Rumours emerged yesterday that Cheryl Cole is planning to remove her infamous ‘Mrs C’ neck tattoo. Although the Girls Aloud star has been on and off with Ashley Cole for several years now, her ‘Mrs C’ tattoo has remained throughout.

Love rat Ashley has been in and out of Cheryl’s life for the past couple of years, since he cheated on her with numerous women. Cheryl took Ashley back on many different occasions to try and make their marriage work. Unfortunately Ashley lived up to his bad boy reputation by cheating on Cheryl again and again.

But is this the final straw for Cheryl? Having this tattoo removed could be her last step to moving on from Ashley.

Even though the couple are divorced, Cheryl initially kept the tattoo claiming she is not ashamed of it and doesn’t regret it. Recent reports have said that she hoped to give Ashley another chance, as they are still very close and speak nearly every day. So whether or not she is ready to let go is still to be seen.

Cheryl’s friends, family and fans question why she keeps going back to Ashley, despite his antics. With news that she plans to remove her tattoo could bring them hope that she is ready to move on. How she plans to go about it is yet to be confirmed, it could either be laser removal or an added ink design.

As not much has been reported from camp Cheryl in recent months, is this revelation another media frenzy to get her back in the papers or is Cheryl actually ready to move on with her life. Is the removal of her tattoo a New Year’s resolution and a new Cheryl?

With new projects on the horizon, plans of Girl’s Aloud performing working together again and performing at the Olympics and yesterday’s launch of L’Oreal’s new Cheryl Cole advertising campaign for their new mascara. Maybe 2012 is the year we see a new Cheryl, rid of Ashley and moving on to bigger and better things.

Posted: January 24th, 2012 under Cheryl Cole.
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Sad news hit the music world this weekend as the beloved soul, blues and jazz singer, Etta James, passed away at the age of 73.

Etta James had unfortunately lost her battle with Leukaemia which she had been fighting for nearly a year - after only having been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2008 and contracting MRSA in 2010. In December 2011 her doctors confirmed that her cancer was terminal.

Famous for her distinctive singing voice and hit singles such as, ‘At Last’, ‘Tell Mama’ and ‘I Just Want to Make Love to You’, her career spanned over 60 years.

Etta’s achievements include being placed on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Blues Hall of Fame and the Grammy Hall of Fame. Throughout her career she won four Grammy awards, including a lifetime achievement award and was nominated for twelve.

Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in LA, California in 1938, where she began singing at her local church at the age of five. In 1950 she moved to San Francisco with her mother where she formed a girl group. She then met Johnny Otis, who then managed the group, then called the ‘Creolettes’, which he changed to ‘Peaches’. Johnny Otis gave her the stage name of Etta James by reversing her real name; she then eventually left the girl group to go solo.

Etta had an incredible life, but along with her successes she had many low points including substance abuse and having to go to rehab, a psychiatric hospital and jail. She also had a constant battle with her weight, being 27 stone at her heaviest therefore having to perform on stage in a wheel chair on many occasions.

Even with her deteriorating health Etta James still performed up until 2010 and her final TV performance was in 2009. She released her final album in 2011 ‘The Dreamers’.

Etta James died in Riverside, California, on Friday January 20, 2012, with her husband and two sons by her side.

Posted: January 23rd, 2012 under Etta James.
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Many Sex and the City fans were left on tenterhooks last year with whether rumours of a third movie were true. With speculation that a prequel was in the pipeline back in 2011, it has now been confirmed that there will not be a prequel film, but a TV series pilot has been given the green light.

Rumours were flying as to who would play who for the prequel film. Names such as Blake Lively, Emma Roberts, Selena Gomez and Elizabeth Olsen were on the list for the four main Sex and the City characters. Now, as it will be a TV series, the roles of Carrie and Samantha are up for grabs. Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively and Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus have both been rumoured for the role of Carrie Bradshaw whilst Emma Roberts and Chloe Moretz have been speculated for the role of the infamous Samantha Jones. It has been said that the characters of Charlotte and Miranda will not feature in the series.

The series will be based on the book series ‘The Carrie Diaries’ by Candace Bushnell, they are the prequel books to Sex and the City.  The Carrie Diaries focus on Carrie’s teenage years in high school and her move to New York in the 1980’s.

The Sex and the City original writer and producer, Michael Patrick King has said he will not play any part in this series, as he felt going back in time to a ‘less evolved Carrie’ is something he could never imagine doing. But writer Amy Harris, who was a writer on the original show and Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage who have all worked on the Gossip Girl series have reportedly been asked to executive produce The Carrie Diaries.

