People celebrate New Year's Day on an ice rink in the Red Square in Moscow January 1, 2010.

People celebrate New Year's Day on an ice rink in Red Square in Moscow January 1, 2010.


Video: Celebrate New Year's Day, click here...


Russians celebrate New Year's on Red Square in Moscow, with the St. Basil's cathedral in background, Friday, Jan. 1, 2010. Tens of thousands of people gathered on the Square to celebrate the new year, and view the fireworks as the clock on the Kremlin's Spassky Tower struck midnight.



Russians celebrate the New Year on Red Square in Moscow, with the Kremlin in the background, right, and St. Basil's cathedral in background, left, Friday, Jan. 1, 2010. Tens of thousands of people gathered on the Square to celebrate the new year, and view the fireworks as the clock on the Kremlin's Spassky Tower, right, struck midnight.



Russians celebrate the New Year on Red Square in Moscow, with the Kremlin in the background, right, and St. Basil's cathedral in background, left, Friday, Jan. 1, 2010. Tens of thousands of people gathered on the Square to celebrate the new year, and view the fireworks as the clock on the Kremlin's Spassky Tower, right, struck midnight.



Russians celebrate the New Year on Red Square in Moscow, with the Kremlin in the background, right, and St. Basil's cathedral in background, left, Friday, Jan. 1, 2010. Tens of thousands of people gathered on the Square to celebrate the new year, and view the fireworks as the clock on the Kremlin's Spassky Tower, right, struck midnight.



Russians celebrate the New Year on Red Square in Moscow, with the Kremlin in the background, right, and St. Basil's cathedral in background left, Friday, Jan. 1, 2010. Tens of thousands of people gathered on the Square to celebrate the new year, and view the fireworks as the clock on the Kremlin's Spassky Tower, right, struck midnight.



Russians pose for a picture on an ice rink during New Year's Day celebrations in the Red Square in Moscow January 1, 2010.


People celebrate New Year's Day on an ice rink in Red Square in Moscow January 1, 2010.


People celebrate New Year's Day on an ice rink in Red Square in Moscow January 1, 2010.



People celebrate New Year's Day on an ice rink in Red Square in Moscow January 1, 2010.



People celebrate New Year's Day on an ice rink in the Red Square in Moscow January 1, 2010.


photo: Reuters

Countdown's Rachel Riley is single after splitting with boyfriend of four years

By Ben Todd

She is renowned for her mathematical skills.

However Countdown presenter Rachel Riley has been forced to accept life as a single figure - after admitting her long-term relationship with a fellow Oxford University graduate no longer added up.

Miss Riley – who famously replaced Carol Vorderman on the Channel 4 tea-time show 12 months ago – split with wealthy Jamie Gilbert two months ago.

Grammar schoolgirl Miss Riley, 23, and Mr Gilbert, 27, had been dating for four-and-a-half years after meeting when she was first at university.

She claimed the break-up with the man she once labelled her ‘rock’ had been amicable and they remain close friends.

But the decision to end the relationship came just weeks after the couple had enjoyed a romantic holiday together in Borneo.

Miss Riley, 23, said: ‘I split up with Jamie a couple of months ago. I am single now. We just became friends. It wasn’t the pressure of work. It was just a mutual thing.

She continued: ‘I was with Jamie for four-and-a-half years, it was a long time and we are still really good friends. I still see him and my other friends.’

But she confessed: ‘It has been a long time since I have been single. I am so busy. I don’t have time to do anything else.’

Miss Riley and Mr Gilbert – who has an IQ of 173 - started dating when she first went to Oriel College where she, naturally, studied Mathematics while his degree was in the Classics.

But while Miss Riley – who went to Southend High School for Girls - carried on living with her parents in a modest residential road in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, after starting her £100,000-a-year job on Countdown, Mr Gilbert has always enjoyed a far more luxurious lifestyle.

The Gilberts have amassed a huge fortune from their business and sold their former Surrey home to Chelsea and England footballer Ashley Cole and his pop star wife Cheryl for £3.55 million in 2007.

Mr Gilbert now lives with his family on a sprawling East Sussex estate, which they bought for £1.25 million.

