Amy Winehouse in court

March 17

Amy Winehouse In Court

Amy Winehouse appeared in a London court on Tuesday morning, charged with assaulting a fan.

There was a marked difference in Amy’s demeanour since we last saw her in London. Sure, she was on trial for serious assault, but the singer looked like she didn’t have a care in the world, strutting her stuff in front of photographers outside Westminster Magistrates' Court and hamming it up for onlookers. Although still very thin, Amy looked healthier than she has in years, dressed in a cute floral frock and pale pink stilettos, and with her trademark beehive back where it belongs.

Once inside (over an hour late), the singer identified herself as “Amy Jade Civil” (her married name), before pleading not guilty to punching Sherene Flash at a ball in London's Berkeley Square last September. She was bailed and must return to court on July 23.

Video: Amy Winehouse outside court

Jade Goody loses battle with cancer

March 22

Jade Goody Loses Battle With Cancer

I can't believe Jade Goody is gone. The 27-year-old mother of two passed away at 3.14am in the early hours of Sunday March 22, Mother's Day, after a six-month battle with cancer.

Jade's publicist Max Clifford said this morning: “I think she’s going to be remembered as a young girl who has, and who will, save an awful lot of lives. She was a very, very brave. And she faced her death in the way she faced her whole life - full on, with a lot of courage.”

Since the gobby Essex girl first burst onto TV screens in Big Brother 3 back in 2002, she lived her whole life, warts and all, in the spotlight. She enjoyed amazing success with her perfume, fitness DVDs, book deals and multiple TV appearances, making Jade Britain's first reality TV millionaire. Then there were all the times she made headlines for the wrong reasons, such as her ugly fight with Shilpa Shetty in Celebrity Big Brother in 2007.

Through it all, Jade's priority was always her sons, Bobby and Freddie, and I'm sure when they are older they'll look back proudly at the way their mother faced her cancer so courageously, increased awareness of the disease and provided for their future.

Our tribute to Jade Goody

Jade Goody statue for home town?

March 30

Jade Goody Statue For Home Town

Jade Goody is to be commemorated with a statue near her childhood home in Bermondsey, south London.

Bob Skelly, chair of Bermondsey community council, told the Mirror: “The council has plans for the Dickens Estate area where Jade grew up, and I’m sure we could do something.” The announcement comes after councils in both Bermondsey and Essex, near Jade’s residence in Upshire, were bombarded by requests from the public for a permanent memorial to the reality TV star, who died on March 22.

Jade’s family support the idea of a statue: “It’s wonderful news,” spokesperson Max Clifford said last night.

In other Jade news, the Daily Star reports that Michael Jackson will attend the star’s funeral on Saturday – we’ll believe that when we see it. Jacko was moved by Jade’s battle when he was in London last month to promote his O2 Arena gigs, and phoned her to wish her well. He didn’t speak to Jade directly, but apparently promised Jack that he would try to make it to her funeral.

Jade will be laid to rest in St John the Baptist Church in Buckhurst Hill on April 4.

Madonna?s adoption bid fails

April 03

Madonna's Adoption Bid Fails

Madonna’s bid to adopt four-year-old Mercy James from Malawi has been rejected.



"I must have to decline to grant the application to Madonna," Judge Esmie Chondo said at a hearing in Malawi’s High Court. It's thought the judge rejected the claim due to the country's residency rules, which state that prospective parents should be resident in Malawi for 18 to 24 months.

Madonna has been in the south African state all week, along with three-year-old son David Banda, who she adopted from Malawi in 2006. She had faced widespread criticism for allegedly attempting to use her star power and money to bypass official adoption procedures, a claim that was fiercely denied by her publicist.

Earlier this week, a number of human rights groups said they opposed the adoption, stating it was preferable for Mercy to be looked after by her extended family in Malawi. Her 18-year-old mother died shortly after giving birth in 2005.

Chris Brown Pleads Not Guilty

April 07

Chris Brown Pleads Not Guilty

Chris Brown pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of assaulting Rihanna.

The 19-year-old singer is charged with assault and making criminal threats following his alleged beating of then-girlfriend Rihanna at a pre-Grammys party on February 8.

Chris arrived at the Los Angeles superior court with his mother nearly an hour late, and quietly said “not guilty, your honour” when the two charges were read out.

He is next due in court on April 29; Rihanna was not present. If convicted on both counts, Chris faces a maximum of four years in prison.

The latest on Lindsay and Sam

April 17

The Latest On Lindsay And Sam

By now everyone would have heard that Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson are kaput, after about a year of dating.

Lindsay’s been quite vocal about the breakup and how she feels hard done by. “I’m not a bad person and this is what happens,” she told Us Weekly magazine. “I was raised to treat people well, and I’m so tired of this drama... I’m a 22-year-old girl who’s in love. I felt like I was in Mean Girls, but worse: Mean Girls was a movie.”

But she didn’t stop there, just a couple of days later, Lindsay made a spoof dating advert for Funny Or Die, poking fun at her and Sam’s tempestuous relationship.

“I just think it's better to take something negative and turn it into something good,” Lindsay later explained on her MySpace blog. “Laughter is the BEST medicine.”

Now, finally, Samantha has popped her head over the parapet and had her say. “I don’t talk about my personal life,” Sam told a US magazine, “but I will say that any rumours that I hate Lindsay are false. She’s an amazing girl, and I wish her all the best. It’s not that dramatic.”

By George! George at ASDA voted the nation?s favourite George

April 23

By George George At ASDA Voted The Nation's Favourite George

The budget savvy supermarket clothing label GEORGE, has today been voted Britain’s favourite George in a poll of 36,259 readers of MSN Entertainment, beating rivals from Hollywood and even Royalty.

In the poll, launched to celebrate England’s patron saint St. George’s Day on the 23rd April 2009, the supermarket label romped home to victory with more than 7,000 respondents (20%) voting for it to hit the top spot.

The clothing brand came ahead of Hollywood hunk George Clooney (19%) and guitar hero George Harrison (17%) to win its place as the nation’s favourite namesake. Historic importance had little bearing on the poll, with George VI receiving a mere 5% of the nation’s votes, saved from total humiliation by TV personality George Lamb, who received a menial 3% of votes.

Britain’s favourite George

* George at ASDA: 20%
* George Clooney: 19%
* George Best: 17%
* George Harrison: 17%
* George Sampson: 10%
* George Michael: 9%
* George VI: 5%
*