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28/07/2008

Review: Kylie at the O2 - she's the one and we love her!

Kylie Minogue, O2 Arena, 4 stars

Despite being given the seal of approval from the Queen, Kylie showed a deeply excited O2 audience she's not gone all dull and establishment on us, just yet.

Her show, which runs until next week, sees the ex-soap star descending from the ceiling on a giant chrome skull dressed as the scarlet Gestapo (Like A Drug), rising from a black plastic pyramid like a blonde Japanese Pete Burns (Come Into My World), and as a cheerleader in a pep rally routine that was pure Gwen Stefani (Heart Beat Rock).

Kylie280 But most surprisingly, she sang 20-year-old debut single I Should Be So Lucky, not as an ironic poem, or re-worked as coffee house jazz, but as Stock Aitken and Waterman intended in all its cheesy glory - the crowd loved it.

Kylie's X album received a lukewarm reception from some critics, but the accompanying live show is pretty near faultless.

As well as playing most of the songs on that record, she heavily plunders her original comeback album Light Years with a Strictly Come Dancing-meets-Pierre et Gilles theme for Love Boat and a cover of Copacabana, followed by a Disney-esque ballroom sequence with Kylie dressed as principal boy for On a Night Like This.

Click below for our brilliant Kylie Showgirl gallery!

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Emma Watson bewitches all the boys

Emma150 Emma Watson cast her spell over the men at the Cartier Polo yesterday.

Maybe it was the searing heat or the endless rounds of Pimm’s at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor, but the Harry Potter starlet seemed to have around four men vying for her attention throughout the afternoon.

"Everywhere she went there were more men lining up to speak to her," an onlooker tells theBuzz.

"She would give each guy a couple of minutes or a dance, but then there would be another wanting to talk to her."

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Kerry Katona accepts payout for untrue claim she worked as a prostitute

KerrykatblogTV personality Kerry Katona today accepted substantial undisclosed damages over a claim that she worked as a prostitute before becoming famous.

The 27-year-old former Atomic Kitten and mother-of-four was not at London's High Court for the settlement of her libel action against MGN Limited, which involves the payment of a five-figure sum and her legal costs.

Her solicitor-advocate, David Price, told Mr Justice Eady that the allegation was "completely false".

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Glamour model Jordan is shown door at posh polo bash

Poor old Jordan found out yesterday that it really doesn't matter who you are, if you're not on the list, you're not coming in.

The newly-horsey nudie model, who has been desperately trying to reinvent herself as Katie Price, attempted to get into the invitation-only area of the Cartier International polo match in Windsor, Berks.

Unfortunately, the door staff had other ideas and promptly issued her with her marching orders.

The 30-year-old, who apparently harbours Olympic equestrian dreams, was said to be "incredibly upset."

Poor love.

Transformers star Shia LaBeouf in near-death crash

Transformers and Indiana Jones star Shia LaBeouf has been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving after he collided with another vehicle, narrowly escaping death and resulting in extensive surgery on his hand.

The accident happened in the early hours of yesterday and left his 4x4 overturned at a junction in LA.

His passenger and the other driver were treated for minor injuries.Shia

Shia's spokesperson released the following statement:

"Attorneys forLaBeouf confirm that an automobile accident involving an additional party occurred early morning in Los Angeles on 27 July 2008. Shia is currently recovering from extensive hand surgery with plans to return to work on the set of Transformers 2 within one month. No further comment will be issued at this time."

Review: Scouting for Girls - Busted with the stabilisers taken off!

Scouting_for_girls

Scouting For Girls presented by Capital Live at Vinopolis

Slagging off Scouting For Girls feels a bit like punching kittens in the face.

It's just plain mean.

I mean, Saturday night was a lovely summer evening, the Great Hall at Vinopolis was a lovely venue and it was rammed with nice, middle class competition winners almost wetting their pants with excitement.

Lead singer Roy Stride (Ruislip boy and QPR fan) held court and played the hunky clean-cut pop star with a nice line in self deprecating, teen-friendly humour, like a pro.

And again this was entirely unobjectionable - Scouting for Girls are the band you could take home to meet your mum.

There are some perfectly acceptable chuck-away summer pop songs in there too - and of course She's So Lovely and Elvis Ain't Dead provide suitably roof-raising singalongs.

