United Kingdom

‘Coronation Street’ veteran Barbara Knox, who plays Rita Tanner in the ITV soap, has been banned from driving for 12 months after pleading guilty to drink-driving.

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The actress appeared in court on Friday following an incident in April last year, when she was arrested and later charged with driving under the influence.

While she initially pleaded not guilty at a hearing weeks later, she changed her plea in court on Friday, and has been given a 12-month driving ban and a fine of £3000.

Barbara Knox arriving at court last year

She is also required to pay £1750 in costs, and a victim surcharge of £120.

It was said in court on Barbara’s behalf that she “bitterly regrets” the incident, while a spokesperson for ‘Coronation Street’ has said this is "a private and personal matter".

The actress was first arrested on 10 April last year, when she allegedly drove to the police station to see daughter Maxine, who had been arrested for the same offence.

According to The Sun, the ‘Corrie’ star drove herself to the police station when she learnt of Maxine’s arrest, and banged on the door yelling, “Do you know who I am?”

“She turned up at the police station knocking on the door and demanding her daughter be released,” a source told the paper. “But the officers suspected she had driven to the station herself so they arrested her as well.”

Barbara and the rest of the ‘Coronation Street’ cast made an appearance at the NTAs this week, where they decided not to walk the red carpet as a tribute to Anne Kirkbride, who died on Monday night.

Dame Maggie Smith’s son Toby Stephens reveals that, for his children and their friends, it’s still cooler that he’s a former James Bond villain ('Die Another Day') than it is having a famous relative in ‘Downton Abbey’.

Toby, currently starring in ‘Black Sails’ on AmazonPrime, tells HuffPostUK:

“They’re a bit too young, so they wouldn’t care about 'Downton Abbey' just yet. Being a Bond villain is still pretty cool in their eyes.”

Toby Stephens plays Captain Flint in the Amazon Prime epic 'Black Sails'

Toby and the rest of the ‘Black Sails’ cast and crew spend seven months of the year filming in Capetown, a beautiful part of the world which he is sad he never actually gets to see.

“It’s brutal,” he laughs. “Here we are in this stunning city, and all I know is the inside of the studio. I honestly don’t get to see anything. One day I might come back here on holiday.”

And he’s clear on what he misses most about Britain, and his home in Spitalfields, London.

“It’s weird, because I miss everything about London, I deeply hanker after it,” he admits, “and then I’m back for a week, and I realise how expensive it is, and how angry everyone is all the time. But I do miss those really grey days, and I love a bit of rain.”

Captain Flint is "like someone Clint Eastwood would have played," says actor Toby Stephens

Despite being faraway from home, Toby is clearly delighting in his role of Captain Flint, on ‘Black Sails’, whose second series debuts on Amazon Prime today. 'Black Sails' has been previously nominated for four Annual Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. The show follows Flint and his crew as they aim to survive in the Bahamas while battling thieves and marauders. Luke Arnold plays John Silver, with the series set about 20 years before 'Treasure Island'.

“It’s not just a pirate show,” says Toby, who’s spent as much time on stage as he has on film and screen. “It’s like a gritty western, and Flint’s like someone Clint Eastwood would have played.

“You want to know what he’s thinking, you’re never sure if he’s good or bad, and he can be both, he’s cut from this new style of interesting, unknowable anti-hero. I still haven’t figured him out fully, which is great.”

'Black Sails' returns with Series 2, available on Amazon Prime Instant Video from today. Watch the trailer below...

The three remaining members of Take That have made a confession, admitting that they considered splitting when Jason Orange left the band.

Jason departed in September, and Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen resolved to continue as a trio.

Take That

However, speaking on this weekend’s episode of ‘The Jonathan Ross Show’, Howard explains that their decision to soldier on wasn’t always set in stone.

“When we became a three and Jason left, we didn't really know whether the fans or the supporters would like us to come back and do another album,” he states. “But from all the support we thought ‘well we love doing music, let's give them [the fans] what they want as well’.'

Gary adds: “We wanted to [carry on], I must say if we weren't inspired and felt like we could still do our best work, we wouldn't have done it.

“We don't feel it's over yet, we want to do more, we want to play more live stuff, we're still young boys, Jonathan!”

Jason followed Robbie Williams out of Take That

Take That’s first single as a trio topped the charts in the UK, and the band are currently preparing to head off on tour in April.

