Wednesday, April 9, 2025

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Jennifer Lawrence: BAFTA win was big surprise


Jennifer Lawrence thought her BAFTA win was a prank.
The 23-year-old star was in the "middle of being painted blue" while filming re-shoots for her role as Mystique in the 'X-Men: Days of Future Past', in Montreal, Canada when she received the call explaining she'd won Best Supporting Actress at the awards evening which took place in London on February 16.
She told deadline.com: "Oh, it was a big surprise. I didn't remember that the BAFTAs were happening that day. I certainly did not think I was going to win one so I put it out of my mind.
"So there I was, in the middle of being painted blue, and someone said, 'You just won the BAFTA!' And I said, 'Oh, go f**k yourself!' And then it turned out they were serious."
Although Lawrence was gutted she missed out on the star-studded bash, she admitted it was a relief not to have to worry about making a speech.
She added: "It has been a bit of a blessing to be away, and not really aware of what has been going on. It actually has been really nice."
Meanwhile, the blonde beauty is up against '12 Years A Slave' star Lupita Nyong'o, Blue Jasmine's Sally Hawkins, August: Osage County's Julia Roberts and June Squibb in 'Nebraska', for Best Supporting Actress at the 86th Academy Awards on March 2.

Beck binned songs after hearing Kanye West


Beck scrapped new songs he'd written after listening to Kanye West.
The 'Loser' hitmaker, who releases his new album 'Morning Phase' today (24.02.14), binned some of his material after hearing songs by the 'Black Skinhead' rapper, who he felt had already achieved what he set out to do.
Beck experimented with 'vocal pitching' for a record and said: "I was really excited about it, but then Kanye West record came out and pitching was everywhere, so that whole body of material just became irrelevant to me."
The 43-year-old singer scrapped the tracks, much like he did when he recorded a "guitar rock" record, after deciding "there are people who do that so well it seemed pointless."
Beck is now excited about completing his first record in six years, the follow-up to 'Modern Guilt', after recovering from a major spinal injury, which prevented him from working.
He told The Sunday Times newspaper's Culture magazine: "I was limited to what I could play and sing. Physical therapy became full-time, but then, in the last two years, it just got better. That's huge. I wasn't able to participate. I had a lot of isolation," he added: "But I've been busy, in my way."
And he insists he isn't going to bombard his fans with promotional material encouraging them to buy his new music.
He added: "I've always put trust in my audience. They always found the music. I never had the instinct to bludgeon people with marketing. I turned down a lot of it in the 1990s. I turned down all of it!"

Harry Styles wrote song with John Legend


Harry Styles has written a track with John Legend.
The One Direction hunk penned the song with the 'All of Me' hitmaker as part of his work unrelated to the boy band and it has been pitched to US 'X Factor' duo Alex and Sierra for their debut album.
According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, Sierra said: "Our favourite [song] is one that Harry Styles wrote with John Legend, it's beautiful and lovely.
"[Harry] is actually an amazing writer, he's pitched us a few other good ones and they're really good."
The 20-year-old singer is said to have worked on nearly 20 tracks and has been described as an "amazing writer" by music mogul Simon Cowell.
The 'X Factor' boss recently took to Twitter to reveal he had been listening to the "fantastic" demos for Alex and Sierra.
He posted: "Am listening to the Alex and Sierra demos for their upcoming album. Fantastic. It's seriously good. I can't wait for everyone to hear it."
Lyrics for the romantic ballad include: "I saw your face, I heard your name / Felt the blood rushing through my veins / I still remember / How could I forget?"
A source added: "It's a testament to Harry's talents that he can work alongside John - who is, without doubt, one of the most gifted songwriters of a generation."
Harry, who is still focused on work with his band mates Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne and Niall Horan, is credited to 26 songs on the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers database - 18 of which have never been heard before.
American indie pop duo Alex Kinsey and Sierra Deaton won the third and final season of the US version of 'The X Factor' and were mentored by Simon Cowell.
They were the only group ever to win the American show.

Katy B joins UK Live lineup


Katy B and Neon Jungle have been added to the UK Live 2014 line-up.
The 'Crying For No Reason' hitmaker - whose album 'Little Red' recently topped the UK album chart - is among the latest names to sign up for the British music festival, which will take place in June.
'Braveheart' hitmakers Neon Jungle will also perform at the trio of concerts - taking place in Ipswich, Sunderland and Weston-super-Mare - as will pop newcomers Rixton.
Katy B commented: "I'm looking forward to playing such huge outdoor shows. This will definitely be a summer highlight for me."
Neon Jungle added: "We're so excited to play this festival as we get to perform on the same stage as some of our favourite artists!"
UK Live will kick off with North East Live at the Sunderland Stadium of Light on June 22. The pop fun then moves to Ipswich Chantry Park on June 28 for East Coast Live, and then to Weston-super-Mare Beach on June 29 for South West Live.
The festival will be headlined by 'Wild' singer Jessie J and other performers include chart-topping girl band The Saturdays, The Vamps, Union J, Rizzle Kicks and US star Jason Derulo, playing his only live outdoor UK dates of 2014.
UK Live tickets are on sale now. Visit uklive.co.uk for more information.

