Simon Cowell thrilled to return to the UK for BGT

Monday, 09 January 2012 15:17

Mr. Nasty will be returning to the judging panel at Britain's Got talent this spring. The ITV1 show, set for its sixth season, will also feature judgments from comedian David Walliams, singer-songwriter Alesha Dixon and returning judge Amanda Holden.

Simon, who stepped away from X Factor last fall in order to debut a US version of the show, cannot wait to get back home.

“I miss Britain,” Simon revealed, “I miss the British public and I miss judging them. I want to find the next generation of talent in 2012.”

He added that he has some interesting expectations from the show: “I’ve always dreamt of finding a dog who can play guitar. And we’ve failed. So I want talented dogs. I really want one who can dance or play an instrument.”

The barbarous judge gave a few hints as to what he expects from contestants this season: “I love originality, I love great singers, I love great comedians. I love things I’ve never seen before. I’d love to find a great magician, I’d like to find the next ‘N Sync or the next Backstreet Boys or Justin Bieber.”

According to the Mirror, Walliams signed a £250,000 two-year contract with the show. Announcing his new role as a judge on the show, Walliams said, “I am so thrilled to be the new Cheryl Cole.”

An insider told the Mirror: “David can’t wait to be a judge – it’s right up his street. He’s always been a big fan of BGT and will enjoy embracing the more eccentric side of the show.

“Producers are especially happy they’ve managed to get him signed up for two years. He’s going to be a great asset and will give the show a completely new lease of life.”

One Direction stars Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson to purchase Ashley Cole’s former flat

Monday, 09 January 2012 15:09

Ten years ago when he first met future ex-wife Cheryl Cole, Ashley Cole was living in a luxury penthouse in north London.

The flat currently has two new celebrity occupants: Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson of One Direction. The Daily Star reports that they boys have set their sights on purchasing the footballer’s former bachelor pad.

Harry and Louis are currently shelling out £3,000 in monthly rent for the flat. But the pair are looking to settle down in their “pimped-out penthouse,” according to the Daily Star.

To officially take over the property, the pair will have to fork over £3 million between them. According to the Star, Harry’s love for the flat stems from the Chelsea footballer having lived there once.

All five members of the pop group currently reside on the block – the same one where Girls Aloud lived during the group’s early years.

The boy band celebrated the New Year at home, reportedly inviting 50 of their closest pals. Afterward it reportedly cost Harry and Louis hundreds of pounds to clean up the party wreckage.

An insider told the tabloid: “Harry and Louis are living the life of luxury and loving every single minute. They had a wild bash with Louis hiring a coach to bring his old school chums. Harry was telling everyone he’s fallen head over heels for the flat, and loved the fact Ashley Cole used to live there.

“Most lads dream of lording around a footballer’s pad, so Harry and Louis have earned bragging rights.”

Fellow One Direction stars Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik share the building with the pair – a redevelopment of the Victorian era Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum.

Sarah Harding faces court charges

Monday, 09 January 2012 15:02

A violent incident with ex-lover Theo De Vries resulted in court charges for both De Vries and Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding.

The 30-year-old singer complained to police of the incident in the early hours of New Year’s Day, reporting that she had been hurt in an encounter with De Vries at Hotel Schloss Matzen in Austria.

Police questioned De Vries, 35, before releasing him. Harding was questioned after De Vries made claims that she threw an ashtray at him and bit him on the leg.

“During the course of the questioning of the man it became clear that he had also been injured,” a police spokesman explained. “A report on both cases has been filed with the prosecutor and the police case is now closed.”

According to the spokesman, police filed the case against Harding as De Vries made no formal complaint about the incident.

On Tuesday, De Vries told The Sun about the injuries he sustained: “She gave me a bloody nose. Don’t forget that she is a very good kick-boxer. I want everyone to know that I am a normal decent man. I didn’t hit Sarah one time.”

However, an inside source countered De Vries’s claims of innocence, telling the tabloid: “[Sarah] believes she was clearly defending herself. He’d been drinking while she was sober and decided to end it. He didn’t take it too well and got in a fight in which he hit her.”

