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Saturday, December 31, 2011

Giuliana Rancic Returns to Work After Cancer Surgery

Giuliana Rancic
Two weeks after undergoing a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, Giuliana Rancic was back on the set at E! News on Tuesday.
“Even though I moved a tad slower than usual today, everyone welcomed me back with open arms and it was a wonderful homecoming,” she says in a statement on the network”s Web site.
Rancic, 37, had the surgery Dec. 13 after lumpectomies failed to eradicate her breast cancer.
“It feels great to be back at work,” she says. “I wasn”t sure whether I was going to return to E! News this week or after the new year. The last thing I wanted to do was rush my recovery.”
She adds: “Thankfully, I”ve been feeling better every single day since surgery and this weekend my doctors gave me the green light to get back to work.”

Katy Perry and Russell Brand celebrate Christmas Day 7000 miles apart

Still insist everything”s fine Katy Perry and Russell Brand “celebrate Christmas Day 7000 miles apart”
United front: Katy and Russell were together at the MTV Video Music Awards in LA on August 28
United front: Katy and Russell were together at the MTV Video Music Awards in LA on August 28
They”ve vehemently denied that their marriage is in trouble, but Russell Brand and Katy Perry have been spotted celebrating Christmas Day on opposite sides of the globe, according to reports.
Superstar Perry, 27, was photographed enjoying the tropical waters in Hawaii on the big day, and was not wearing her wedding ring as she enjoyed the surf with a group of friends according to an eye-witness.
Meanwhile, Britain”s Sun newspaper is reporting that Russell, 36 , was over 7000 miles away in a Cornwall pub, before heading along to his friend David Baddiel”s charity swim, where he was pictured.
Both The Sun and People magazine report that Katy and Russell have rented properties in the respective beauty spots to spend the festivities together.
And while People quote a source that places Russell in Kauai, they point out that he was never pictured on the beach with his wife.
So they appear to have gone their separate ways to celebrate the time of togetherness in very different fashions, if these sightings are accurate.
Russell was also spotted at Winter Wonderland in London”s Hyde Park on Tuesday without Katy.
Busy lives: Russell was pictured in Spitalfields on December 14, while Katy went straight from her tour into perfume promotion Busy lives: Russell was pictured in Spitalfields on December 14, while Katy went straight from her tour into perfume promotion
Busy lives: Russell was pictured in Spitalfields on December 14, while Katy went straight from her tour into perfume promotion
Of course, the couple are no strangers to reports of strife in their fledgling union, and have brushed off every rumour so far.
The British comedian appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show earlier this month and addressed the recent speculation that his one-year marriage has hit the skids.
When told about the frenzied split speculation, Brand jokingly replied: “What! She should have told me!”
He added: “I’ve treated the whole Internet now as a wicked little liar.”
“I am really happily married,” he insisted.
He added: “Being famous is like a little bit of you is taken away and goes off and lives on its own and does what it wants.”
“I wish it would do more interesting things.”
“I don”t know what is doing, but I”m married to Katy,” he continued. “Perpetually, until death do us part was the pledge. I”m still alive.”
When asked about starting a family, Brand said he”d really like to expand his brood with Perry.
“I would like one. I love those little babies in the beginning,” he said.
Until then, the couple are content with being godparents to twin boys.
“I”m just observing them like I”m a scientist,” he said of his godchildren.
“So I can learn from them. Me and Katy are their godparents, which mean we”re responsible for their spiritual growth. Should be interesting … “

US warned French breast implant maker PIP 10 YEARS before silicone scandal

U.S. warned French breast implant maker 10 YEARS before silicone scandal brokePIP”s saline devices described as “adulterated”U.S. health authorities issued warning in 2000Firm”s silicone implants already under investigationThousands more women could be affected
Burst: Defective silicone gel breast implants, from French firm PIP, which were removed from a patient
Burst: Defective silicone gel breast implants, from French firm PIP, which were removed from a patient
The French breast implant maker at the heart of a worldwide scandal was warned about the quality of its products more than 10 years ago, it emerged today.
Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) was told in 2000 that its saline implants were “adulterated” – a decade before it came under scrutiny from European regulators for its silicone implants.
More than 300,000 women who received the company”s silicone implants, which were ordered off the market in 2010, have already been told they are at risk.
And now thousands more women who received its saline implants are facing potential safety issues.
But it is not yet known how many received the implant or whether indeed they are unsafe.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspected the firm”s La Seyne Sur Mer plant, used to produce silicone and saline implants, in 2000.
In a warning letter to company founder Jean-Claude Mas it said there were 11 deviations from “good manufacturing practices”.
Dated June 22, 2000, it cited PIP”s failure to investigate the deflation of its saline implants and a failure to report more than 120 complaints in France and elsewhere to the FDA.
Threat: The
Threat: The “low quality” PIP implants contained industrial silicone – designed for computers and electronic devices – instead of medical-grade fillers
It also said the plant did not havea process in place to make sure the saline implants it produced met design specifications.
The revelation has led to questions as to why the warning did not prompt a larger investigation by French authorities.
PIP began selling its saline implants in the U.S. in September 1996 under a system that did not require the company to submit clinical trials to show an implant”s safety and effectiveness.
THE GREAT SILICONE IMPLANT SCANDAL
PIP – once the third-largest maker of breast implants in the world – stands accused of using industrial-grade silicone in some of its implants.
There are fears that the implants, which were sold around the world, could cause health problems if they burst or leak.
It has affected 40,000 British women and 300,000 worldwide.
The French government has urged the 30,000 women in France with PIP implants to have them removed – and offered to pay for the surgery.
Other countries, including Britain, have only gone as far as saying that women should visit their surgeons for checks.
Concerns about their safety first surfaced 18 months ago, when surgeons noticed they were rupturing much more quickly than other brands.
The French health watchdog ordered an inquiry, which subsequently reported ‘serious irregularities’ in the implants and they were pulled off the market.
Manufacturers were accused of fraudulently using a non-approved silicone gel for almost 10 years which believed to have been originally designed for mattresses.
They have a higher than normal rupture rate – up to five per cent among French women – and have been linked to the death of a French woman from a rare form of cancer called anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), and implicated in at least seven other cancer cases.
It has also emerged many of the implants were missing a protective coating designed to stop them from splitting and prevent any gel that leaked from spreading through the body.
It was feared that leaked gel could trigger cancer but to date tests have remained inconclusive.
About 300,000 PIP implants were sold worldwide before the company went into administration last year.
This was as long as it was “substantially equivalent” to devices already on the market.
The French company could not sell its silicone-gel implants in the U.S. at the time because the FDA had prohibited the sale of all such implants from 1992 until 2006 for most women because of safety concerns.
But, for many years, the FDA allowed manufacturers to sell saline implants without formal safety trials.
This was because many were sold before the agency received the authority to regulate medical devices. The agency assumed they were safe unless proven otherwise.
In 2000, due to concerns about possible complications such as infections and rupturing, the agency finally required all implant companies to submit a formal application, known as pre-market approval, to continue selling their products.
PIP was one of three companies that submitted an application, which came under review of a panel of outside advisors to the FDA in March 2000.
At the time, PIP said it had already sold 35,000 of its pre-filled saline implants in the U.S., and that it was the third-largest manufacturer of breast implants in the world.
It said it only had reports of 521 complaints with its devices, a rate of 1.5 per cent.
But the panel recommended that the FDA reject PIP”s application.
It recommended the implants from the other two companies, Inamed Inc, now part of Allergan Inc and Mentor, now a unit of Johnson & Johnson.
Panellists said at the time they were not reassured by PIP”s data, and that the company”s clinical trials did not include enough patients that were followed for an adequate time to truly evaluate the device”s risks.
One panel member, Boyd Burkhardt, a plastic surgeon from Arizona, said the company”s data was incomplete, and he found it difficult to understand why the company was “as ill prepared as you appear to be” to meet regulatory standards.
He told the firm: “Like it or not, we have a regulatory threshold which is probably higher or at least different than it is elsewhere in the world, and I think in order to get your product approved, you”re just going to have to bite your tongue and meet that threshold.”
Asked to comment on the PIP controversy, Burkhardt, in a brief interview, said that he stands by the prior comments he made to the FDA.
It was not immediately clear why after the rejection, the FDA then carried out an inspection of the PIP plant in May 2000.
PIP said it stopped selling its saline implants, which usually contain a silicone outer shell filled with a sterile saltwater (saline) solution, in the United States that same month.
Owner: PIP President Jean-Claude Mas, who was warned about the implants his firm was selling
Owner: PIP President Jean-Claude Mas, who was warned about the implants his firm was selling