The remaining singers have stated they’d happily welcome both Jason and Robbie Williams back if they change their minds in the future.

“Take That is five people,” Gary stated. “ Exactly when they come back is up to them.”

See Take That's full interview on 'The Jonathon Ross Show' at 9.20pm, on Saturday 24 January.

There's bad news for anyone with everything crossed that Perez Hilton will leave in Friday night’s ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ live eviction, as it looks like we’re going to be stuck with him for another week.

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Perez is currently one of four housemates nominated, alongside Alicia Douvall, Calum Best and Nadia Sawalha.

It now looks like ‘Loose Women’ presenter Nadia will be the second contestant to be officially evicted from this year’s ‘CBB’ house, after Ladbrokes named her their “hot favourite” to leave, with odds of 8/11.

This week's potential evictees

However, Alicia’s place in the house isn’t exactly safe either - her odds of being booted out have been trimmed to 13/8.

Which of the four nominees would you like to see leave the house..?

Katie Hopkins had initially been nominated by the rest of the group to face eviction, but she was switched for Calum by Katie Price, in a nominations twist earlier this week.

Chloe Goodman became the first contestant to be booted out of the series last Friday night, but she was far being from the first departure, as the explosive first week saw not one but two contestants removed from the house.

Jeremy Jackson was shown the door after an incident where he exposed Chloe’s breast in the toilet, while Ken Morley was given the boot due to repeatedly using “wholly unacceptable” language, deemed racist and sexist by viewers.

Alexander O’Neal later left via the back door, after being given an official warning for using a homophobic slur.

Find out who stays and who goes during Friday night’s live eviction, airing at 9pm on Channel 5.

Paul Bettany says that the biggest lesson he’s learned from his close friend Johnny Depp is "not to give a shit”.

Paul, who co-stars for the third time with Johnny in ‘Mortdecai’, tells HuffPostUK why he thinks his friend is so incredibly healthy:

“He doesn’t give a shit, he really doesn’t.

Johnny Depp's attitude is much admired by his close friend Paul Bettany, here with the rest of the 'Mortdecai' cast

“He’s never read a review in his life, he loves the making of the movie, but he doesn’t watch the movies. He absolutely doesn’t care about what a critic might think.

“He’s a whale swimming through the ocean, and a whale doesn’t notice the barnacles on him. He’s like, fuck that. I’m swimming through the ocean, doing my thing.

“That’s what’s mysterious about him, he really likes his privacy, and genuinely doesn’t need the adoration, which is probably why the adoration has come to him.”

Paul, who previously starred in ‘The Tourist’ and 'Transcendence' alongside Johnny, is thrilled to have the chance to put his comedic acting chops on display in Mortdecai, after Johnny introduced him to the series of books written by Kyril Bonfiglioli.

“We’ve laughed our way through three movies together,” says Paul, “but we’d never had the chance to put that on screen.

“I’ve never got to do much comedy, and he brought the books to me, and they’re naughty and irreverent, some of the stuff is totally shocking, it’s like Jeeves and Wooster but a punk acid version.”

johnny depp

Jock Strapp is a loyal and abiding manservant/chauffer/everything to Mortdecai

In ‘Mortdecai’, Paul plays the central character’s long-suffering butler/chauffeur/standover man Strapp, complete with a black leather jacket, a handy right fist, an unwavering gaze and a tireless interest in, and appeal for, the fairer sex. Paul chuckles when I ask him where he got his inspiration…

“I wanted him to look like a villain from the 1970s, and also… Johnny’s two British security guards,” he reveals.

“Jerry and Malcolm, who I’ve known as long as I’ve known Johnny. My character Jock Strapp is impervious to pain, will literally jump in front of a bullet and save you every time, and Jerry and Malcolm are those characters.”

And do Jerry and Malcolm realise they were the inspiration for this sexy, loyal manservant?

Paul looks at my recorder on the table. “Well, they will now.”

'Mortdecai' is in UK cinemas from today. Watch the featurette below...

'Thrones' fans, assemble! With the long-awaited release date of season five approaching, we've been treated to another stunning HD trailer.

The 50-second clip has been let loose on the internet to tease us ahead of the show's IMAX screening, which will be accompanied by a cinema-exclusive preview of the new series.

At the end of the teaser we see a hirsute and angry-looking Tyrion Lannister tumbling out of a crate, last seen escaping from King's Landing in a similar box in season four.

peter dinklage

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

The newest installment of the hit fantasy show will be gracing American television screens on 12 April, which means we'll probably see it in the UK the day after.