In related news, Cheryl Cole has apparently taken it upon herself to help Harding feel better about recent events. The “Fight for this Love” singer wants to whisk Harding away for a much-needed holiday – perhaps because Cole understands what it’s like to be targeted by the tabloids.

An insider told the Daily Star: “Sarah has been in pieces and crying. So Cheryl thinks a girls’ holiday in the sun would do her the world of good. She is desperate for her to chill out.”

Sinead O’Connor reunites with estranged husband

Monday, 09 January 2012 14:59

''Nothing Compares 2 U'' singer Sinead O'Connor wed husband Barry Herridge during a whirlwind Las Vegas ceremony on December 8, but the pair parted ways after only 16 days.

After the split O'Connor claimed that Herridge’s family had placed “intense pressure” upon him to leave.

But on Tuesday night the singer claimed that her “caveman” had come back to her for “a mad love making affair.”

In a series of confused tweets, O’Connor revealed: “guess who had a mad love making affair with her own husband last night?

“Motherf****r who dont like it ¿ so me all happy!! me love me hubby ¿ he love me ¿ f*** who no like it ¿ God is good!”

She went on: “yay!!! me husband is a big hairy cave man an came to claim me with his club and now im in cave-land. yay!! we both go panto!”

The pair never officially filed for divorce, but are taking this reunion at a reasonable pace after having rushed into the marriage. O’Connor and Herridge met three months before their wedding.

The singer explained: “Yay!!! we decided to be boyfriend and girlfriend again an stay married but we did rush so we gonna return to b friend g friend

“an be sickenly happy an go counsellin an move in in like a yr like regular people. but stay married an we all in love an f*** each other.”

The the marital troubles began just hours after leaving the Little Wedding Chapel in Vegas, when O’Connor went in search of illegal drugs.

“We ended up in a cab in some place that was quite dangerous,” the singer told The Sun. “I wasn’t scared – but he’s a drugs counselor. What was I thinking? Then I was handed a load of crack. Barry was very frightened – that kind of messed everything up a bit really.”

Nick Cannon hospitalized for kidney failure

Monday, 09 January 2012 14:52

Mariah Carey tweeted to let fans know that husband Nick Cannon was in hospital due to ''mild kidney failure.''

The ''Hero'' singer asked her followers to pray for him on Wednesday afternoon, subsequently posting a photo of herself with Cannon in his hospital bed.

She wrote: “Please pray for Nick as he’s fighting to recover from a mild kidney failure. #mybraveman.”

Carey revealed more details via a blog post: “This is us in the hospital – role reversal. Last year it was me attached to the machines (after having dembabies) and Nick was there with me through it, and now here we are.

“We’re trying to be a festive as possible under the circumstances but please keep Nick in your thoughts because this is very painful. They tried to kick me out of the hospital but here I am pon de bed with Mr. C.”

Though she was seemed somewhat flippant about the situation, Carey added that it was actually quite a “serious” ordeal.

“We’re doing OK but we’re ‘straaaaaanded in Aspen.’ #DramaticDivaPlace (I know, we could be in a lot worse places) but the truth is as long as we’re together, we’re OK.

“I’m not trying to make light out of a situation because it’s a serious moment that’s very tough on all of us so please keep us and our family in your prayers. LYM.”

The Los Angeles Times reports that “mild kidney failure” isn’t an actual medical term.

Dr. Bryan Becker, former president of the National Kidney Foundation, speculated that Cannon was hospitalized for a decrease in kidney function. He told the paper: “For someone to have it and to be hospitalized raises an extra level of concern.”

Last year the Carey and Cannon became parents when twins Moroccan and Monroe were born.

Paris Hilton plans house music album

Monday, 09 January 2012 14:43

30-year-old celbutante Paris Hilton is apparently planning to take a break from reality television in order to record an album of house music.

''I have a huge passion for house music,'' Hilton told FHM. “It always has been my passion. I just haven’t been able to focus on it, because I have been doing reality TV for so long now.

“There are just so many great DJs right now. And I should know, I’ve been to over 100 raves in the past year, so I’ve heard every type of music.

