on a housing estate in Bishop's Waltham, Hampshire, and Judy worked as a secretary, barmaid and fruit picker.

When Amanda was five, Judy met Leslie, a handyman, who became the girls' stepfather. Amanda keeps in touch with her father once a year, at Christmas.

Dazzling: Determined Amanda wowed the crowd as she took to the stage as a showgirl in Paris

Though her home life was not starry, she decided at the age of eight that she wanted to be an actress and, with a ruthlessness that typifies her, has never been deterred from pursuing this career.

'There has never been anything else,' she says.

She joined the Bishop's Waltham Little Theatre company when she was nine. Angie Blackstock, who ran the group, remembers the defining moment of Amanda's life, when she performed in Babes In The Wood.

'She didn't like the part she was given, but when she heard the applause, her eyes glittered. I said: "She's going to be a star, that girl."

'Amanda found out everything about the theatre and worked at it like you would not believe.'

Taxi! The actress hails a cab back to her hotel as she darted around New York last year while on a media blitz on behalf of show Britain's Got Talent

She went on to study at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London and then wangled a cameo appearance in EastEnders and appeared on Blind Date.

A year after she graduated, she met Les Dennis. They were introduced at a party and she caught his interest when she told a very dirty joke - she has a repertoire of filthy stories and loves nothing more than a glass of wine and a gossip. She calls everyone 'Darling'.

At the time, Dennis was in a vulnerable state: his mother and father had died, as had his comic partner Dustin Gee. He had also got divorced. In his 2008 autobiography, he recalls that he told her: 'I'm 39. You're 22. There's no future for us.'

But he was captivated by her beauty. By his own account, he spent much of the relationship in tears over his somewhat pushy, flirtatious wife, who had told him she had rehearsed her Oscar acceptance speech at the age of eight.

They set up home in London's Primrose Hill and she would play the perfect hostess when he brought around his TV contacts, who were all charmed by her. She inevitably became more successful than he was.

In perfect shape: A slimline Amanda Holden arrives at the Edinburgh International Television Festival

In 2000 came the bombshell: her affair with Neil Morrissey. Dennis begged his wife to come back with no strings attached. She did, and refused to apologise for the affair.

The union finally unravelled in 2002, after his misery- soaked appearance on Celebrity Big Brother. To her credit, the announcement of their split spoke of an 'amicable parting' with 'great sadness' on both sides.

But Amanda could not hide her relief. Who can forget the pictures of her whooping it up in Spain with a bunch of girlfriends?

She instantly got together with record producer Chris Hughes, a friend since the start of her relationship with Dennis. They married in 2008 and have a daughter, Lexi, now four. What moved Amanda's career to the top level was Britain's Got Talent.

It was a delightful surprise to her - and to some viewers, who grumble that an actress whose career includes the corny Wild At Heart has little business in picking the next big recording star.

Golden girl: Amanda sits demurely between the out-size egos of Piers Morgan and Simon Cowell on the judging panel of ITV1's Britain's Got Talent

But I understand that Simon Cowell had nursed a crush on Holden for nearly five years before the chance came to give her a break. He read about her split with Dennis and asked a friend if he could introduce them as he'd 'love to date her' now she was single.

A year later, he mentioned in an interview he liked only brunettes, but would make an exception for Holden, saying: 'I bet she's really filthy.' At the time, he was finding fame as a judge on Pop Idol.

Cowell finally got to meet Amanda at the Baftas in 2006. She flirted with him, even though she had recently given birth and was at the awards with her husband-to-be ('I'm a flirt, I've always been a flirt! It's in the genes,' she demurs).

The following year, Cowell persuaded Cheryl Cole to be on the Britain's Got Talent panel, but she pulled out at the last minute as she needed an operation on her foot.

Chic: Amanda Holden arrived at the 'Britain's Got Talent' Manchester auditions last week

Cowell immediately turned to Holden, who fully realised how very lucky she was. He has a thoroughly odd relationship with the trophy women on his shows - ever so slightly creepy and proprietorial, with obvious thumps of lust.

He told Amanda in the first week of filming that he didn't want to see her looking plain.

'Something dies inside of me when I see you without your make-up on,' he told her.

She was mortified. He relies on Amanda to look gorgeous, to flirt with him and exchange 'dirty' banter while they are not filming. 'He's filthy, but I love him,' she says.