What can we expect from Season 5? (NO spoilers)

Aside from lots and lots of bloodshed, there's a few things we know for certain.

There'll be a lot of new characters, as storylines from the vastly unpopular 'A Feast For Crows' book by George R. R. Martin are folded in.

We can also expect to see the coastal region of Dorne make an appearance, as well as five new Dornish characters (if a leaked casting call can be believed).

Speculation also suggests Tyrion Lannister might be going into hiding after he was forced to flee King's Landing.

It turns out that Justin Bieber came closer to “breaking the Internet” than Kim Kardashian did, with his recent underwear shoot for Calvin Klein.

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Kim grabbed everyone’s attention late last year, when she posed with her bum out on the front cover of Paper magazine in a bid to - in her words - #BreakTheInternet.

Admittedly she came awfully close, the following week it seemed everybody had an opinion on Kim’s posterior, but it has now been revealed that even more people had something to say when The Biebs was unveiled as the new face of Calvin Klein earlier this month.

In just 48 hours, Justin’s pictures successfully accrued over 1.6 million mentions across social media, which is five times more than Kim’s controversial photo-shoot managed.

Of course, that’s not necessarily a positive thing for Justin, particularly given how much attention was drawn to one report in particular, which claimed to have "un-retouched" pictures proving his body and *ahem* appendage had been heavily photoshopped to appear more impressive.

However, the site who first shared these so-called "leaked" photos later issued an apology to the ‘Beauty and a Beat’ singer, claiming that the supposed photos were fake.

Justin later acknowledged the controversy himself, by posing a picture on his Instagram wearing nothing but a towel to prove he was the real deal.

Good grief.

It sounds like Kim isn’t quite done with her quest to #BreakTheInternet, after a string of photos she posted on her Instagram page, frolicking in the snow in what she has dubbed the “fur-kini”, have been shared all over social media - and landed her in hot water with animal rights activists Peta.

‘Boyhood’ may the film on everyone’s lips now we’re firmly into this year’s Awards Season, but director Richard Linklater admits there was a time when he felt he had to prepare his young leading actor Ellar Coltrane for the fact that nobody might ever see their film, after 12 years of hard work.

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Richard tells HuffPostUK:

“I was preparing Ellar mentally, for not expecting many people to ever see it.

“I was preparing him, don’t think when this comes out… we’ll have an indie run, maybe play a few festivals, maybe come out on DVD.

“I was preparing him for that, because I honestly didn’t think there was a hook. Nothing much happens, a bunch of time comes by, but there’s no pitch, no one-line pitch.”

As it turns out, that fear has not been realised, with ‘Boyhood’ already collecting a clutch of awards for Richard, his leading lady Patricia Arquette, and the title now emerging as one of the favourites for this year’s Best Picture Oscar.

boyhood

'Boyhood' tracks Mason (Ellar Coltrane) on his journey through the ages 6 to 18

‘Boyhood’ tells the simple story, in real time, of one boy, Mason, growing up – at the centre of an evolving family, including parents Olivia and Mason Sr (Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke), who separate but continue to play important roles in his life, and his sister Samantha, played by Richard’s own daughter Lorelei.

It turns out Richard Linklater doesn’t feel too fondly of his own boyhood, and was actually counting the days until he become an adult.

“I remember as a kid thinking 12th grade was so far away,” he remembers. “I felt trapped, thinking, I’ve got 10 more years of this.

“I don’t know if prison sentence is the right word but I didn’t like school that much, and I remember thinking on the other side of that was freedom. I would be the person I wanted to be the other side of that.”

One thing Richard is keen to address is that making the film in real time, over a bunch of weeks every year, despite what a cunning novelty trick it now appears, was never a gimmick, but truly the only form he could find to tell the story he wanted to tell.

boyhood

Ethan Hawke, right, plays Mason Sr in Richard Linklater's unique film

“I think a lot of people have a kid’s movie in them, but I wanted to do one about growing up,” is how he puts it.

“Once I started, the ideas were so dispersed over the years, that I’d given up, I thought you can’t do that in movie, they’re about one moment, or you jump in time, and suddenly it’s someone else playing them.

“You can’t age a kid a couple of years. So I needed this form to tell this story that I had never seen, which is actually very simple – time passing through these people’s lives.”