The Sex and the City TV show was run by American network HBO but The Carrie Diaries has been taken on by US TV network the CW, who also run the TV series Gossip Girl. The CW has ordered a pilot for a weekly series.

Posted: January 20th, 2012 under Blake Lively, Chloe Moretz, Emma Roberts, Miley Cyrus, Sex and the City.
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Known for being controversial, Madonna has now caused another stir with her new album title ‘MDNA’.

MDNA, similar to the name for an ingredient in the drug Ecstasy, MDMA, she claims it is because ‘she is really into initials’ as it is a shortened version of her name.

Madonna revealed the name of the album on the Graham Norton Show last Friday, but as it was a pre-recorded show, it was leaked on Twitter a few days before. MDNA was then trending on Twitter with questions surrounding whether it was a joke or if this shocking title was just a rumour. The show aired on the Friday where Madonna confirmed her plans for her upcoming album.

Anti-drugs campaigners have spoken out about their disapproval towards the Queen of Pop’s choice of album title. It has been quoted that they feel Madonna was ‘ill-advised’ but whether she was or not, the album title along with much of her previous work has created a controversial buzz. Drawing attention to Madonna, her either ‘ill-advised’ album name or planned name to get people talking is reflective of other choices over the years. From raunchy outfits and provocative dance moves to dating men half her age, Madonna has spent her career making shocking decisions but she does not seem to want to stop and still causing a flurry of media, and now social media  attention.

Madonna was on the Graham Norton show to promote her new film W.E. The film focuses on the relationship between Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII.  She wanted to work on this project as she was interested in the story that made headlines in the 1930’s. Determined to find out what drove the pair to make extreme sacrifices for love, she stated on the show that she found letters, documentaries and other historical documents to make the film as authentic as possible. She said the film lead her some interesting findings that are expressed in the film.  Some have speculated that there are parallels between Wallis and Madonna, as both are Americans who moved to England, but she denies that there were any links that encouraged her to focus on this film.

Madonna has spent the last three years working on this project and has now decided to go back to music. She will be touring later this year and her album is due for release on March 12, 2012.

Posted: January 17th, 2012 under Madonna, Uncategorized.
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Global superstar Beyonce Knowles has given birth to a baby girl. The Crazy in Love singer and her husband, rapper Jay-Z, aka Shawn Carter, have named their daughter Blue Ivy Carter - she was born on Saturday 7 January, 2012.

With speculation that Beyonce had given birth over the New Year weekend – Twitter rumours exploded that she had given birth to a girl and named her ‘Tiana- May’.  With no confirmation to support the claims meant that the media and the couple’s fans were left on tenterhooks for over a week until they finally revealed on Sunday that Beyonce had given birth on Saturday night.

Typically celebrity, the couple have given their daughter an unusual name. Blue Ivy has sentimental value for the couple as Ivy is based on the couple’s love of the number 4. With Beyonce’s birthday on the 4^th of September, Jay-Z’s  the 4^th of December, the couple married on the 4^th of April and finally with Beyonce’s most recent album called ‘4’, the couple decided to use the roman numeral IV (which they both have tattooed to their wedding fingers) to incorporate into the middle name Ivy. The name Blue is rumoured to be from Jay-Z’s collection of Blueprint albums.

With the most powerful couple in the music industry as parents, it is no doubt that Blue Ivy will be a superstar baby. She has already trended on Twitter and been tweeted about by celebrity friends of Beyonce and Jay-Z, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Beyonce’s sister Solange Knowles, both highlighting how loved she is going to be.

It has been reported that despite the birth of her first child Beyonce will continue to work hard and do the work that she loves. Beyonce’s hard working attitude has always been reflected in her music and any project she is involved in, so it is no surprise that she doesn’t want to stop working or slow down any time soon.

Beyonce and Jay-Z are the first celebrities to have a child in 2012, but they may not be the only big names to become first time parents this year. Speculation has surrounded Sienna Miller and boyfriend Tom Sturridge, with claims that the she is pregnant and rumours of an engagement. It is yet to be confirmed but it may be that Beyonce won’t be the only first time mum in celebville this year.