“I’ve been working on the album with lots of other top DJs for a while now and I think people will be really surprised. It’s very modern and very catchy; perfect party music.”

Hilton posed topless for the men’s magazine, in which she outlines her future business plans as well as her love of British men.

She said: “British guys are really different to the guys in America – they’re all such gentlemen and they’re far more mature.

“It’s just a different mindset. I’ve met a lot of nice British guys; I think the way that your parents raise you is a lot different, because you’re so polite and sweet. British guys are really hot.”

Asked for her opinion on Princes Harry and William, Hilton revealed: “They’re both very nice boys. When I was in London shooting a show for a few months, we went out a couple of times and I found them to be such nice gentlemen.”

The budding entrepreneur isn’t worried about money – if she ever was – as her beauty products, handbags and shoe line continue to rake it in.

“I’m involved in my products every step of the way,” the star confirmed. “My fragrances are doing really well at the moment. They’ve produced more than $1.3 billion in revenue since 2005.”

The CD/Digital Debate

Wednesday, 04 January 2012 21:12

As 2012 begins, the battle between CD and digital formats rages on. Digital sales increased impressively this year, rising to take hold of 23.5% of the market. Though CD sales remain the clear market leader with 76%, the tide appears to be turning.

And it’s hard to see why this trend won’t continue, as digital’s ease of access and versatility have made it a hugely popular alternative. The power to carry an entire music library on one portable medium is obviously hugely appealing.

And much like the fact that vinyl is relatively unknown to today’s generation, the same drop into obscurity may happen to CDs . It’s not hard to imagine that in ten or twenty years time, the term ‘CD’ will be long forgotten.  

So what might save them?

Romance? The idea of holding something tangible and associating it with the first time you played that track-that’s something digital will never be able to offer. But unfortunately, vinyl already ticks the ‘romance’ box quite nicely and the evidence reflecting their popularity is irrefutable- vinyl only accounts for 0.3% of the market. Romance will never rule over practicality.

And even if it did, the CD will probably never hold the same vintage status currently enjoyed by their twelve inch counterparts. CDs are caught between being too big to be considered a convenient size for transport and too small to have any bulky sense of character about them.

However, where CDs do hold appeal is as high quality storage systems for hard copies. The scratch of the vinyl produces a different sound, and many of today’s younger generation appreciate the guarantee of the consistently good (albeit processed) sound which comes from a CD. Combine this with the fact that they are also much cheaper than vinyl and it would appear to be a relatively easy decision for a music collector who likes keeping a hard copy but doesn’t want to remortgage his house in order to make additions to his collection. CDs can also be extremely well packaged and if you add to that that they are easy to store, then you can understand that they should still maintain market share for another few years at least.

But where they cannot compete with digital is in ease of infilitration. The permanence of the digital age is its true attraction- once a song has been downloaded it is forever yours, not impossible to lose, but certainly effortless to replace. Legally downloaded tracks lack for nothing, their quality is often equal to or better than any physical  equivalents and entire albums can be purchased in seconds. The ways of accessing music will only become more polished online.

It’s apparent that the majority of current CD purchases are made simply to convert the tracks into digital and once this has happened, the CD becomes defunct . A nice collector’s item, but rarely used as the source for a speaker system when an iPod can do the same job.  Once consumers realise that the CD ‘stepping stone’ is no longer required, a full switch to digital will almost definitely occur for all but the most hardcore of collectors.

UK vinyl sales on the rise as CD sales decline

Tuesday, 03 January 2012 17:39

In spite of CD sales dropping in 2011 in the UK, both vinyl and digital sales are showing signs of vitality.

Adele's top-selling LP 21 reigned as the biggest-selling album of the year – of any year, actually – moving 3.8 million copies. But the British Phonographic Industry reported an overall drop in combined digital and physical album sales, which dropped 5.6 per cent compared with 2010.

CD sales suffered, dropping 12.6 percent, while digital album sales actually increased 24 per cent. A total of 82.2 million physical albums were bought in 2011, compared with 26.6 million digital albums.

Interestingly, a 43.7 percent increase in the sale of vinyl LPs meant 337,000 old school records were bought over the course of the year – the highest vinyl sales since 2005.