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver spend Christmas together as she reconsiders their divorce

Will she take him back Maria Shriver is reportedly reconsidering her divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger
Together Maria Shriver is reportedly reconsidering her divorce from Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the couple are said to have spent Christmas together
Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger spent Christmas together at their Brentwood, California home with their children, according to a report.
It comes as the journalist, who filed for divorce from her husband in June, is said to be “reconsidering ” their divorce.
People cite a source close to the family who reveals that the couple “had a really nice time” over the holiday.
Trying again Could Shriver be prepared to take her husband back
Trying again Could Shriver be prepared to take her husband back
According to the source, they also attended the Los Angeles Lakers” season opener game at the Staples Center in the afternoon.
The pair have spent been spotted with each other frequently since the announcement of their split in the wake of it being revealed that Arnold fathered a love child.
Shriver, 56, was by her ex”s side on his 64th birthday in July.
The former couple, married 25 years before announcing their separation in May, have four children together: Katherine, Christina, Patrick and Christopher.
Smooth: Arnold has reportedly been wooing Maria with gifts and being extremely nice to his estranged wife
Smooth: Arnold has reportedly been wooing Maria with gifts and being extremely nice to his estranged wife
Shriver filed for divorce from her husband after he admitted earlier this year to fathering a love child with their former maid Mildred Baena 14 years ago.
But it appears that Maria Shriver is reconsidering the move.
Dueto a number of factors, including her Catholic beliefs, she has reportedly told friends that she is having second thoughts, sources havetold TMZ.
Most devout Catholics do not believe in divorce.
The decision for Shriver is said to have been made even more difficult with Arnold”s attempts to woo her back.
Doing it for the family: Apparently the gang still have regular days out together, including going to church and the hair salon
Doing it for the family: Apparently the gang still have regular days out together, including going to church and the hair salon
TheTerminator star, 64, has apparently been showering her with gifts and acting “extremely sweet” towards his estranged wife, according to the website.
Since announcing their split, the couple have been remaining amicable for the sake of their children.
They were even seen attending church together last month.
Maria is also still visiting Arnold”s favourite Beverly Hills salon Guiseppe Franco.
She had her hair perfectly coiffed there earlier this month.
The Terminator star also organised haircuts for himself and sons Patrick, 18, and Christopher, 14, the same week.
The Schwarzenegger family shearings is perhaps one sign that Arnold and Maria are amicably working through their difficulties.
The pair split in May – following 25 years of marriage – when the former California governor and action moviestar confessed he had fathered a young boy named Joseph with Baena.
The couple are also parents to two daughters: 21-year-old Catherine and Christina, 20.

Heavy D — Cause of Death Revealed

Heavy D
Heavy D
died from a pulmonary embolism caused by deep leg vein thrombosis … and a long flight back to L.A. from a Michael Jackson memorial concert may have been a contributing factor.
A pulmonary embolism is a blockage of one or more arteries in the lungs — most often caused by blood clots which travel in from other parts of he body. In Heavy”s case, the clot was formed in his legs.
Days before Heavy died, he was on a flight back from Europe, after performing at the Michael Jackson tribute concert in Wales.
Officials from the L.A. County Coroner”s Office say Heavy also suffered from heart disease, which could have been a contributing factor in his death.
The Coroner”s Office has classified the death as “natural.”
As first reported, Heavy died on November 9, 2011. He was 44-years-old.
Deep leg vein thrombosis is often associated with long plane flights, in which a clot can form due to prolonged immobility. 
Story developing …

The secret home truths husbands would love to tell their wives (…if only there was a Christmas truce)