Posted: January 10th, 2012 under Beyonce, Jay-Z, Uncategorized.
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Russell Brand has filed for divorce from his pop star wife Katy Perry. The couple are to split after spending the festive season 7000 miles apart. Katy spent the Christmas surfing in Hawaii whilst Russell was in Cornwall.  

The couple have been married for 14 months. Katy and Russell married in 2010 in a lavish wedding ceremony in India. As Russell did not want to sign a pre-nuptial agreement, he could be entitled half of Katy’s $40million fortune. Due to Californian law Russell and Katy would have to split their assets between them equally when the divorce is final.

Rumours surrounding the reason for the split include Russell’s desire for children and Katy not wanting to settle down to be a mother any time soon. Also that Russell is sick of Katy’s constant partying. The statement Russell issued stated that the reason for the split was ‘irreconcilable differences’ – Katy has not yet made a statement about the divorce.

With constant scrutiny throughout their relationship Russell and Katy have always appeared happy – despite rumours of troubles and potential break-ups, they always put on a strong front when in front of the media. They have even been quoted in recent interviews, including Russell on the Ellen DeGeneres show in early December that they were happy and remain strong.

Another rumour surrounding the couple is that Katy was not prepared to divorce Russell, and waiting for him to divorce her as it would go against her religious beliefs. Katy is from an Evangelical Christian family, her father is a pastor. Despite Russell’s rock and roll past, Katy’s family have always supported their relationship, being quoted that ‘everyone has a past’ when speaking of Russell’s previous life style.

The couple have been plagued by rumours since the beginning. They met at the VMA’s in September 2008 but Katy was with ex-boyfriend, Gym Class Heroes, Travie McCoy. A year later they reunited at the VMA’s, both Katy and Russell were single and they started seeing each other from then on. Celebrity writers have continuously doubted that the relationship would last from the off, as they went into it quite fast, with Russell proposing to Katy just 4 months into the relationship.

Posted: January 3rd, 2012 under Katy Perry.
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As 2011 drawers to a close, notable celebrity couples will look back at this year with happiness or in Demi Moore’s case sadness, as 2011 saw the end to her marriage with Ashton Kutcher.

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore’s marriage broke down earlier this year when Ashton was accused of cheating on her but the couple claim the divorce was due to marital problems that could not be resolved.

The 6 year marriage ended in November this year and fears for Demi’s health have been rife ever since - with pictures of her looking gaunt spread across magazines. Whereas rumours surrounding Ashton focus on him being  linked to other women, including his co-star of his current film ‘New Years Eve’, Lea Michele.

Demi returned to her beloved Twitter in mid December after the split, where her name remains ‘mrskutcher’, recently tweeting: ‘changing my twitter name isn’t a top priority right now. sorry it bothers so many of u. should I not tweet until I do? does it really matter?’. Showing she is focussing on moving on from Ashton, but taking her time. Clearly Twitter, despite what some may think, isn’t on top of her agenda in this process.

Ashton, although has only been accused of allegedly cheating on Demi, he is one of many notable celebrity love rats that were revealed this year - others include Ryan Giggs and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Demi has always put on a strong front throughout their relationship, despite many doubting the couple due to their age difference. Regardless of sceptics Ashton and Demi always seemed extremely happy, using the medium of Twitter to highlight this continuously throughout their relationship. Therefore it is a sad to see this unexpected couple split and hopefully Demi will get through this rough time as painlessly as possible and remain strong as she always has.

Other celebrity couples to split this year include, Macaulay Culkin and Mila Kunis, Bradley Cooper and Renée Zellweger, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony and Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries.

Posted: December 30th, 2011 under Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore.
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As Kate prepares for her first Christmas as the Duchess of Cambridge, there has been a media buzz surrounding the future queen and what she will be wearing on the day. Rumours of 5 outfit changes at Sandringham - 3 meals, a morning church service and evening drinks to dress for - Kate is under pressure to impress on Sunday.

Kate has had a flurry of media attention over the past month, with the lead up to Christmas, rumours of pregnancy and many public appearances including Gary Barlow’s charity event earlier this month and the Military Awards, a ‘Night of Heroes’ this week. Kate remained elegant and glamorous as always. With confirmation that she is not pregnant, Kate has continuously dressed to impress at all her recent public appearances.

At the Military Awards, on Monday 19, December, Kate wore a stunning Alexander McQueen gown, the same designer as her infamous wedding dress from earlier this year. As Kate and Prince William arrived at the awards, they were undoubtedly the most prominent couple at the event; they were also accompanied by Prince Harry. In addition Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge presented an award for the Most Outstanding Soldier, which went to Ryan McCready.

