Surprise American Idol Winner is Crowned

Student Kris Allen has been named the winner of Season eight of American Idol. The Arkansas 23-year old beat favourite Adam Lambert to the title in the finale on Wednesday. According to host Ryan Seacrest said nearly 100 million votes had been cast during the show.Kris said he was shocked to win. His three-song winning set included Bill Withers' Ain't no Sunshine and Marvin Gaye's What's Going On. Allen will now release debut single No Boundaries, which was co-written by judge Kara DioGuardi.

Jackson Delay Not "Due To Ill Health"

Reports are being denied by promoters that the first four nights of Michael Jackson's British tour were delayed because the star has skin cancer. They claim that he is in fantastic shape. The first show of Jackson's 50-date residency at London's O2 Arena on 8 July, has been pushed back by five nights. Three other July dates will not take place until March 2010. Many fans have been complaining about the delay.

For those of you who can't see the star himself here is the next best thing. He is professional British Michael Jackson lookalike Navi.

British Actress Found Dead

We are sad to hear that British actress Lucy Gordon who appeared in Spiderman 3 has been found dead in her Paris appartment. French police believe she took her own life and an autopsy is expected to determine the cause of death.

She will appear in a film next year about the life of French singer Serge Gainsbourg in which she plays his lover Jane Birkin. Lucy Gordon was biligual and had spent much of her childhood living in France and later New York.

She also appeared in the film The Last International Playboy playing Kate and can be seen in the trailer.


THE LAST INTERNATIONAL PLAYBOY: Movie Trailer - The most popular videos are a click away

Dancing Eyebrows and Ballon with Cadbury’s Milk Chocolate Advert,

A Classic !! - Dancing Eyebrows and Ballon with Cadbury’s Milk Chocolate Advert:

Brandy's Long Distance - new album Human

love this song!

With you is where i’d rather be (where I’d rather be..),
but we’re stuck where we are (oh oh).
It’s so hard, (oh ah) you’re so far.. (oh ah)
This long distance is killing me.
I wish that you are here with me (you are here with me),
but we’re stuck where we are (oh oh)
It’s so hard, (oh ah) you’re so far.. (oh ah)

Inspiration For Priscilla

Have you ever wondered who inspired the character in the film and musical The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert? Well wonder no more.

Richard Finger, aka Miss Cindy Pastel, was the inspiration for Hugo Weaving's character Tick in the film and musical. Like Tick, Richard had a child with his best friend Karen.

Here is Richard as Cindy Pastel at this year's Bobby Goldsmith Foundation's Bake Off at Paddington Town Hall in Sydney last weekend.

The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation raises money to help people with HIV and AIDS.

Britain's Got Talent Features Notorious Defrocked Priest

Did anyone watch Britain's Got Talent on Saturday? The man who opened Saturday's show is a notorious defrocked priest who is known for disrupting major sporting events. Neil Horan was seen dancing an Irish jig on the show but was jailed for a stunt during the British Grand Prix.

In 2003, he raced onto the Silverstone track during the British Grand Prix; F1 drivers had to swerve to avoid hitting him. Horan later pleaded guilty to aggravated trespass and was jailed for two months.

He tried his luck again in 2004 during the Athens Olympics. He dragged Brazilian marathon runner Vaderlei de Lima off the course causing him to come third. Horan was given a suspended sentence then due to his mental state. At the Epsom Derby that same year he was not so lucky. He was spotted by police and tackled moments before they believed he was about to run in front of the horses.

Millions of Britain's Got Talent viewers saw the former priest audition for judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan. He didn't impress Simon but he was voted through to the next round by Piers and Amanda.

Despite being dressed in the costume he wears for his notorious stunts, the makers of Britain's Got Talent insist they were unaware of his past. A spokesperson told British tabloid The Daily Mirror: "Neil attended auditions to display his talent at Irish dancing and his past only came to light following his performance."

Neil Horan was formally defrocked by the Catholic church in 2005. Here is his audition.

Eurovision Review 2009

Many of us have been discussing our thoughts on this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow. Here are my honest views of the contest. I'll also discuss my views of the contest in general.Many people understandably ask why Australians should care about a contest in which they are not taking part. There are two main resons. First, there are many European immigrants and the children and grandchildren living in Australia who still follow what is going on in the 'Mother land'. Second, many Aussies love the campness and kitsch apect of it. It can be great fun.

I have watched it every year since I first saw it in 1990 when Italian Toto Cutugno won with the very catchy Insieme 92. The following year Swede Carola won with an equally wonderful song Captured By A Lovestorm. From then on I was hooked recording the BBC's television and radio coverage each year for several years. There were some memorable favourite songs of mine including Ireland's Rock and Roll Kids, Charlotte Nilsson's Take Me To Your Heaven and Gina G's Ooh Ah Just A Little Bit to name a few.

Often for me it was not so much about the songs as it was the dreadful presentation from the host countries as well as some of the terrible fashion faux pas of the contestants. I remember cringing many a time when a Swedish or Italian host would try and make jokes in English before falling flat on their face and causing my friends and I to groan. Ouch!

The best bit for me was Terry Wogan's commentary which for me and many others made the contest. He may have been a bit mean at times but he was only saying what many of us were thinking and it was all in jest. You can't really take Eurovision too seriously. Come to think of it you can't take it seriously at all.

Sadly over the past few years I have found the contest become blander with pretty awful songs and increased block voting. Thankfull this year much of that changed though not absolutely.Ok to this year's contest. I can't fault the Russians with their presentation. I thought they did a great job. The presenters got into the spirit of things and the stage was magnificent. However, I could not work out whether I should have been amazed at the interval act or not. I often get the same reaction when looking at a piece of modern art. Not quite sure how I am expected to react. The act looked spectacular in terms of choreography and how it was done with all the water but after 20 seconds I was thoroughly bored. Not much of a lasting impression but hey they tried.

Eurovision, of course needs more than great presentation and a spectacular stage. It needs songs. Sadly, this year I found the songs terribly bland and forgettable. Not one registered with me. I am happy for Norway that they won but as I found every song as terrible as the previous one I could not say whether it was deserved or not. So in terms of songs nul points. Interestingly my main memory will be of the United Kingdom's Jade being butted in the head accidentally by her violinist. I am sure that one will be played on many a blooper show. Not a great way to be remembered.

As I wrote earlier my highligh is often Terry Wogan's biting but honest commentary. I sad he retired but understood and completely sympathised with his reasons. There was though a silver lining. Yes the very funny and quick witted Graham Norton would take over. I knew he would be good and would take even less prisoners than Terry. However, on the day of Eurovision I discovered that in Australia where I live SBS Television would do their own commentary instead of taking the BBC's coverage. It was tried once before and it went down like a led balloon with them reinstating Terry Wogan. In fact the two SBS presenters had teeshirts saying "Yes we miss Terry Wogan too". They were so right. The SBS coverage took dull to another level. I hope they use the BBC again next year.

Finally the voting. Definitely much fairer this year though some block voting still took place but really I have few complaints about the voting this year apart from the fact I did not think any of the songs were worth voting for.For me, though, the best part was spending the evening watching it in a bar with my friends. For me that was what made Eurovision and I would far rather be doing that than watching Eurovision alone at home. Well done on Russia for the presentation and well done to Norway for winning but could someone please make Eurovision interesting and fun again. Russia did their best but it is hard to polish a turd. Result: nul points. Here is to 2010.

Here is this year's winner Norwegian Alexander Rybak with Fairytale.