Richard’s film has been compared to the monumental documentary series ‘7Up’, where filmmaker Michael Apted catches up with his subjects every seven years and charts their unpredictable journeys through life.

“What’s so fascinating about 7 Up is how bloody self-conscious they’ve become in recent years,” he ponders. “It feels like a burden in their lives, but maybe it is.

“In my case, it’s another example of longitudinal study, a little bit of information over a great number of years, which is fascinating, but ultimately mine’s a fictional narrative.

It’s always wistful when you get into the notion of how little time we have in this world, in the big picture, not that much."

boyhood

Patricia Arquette has admitted that it's "pretty brutal watching yourself age on screen"

Behind his main characters changing so gradually but significantly in front of our eyes, each year in ‘Boyhood’ has its own distinct tableau of clothes, colours, music and, in 2009, the unprecedented election campaign of one Barack Obama. By focusing on him, did Richard think he was definitely going to win? He laughs.

“We were making a period piece but we were shooting in the present, so we had to ask, how will this scene play 11 years from now – what’s going to matter?

“Ok, there’s an election going on. There’s this guy Obama, even if he loses it’ll work because there’s this guy your dad is excited about.

“Even before you have politics yourself, I think you remember how other people felt, as a kid you just ate others, regurgitating what others are saying. Critical thinking emerges gradually and you see that in Mason’s character.”

Richard opens his arms wide.

“I had the outlines, I had the last shoot and the big stuff, but the little bits, the music, that was the thing I felt I was collaborating not only with my own cast, but with the world.”

boyhood

Growing up can be hard to do...

Until that final day of shooting came, a predictably poignant occasion for everyone involved, according to the director…

“The last thing we filmed is the last shot of the movie, and it was so incredibly moving to know we were done. It was intense. Not just the cast, but the crew, people who had put in a lot of years working on this, come back every year, seen the kids growing up, and everybody else, too.

“We all went through our 12 years, and I guess the message of the film is that… to be aware of it, be aware of your time, not necessarily enjoy it all, but to be aware of it.”

Finally, he smiles. “But for all its ups and downs, this is an optimistic film, just because the people doing it thought it worthwhile to do for so long, that we would still be around in 12 years, and that it would still matter, that the world would still give a shit.”

'Boyhood' is available on Blu-Ray/DVD now. Watch the feature below...

Brian Harvey has released a rather bizarre new video online, a cover of the track ‘German Whip’, with altered lyrics to reference a car accident he was famously involved in.

Back in 2005, the former East 17 singer ran himself over, and later stated that the accident occurred when he tried to lean out of the car to be sick, after eating too many jacket potatoes.

Brian Harvey and a baked potato

Now, the incident has become the focus of Brian’s music video, which sees him dancing around with potatoes and blocks of cheese, with one line altered to “jacket potato and cheese and that”.

Speaking of the 2005 incident, Brain has previously stated: "I was starving so I baked three jacket potatoes and stuffed them down. They were big. I put cheese on, then tuna mayonnaise and I ate the lot."

While driving his Mercedes to a friend’s house shortly after, he began to feel nauseous.

"There wasn't room to turn round, so I came to a stop and put the car in reverse,” he explained. “But then I felt sick so I took off my seatbelt, opened the door and went to be sick. Instead of keeping my foot on the brake, it slipped on to the accelerator."

He then crashed into another car, reported the Daily Mail, before being sent flying out of his car and into the road.

"I got caught up between my driver's door and a wall,” he continued. “The car was still going backwards and I was forced underneath."

Earlier this month, Brian hit headlines when he released a bizarre, anti-music industry video, which showed him smashing up his platinum discs.

A caption accompanying the video read: “A caption accompanying the video reads: "This is what i think of you all. Fuck your record industry, and fuck your weird paedophile world. Fuck you."

Watch Brian’s ‘German Whip’ clip, featuring potatoes and cheese, above…

Despite adoring most forms of reality TV and being someone who loves staying in on a Saturday night, I had never watched a full episode of The Voice UK until this year. Obviously I knew about it, things like Kylie being involved and the glorious spinning chairs. I also gathered Will.I.Am was meant to be good value and Ricky Wilson was a thing and there's a boxing match where people sing/shout at each other, but that's the extent of my knowledge. I impressed myself pulling that together. I couldn't tell you who's won or name a single contestant, which has always been the main criticism of The Voice UK. If it claims to find talent and create brand new popstars, where are they?