Darling, I”ve NEVER liked your hair: The secret home truths husbands would LOVE to tell their wives (…if only there was a Christmas truce)
Uncomfortable truths: A survey revealed how a third of men will never tell their wife that she
Call it cowardice or good old diplomacy, it seems there are some areas of married life where honesty is most definitely not the best policy.
A survey last week revealed how a third of men will NEVER tell their wife that she’s put on weight for fear of sparking a row.
But what other taboos are there We asked five (very brave) writers to confess the one complaint they have never dared to confront their wife with.
YOU CAN”T COOK
Little chef: Mark Barrowcliffe is the family cook... because his wife
Mark Barrowcliffe, 47 has been married to Claire, 41, for six years and has two children.
Let me start with a confession: I don’t enjoy cooking. The reason I usually do it at home is not because I’m a New Man or Jamie Oliver disciple, but because my wife’s cooking is so bad. In fact, to me, cooking is less a pleasurable pastime than a defence against poisoning.
Too harsh Perhaps a little history will put things in perspective.
The first time Claire cooked for me, she served me grilled salmon. It was raw on one side. When I asked her: ‘Did you turn this over’ she replied, in surprise: ‘Are you meant to’
I suppose I should have guessed cooking wasn’t her forte when we first met and I noticed her fridge was stocked with one dried-out onion, five bottles of champagne and nothing else.
She doesn’t seem to realise that the oven has a dial for a reason, that not everything can be cooked at the same temperature of 275c and that things won’t cook quicker if you turn it up.
Oh, she also seems not to know that there is a difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon, particularly when measuring ingredients such as chilli powder and yeast.
And sorry, Claire, but there are some things it’s impossible to microwave. A joint of lamb, for instance. That happened a year ago and I swear I can still smell the smoking bone in the upstairs bedroom.
The biscuits she made for our daughter to take to school were used as miniature Frisbees in the playground, and I believe a slice of her cake is still used to wedge open the classroom door.
Rather than allow her to cook food for our children’s lunchboxes, it would save time and disappointment simply to smash their teeth out with a hammer.
What amazes me about all this is that it’s actually quite hard to make a mess of a recipe if you follow the instructions. Any idiot can do it. However, because Claire is very far from being an idiot she always has 1,001 things on her mind, number 1,002 being mulling the difference between soy and Worcestershire sauce.
And why, my love, have I never confessed my loathing of your cooking before Well, like most men, I am a coward. And believe me, that fruit cake looks heavy — and dangerous.

YOU CAN”T DRIVE
Driving him mad: Quentin Letts thinks his wife is terrifying behind the wheel
Driving him mad: Quentin Letts thinks his wife is terrifying behind the wheel
Quentin Letts, 48, has been married to Lois, 46, for 15 years. They live in Herefordshire with their children Claud, 14, Eveleen, 13, and eight-year-old Honor.
MY wife Lois passed her driving test after five attempts. I can only presume it was because the examiner could not bear the prospect of another white-knuckle ride and simply ticked the ‘pass’ box out of blind panic.
For Mrs Letts is not, I fear, a confident driver. Her terror is slight, however, compared with that of motorists unfortunate to encounter her while travelling in the other direction.
Lois is a talker, a female activity which demands a good 50 per cent of her attention. Mid-flow in chit-chat, she can forget things such as indicating before she negotiates a turn or making sure she has entered the correct lane.
Her scrutiny of signposts comes second to the task of conversazione — or, indeed, of checking her hairdo in the rear-view mirror.
When piloting the family Renault, Lois likes to listen to Michael Buble CDs at top volume. It stifles the passengers’ screams.
She grips the steering wheel with a vehemence which, while admirable in its determination, verges on panic. It is the grasp of Professor Moriarty on Sherlock Holmes’s throat at the Reichenbach Falls.
Having secured such purchase on the wheel, she might be thought to have total command of the business of steering. Sadly, this is not the case. Maybe her eye wanders. Maybe she has inner-ear problems connected to spatial calculation. Whatever, she is poor at maintaining a steady, accurate position on the Queen’s highway. We have been in more ditches than Lester Piggott.
Prangs occur with alarming regularity. The last involved her skidding, in balletic slow motion, into another woman on a Herefordshire back road. I am told it was like something from a curling match.
Accidents would happen more if she had a taste for speed, but Lois is no Jenson Button. She proceeds at the speed of Brian the Magic Roundabout snail, peering through the windscreen with suspicion.
I suppose it is unwise of me to make this confession now, lest our insurance company reads this article. But Lois might as well be a secret agent for the Prudential. When other drivers see her on the road, they surely hasten home and ring their insurers to up their level of cover, pronto.

I DON”T LIKE YOUR HAIRSTYLE
Vincent Graff, 42, has been married to Helen for seven years. They live in North London with their two children, George, five, and Daisy, two.
Seven years after we wed, I’m still grateful that my darling wife agreed to spend the rest of her life with me. I love her today as much as I did the day we got married.
At the ceremony, Helen made one great sacrifice. She wore flat shoes so that she wouldn’t tower over me in the pictures. (I am all of 5ft 3in. She is an inch or two taller.)
But she also kept a mean secret from me that day: that she had a yearning to take her beautiful long brown hair, chop it off and turn it blonde.
Hair-raising confession: Vincent Graff with his son George and wife Helen... back when she used to have dark hair
Hair-raising confession: Vincent Graff with his son George and wife Helen… back when she used to have dark hair
She managed to keep her ghastly plan under wraps for years. Then, about six months ago, I got home from work one day to find that the brunette I’d woken alongside that morning had gone.
Where there was once sweeping brown hair, there was now a blonde bob. ‘I’ve had highlights,’ she said. ‘They’re great, aren’t they’ What could I say
What came out of my mouth was: ‘Yes, you look very nice.’ What whizzed round my head was: ‘Where has my Helen gone Why wasn’t I consulted about this When can I have her back’
I hate to sound like a curmudgeonly old man, but I don’t like change and I don’t want a blonde wife.
However artfully her hair has been done — and, frankly, for the money she paid, it had better be artful — I can’t get one phrase out of my head: ‘bottle blonde’. And that’s a phrase that reeks of Club 18-30 holidays. I know I am being closed-minded, but I liked my wife as she was.
She’s a modern woman, I’m a modern man. I realise I’ve no right to tell her how she should look (though she’s very good at telling me when I’ve dressed ‘like a tramp’). So instead I have retreated into an oh-so-manly sulk about the whole business.
One other thing. Do you have any idea of the running costs of being a bottle blonde — if, that is, the woman opening the bottle of bleach is a North London hairdresser
Helen has to have her highlights topped up every six weeks — at 115 a pop. That’s 1,000 a year. Money that could be spent on Apple iPads, paying off the mortgage, or even — I’m sure I wouldn’t complain — shoes. Though not if they’ve got heels, of course.
I DON”T LIKE THE WAY YOU DRESS
Style guru: Phillip Robinson once bought his wife a whole
Style guru: Phillip Robinson once bought his wife a whole “look” to wear on a book tour – but she never wore it again
Philip Robinson, 38, has been married to Anna, 42, for 14 years. They live in North London with their three sons, Oscar, Caspar and Conrad.
It was on our first holiday together that I knew I had a problem with the way my wife dressed. We were walking through the city of Siena, in Tuscany, and I realised she was wearing a pair of immense boots that would have looked more at home on the set of Harry Potter.
Around us, elegant Italian women pitter-pattered around in flats. I drew a discreet comparison. She replied that she was short and therefore preferred taller shoes.
When I pointed out that these made her look like Robbie Coltrane in hobnail boots, we had an al fresco yelling match that even the Italians thought was a bit common.
Alas, I have come to realise in the years since then that any night out with Anna is like playing lucky-dip with a child’s dressing-up box.
I’ve become accustomed to her making a grand entrance in a swimming costume, or what resembles half a pantomime horse, accentuated by a thunderous glare that just dares me to say something.
I was brought up to believe that dressing well equalled self-respect. I cannot comprehend how Anna, raised in an affluent middle-class home, relates to clothes in the same way as Worzel Gummidge.
I suspect it’s because shopping bores her. Exasperated, I once bought a whole ‘look’ for her to wear on a U.S. tour to promote one of her novels. One of the New York papers actually put her in the style pages!
Back home in London she never wore the clothes again. Apparently ‘matching stuff’ was too much effort.
Since then, the subject of her awful dress sense quickly became taboo. One day, she discovered me in our bedroom, yanking her horrible clothes out of the wardrobe and stuffing them into a bin bag.
I wasn’t going to insult a charity shop: they belonged in a skip. She grabbed the bag and pulled out public enemy number one: a stonewashed denim cowboy shirt with gaudy pearl buttons.
The last time she wore this in public I prayed for a car to mount the kerb and run me over. The hurt in her eyes pleaded: ‘Doesn’t my infinite beauty transcend what I wear’
How do you tell a woman that her beauty has definable limits That while Kate Moss in a potato sack might be fine, she, dressed in this line-dancing shirt, just looked ridiculous
If she set out to test the measure of my love, she succeeded: unconditional is hard when the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with dresses like Kenny Rogers.
To save her feelings, the shirt is still in the wardrobe. She no longer dares to wear it, and I no longer feel the need to throw it away. This is progress.
Now when she appears wearing some startling abomination I smile weakly and croak that she looks ‘just fine’. Happily, this cowardly response is often enough to inspire her to head back upstairs and change.
YOU”RE TURNING INTO YOUR MOTHER
Turning into her mother: Guy Walters with his wife Annabel
Turning into her mother: Guy Walters with his wife Annabel
Guy Walters, 40, lives in Wiltshire with his wife, Annabel, 38, and their children William, eight, and six-year-old Alice.
On our wedding day, I was approached by a vast number of beaming old buffers who informed me that my radiant new wife looked just like her mother.
Now, although my mother-in-law is undeniably attractive, I took private umbrage that my bride was being compared with a woman a quarter-of-a-century older than her.
But ten years on, as I approach beaming old bufferhood myself, it’s dawned on me that it’s frighteningly true: Annabel not only looks like her mother, but is fast becoming her clone.
First, there are the little things. Both clutter up the kitchen with maddening to-do lists, which suggest efficiency, but in fact reveal inner disorder.
Both keep bulging files crammed with recipes culled from magazines that are then never used.
Both drive irritatingly slowly, have a penchant for walking labradors in the rain, and make phone calls on Sunday evenings.
I could go on.
Then there are the big things — the matters of temperament. Both women seem very calm and collected, but they are anxious to the core. This is because they are both perfectionists and extremely conscientious — almost saint-like — and at times I wish they could be a little more laissez-faire.
I can’t really complain, and therefore I don’t. Besides, Annabel tells me that as I grow older I’m turning into my mother — but that’s another story.