Even if it is “encouraging” to see an increase in digital album sales, BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor is pushing for government intervention regarding music piracy on the internet.

“While other countries take positive steps to protect their creative sector, our government is taking too long to act on piracy, while weakening copyright to the benefit of US tech giants,” Taylor said.

“The UK has already fallen behind Germany as a music market. Unless decisive action is taken in 2012, investment in music could fall again – a creative crunch that will destroy jobs and mean the next Adele may not get her chance to shine on the world stage.”

21 was more than just a bright spot on the 2011 UK music charts – the album became the first to sell more than 5 million records to US audiences in a year since 2004.

And Adele’s year-end accolades don’t end there: her debut album 19 reentered the charts to become the second best-selling album of the year in the UK. In 2011, 19 sold more than 1.1 million copies.

Slash attempts to put Axl Rose feud to bed

Tuesday, 03 January 2012 17:28

In a piece for Esquire, former Guns N' Roses guitarist gives readers a year-end list of things he's learned throughout his lifetime.

In it, the top-hat loving rocker compares women to guitars (“you’ll never get them totally right”), admits he was slow to think of Les Paul as a person (and not a mere guitar) and attempts to put an end to the Axl Rose feud (which he claims was meant to be “a quiet one”).

On making music, Slash writes: “It’s a constant quest to find that harmony, to connect with it, where everything that you want to come out of it comes out.

“Those moments are rare, but they’re like drugs: once you get going on it, you’re constantly jonesing for it….It’s not something you can find. There’s a moment you arrive at – there’s no words for it.

“A bunch of people come together at this place where a note hits your heart and your brain tells your finger where to go. It’s an otherworldly thing, like when a painter gets the right combination of colors together.”

Slash goes on to report that the much-publicized feud between himself and GNR frontman Axl Rose was greatly exaggerated by the media: “The split between Axl and I was a quiet one. But because there was so much attention on the breakup – and are we going to get back together? – it got built up into this monster that led to a kind of animosity that wasn’t the focus for me.

“Neither one of us wants to be down each other’s throats for no reason. At this point, I’m trying to put it to rest. So I try to avoid the subject.”

The guitarist also admits that he is not much for singing (“I just hate expressing myself verbally”), but can’t think of a better form of self-expression than his own instrument. He adds: “Everything else, and I’m just sort of tripping around, trying to figure my way through life.”

Marvin Humes engaged to Rochelle Wiseman

Tuesday, 03 January 2012 17:23

JLS star Marvin Humes proposed to Saturdays singer Rochelle Wiseman on New Year's Eve during the couple's holiday trip to Antigua.

Rochelle broke the news via Twitter, telling followers: ''Its official Marvin proposed 2me 2day, wanted 2 tell u b4 some 1 else did! SO excited 2 b Mrs Humes.”

Marvin couldn’t wait to spread the news, either, writing on the JLS Twitter page: “Happy New Year everyone!!! So everyone hears it from me… Rochelle and I are engaged!! Party time tonight! Have a great one..All love..Marv x”.

He added: “Thank you so much for all the love.

“We are the happiest 2 people in the world. A perfect start to 2012. This year is gonna be massive. Luv ya! Mx”.

The pair met each other through their showbiz ties and began dating in early 2010. After a brief separation in November 2010, they reunited the following January, when they went back to sharing a home.

When they split, Marvin and Rochelle claimed they’d done so because their respective work commitments left little time for them to be together.

Rochelle explained their reconciliation in an interview: “We’ve been together two years and I think everyone has a stage when something like that happens. It’s not a big deal. We got together because I think we realized that we didn’t want to let go of what he had.” 

Rumors began swirling that the boy band singer planned to propose after he booked an appointment at Tiffany and Co. last summer.

In related news, Marvin said recently that he was considering an acting career – and wouldn’t mind being “the next Colin Firth”.

He told The Sun: “When I was younger I used to go to drama school. I’m a bit of a sucker for rom-coms so I definitely see myself being in one of those at some point. I could be the next Colin Firth, why not?”