This came up at the press conference ahead of the new series and Ricky answered "we're building careers, I think." He can't be sure. Last year's winner it turns out was Jermain Jackman (which does ring a bell) and was on Will I Am's team. He's had an EP out, is working on an album and says "It's that whole sense of working hard in silence and letting your success make the noise." Hmm, you might have to speak up a bit Jermain.

The first time you watch The Voice UK the obvious thing to do is to compare it to The X Factor. Obviously there's four people sat in chairs watching someone sing but it doesn't look or feel the same. There isn't the same panto vibe and you don't get the ones who think they're good then arguing with the judges that they are good when they're dreadful.

The irony is there is opportunity for heated fights on The Voice UK because the judges have to hustle an act into choosing them, but instead it's all terribly polite. Ricky actually hugged Rita and apologised for taking an act she wanted. Imagine Simon's face if someone chose Mel B over him?? Or Cheryl's hairflick as she was rejected in favour of Louis?! Of course no one would ever choose Louis but you get the point (for the record, I love you Louis).

Such is the conditioning of X Factor that it's easy to get impatient watching The Voice UK, mainly because the feedback after each contestant has sung is so long. Each judge has their say, none of which they've prepared and Tom Jones might well throw in an anecdote about Elvis. The most remarkable bit is when they spend ages chatting to someone who no one turned round for. The contestant isn't going through and we'll never see them again (in this series anyway) but now we have to hear a full explanation about why they weren't chosen. Even worse is when the judges protest "I almost turned round," like in Bullseye, when they show you what you could have won.

The chairs themselves are marvellous. Disney villain seats, clad in Fifty Shades red leather operating at a health and safety suitable speed. The judges like the chairs, hanging out like they've brought them in from home, sticking one leg over the side and chatting to their fellow judges like pop hermits. But because no one in real life actually does live in a chair, or hangs out in one all the time, it's all a little bit awkward.

This chair dwelling isn't helped by the odd swaths of chair downtime when riveting chat like "what noises do penguins make?" and vague phrases like "I hope the next one's good" happen. Last weekend Tom Jones actually sat there and whistled, like your Dad putting some shelves up.

It is then odd that I find myself hooked. I'm in. I've realised the odd banter, the underwhelming tension and even the irritating addition of "UK" on the end of the title are all reasons to love The Voice UK. It doesn't rely on someone screaming and crying to add drama, the singing is more than enough. Everyone talks normally, on the whole seem quite humble about the whole thing and I can't recall anyone protesting "but it's my dream!" either before or after an audition.

There's sort of a kindness to the whole thing, the judges seem genuinely interested in who's come to sing for them. Contestants are cherished rather than being given a no and shoved off back to work. Maybe this also extends to former winners and contestants, maybe they are being worked with and helped so they are in the best position they can be to release a single or album. Maybe they really are building superstars of the future; it seems a hopeful way to go about finding new talent.

I've got into it because we're so used to slick, shiny, fast-paced talent shows it's actually quite nice to have something else. Something that takes its time and is polite and pleasant, just how I imagine Tom Jones to be.

It's also just a bit weird, and I love that. It's the girl at school with one pigtail higher than the other, a lad in the office with odd socks on, the pensioner on the bus with blue highlights in her hair. It's just there doing its thing with nothing to prove except having a nice time with people who love singing. And in all honesty, who doesn't want to know what Tom said the first time he met Frank Sinatra?!

You don't have to search hard to find established and popular news websites judging celebrities based on their appearance.

Let's take a look at two scenarios:

1) A bully stands in a schoolyard and makes nasty comments about a fellow pupil's appearance.

2) A news website posts an article making comments about a celebrity looking 'unkempt' while out shopping.

You would probably agree with me when I say that the first scenario is bullying, it is unacceptable and should be stopped. Most of us would probably do what we could to put a stop to it also.

Yet, many of us standby and let scenario two happen on a daily basis on a very global scale.

On Wednesday Daily Mail Online published an article on their website asking readers to take a poll to judge which Celebrity Big Brother contestant looked worse without makeup: Katie Price of Alicia Douvall.

Why do articles like that need to exist?

Both of those women are famous and they have their appearance commented on every single day and, unfortunately, are probably used to being judged by thousands of complete strangers.

Some feel that being famous means celebrities have to take the good with the bad and have to accept media intrusion and being judged both in print and online as part of their job.