Sandra Bullock: I Felt "Permanently Broken" After Divorce

Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock says that after her 2010 split from husband Jesse James she wondered if she still had the strength to act again.
“I was perfectly content to be permanently broken,” Bullock, 47, tells the Associated Press.
She adds: “I honestly didn”t think I was in a place where I wanted to work or wanted to step out of where I was. … I wasn”t prepared. But the opportunity was louder than my head.”
It was director Stephen Daldry”s lobbying for her to appear in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close that convinced the Oscar winner to return to movies.
“We had a great time. It”s no longer “selfish actress” in the moment,” she says. “I wanted to have an amazing time with him and, fortunately, Mr. Daldry presented it. In every possible way, it was the best!”

Sinead O Connor ends fourth marriage to Barry Herridge after 16 days

“He was too nice to trap”: Sinead O”Connor ends her fourth marriage after just 16 days
Split: Sinead O
Sinead O”Connor has announced the end of her fourth marriage, which lasted just 16 days.
The singer, 45, wrote a lengthy and heartfelt message on her official website after fearing the news of her split from Barry Herridge, who she wed on December 8, was about to be leaked.
O”Connor revealed that she and Herridge actually lived together as husband and wife for just seven days before ending their relationship on Christmas Eve, 16 days after their Las Vegas union.
The Irish star blamed “intense pressure” placed on her husband from members of his circle following their sudden Vegas union, which she revealed ended in a “wild” journey to find marijuana.
O”Connor told her fans that the pair have parted amicably and said she still loves Herridge “very much,” but that he was too nice “to trap.”
She wrote: “From the moment myself and my husband got together not long ago, there was intense pressure placed upon him by certain people in his life, not to be involved with me. These were people who had never met me but had formed opinions of me based on what they read about “Sinead “O”Connor” in the media etc.
“Entitled as they are to their opinions about me many perhaps well deserved, there was no righteousness on anyone”s part to put my husband through what he was put through as a result of his desire to be with me and to marry me and as a result of his actually marrying me.
Enlarge
“I love him very much”: The singer made the announcement on her website, revealing the couple only lived together for seven days
“Within 3 hours of the ceremony being over the marriage was kyboshed by the behaviour of certain people in my husband”s life. And also by a bit of a wild ride I took us on looking for a bit of a smoke of weed for me wedding night as I don”t drink. My husband was enormously wounded and very badly effected by that experience and also by the attitude of those close to him toward our marriage.
“It became apparent to me that if he were to stay with me he would be losing too much to bear. And that being with me was not going to serve him positively , career wise or any other wise. I saw his life leave him because of how people close to him reacted. And I can”t take anyone”s life. And a woman wants to be a joy to her husband. So.. U love someone Set them free.
O”Connor continued: “He is a wonderful man. I love him very much. I”m sorry I”m not a more regular woman. I truly believe though it is painful to admit, we made a mistake rushing into getting married, for altruistic reasons, and weren”t aware or prepared for the consequences on my husband”s life and the lives of those close to him. He has been terribly unhappy and I have therefore ended the marriage. I think he is too nice to do so. And too nice to trap.”

The Nothing Compares 2 U singer asked for fans and media to respect her husband”s privacy, and added: “Meanwhile I intend to get on with being fully me. With never an apology for ANY part if being FULLY ME. No matter what.
“I am a 21st century full woman and proud of living it. I am in a very good and happy and strong place in life so I am doing fine. The marriage was 16 days. We lived together for 7 days only. Until Xmas eve. And we haven”t been awful to each other.
“So while I feel sad for my husband, and sad to be the cause of sorrow to yet another poor man, I”m also happy that I know we weren”t horrible to each other and he is better offfree. And that I can be me. And that”s a freedom I can”t give up for anyone or anything.”
She ended the announcement with “rock n roll”.
O”Connor and Herridge wed at The Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas after just three months of dating.