At Oxford, Mr Gilbert – who went to Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey - was known for his love of expensive cars, even driving a Lamborghini to seminars.

He now works for his father David’s high-end computer company, Powerdesk, in central London.

Speaking of their relationship last year, Miss Riley said: ‘We have been together for four years, after meeting at Oxford. He did Classics. He is my rock, but I'd better not say anything else about him, otherwise he will get embarrassed.’


Happier times: Rachel out shopping with Jamie Gilbert in February. They split in the autumn
It also appears the curse of the female Countdown boffin has struck again.

Predecessor Miss Vorderman went through two break-ups during her time on the long-running show.

In 1985, she married Chris Mather, a Royal Navy officer and former Rugby League international. But their marriage lasted just 12 months.

Miss Vorderman’s then married management consultant Patrick King in 1990. Together they had two children – Katie and Cameron – but separated in 2000.

It is a year since Miss Riley – along with host Jeff Stelling - started on Countdown.

She was preparing to take a job as an analyst when she saw the Countdown role advertised — and beat off 1,000 other applicants to replace Miss Vorderman, who left the show series after being told her £800,000 salary would be slashed by 90 per cent.

Miss Riley, though, did not worry about filling such famous shoes.

She said: ‘I just had to be myself. There was no point in trying to pretend to be someone else.’

And even though viewing figures have fallen, Miss Riley has won over many male fans of the show, particularly with her short dresses and when she cheekily came up with the eight-letter word 'horniest'.


source: dailymail

Video: Lil Wayne Throwing Bittersweet Farewell Concert

During the Monday concert, Lil Wayne got support from his Young Money crew, Mack Maine, Jae Millz and Gudda Gudda.


Video: Lil Wayne Throwing Bittersweet Farewell Concert,click here..


Before being sentenced to prison on February 9 [2010], Lil Wayne kicked off a farewell concert in his hometown Monday, December 28. "I'm nothing without you," the rap mogul shouted to the crowd.

Weezey opened the gig with her hit single "A Milli" which earned him a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance at 2008 Grammy Awards. He then rolled out several other smash hits from his previous releases.

In one of the live sets, Weezy brought in his crew from Young Money, singing "Every Girl". Those who joined him included Mack Maine, Jae Millz and Gudda Gudda. Weezy covered up the verses performed by Drake which didn't take part at the concert.

Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, pleaded guilty in October to a weapons possession charge. The charge was stemmed from a 2007 traffic stop of his tour bus in New York when authorities said they smelled marijuana, and as they approached, he tossed aside a bag with a loaded .40-caliber handgun.


source: aceshowbiz

Gosh, Posh, is this you in 2020? How our favourite celebrities might look in ten years' time

Victoria’s reign: How Posh might look with another decade etched on her face


What a difference a decade makes. This is how some of our most familiar faces could look ten years from now.

There's a sprinkling of grey hair, a smattering of wrinkles and a definite downward trend in jowls.

But then, another ten years of parties, movie premieres, family life and fame have to make a mark.

Victoria Beckham, for instance, looks far more careworn at 45 than she does now – but then three teenage sons is enough to turn any mother's hair grey. (Victoria, however, remains a glossy brunette).

Husband David, whose looks are as lucrative as his football, seems more Golden Oldie than Golden Balls at the grand old age of 44.

And Madonna at 60 plus looks more like a Material Grandmother than Material Girl.

The faces are the work of Washington-based forensic artist Joe Mullins.


David Beckham: The footballer seems more Golden Oldie than Golden Balls


Madonna: At 60 she could be more of a Material Grandmother than Material Girl


He looked into the future by taking recent photographs of the stars and adjusting them to look ten years older.

He took into account each of the stars' lifestyles to predict how they might look in 2020.

He suggests that being a mother to a big family could have taken its toll on Angelina Jolie by the time she is 44.

Her partner Brad Pitt appears as a still suave silver-haired 56-year-old


Mum’s the word: Having a big family could have taken its toll on Angelina Jolie


Silver fox: Brad Pitt will still look suave as a 56-year-old


Paris Hilton at 38 appears to be paying the price for years of late nights out on the town.