She has just landed a top job on the U.S. network CBS's Early Show. The irony for her is that, back when she was with Dennis, she used to go to Hollywood for auditions, but never got anywhere. Now she is close to having a transatlantic TV career, just like Cowell.

'People like that she admits to having had Botox and has not been tempted to do too many commercial deals,' says PR guru Mark Borkowski. 'But she is a smart girl and knows how ruthless Cowell is. Amanda realises this will not be for ever.'

She certainly does. 'I would do that show for nothing. Simon says that he can see my tail wagging every time I'm on it. I've been so lucky. For as long as it lasts, I'll enjoy every second of it.'

Lucky? Undoubtedly. But behind Holden's Botoxed brow and vacuous giggle lies a core of steel. She's risen almost without trace - and she's determined to stay there

source: dailymail

BABY... ITS COLD OUTSIDE!

I love this version of the old standard from Tom Jones and Cerys Matthews of band, Catalonia. Yes it is cold outside and we live in a cold, draughty house. I like that... somehow its more cosy. There is an enormous fireplace in the living room that would take half a tree and a wheelbarrow of coal. The cleaning of the ashes is a chore at times, and the piano always has a half inch of dust on it, but hey Scout, our beloved cat and ruler of the roost, loves the heat... so are we going to deprive her? No double-glazing, so plenty of fresh air and no electric blankets, except for guests. Diving naked into a bed of crisp cold white cotton sheets... Geronimo!

This is my second draft of 'Is it Cold Outside?' It didn't really say what I meant it to say, so here goes again. Two images startled me yesterday morning. They were small but significant, and trying to capture them with words, the way a camera does is tricky... very tricky!

IS IT COLD OUTSIDE?
'I'm OK',
He convinces from the kitchen...
N... n... not!
Wrapping... softly... fawn scarf
Around strong, dependable neck,
I spot the worm of panic and disillusionment,
Rising from behind frog-mouthed helmet...
S... s... stop!
Fleshy lips kissed,
Misplaced gauntlet retrieved.
Past stooping snowdrops,
And attacked by hope,
Odin strides with shaky purpose,
Not feigned... at least.
Intention inspired,
Aurora's encore becomes duet...
'Promise of Spring' in the key of G.
No minor keys today.

Maureen Walsh 2010 ©
I don't know about this either. Perhaps leaving alone and re-visiting might be a good idea.

Unfortunately, fox-hunting today all around us. I am an animal lover and therefore dead against hunting. Whilst the 'sportsmen' all look rather splendid in their jodphurs, jackets and splashes of red, tearing an animal to pieces is not my idea of fun. However I do understand that fox-hunting plays a huge part in the rural culture of Ireland, and I respect that. I did have a 'run in' a few years ago though, with a spectator of this so-called sport, who wanted to park his four-wheel drive outside my house. I asked him, kindly, to remove his vehicle. He proceeded to get quite heated, telling me it wasn't my land! Having poured blood, sweat and tears into a home, through years that saw a mortgage interest rate of around 19%... let's just say I was not pleased! Eventually, and without having to recourse to four-letter expletives, amazingly, he left, defeated, with his 'mane-hood' between his legs. Fox-hunt days are like funerals in our house, mainly because we have seen at close hand, the misery and torture that is inflicted upon these beautiful creatures.

I hope fox-hunters everywhere, who are sitting sipping their hot toddies have little to brag about tonight as they sit warm and cosy by flaming fires... 'out-foxed' ... hopefully!

Reform begins at home: Michelle Obama puts daughters on a diet as she launches anti-obesity campaign

Slim look: The Obama girls, Malia, right, and Sasha, were 'becoming overweight' before Michelle, centre right, imposed a diet to solve the problem

Michelle Obama started a campaign to tackle childhood obesity in the U.S. on a personal vein - with an admission that her own daughters were becoming overweight before a diet nipped the problem in the bud.

The First Lady said that she had been warned by the family paediatrician that 'something was getting out of balance' with her two children Malia 11, and Sasha, 8.

'In my eyes I thought my children were perfect - I didn’t see the changes,' Mrs Obama said at an event organised by US health officials.

The girls then had to adhere to new ground rules - less burgers, low-fat milk, and fruits and water instead of sugary drinks; the change was significant, she said.

Mrs Obama was accompanied by Regina Benjamin, whose choice as US Surgeon General sparked nationwide debate about the appropriateness - or lack of it - of having an overweight person heading the country's health department.