“Wild ride”: O”Connor revealed a “wild” journey she took on their wedding night in search of marijuana “as she doesn”t drink” wounded her husband
After the ceremony, for which she wore a pretty strapless pink dress, O”Connor wrote on her blog: “Dear friends… amongst whom I include whomever may be reading this with a view to writing about the glorious marriage.
“Amblogging this cus media people are naturally seeking me. On Sunday I will put up a blog on whole day. Too glorious for words.
O”Connor also made fun of stars who invite famous friends to their nuptials, by uploading a photo of empty chairs alongside the caption: “Photo of the celebrity guests at our wedding.”
Exes: Sinea
Loves: O”Connor married friend musician Steve Cooney last year and her first husband John Reynolds (right) is father to oldest on Jake
She has only been dating Barry, who works as a counselor for people with addiction problems in Dublin, for three months.
He replied after she wrote on her blog in September that she was “sex-starved” and asked potential suitors to apply online.
“Barry sent me this wonderful email, which just took my heart away,” she told the Irish Independent before flying out from Heathrow to the U.S yesterday.
“It had to be him… I had no intention of getting married again but Barry was extremely persuasive. He proposed to me on every single date we have had since August. He is extremely persuasive — and other unprintable things.”
HUSBANDS AND LOVERS OF SINEAD O”CONNOR
O”Connor has been married three times before and has four children from various relationships.
Her first marriage to musician John Reynolds produced a son, Jake but ended when Jake, now 23, was just a few years old.
Another short-lived marriage, to journalist Nick Sommerlad, followed.
Sinead”s 15-year-old daughter Roisine is from her relationship with newspaper columnist John Waters, while her son Shane, seven, was the product of her romance with another musician, Donal Lunny.
O”Connor also had a lengthy on/off relationship with Dermott Hayes and another with Frank Bonadio, who is the father of her son Yeshua, four.
Most recently she married long-time friend and fellow musician Steve Cooney in July 2010, but the marriage lasted less than a year.
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Desperate Scousewife Amanda Harrington parties with WAG royalty Alex Gerrard

Desperate Scousewives meet Liverpool”s finest! Amanda Harrington parties with WAG royalty Alex Gerrard on Boxing Day
Most of us are happy to spend Boxing Day curled up in front of the television, munching Christmas leftovers.
But it seems for the Desperate Scousewives crew there can be no respite from their relentless partying schedule.
Amanda Harrington and co-star Gillian O”Toole hit the opening of Liverpool”s new PlayGround nightclub- where they met WAG royalty Alex Gerrard.
WAG meets (Scouse)wife: Not one to let Christmas get in the way of her party schedule, WAG Alex Gerrard hit Liverpool WAG meets (Scouse)wife: Not one to let Christmas get in the way of her party schedule, WAG Alex Gerrard hit Liverpool
WAG meets (Scouse)wife: Not one to let Christmas get in the way of her party schedule, WAG Alex Gerrard hit Liverpool”s PlayGround club opening last night, along with Desperate Scousewife Amanda Harrington
Model and single mother Amanda looked her usual glamorous self in a one-shouldered gold bandage dress.
The 30-year-old wore her long blonde hair loose, and teamed her dress with a black clutch and heels.
Gillian O”Toole likewise ignored the December chill and opted for a sleeveless blue sequined number.
Scousewives: Amanda Harrington stepped out with co-stars Gillian and Debbie O
Scousewives: Amanda Harrington stepped out with co-star Gillian O”Toole and a friend for the opening of Liverpool”s new PlayGround club last night
Like her fellow Scousewives she kept her tanned legs bare, accentuating them with gold heels.
Gillian kept her platinum blonde hair off her fave with a ponytail, choosing a gold clutch as her only accessory.
The girls were accompanied by their Scousewives co-stars, beauty therapists Chris and Mark Johnson White.
What baby weight Despite giving birth less than two months ago and the usual festive temptations, Alex squeezed into a tiny pair pf black leather trousers
What baby weight Despite giving birth less than two months ago and the usual festive temptations, Alex squeezed into a tiny pair pf black leather trousers
The pair appeared in better spirits following tension in recent weeks over arguments as to when they should adopt a child.
Mark even took to Twitter to address the argument in that night”s episode- filmed several weeks in advance- writing: “soooooooooooo emotional after tonights episode cant sleep tha upset i love my boo xxx”
Amandaseemed less bothered, tweeting “Gutted I”m gonna miss #scousewives”, but posting a pic of herself beaming later on accompanied by former X Factor contestants Rebecca Ferguson and Marcus Collins.
Glamour first: The girls looked as though they
Glamour first: The girls looked as though they”d given second helpings a miss the previous day, while beauticians Mark and Chris Johnson White were as well-kempt as ever
Alex Gerrard meanwhile donned skin-tight black leather trousers and a white jacket embellished with black lace.
The 26-year-old looked in impressive shape considering that in addition to the usual temptations of the festive season to contend with, she gave birth less than two months ago.
She received special treatment during the night, as a a lap-dancing pole was put up next to her table and her guests were thrilled by an erotic dancer wearing little more than some body paint and a skimpy thong.
Newly single: Sugababe Heidi Range showed up flashing her now ringless finger Newly single: Sugababe Heidi Range showed up flashing her now ringless finger
Newly single: Sugababe Heidi Range showed up flashing her now ringless finger
According to an onlooker, “Alex was invited up to the stage to join the female dancer but she declined. There was also a woman on a trapeze swing next to Alex”s table, and the night looked more like a circus event than a night club.”
Lourdes, Alex”s third child with Premier League footballer Steven Gerrard, was born on November 2.
The couple are also parents to Lily-Ella, seven, and Lexie, five.
Newly single Sugababes singer Heidi Range hit the club as well, flashing her now ringless finger.
Heavenly: Former X Factor contestant Rebecca Ferguson turned up in a yellow maxi dress Marcus collins
X Factor stars: Former contestants Rebecca and Marcus looked delighted to be there for the opening
The 28-year-old split up with fianc Dave Berry in the Autumn after eight years together.
X Factor stars Marcus Collins and Rebecca Ferguson showed up, and performed an impromptu duet of the Jackie Wilson classic Higher and Higher, which Marcus performed on the final night of X Factor.
A guest commented: “It was amazing all eyes turned to Marcus when the track came on, he loved the attention and it was great to see him with Rebecca Ferguson as well it was like best of the X Factor for two years running.”
Say cheese! Amanda tweeted a snap of herself alongside Marcus Collins and Rebecca Ferguson
Say cheese! Amanda tweeted a snap of herself alongside Marcus Collins and Rebecca Ferguson

Polar Bear Siku Gains Legions of Online Fans

Siku the polar bear
There”s a new polar bear in town.
A 1-month-old cub named Siku is so cute, he”s gone viral. The 8-lb. bear was born Nov. 22 at Denmark”s Scandinavian Wildlife Park, but his mother, Ilka, could not produce enough milk to feed her new cub.
The zoo stepped in, and with caretaker Frank Vigh-Larsen at the helm, staffers have been hand-rearing Siku ever since. The constant care includes lots of bottle-feeding of the young bear – whose name means “sea ice” – and watching as Siku sleeps, rolls around and sticks out his tongue.
Siku will continue to receive daily care for a year, after which he will be reintroduced to his polar bear cohort at the wildlife park.