But Britney Spears fares a little better. Getting her life back on track after her spectacular fall from grace last year leaves her with only a few laughter lines at 38.

'This is what the celebrities would probably look like if they didn't take care of themselves. I've given them ten hard years,' Mr Mullins said. 'Perhaps they can hang these pictures on the bathroom mirror as motivation to live healthy


Bad heir day: Paris Hilton appears to be paying the price for years of late nights


Still smiling: The years are kind to Britney Spears with only a few lines at 38


source: dailymail

Welcome to hell: Celebrity Big Brother house is unveiled... and it looks like a tacky private members' club

By Richard Simpson

Bling Big Brother: The house is full of red carpets, ornate chairs, two-way mirrors, faux fur rugs and throws and diamante embellishments and is supposed to represent Dante's Inferno

We are promised this is the last time we will ever have to endure Celebrity Big Brother.

So perhaps it is fitting that producers of the Channel 4 show which was once such a smash hit now want to make sure it does not just fade out with a whimper.

Designers have spent months and thousands of pounds making the usually bland house sparkle with private members club-style bling.


Sadly, it seems they are still been resigned to scraping the barrel for the actual 'celebrity' names for the show which starts next week.


Among those reportedly taking part are Ronnie Wood's ex Ekaterina Ivanova, Baywatch-turned-panto star Pamela Anderson, MC Hammer, page 3 girl Nicola T, former boyband member Dane Bowers and ex-Hollywood vice madam Heidi Fleiss.

Yesterday it seemed that Coronation Street actress Kym Marsh would be injecting a splash of glamour into the last ever series.

The 33-year-old actress, who plays Michelle Connor in the soap, seemed to have let on to her Twitter followers that she would be spending the new year in the house.

However, a spokeswoman for the ITV soap insisted the mum-of-two would be fulfilling her filming schedule on Corrie.

She told the Mail Online: 'There is no truth in it at all. Kym will be back filming with us the first week in January.'

And it emerged that the Twitter account which hosted messages apparently from the ex-Hear'Say singer was a fake.

Also, Boy George and Kerry Katona will not be in the house. He was refused leave by a judge to alter his curfew conditions and she is believed to have failed a psychological test.

Nor will astrologer Russell Grant be appearing on the show, as the 58-year-old is worried he could suffer an allergic reaction in the house, or possibly even die.

The stargazer suffers from asthma and turned down an offer of £250,000 from Channel 4 to appear on the show.

Russell is allergic to air-conditioning, so would not be able to spend any time in the house


Fire and hell: Gilded panels, black walls and furniture in rich reds and dark wood make up this year's house


Hell is other people: The house looks very different to the clean lines of previous years and will afford the celebrities far less private space


The last ever celebrity series is apparently based on the lofty ideas of such intellectual luminaries as Dante and Sartre.

The house itself is supposed to be inspired by Dante's Inferno, a 14th-century poem in which hell is depicted as nine circles of suffering located within the Earth.

Executive Producer Shirley Jones said: 'The famous line from Dante's Inferno is "Abandon hope all ye who enter here" which has inspired much of what we have done to the house, particularly the entrance which is dark and cavernous with flaming walls.

'When the celebrities arrive in the house on Sunday night they will definitely wonder what is in store for them, it looks incredibly different from previous years.'

In the living area the Dante's Inferno theme continues with gilded panels, black walls and furniture in rich reds and dark wood.


Abandon hope all ye who enter here: The celebrities will enter and leave through fiery doors


There are some 'luxurious' touches too, such as faux fur pelts draped over the sofas, cushions emblazoned with diamante skulls and ornate wall sconces illuminating macabre sculptures.

Jones continued: 'As well as Dante we have been hugely influenced by Sartre's line "Hell is other people" and the house reflects this.

'Whilst the flames and dark colours might look a bit hellish to some, sometimes your actual hell is the people you're with so we have removed some of the doors to make everything more open plan.

'There are very few areas to go to if someone needs to grab five minutes of peace and quiet.'
Off the main living space is the kitchen which is full of outsized equipment.