Ms Benjamin also invoked her own struggles with weight gain to enforce their message.
The pair then unveiled the White House vegetable garden, taken care of by local schoolchildren in a bid to promote healthier eating.
U.S. president Barack Obama has also in the past publicly voiced concerns about the habits of their children, saying that Malia had become 'a little chubby'.

Concerns over obesity has been growing in the U.S. where two thirds of adults and one in three children are overweight or obese, according to experts.

Green campaigner: Michelle Obama harvests vegetables from the garden with children from local schools

Kathleen Sebelius, US Health and Human Services Secretary, told yesterday’s launch that the US spends nearly $150 billion (£94 billion) a year fighting obesity - more than it spends on cancer and twice as much as it spent on obesity in 1998.

The campaign was launched to deter this problem, and the announcement that Michelle would head it was met with a standing ovation from congressmen and senators.

source: dailymail

Andy Murray gave Kim Sears custody of dog after they split

By Patricia Kane and Jane Simpson

Reminder: Andy Murray and dad Will with Kim Sears and their dog Maggie in 2008

She was the rock by his side at every major tournament, a firm fixture on the tennis circuit as she cheered on her boyfriend through good times and bad.

But as Andy Murray faced Roger Federer in the Australian Open final today, former sweetheart Kim Sears remained 10,000 miles away in the UK - her absence leaving a notable gap in the Team Andy camp.

Instead of taking her seat next to Murray’s mother Judy, the stunning student was left – like Murray’s legions of adoring fans - following the match on TV

And yesterday Murray’s family admitted there was still ‘sadness’ about the break-up, which saw the 21-year-old move out of the player’s £5million Surrey mansion two months ago.

However, Miss Sears has been gifted a living legacy from the four-year relationship – in the form of the couple’s cherished terrier, Maggie.

As the star prepared to take on world No1 Federer this morning, his father Will revealed that Miss Sears had received ‘custody’ of the dog, which the couple were regularly pictured walking. However, in a statement that appears to kill any reconciliation, Will said his son was feeling ‘really good’ about his personal and sporting life.

Speaking as Murray attempted to become the first British male to win a Grand Slam tournament since Fred Perry 74 years ago, Mr Murray said: ‘It was very sad because she is a lovely girl and I enjoyed her company. But the only people who know the reasons for the separation are Andy and Kim.’

He added: ‘Andy is in a position now where he feels good about himself and his tennis. He wants to play Federer and beat him.

Flying the flag: Andy Murray draped in a Union Jack flag in Melbourne yesterday

‘He amazes me with his strength and focus. He has put in so much hard work, years of it, and it would be the icing on the cake for him if he can pull this one off. It will be huge for Andy if he does and, if there are any doubters out there still about his ability, I think this should silence them. Andy is the real deal and not a fly-by-night.’

Some reports suggested that Miss Sears had grown increasingly frustrated by Murray’s apparent obsession with his PlayStation 3, on which he was said to spend up to seven hours a day playing games.

His PR agent did nothing to quell such suggestions when, days after the break-up, he told journalists there would be ‘no questions about Kim, his dog or gaming’.

However, some have suggested the split may have been to help Murray focus for his date with destiny in Australia. Earlier this month Murray, who has an estimated fortune of £12million, hinted as much and claimed he had benefited from taking ‘less people’ on tour.

He said: ‘I have to make sure everyone who is here has a job to do. It is just a little calmer. When we go out for dinner, it’s not tables for ten, it’s tables for five or six.’
Part of this preparation included spending Christmas and New Year in America with just his coach.

But the one woman he is unlikely to ever drop from Team Andy is his omnipresent tennis coach mother Judy, 50, with whom he has chosen to share a flat in Melbourne.

The pair share a powerful bond but Mrs Murray was reportedly fond of the privately educated Miss Sears. She had the right

pedigree -- the daughter of Nigel Sears, 51, the head of women’s tennis in Britain, who grew up in an £800,000 detached home in Barcombe, East Sussex, complete with tennis court.

She was aware of the pressures young players are put under but, like her ex-boyfriend’s mother, she would also have been aware that, in the end, the sport comes first.

But acknowledging the start of a new dawn for his son, Mr Murray – who separated from Judy when Andy was ten – paid tribute to his ‘extraordinary single-mindedness’ and revealed that he planned to celebrate a win with a parachute jump.