Cher is struggling with new show


Cher admits her new show is "f***ing hard".
The 'Believe' hitmaker's 'Dressed to Kill' tour kicks off in a month but the star is already struggling in rehearsals as her set list is pushing her singing abilities to the limit.
She took to Twitter on Sunday (23.02.14) to tell followers she was finding it difficult, posting: "SANG 4 HRS LAST NITE THIS SHOW IS SO F*ING HARD ALMOST EVERY NEW SONG IS AT'TOP' OF MY RANGE (sic). "
Her new tour, which follows the release of her 25th studio album 'Closer to the Truth' last year, starts in Phoenix, Arizona on March 22 and includes gigs in the US and Canada before finishing in San Diego, California on July 11.
Earlier this month, Cher also tweeted about her exhausted crew members, telling fans they were all "beat" after working around the clock to get everything ready for the tour.
She wrote: "Therapist says I'm an Animal,&Ahead of schedule,but Im must eat Now," adding, "Sorry so few Twts,but seems every second is filled with Show! Been falling asleep at 10 ! You ALL Know Me..IM NIGHT OWL!" (sic).
Cher and the crew are also mourning the tragic loss of a fellow team member, Michelle Iown Stock, who was killed in a car crash last month.
The singer shared the sad news with fans and wrote on Twitter: "A LOSS of ONE CREW MEMBER IS A LOSS FOR ALL."

Queen living in most polluted street


Britain's Queen Elizabeth is living in the most polluted street in the UK.
According to new figures, Grosvenor Place, which sits behind the 87-year-old monarch's home, Buckingham Palace, is surrounded by some of the most polluted roads in Britain.
They have the highest levels of nitrogen dioxide, a toxic gas which comes mostly from traffic fumes, and the air outside the palace was found to be almost four times the European legal limit.
Alan Andrews, a lawyer with the environmental group Client Earth, told The Sunday Times newspaper: "Her Majesty came to the throne in the same year as London was engulfed by the great smog [1952], 60 years later air pollution is still killing thousands of her subjects each year."
The figures were released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and show some of London's top attractions are also affected by some of the country's most polluted roads, including areas near Madame Tussauds.
Simon Birkett, director of Clean Air in London, said: "The thought that hundreds of thousands or millions of tourists and Londoners in a year may be exposed to air pollution this high is deeply troubling."
A spokesperson for Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, claims since his election in 2008, the amount of people living in areas where nitrogen dioxide levels are above legal limits has halved.

TV bosses pitch Driving with the Stars


A new reality show will see celebrities teach members of the public how to drive.
TV bosses are hoping to capitalise on the popularity of celebrity-led reality shows like 'Splash!' and 'The Jump' with a new car crash viewing experience, provisionally dubbed 'Driving With The Stars'.
According to The Sun newspaper, stars including 'Coronation Street' favourite Julie Hesmondhalgh and former 'The Only Way Is Essex' stars Amy Childs and Joey Essex have been recruited to mentor "problem" drivers who have proved to be a menace behind the wheel.
A source said: "It's a definite goer. Imagine seeing Joey Essex trying to explain to someone how to do a U-turn, or Amy Childs giving a masterclass on the three-point turn - it could be comedy gold."
'Celebrity Big Brother' winner Jim Davidson, who was hit with a driving ban in 2011, is also a hot favourite to join the line-up.
Motoring experts will help the stars teach the hapless learner drivers the basics, as they attempt to get them ready to pass their driving tests.
The show is reportedly set to air on ITV this summer.

Simon Cowell hires dog expert


Simon Cowell has hired a dog expert to help his pets adjust to his baby son.
The music mogul and girlfriend Lauren Silverman had doted on puppies Squiddly and Diddly since welcoming them into their home in October, so the 'X Factor' boss didn't want them to feel snubbed following the arrival of baby Eric earlier this month and enlisted the services of Edward Alava to ensure they weren't upset by the infant.
A source said: "Edward advised Simon on how to familiarise the dogs to Eric, telling Simon to put one of Eric's blankets in the pup's basket so they could get used to the newborn's smell."
Eric was also asked to take care of the Yorkshire terriers in the days following Eric's birth and he bought some special gifts to keep the dogs comfortable when they went walking outside in New York.
The source added to the New York Post newspaper: "Edward would come to Simon's hotel, the St. Regis, to care for his two dogs and would walk them three times a day. Because of the snowy weather, Edward brought cashmere sweaters for the dogs and leather snow boots."
The dogs won't have been worried about the weather this weekend, as they were seen with Simon, Lauren and Eric enjoying a break in Miami, Florida.