But the face of rock 'n' roll is not being changed here.

See how many stars we give them below the jump!

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Countdown for Countdown as boss threatens to pull plug

The future of Channel 4 show Countdown was thrown into doubt today when the businessman who owns the rights to the quiz threatened to pull the plug.

Over the weekend presenter Carol Vorderman claimed she quit because she was told to take or leave a 90% pay cut.

Now Belgian businessman Marcel Stellman, who owns the show's rights, threatened to pull the plug in response to the show's treatment of the veteran presenter. Carol220

He told the Daily Mirror: "I control the format and without the format there is no show. I am upset for Carol, more than that, this is a person I have known for 26 years who started Countdown.

"If I am Mr Countdown, she is Mrs Countdown. She is delightful and loyal and cannot be treated in any other way than respect.

"If they don't come up with things they have promised in writing, and are now being dealt with by my solicitors, from now on I don't wish to talk about the future."

Mr Stellman added he was "not happy" with ITV productions, the company that makes Countdown.

Vorderman, who has worked on the show for 26 years, said she had offered to accept a pay cut of one-third, in line with the show's 33% budget cut.

Showbusiness agent Jonathan Shalit, who represents stars including musician Myleene Klass and former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq, told the Daily Telegraph that while star names such as Simon Cowell would continue to command "super salaries", "jobbing presenters" would face tougher times.

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27/07/2008

Sex Pistols top most-requested TV clip list

The Sex Pistols swearing during an early evening live broadcast of Thames Television's Today programme is an archive's most requested TV clip.

The programme, which was aired in December 1976, created a storm of publicity.

FremantleMedia Archives, which says it is "one of the world's largest clip and stills libraries" released its most popular requests to celebrate its 40th anniversary this weekend.

Former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson's "running on the beach" scenes are the second most popular clips requested.

Britain's Got Talent 2007 winner, Paul Potts, Leona Lewis, winner of The X Factor 2007 and Will Young, winner of the first Pop Idol TV series are also some of the most popular requests.

Gordon Craig, head of archive sales at FME said: "While talent show winners like Paul Potts and Leona Lewis dominate the requests we receive for TV clips, it is classic shows from the 70s and 80s which seem to have enduring appeal.

"There is definitely a growing appetite for clips on the internet and mobile and we are in the process of digitising our library to make even more memorable TV moments available."

Other TV moments making the top 10 include Scott and Charlene's wedding in Neighbours, The Sweeney where Detective Inspector Jack Regan says "Shut it" or "You're nicked", the Benny Hill chase scene before the final credits and Tommy Cooper's "Just like that" catchphrase.

The FremantleMedia Archive houses more than 100,000 hours of TV and Film programming including Men Behaving Badly, Morecambe and Wise, Baywatch and The Apprentice.

Read on for the full list...

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Artist admits to violent past

The artist Peter Howson said today he had it in him to commit murder.

Howson, who famously painted a nude portrait of Madonna, admitted he had been violent in the past.

The 50-year-old said: "I once walked down Sauchiehall Street (in Glasgow) at midnight, thinking that people were skittles and decided to knock as many people down as I could.

"That was one example, years and years ago."

But he said he now tried to help others, by inviting them into his studio to join him.

And Howson, who studied at Glasgow School of Art, said "I would never get into the position now where I would murder someone, but I do have it in me.

"It's there, but it's under control, I'm positive about that."

He explained one reason for this was he suffers from Asperger's syndrome - a form of autism.

During the Balkans conflict Howson became the official British war artist, and he spoke about the impact that had on him.

He said: "To put a person with Asperger's in a war situation is asking for trouble.

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Sir Sean's no tyrant, says Connery Jnr

Seandad200 Actor Jason Connery today said he was sick of his 007 star father Sir Sean Connery being portrayed as "some sort of monster or tyrant".

The 45-year-old, who starred in the TV series Robin of Sherwood, hit back after an article about him and his father was published last week.

Connery Jnr said: "I feel compelled to respond to the article because it was so full of outrageous and hurtful lies and fabrications."

It was reported that according to Diane Cilento - Connery Snr's former wife and Connery Jnr's mother - the veteran actor had told their son he would "never receive a penny" from him.

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