‘I think he’s told the whole of Team Andy they are jumping with him if he wins. As much as I want him to win his first Grand Slam, my first reaction to the news of the jump was: “Andy, please don’t.”’

source: dailymail

Court grilling for Wayne and Coleen Rooney in £4m battle with agent over earnings

By Jonathan Petre

Wayne's World: Rooney and Coleen promoting Coke

Furious Wayne and Coleen Rooney are facing a court grilling this week over their multi-million-pound earnings.

Details of their lavish lifestyle will be dissected as part of a bitter legal battle with their former sports management agency, which is suing them for £4million in allegedly unpaid commission.

Rooney’s friends are said to be outraged that the lawsuit has been brought, as it could distract the Manchester United and England footballer in the run-up to the World Cup in South Africa in the summer.

The case, due to begin at Manchester Mercantile Court tomorrow, has been bought by the Formation Group and Proactive Sports Management, which is now owned by the James Grant Group that represents Simon Cowell, Ant and Dec, Davina McCall and Holly Willoughby.

Legal papers filed in a Leeds court in December 2008 revealed details of the Rooneys’ then £35million fortune and included claims for unpaid bills for their wedding in June that year.

Among them were a £18,934 bill for Rooney’s stag week in Ibiza and a £2,622 first-class return plane ticket to fly Coleen’s assistant to pick up jewellery from New York.

Other spending by former supermarket check-out girl Coleen, 23, included a £864 bill for food and drink at her hen weekend in Miami, £565.76 on a dress fitting in Manchester and £2,525.01 on a night out to see Westlife.

Rooney's agent Paul Stretford continued to represent the couple

The Rooneys are understood to have settled these debts but Proactive claims it is still owed commission on contracts it says it negotiated on their behalf with Manchester United and companies like Nike and Coca-Cola.

The couple are said to have held back payments after the departure from Proactive of their long-term agent Paul Stretford.

Mr Stretford founded Proactive 20 years ago but left amid acrimony in 2008, taking the Rooneys with him.

Rooney, 24, has stayed loyal to Mr Stretford even though he was banned last May from working as a football agent for nine months and fined £300,000 after the Football Association found him guilty of improper conduct.

The charges related to how Mr Stretford and Proactive, which was later taken over by Formation, obtained the rights to represent Wayne when he was 15.

The Rooneys say they refuse to pay Proactive any more because it has not given them any services since Mr Stretford’s departure.

A friend of Mr Stretford said: ‘Proactive and its owners have played no part in the management of Wayne or Coleen’s business affairs since November 2008, when they last had contact with Proactive.

‘It is inconceivable that they should expect payment for the period since then to now, never mind for the years ahead.’

New mum: Coleen Rooney, pictured at a Liverpool fashion event in Liverpool last week, is paid £41,667 a month to write her OK! column

He was also earning £1million-a-year from Nike, more than £200,000-a-year from computer games firm EA and £600,000 from a four-year deal with Coca-Cola.

The value of the Premiership’s top goalscorer has soared since then and he is expected to be offered a new contract by United within months that could raise his pay to £150,000-a-week.

Observers believe he could negotiate an even higher figure if he performs well in the World Cup.

Coleen is also expected to be called into the witness box to give details of her income from endorsements of perfume and make-up, plus magazine columns and her TV series Real Women.

The court documents show she earned £13,000 for each episode of Real Women and £41,667 a month for her OK! column.

source: dailymail

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Dennis Trillo Covers Men's Health February 2010 Issue

Actor-singer Dennis Trillo is on the cover of Men's Health Philippines February 2010 issue.

Men's Health Philippines February 2010 issue is now available at all magazine stands nationwide.

SNOWDROPS - PROMISE OF SPRING

Stayed up until 3.30 am this morning to finish 'Saffron on Sapphire'... blog I started last Friday, so wasn't expecting to be blogging again quite so soon. Racing down the garden path, on my way to a meeting in Clonmel, my eyes were snatched by of a gathering of shy, white-bonneted maidens sighing a chorus of ... 'The Promise of Spring', written and composed by Mother Nature, herself. Yet in their coyness, there is a defiance about being ignored, and I felt their retort.

These words came as I made for the Comeragh Mountains on another saffron-on-sapphire morning.

IS IT COLD OUTSIDE?

'I'm OK',

He convinces from the kitchen...

Not!

Wrapping... softly... fawn scarf

Around strong, dependable neck,

I spot the panic of disillusionment...

About to escape...

Stop!

Fleshy lips kissed,

Switches on to auto-pilot.