You would never accept a job where harsh comments and bullying were part and parcel of the job but it seems we expect celebrities to because they have a better life than the majority of us.

Why should anyone, regardless of their fame, have to accept bullying? Someone's status, the kind of cars they have on their drive and the amount of money they have in their bank account isn't an excuse for articles to point the finger at them and judge them for not wearing makeup or for going out without their hair professionally styled.

If an article was written about you or I, going about our daily activities, not looking like we're on the way to an award ceremony and the publication judged us for it and made harsh comments, people would react negatively. Rightly so too.

What makes it acceptable to do it to someone in the public eye?

Millions of people across the world suffer with insecurities about their appearance as a result of what they see in the media.

People feel like they aren't good enough because no matter how hard they try, they won't live up to photoshopped adverts. Some feel they absolutely cannot leave the house without makeup and styling their hair because if a celebrity gets judged for it and is called a mess, what hope have they got?

No one should be made to feel bad about their appearance by someone else and no one should ever feel that their appearance is more important than their achievements or them as a person.

Earlier this week The Sun 'trolled' the nation by removing topless images of women from Page Three of their newspaper before bringing back the feature on Thursday. While the campaign to get rid of Page Three isn't over yet, what it has done is encourage people to look carefully at the way women are represented in the media.

Judgemental articles don't bring joy to anyone; all they do is cause hurt and teach people that it's acceptable to judge others based on their appearance and frankly, the world has enough problems as it is.

Alicia Douvall has become the second housemate to be evicted from the 'Celebrity Big Brother' house.

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She left the house on Friday night to a mixed reception of both boos and cheers, after facing the public vote against Calum Best, Nadia Sawalha and Perez Hilton.

The crowd once again gave Perez a particularly hostile reception when Emma Willis crossed live to the house, chanting "get Perez out!" - which we're guessing Katie Hopkins won't be letting him forget in a hurry.

Alicia Douvall

However, it was ultimately Alicia who failed to impress the public and faced the chop, despite bookies naming 'Loose Women' presenter Nadia as their favourite to be leaving.

As you can see below, 'CBB' viewers on Twitter were totally fine with the results of the vote, and had barely anything to say about it at all…

Oh dear, guys. Never mind, there's always next eviction, right?

HuffPost UK readers had also named Perez as the housemate they'd most like to have seen booted out, with 39% of the overall votes.

Alicia admitted that she was "gutted to be out" - which should come as no surprise to anyone who saw her reaction to being nominated - while she suggested that the reason she wasn't saved by the public was because she was "up against some really big characters".

She also opened up about her relationships with some of her fellow housemates, confessing she felt disappointed Katie Price didn't save her during last week's nominations twist because she thought they had a "genuine friendship", and revealed she found some of what Katie Hopkins had to say "disgusting".

Don't miss Saturday night's 'Celebrity Big Brother' at 9pm on Channel 5 to find out how the housemates reacted to Alicia's departure.

Katie Price has revealed that she was so devastated after her split from Dane Bowers that she tried to take her own life.

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During a chat with her 'Celebrity Big Brother' housemates in Friday night's show, Katie named Dane as the love of her life "before Kieran" and claimed she was completely besotted and "obsessed" with him during their two years together.

She said: "He hurt me so much. If he said 'jump', I'd say 'how high?'"

katie price dane bowers

Dane Bowers and Katie Price when they were still an item

The former glamour model went on to say that their split was the first time her "heart got properly broken", and shocked the group by saying that she tried to take an overdose after their relationship ended.

However, Dane has insisted that this wasn't how he remembers things, with a post on his official Twitter page.

Katie admitted earlier this week that she was nervous about the public's reaction to her when she left the house, because she'd spoken so candidly about her personal life and ex-boyfriends.

As well as dishing the dirt about her husband Kieran Hayler's affair with her close friend of almost 20 years, Katie has also spilled the beans about her sex life with her ex, Alex Reid, admitting that she ended their marriage because she "didn't want to be the man".

Friday night also saw the departure of another of the housemates, with Alicia Douvall being shown the door after failing to impress the British public.

Joan Collins has admitted she doesn't understand why so many stars choose to have plastic surgery, when the results can look "horrific".

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The iconic British actress, who is about to play the Queen Mother in new drama 'The Royals', claimed that she stays away from plastic surgery because: "I don't want to look like a plastic Barbie doll".