2011 has been a rollercoaster of a year for Kate, with the wedding, her royal visit to North America, numerous public appearances and easing herself into day-to-day royal life - the Duchess of Cambridge has remained elegant and stylish throughout with each outfit choice. Similarly her sister Pippa Middleton has had a crazy year, since making front page news with her choice of dress at Kate’s wedding - she has had a frenzy of media attention, continuously being compared to Kate and being linked to many eligible bachelors including Prince Harry.

If Kate can survive her first year in the spotlight and remain flawless throughout she will definitely live up to expectations at her first Christmas as a Duchess and will be as glamorous as ever in her 5 outfit changes.

Posted: December 23rd, 2011 under Kate Middleton.
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It has been a series of ups and downs on X Factor this year. With the new panel of judges, the controversy surrounding Frankie Cocozza and the return of contestant Amelia Lily - the show is now down to the final three.

With the news that Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole and Danni Minogue would not be returning for this series there were doubts that the new panel of judges could live up to the success of previous years. With the media out to get them, nothing could have prepared Gary Barlow, Tulisa Contostavlos, Kelly Rowland and Louis Walsh for this season. With rumours of fallouts over the competition, this year’s X Factor has been on par, if not exceeded previous years’ drama.

Now down to the final three, Amelia Lily, Little Mix and Marcus Collins will be fighting it out to be crowned the 2011 winner this weekend. Although fourth place contestant Misha B had been in the bottom two on several occasions, critique from the judges was consistent; with a few negative pointers she always gave a strong performance. Her exit was made more shocking as it was down to the public and she was beat to the post by the ‘comeback queen’ Amelia Lily.

Amelia Lily returned to the show after being booted out in the first week. She returned when Frankie Cocozza left the show for breaking the rules. Many have criticised that she does not deserve a place in the final three as she had an advantage of gigging whilst away from the show and that the other contestants had fought for their place every week. Regardless of this criticism, Amelia Lily has pulled off excellent performances with the public voting for her over more favoured acts including Misha B and Craig Colton.

This year is a first in X Factor history where a girl group are in the final. Little Mix have had their own ups and downs this season, with online bullying and having to change their name. They have given strong performances throughout the competition and are currently favoured to win.

No matter who is favoured, as each act bringing unique strengths to the show, this weekend’s live final from Wembley will undoubtedly be a close call and an entertaining end to a remarkable year on the X Factor.

Posted: December 6th, 2011 under X Factor 2011.
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The upcoming film, The Iron Lady is based on the life of Margaret Thatcher – her ascension into power, her reign as Prime Minister and ultimately her downfall in the early nineties.

This iconic film role would have been perfect for a notable British actress who could depict the stoic figure of Thatcher. You’d be forgiven to think they’d found that actress when watching the recently released trailer for the film. The wonderful American actress Meryl Streep was chosen for the leading role, and from the release of the trailer she has Thatcher down to a t.

Meryl Streep is familiar with playing strong women. Streep took on the role of Miranda Priestly in the 2006 film, The Devil Wears Prada - the character rumoured to be based on the infamous US Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. Similar to The Devil Wears Prada, Streep has dived into her character effortlessly with Thatcher’s accent and mannerisms faultless.

Streep’s career spans 5 decades with her first on screen role in the 1977 film Julia. Streep never fails to put on a perfect performance and she is well known for adapting to a role and accent with ease.

Film roles Streep has taken on in her great career highlight her versatility to play different types of people, her ability to take on real life characters and capability to adapt her accent where necessary. Examples of her great range of performances include the 2008 film adaptation of the musical Mamma Mia, her award winning performance as a Polish holocaust survivor in Sophie’s Choice, her portrayal of American chef, Julia Child in the 2009 film Julie and Julia, and now taking on the mighty challenge of Margaret Thatcher.

Streep has been highly recognised at many award ceremonies, currently holding the record for most nominated actor ever at the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. Streep won Best Actress at the Academy Awards in 1982 for her performance in Sophie’s Choice and Best Supporting Actress for her role as Joanna Kramer in the 1979 film Kramer vs. Kramer. It has already been speculated that she will be a runner for many awards in the next awards season for her performance in The Iron Lady.

The buzz around Streep’s performance has already begun, but the film is not due for release until January 6, 2012.

Posted: November 25th, 2011 under Meryl Streep.
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