Lilly Becker flaunts her bikini body the day after Christmas

Boxing day beach parade! Brave Lilly Becker flaunts her enviable figure the day after Christmas
No extra Christmas pudding for her! Sharalily
No extra Christmas pudding for her! Sharlely “Lilly” Kerssenberg enjoyed Boxing Day on the Miami beach with her family
To those of us who spent Christmas day snuggled indoors stuffing ourselves with turkey and roast potatoes, stripping off and donning a swimsuit the following day might sound like the worst idea possible.
However it appears Sharlely “Lilly” Kerssenberg adopted some restraint during her festive feast.
The 35-year-old looked stunning in a brief halterneck costume on the Miami beach with her family.

Game of catch Lilly
The leggy brunette was joined by her 22-month-old son Amadeus, as well as husband Boris Becker”s 17-year-old son Noah- who he fathered with his first wife, Barbara Feltus.
Boris and his ex-wife Barbara took a modern approach to Christmas this year.
The former Wimbledon champion was spotted celebrating the holiday with his old love and their children, as well as current sweetheart Lilly.
Modern family: Lilly chilled out with husband Boris
Lilly and Boris” Amadeus was present, along with the tennis player”s son with Barbara, Noah.
The former couple also have a younger son Elias, 12, and Boris has a daughter Anna, 10, after a brief liaison with model Angela Ermakova.
Lilly played with a fair-headed Armadeus in the Setai hotel pool before joining the rest of the family inside for lunch.
Covering up: Lilly made sure that Amadeus wasn
Favourite accessory: Lilly kept the sun off her face with the same hat that she had done the previous day by the pool Favourite accessory: Lilly kept the sun off her face with the same hat that she had done the previous day by the pool
Favourite accessory: Lilly kept the sun off her face with the same hat that she had done the previous day by the pool
The group were also joined by former footballer Ruud Gullit.
Despite splitting from Barbara, 44, in 2001, after eight years of marriage, Boris remains on good terms with his ex-wife.
The divorce reportedly cost him 10million – he gave her their 1.8 million apartment on Florida”s Fisher Island, several hundred thousand pounds worth of jewels and pays 4,000 a month in maintenance for his sons.
Family matters: Lily tweeted this picture of herself with Amadeus, writing:
Family matters: Lily tweeted this picture of herself with Amadeus, writing: “Merry merry xmas and a healthy and happy new year to all… Much Love xxx”
Follow me mum! The energetic youngster obviously keeps his model mother busy
Not a traditional Christmas: Lilly spent the day in the pool and in the company of husband Boris”s family from his previous marriage
She wed new husband, artist Arne Quinze, in 2009 – the same year as Becker and Kerssenberg tied the knot in St Moritz, Switzerland – but divorced him in October.
In an interview this year, Lilly said she hoped to have three children with Boris, but wanted to wait a while before getting pregnant again.
Picture perfect: Boris with his family, arriving at the Miami International Airport last week
Arrival: Boris Becker and his brood landed in Miami International airport last week

Duchess of Cambridge and Pippa Middleton are named top beauty icons of 2011

Victory for the brunette brigade as Duchess of Cambridge and Pippa Middleton are named top beauty icons of 2011
Kate won over the 3,000 women polled with her trademark glossy brown locks and heavy eyeliner Pippa came second in the poll of 3,000 women
Brunette brigade: Kate won over the 3,000 women polled with her trademark glossy brown locks and heavy eyeliner, while Pippa”s perfect tan and natural make up earned her second place
Kate Middleton has been voted the top beauty icon of 2011 – beating sister Pippa into second place.
Kate, who became the Duchess of Cambridge when she married Prince William in April, came out top in a poll of 3,000 women.
The 29-year-old Duchess has become recognised as increasingly style savvy throughout the year, appearing impeccably turned-out at various public occasions over the year.
Always immaculately groomed, Kate has remained true to the make up and hair style she has always favoured – albeit with a little more polish as her profile grows.
Her glossy brunette locks – tended to until recently by stylists from the Richard Ward salon in London – tumble about her shoulders with a subtle curl to the ends, and her dark eyeliner, which the Duchess famously applies with her own confident hand, completes her trademark look.
In second place was Kate”s younger sister Pippa, 28, who shot to worldwide fame after images of her derriere in her Sarah Burton maid-of-honour dress were circulated globally in the days following her sister”s nuptials.
Like Kate, she was hailed for her signature look of dark tan, glossy lips with fresh faced make-up.
Third place in the Superdrug poll went to last year”s winner Cheryl Cole, who continues to win admirers despite having kept a low profile since her departure from American X Factor.
Sara Wolverson, Superdrug Director of beauty, who commissioned the research, said: “What is fascinating is that four of the five celebrity women to appear in the top five are brunettes, which would indicate that while blondes may have more fun, brunettes are seen to be more beautiful.
Rihanna
Topping the polls: Last year”s winner Cheryl Cole came in third place, while Rihanna”s exotic beauty won her fourth place
“Everyone in the list has a distinct look, whether it”s natural beauty, full octane glamour or a love of beauty trend-hopping.
“While the majority of ladies in the list are natural beauties, we also see the TOWIE effect with Amy Childs appearing on the list for the first time with her Essex tan, hair extensions, and false nails.”
The study also found Cheryl managed to nudge her replacement on the UK X Factor, judge Tulisa Contostavlos, down into sixth place.
Pop princess Rihanna and This Morning television presenter Holly Willoughby completed the top five beauty icons of 2011.
TOP 20 BEAUTY ICONS OF 2011
1. Kate Middleton
2. Pippa Middleton
3. Cheryl Cole
4. Rihanna
5. Holly Willoughby
6. Tulisa Contostavlos
7. Beyonce
8. Emma Watson
9. Katy Perry
10. Victoria Beckham
11. Kelly Rowland
12. Lady Gaga
13. Amy Childs
14. Katherine Jenkins
15. Nicole Scherzinger
16. Adele
17. Pixie Lott
18. Angelina Jolie
19. Keira Knightley
20. Scarlett Johannson
Seventh in the list is mother-to-be Beyonce who appears on the list for the first time, while Harry Potter”s Emma Watson appears at number eight on the list.
With her pixie haircut, the young actress is the only woman in the top ten with short hair.
American singer and Mrs Russell Brand Katy Perry takes the number nine spot, cited for her quirky style, while mother-of-four and fashion icon Victoria Beckham completes the top ten.
New entries for 2011 include singers Lady Gaga at 12, Katherine Jenkins at 14 and Vogue cover girl Adele at 16.
Some who appeared in last year”s list failed to appear this year, with Kylie Minogue, Fearne Cotton, Leona Lewis, Michelle Obama and Gemma Arterton all falling out of the top 20.
Sara Wolverson added: “As always our Beauty Icons survey gives a snapshot of the changing face of British beauty.
“A key change for us is the continued rise of the brunette with three quarters of the top 20 sporting brown hair.
“We can see directly how changing celebrity trends affect our sales, from the “Duchess effect” on sales of black eyeliner, to the “Gaga effect” causing crazy nail art and our brightest cosmetics being a huge hit all year long, and Rihanna and Cheryl Cole”s flirtation with vibrant red hair causing sales to rocket.”

Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves: Inside Their Relationship


Camila Alves and Matthew McConaughey
Four years ago, Matthew McConaughey”s relationship with Brazilian model Camila Alves was revealed to us in a 2007 cover story.
“She likes roughing it,” a source said at the time. “She doesn”t complain when they go hiking for 10 days without clean clothes or a shower.”
On Christmas Day, McConaughey”s longtime love – and mother of his two children, Levi, 3, and Vida, who turns 2 in January – became his fiancé.
“just asked camila to marry me,” the actor, 42, wrote on his WhoSay account. “merry Christmas.”
Their road to engagement took nearly five years – the couple met in 2006 – but now that the question has been popped, us takes a look at their show-stopping, not to mention sexy, romance.
“The Right Woman” When he was crowned us”s Sexiest Man Alive in 2005, McConaughey said he”d get married one day – when “I”m with the right woman and it”s the right time.”
A year later, he was facing engagement rumors.
“Everyone is convinced he”ll be with her for a long time, if not forever,” a source close to the actor told us in October 2007 about the actor”s relationship with the down-to-earth beauty, now 29.
A month before, they had moved into a $1.1 million modular home in Malibu. They already had mystery matching rings.
The couple continued to step out together. “They were laughing the entire time,” said an onlooker who glimpsed McConaughey and Alves at a Japanese restaurant in November 2007. “What a great couple.”
Baby on the WayTheir relationship quickly went from sexy to serious: In early 2008, McConaughey told his fans that he was starting a family with Alves.
That summer, they welcomed their first son, Levi.
“He”s a man – he”s my man – and we”re a family,” Alves gushed months later. “He”s the best dad he can be – 100 percent hands-on.” McConaughey called his leading lady “the love of my life.”
However, marriage wasn”t on McConaughey”s mind. “It”s just not something I plan on doing right now, and that I feel like I need to do right now,” he told reporters in April 2009 while promoting his romantic comedy, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. “It”s not an institution I”m against at all. I”m actually for it, believe in it and have seen it actually be very, very healthy for many relationships.”
Kissing and TellingThe couple rung in the New Year with a new baby in 2010: daughter Vida.
And with an acting career and a family life to balance, the actor was taking his romance with Alves to new heights.
“We went up to 3,000 feet and I had on hiking shoes and I was all set up and ready to go,” he said in February 2011 about a trip with his ladylove to French Polynesia. “[Alves] was wearing Havaianas sandals and a white skirt. I came down to the bottom of that hill afterward and had blood on me, [all] muddy and that girl didn”t have a speck of dust on her.”
The bachelor-turned-family man told us in March 2011 that he was learning Portuguese, Alves”s native language that she grew up speaking in Brazil.
And perhaps his favorite word in Portuguese sheds some light on the romance between him and his now-fiancé. “Beijos,” is his favorite expression, he said, which translates to “kisses” in English.