Piers Morgan Live axed


CNN have axed 'Piers Morgan Live'.
The news network have confirmed the nightly show - which was previously known as 'Piers Morgan Tonight' - is coming to an end after over three years, though the exact date of the final programme is yet to be determined.
The British presenter told the New York Times newspaper he and CNN president Jeff Zucker had discussed the future of the programme last week and decided to cancel it following "painful" ratings, which he believes is due to a failure to "connect" with American people.
He said:"It's been a painful period and lately we have taken a bath in the ratings.
"Look, I am a British guy debating American cultural issues, including guns, which has been very polarising, and there is no doubt that there are many in the audience who are tired of me banging on about it. That's run its course and Jeff and I have been talking for some time about different ways of using me."
The former 'America's Got Talent' judge is hoping to stay with the network in a show that is "better suited" to his skills.
He added: "I think I can credibly do news and the ratings reflect that, but it is not really the show that I set out to do. There are all kinds of people who can do news here.
"I'd like to do work - interviews with big celebrities and powerful people - that is better suited to what I do well and fit with what Jeff is trying to do with the network."
Piers, 48, began hosting 'Piers Morgan Tonight' in January 2011, with the show changing its name in March 2013.
A replacement for his 9pm weeknightly slot has yet to be announced.

Sir Paul McCartney learning to ski


Sir Paul McCartney is learning to ski.
The Beatles legend has been taking to the slopes every day with a personal instructor during his winter break in the French Alps in a bid to master the art of snowy activity.
However, while the 71-year-old singer has been making his way down the slopes, his wife Nancy Shevell, 53, has been keeping away from the icy conditions by staying in their private lodge.
The skiing trip couldn't have come at a better time for Sir Paul, who has been busy in the US for the past month making a special TV show 'The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to The Beatles' to commemorate 50 years since the group first appeared on American television.
During the show, Paul and his bandmate Ringo Starr paid tribute to late Beatles, John Lennon - who was shot and killed in New York in 1980 - and George Harrison, who died of lung cancer in 2001.
Drummer Ringo 73, told the audience during the programme: "We were in a band called The Beatles and whenever we play George and John are always with us."
The show aired on CBS on February 9 and featured performances from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Keith Urban, Katy Perry, John Mayer and Alicia Keys.
Paul's ex-wife, Heather Mills, is a paralympic skiier but was forced to pull out of the 2014 games because of an injury she suffered to her leg, which she later blamed on the equipment she was required to use by governing body IPC.

Katy Perry to audition for Vin Diesel movie?


Katy Perry is set to audition for a role in Vin Diesel's new movie.
The 'Roar' hitmaker could be turning her hand at acting after talking to the Hollywood actor-and-producer about a role in the 'xXx' action franchise.
Vin, 46, recently hinted he is considering the songstress - who has previously had a voice role in 'The Smurfs' movies - for the female lead role and it now appears Katy could indeed be in line for the part.
The 'Fast & Furious' star wrote on Facebook last month: "As you know, the new XXX script finally comes in next month...and just this morning people are suggesting Katy Perry as the new X girl. (sic)"
A casting source told the Daily Star newspaper: "Everyone is a bit shocked, but Katy has been told she can come and try out for the part.
"The audition is lined up for the next few weeks - depending on Katy's schedule."
The 29-year-old singer voiced her admiration for Vin after he posted a webcam clip of him dancing to her hit single 'Dark Horse', as well as Beyonce's 'Drunk in Love', last month.
She tweeted: "YES VIN DIESEL (sic)"
Katy wouldn't be the first pop star to catch Vin's eye as he previously asked Rita Ora to make a cameo in last year's 'Fast & Furious 6', which was filmed largely in the 'R.I.P.' hitmaker's hometown London.
The Hollywood star praised Rita, saying: "I was out one night and was introduced to her. We were looking for someone to kick off the most quintessential race in the movie.
"We wanted somebody who represented today's London and have that presence to kick off a race of that style and she was just perfect and she was game to do it. We were lucky to get her and we were lucky that she came in and kicked butt."

Jack O’Connell set for spy thriller Section 6

Jack O'Connell has been recruited for spy thriller 'Section 6'. The 'Skins' actor is set to make his mark on Hollywood with a role in the upcoming drama about the creation of MI6, the British intelligence agency founded during World War I. The rising...