Speaking in the latest issue of Hello! magazine, Joan said: "I saw a very famous actress the other day. You could see the lumps under her skin from the fillers and she could barely move her face. It was horrific.

"Elective surgery is scary. A legendary actress memorably sent her maid to test the end results of the surgery and when she came back, she looked so good she decided to try it. The doctor cut a nerve and she was disfigured for life."

However, Joan did confess that she'd been tempted by cosmetic surgery in the past, but says she's "too scared" to pursue it.

She added: "I have thought about it. I pull my face back and think, 'Wouldn't I look better like this?' But I am too scared.

"I like my laugh lines - it would be crazy not to have any at my age - and luckily I have good cheekbones."

Joan went on to say she is unimpressed with the "sheep mentality" she sees among younger actresses, adding that it appears as though no one wants to break the mould anymore.

"There seems to be a certain sheep mentality among some of the actresses to look the same," she explained, "When I came here [to Hollywood] I was 21, which was still the golden age - Lana Turner, Barbara Stanwyck, Susan Hayward, Marilyn Monroe...Everybody had their own style.

"These women, including Sophia Loren and Elizabeth Taylor, did their own hair and make-up and they always looked incredible."

So far, 2015 has got off to a great start for Joan, as well as her forthcoming role opposite Elizabeth Hurley in 'The Royals', she was also listed in the Queen's New Year Honours list, alongside Sheridan Smith and James Corden.

Kelly Brook has confessed she still feels pretty clueless when it comes to men.

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Kelly Strips Off In (NSFW) US Sitcom Trailer
Is This Kelly Brook's New Man?

Throughout her time in the public eye, Kelly has been in high-profile relationships with fellow celebs like Thom Evans, Danny Cipriani and, more recently, David McIntosh, who she was engaged to until September last year.

However, Kelly has admitted that rather than getting older and wiser, she feels like she's actually just becoming more "judgmental".

Kelly Brook

Speaking to The Mirror, she admitted: "The older you get the more you realise you know nothing about relationships.

"I have no idea. I don’t know anything. I had much more successful relationships when I was in my 20s and I knew nothing.

"But now I feel like I can work people out so quickly and it’s not good. Being judgmental is not good."

Since splitting with muscleman David last year, there appear to have been several fall-outs and reconciliations between the pair, though it sounds as though she's now enjoying the single life in LA, where she's promoting her new US sitcom 'One Big Happy'.

Kelly went on to say: "I'm completely single at the moment.

"I’m just living with my girlfriend. I’ve got a beautiful apartment in an old Hollywood building and we have a great time. There's no boys messing up the house… it's a no-boy zone."

'One Big Happy' launches in the US in March, and sees Kelly playing Prudence, a free-spirited English nanny who marries a man she barely knows on a whim, despite the fact he is having a baby with his lesbian best friend.

The Gazette

The Gazette's fandom in Japan is so intense that they caused part of the world's busiest station, Shinjuku, to be closed when they did an unannounced performance on the streets outside. Word got out minutes before they hit the stage, and the expected crowd of 250 turned into 7000 before the cops came and closed it down. This year the band celebrate their 13th anniversary and the release of an 8th studio album should see them move onto exciting things, including a possible return to the UK.

Salyu x Salyu

Super interesting band! And this song gives you a flavour of their eclectic style. Comprising singer Salyu and guitarist Cornelius, the band remind me at times of Stereolab's Dots and Loops phase. But you should totally make your own mind up; and if you're in Australia you can catch them on tour until January 31.

Scandal

Scandal are a fairly conventional four piece but their songs are catchy and their image has made them style icons for girls across Japan. The band have already sold out some massive Japanese shows for their 2015 world tour and they play Islington Academy April 26.

Dempa-Gumi inc.

According to Wikipedia Denpa is a musical thing in Japan that is "intentionally strange and catchy. Common features of denpa songs include intentionally off-key vocals, nonsensical lyrics and an over-the-top tune". Heaven help us, that's all I can say.

Maximum The Hormone

Any band writing songs that lurch from 'jolly pop' (my own genre, 'natch) to extreme metal in the space of two minutes is going to get my vote. 2015 should see the four piece build on their considerable 2014 successes in Japan and the USA, and I pray they play the UK as soon as possible.

Babymetal

Allegedly Babymetal have written a new song about bubblegum, which I suppose is natural considering their last single was about chocolate. Word on the street is that it involves drum 'n bass, adorable dance moves and heavy as f*ck guitars. And it's very very very catchy. This year is going to see Babymetal go mainstream, trust me.