Sue Carroll dies aged 58 after battle with cancer

Opinionated, honest and one helluva woman: Tributes pour in for Daily Mirror columnist Sue Carroll as she dies aged 58 after battle with cancer
Tributes poured in today for Daily Mirror columnist Sue Carroll as she lost her 18 month battle with cancer at the age of 58 on Christmas night.
The glamorous, feisty Fleet Street legend passed away peacefully in her sleep at her London home at around 11pm on Christmas Day.
She had fought a long battle with pancreatic cancer after being diagnosed with two tumours in July, 2010. It was the same illness that had killed her father.
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“Heart and soul of the paper”: Daily Mirror of columnist Sue Carroll has died at the age of 58 after an 18-month battle with cancer
In a brave and candid column earlier this year, the writer revealed how an operation had failed to remove the twosmall tumours after it was discovered they were blocked by a major artery.
Carroll, who was born in Newcastle, moved to London in the 1970s where she began her career in tabloid journalism.
She joined the News of the World in 1979 before moving to The Sun as a writer.
Her working class upbringing and no nonsense attitude made her a hit with the readers: Carroll had a real knack for empathising with the reader and speaking their language, her admirers said.
Sue Carroll was a regular on the Alan Titchmarsh show - and made an appearance in April this year after learning her tumours were inoperable
Outspoken: Sue Carroll was a regular on the Alan Titchmarsh show – and made an appearance in April this year after learning her tumours were inoperable
She rose quickly through the ranks at the red top, becoming Sun Woman editor and features editor, where she introduced the You The Jury column which gave readers the opportunity to have their say on current issues.
MIRROR COLUMNIST OPENS HER HEART OVER PANCREATIC TUMOUR
Nine months ago, Carroll described how she came to terms with her illness in an article in the Daily Mirror.
Shedescribed how stomach pains experienced while on holiday in California in summer last year led to seeing her GP on returning to the UK and being told the tragic news of her condition.
Shewrote: “How long had this b*****d alien thing been attacking my pancreas – a part of my anatomy I barely knew existed until a surgeon helpfully drew a graphic map of where, at this early and highly optimistic stage, he planned to remove the two small cancerous tumours”
“Ihave a sturdy, supportive bunch of friends who weren’t afraid of tackling the issue head on.
Nor were they surprised when in answer to the question, “How do you feel” I replied: “P****d off.” Of course, thewords “Why me” flitted through my mind. But seriously, since one in three people are diagnosed with cancer every year, it’s been more a caseof “Why NOT me”
“Ask the families who have lost sons and daughters in bomb blasts on a dusty Afghanistan road how bloody fair life is, or those who found their lovedones cruelly and instantaneously snatched from them in the latest earthquake or tsunami. A bit of time and hope seems a luxury by comparison.”
In the articleshe credited the friends she called TeamSue and family with helping herfight the disease involving chemotherapy that caused a stroke and resulted in time spent in intensive care.
“Withoutthem and my good, strong Geordie family I’d have fallen at the first hurdle and I almost certainly would not be writing this today.”
In 1998, Carroll joined the Mirror, where she wrote a weekly column for 13 years, as well as writing major features and interviews.
The popular columnist also made regular appearances on national radio and TV, expressing forthright views on issues from feckless parents to political correctness.
She was a ferociously outspoken features editor who observers said instinctively knew what the readers wanted to hear.
Early into her long stint at the Mirror, she famously lambasted a reporter for using the term petit pois in a story, yelling “Mirror readers don”t eat petit pois. They eat f—ing peas!”
But for all her feistiness, Carroll was known as a warm-hearted person.
Her friend, the comedian Paul O”Grady, described her as compassionate and sensitive, but one tough cookie – an iron fist in a velvet glove.
Mirror editor Richard Wallace called her “part of the heart and soul” of the newspaper.
Mr Wallace said: “Although we knew this moment would come, it is still a great shock.
“Sue had faced her long and painful illness with enviable fortitude.
“Untilthe final few days she was still doing what she loved the most: readingthe papers and giving her inimitable thoughts on the world around us – with, of course, the odd no-nonsense rant thrown in.
“Sue was part of the heart and soul of the Daily Mirror – and had a direct line to our readers.
“But she was also very close to some of us personally. So first and foremost we grieve a great friend.”
Carrollwrote about her illness in a poignant piece for the Daily Mirror in March of this year, where she told how she was determined not to “whinge”, despite suffering a stroke after having chemotherapy treatment.
She described then how weak she had felt, but how the support and strength of her friends and the staff at London”s Royal Marsden specialist cancer hospital had buoyed her spirits.
“But I”m not hanging out the bunting,” Carroll added.
“This bugger is far from beaten but at least it”s behaving itself … I”ll keep you informed in my column again soon. Watch this space.”
Sadly, it was to be Carroll”s final column.
Today tributes continued to flood in from friends, colleagues and celebrities who had worked with the Carrollthroughout her career.
TRIBUTES TO A FLEET STREET LEGEND
Sue Carroll
Julian Clary: “RIP Sue Carroll. Sue was a warm, northern woman whose humour, courage, sympathy and insight provided wonderful journalism.
John Prescott: “So sad to hear of Sue Carroll”s death. She was a courageous journalist who found stories by talking to people.”
Arlene Phillips: “She showed such kindness to me. My sadness is overwhelming. Sue Carroll, may you rest in peace.”
Richard Madeley: “RIP Sue Carroll. A journalist of the old school – fearless, fair and funny. Loved her.”
Piers Morgan:”RIP Sue Carroll – Fleet Street legend, and wonderfully loyal, warm, funny, passionate friend and colleague. I”ve known few journalists who had such a natural affinity with the readers as Sue Carroll. She shared their hopes, fears, dreams and concerns. She did so with warmth, intelligence, wit and a heart of gold. She fought her illness in the same valiant, courageous and humorous way she fought the normal travailsof life. And the battle was notable for the complete lack of self-pity.”
Barry McGuigan: “Very sad to hear of the passing of my fellow Mirror columnist, Sue Carroll, who died today. Deepest sympathies to her family.”
Sir Bruce Forsyth: Sue was my favourite Press lady, a lady of honour and her word was her bond. I will miss her.”
Barbara Windsor: Sue was not only one of the best journalists in the country, but she hadalso become a friend to both me and my husband. We shall miss Sue, and journalism is an emptier place without her. And on top of that, she was agreat bird. I will always remember the great times we spent at The Pride of Britain Awards, where we always shared a table.”
Dame Ann Leslie:”She was always bouncy, funny and one felt pleasure at seeing her. She was very outspoken and, being a Geordie, had that slightly earthy sense of humour.”
Many had been touched by her honest, straight-talking approach, and admired her honesty and work ethic.
Labour leader Ed Miliband said: “She spoke the truth to the powerful and punctured the vanity of celebrity: She did it always with courage and common sense.
“In her columns for the Mirror she was the voice of thousands of women. /12/27/article-2078712-0F46DD3A00000578-208_468x652.jpg” width=”468″ height=”652″ alt=”Iron fist in a velvet glove: She was compassionate and warm, but she was a real tough cookie with a razor-sharp wit, friends said today” class=”blkBorder” />
Iron fist in a velvet glove: She was compassionate and warm, but she was a real tough cookie with a razor-sharp wit, friends said today
Comedian and chat show host Paul O”Grady was firm friends with Carroll and in a heartfelt column for today”s Mirror called her “one classy lady.”
“She always told it like it was and never lied,” he said. “And if you were fortunate enough to be interviewed by her then you were always safe in the knowledge that she would never stitch you up. The Lady, unlike some of her contemporaries, was never a bitch.
“On New Year”s Eve I will be toasting a very special lady who I was privileged to have been able to call a friend.
“Rest in Peace, Sue, I”m going to miss you.”
A SELECTION OF SUE CARROLL”S PITHY OBSERVATIONS FROM THE MIRROR”S “REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL” SPOT
- Quarrelling is good for your health, whether it’s a small niggle or a full-blown shouting match – little wonder Jeremy Paxman seems in such fine fettle.
- In order to tell whether a wasp will sting you it’s necessary to look at its face close up. You try first and I’ll watch from a distance.
- Lady Gaga has been accused of not returning four pairs of knickers loaned to her by lingerie store Rigby & Peller. Sorry, but pants “as worn by Lady Gaga” doesn’t quite do it for me.
- Supermodel Agy Deyn eats fish and chips, has kept her Lancashire accent and doesn’t mind showing the world her spots or posing on a beach in a naff bikini. She hasn’t joined any weird cults, released a single or created her own fashion label. What’s wrong with her
- A university professor in Warsaw has been caught offering all his female students 70 for sex. Is this a man’s idea of equality
- New research claims wine keeps you thin, a revelation guaranteed to make the health police deeply unhappy. PS: According to my own research, it helps if you imbibe so much you totally forget to eat anything.
- A new type of garlic which doesn’t result in warthog breath is to be sold at 5.49 for two bulbs. Alternatively, you could always spend 70p on a packet of mints.
- For revealing she went out with one of the Miss Great Britain judges, winner Danielle Lloyd has been ordered to hand back her title. Why the fuss I always assumed bonking a judge (or two) was one of the prerequisites of entering a beauty contest. Another is remembering not to tell anyone.
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