Diamante cushions: The theme of fire and hell is carried out throughout the living area


Faded opulence of an English country pile: At least the bathroom looks better


Inspired by a hospital morgue the kitchen is clinical and painted 'autopsy green'.

Unlike the summer show, there is no space in the kitchen to eat and so the celebrities will all have to share the large banqueting table that dominates the dining area.

The bathroom, Jones rather grandly adds, 'looks a bit like the faded opulence of an English country pile'.

The showers will allow the celebrity housemates some privacy.


Hospital morgue: Outsize equipment and stainless steel make the kitchen look clinical


source: dailymail

Charlie Sheen held knife to my throat when I said I wanted a divorce, says wife

Brooke Mueller with Charlie Sheen: The couple have twin sons


Charlie Sheen's wife made an emergency call saying she thought she was going to die during her alleged Christmas Day scuffle with the actor, it emerged yesterday.

Brooke Mueller later told police he pinned her on a bed, put a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her after she said she wanted a divorce.

An affidavit released yesterday quoted her as saying the actor told her: 'You better be in fear. If you tell anybody, I'll kill you.'

Miss Mueller, 32, who married Sheen in 2008, called the police emergency services at 8.34am on Christmas Day and said she had suffered domestic abuse.

Sounding close to tears, her voice shaking, she gave her address in Aspen, Colorado, and told them her name was Brooke.

Asked for her husband's name, she replied: 'It's Charlie Sheen.'

Miss Mueller claimed Sheen was still in possession of the knife while she was on the phone.

Asked what type of knife it was, she said: 'He had it in his back pocket.'

The operator asked: 'With a blade like a pocket knife?'
Miss Mueller replied: 'Yes.' She added: 'I thought I was going to die.'

The 911 call also revealed that members of her family were inside the house when the row broke out.


The Aspen retreat, where he was arrested by police: The actor spent 10 hours in a cell, but was released after agreeing to bail conditions and an $8,500 bond


While she made the emergency call from the kitchen, she claimed Sheen was in a back room with one of her relatives.

Asked if the actor was still carrying the knife, she said: 'Yeah he does, but there are other people here. I have people here - my family here, but right now I need to file this.'

She added: 'He's in the other room with somebody else' and said he was not in possession of any other weapons.

Towards the end of the call, Miss Mueller claimed her husband was trying to leave the scene.

'He says he's going to walk away and leave right now,' she said. 'He's trying to sneak out the back right now.'

Miss Mueller, who has nine-month-old twin sons with Sheen, then said police had arrived and she was going to let them in.

Sheen, 44, whose films include Platoon and Wall Street, spent around ten hours in jail on Christmas Day after being arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault, menacing (knowingly placing someone in fear of imminent serious bodily injury) and criminal mischief (wilfully damaging someone else's property).

He was released on bail and is due to appear in court in Aspen on February 8. Court documents said he denies threatening his wife with a knife.



source: dailymail

Preview of Nick Jonas and The Administration's 'Who I Am' Video

In the TV spot, the Jonas Brothers' youngest member announces that the video will be premiered on January 1.



Preview of Nick Jonas and The Administration's 'Who I Am' Video, click here..


Nick Jonas has made an appearance on Disney Channel to give fans preview on "Who I Am" music video. The sneak peek shows the youngest member of the Jonas Brothers in the studio with The Administration.

The video is going to be premiered this coming Friday, January 1, 2010. In addition to highlighting on the band's performance, it reportedly will feature "living portraits" compiled from shots of real-life individuals.

"Who I Am" is the first single from their next year release of the same name. While the track was showcased live for the very first time at 2010 Grammy Nominations Concert on December 2, the "Who I Am" album will not arrive in U.S. stores until February 2, 2010.

Nick Jonas and The Administration are going to support their forthcoming album with a tour which will begin on January 2 at House of Blues in Dallas and end on January 30 at Zellerbach Auditorium in Berkeley, CA. In between the traveling show, they will visit the 15th Annual Critics' Choice Awards on January 15, 2010 in Los Angeles, serving as the house band.


source: aceshowbiz