Necronomidol

Necroma (as they're also known) are a deeply unsettling combination of ultra-traditional Japanese folk music and grinding black metal. Not everyone's taste for sure, but if you like your music bleak, eerie and haunting then you should certainly give them a chance. New singles are promised over the next few months and if they keep producing this kind of creepy weirdness, I think they might go places.

The arts sector is currently going through a period of self examination, as it tries to find itself in this era of austerity and shrinking funding that has coincided with other external pressures, such as the issues of censorship and boycott following events at Underbelly and the Tricycle and the closing of Exhibit B. All of those involved in ensuring the arts world remains challenging and creative sector of our society are battling with some big questions, and Walking The Tightrope has captured this with sublime humour and skill.

A series of 5 minute short plays, the piece holds a mirror up to the arts sector and the wider society and asks the audience to explore their beliefs and prejudices while being highly entertaining. The plays were written by big names and rising stars of the theatre world, including Carly Churchill, April De Angellis, Julia Pascall, Neil LaBute, Evan Placey, Mark Ravenhill and Sarah Solemnai, and each tears to the heart of the arts with individuality and panache. The whole experience was very much like listening to a high quality pop music compilation from the 80's, when music equally explored subjects of politics and ethics, with each play showing a writer at the top of their game challenging the audience to laugh as they are pulled firmly out of the comfort zones.

From the outset, the venue also took me back to those heady days of the 80's underground scene. Theatre Delicatessen is based in the old Guardian offices in Farringdon and resembles one of the old squats I sent many happy hours clubbing in back in my youth. However this sense of abandonment and dereliction is the perfect setting for Walking The Tightrope. The funniest element of the venue is that the entrance is still very smart, and from the outside it could still be the home of a corporate giant, but as you delve deeper into the building the veneer falls away until you enter the performance space. By this time all of the trappings of a modern office have disappeared to reveal the bare bones of the building, and that is what Walking The Tightrope aims to do with the arts.

The actors were superb. This is a short word but honestly, the way Naomi Ackie, Philip Arditti, Stephen Fewell, Becci Gemmell, Syrus Lowe, and Melissa Woodbridge change in both personality and stature in the seconds between the plays is a joy to behold. With little other than their talent up on the bare stage you believe every word and character to the core. As an actor myself I cannot understate the talent unleashed on to the stage at Walking The Tightrope. Acting at its best.

The plays scoot along exploring philanthropy and privilege, the motivation behind breaking boycotts, how the media spins everything in our modern world, how money corrupts even the simplest of day to day events, the exploitation of minorities and the distortion of history, how even youthful rebellion leads to tyranny, ethics in art, the politics of opposition, fluidity of identity, morality of money and how language shapes the way we see our world. As we riotously applauded the players at the curtain call, I felt uplifted that the theatre is using its art in such a creative way to stare into its heart and question its motivations. Bravo to producer Cressida Brown, her group Offstage Theatre and collaborates Theatre Uncut for bringing Walking The Tightrope to the stage. It truly entertains while challenging, and that is no mean feat!

The discussion that followed was not quiet so beguiling. It touched it's toes into many areas that are throwing the arts into disarray in the 21st Century but avoided really challenging the perceived correctness of successful creative. The key issue was that both panelists, David Lan of the Young Vic and one of the pieces writers April De Angellis gave their views on boycotts, artistic freedom and the darker side of funding but never really wanted to offend so a lot of the discussions kind of tailed off towards the end of each statement. However this did not distract from the night, and demonstrated that while the arts world wants to find a new direction in our modern world, it still has some soul searching to do. Its also a scary world where causing offense can have terrible consequences, so who can blame creative types from holding back on airing their views in the public realm.

The run ends on February 1st, so if you can get yourself along to a performance. There is nothing like witnessing intelligent theatre that takes you up on a tightrope without a safety net.

To book tickets click here.

Images by Camilla Greenwell - Cleared for use in this article

In December 2014 Music Venue Trust organised the first national gathering of small and medium scale music venues from across the UK, Venues Day 2014. This week sees the first publication of the research conducted by the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in the lead up to and during Venues Day. Understanding Small Music Venues: An Interim Findings Report is intended to be a discussion document about how these venues operate, the challenges they face and the role they play.

Over 120 venues were represented at Venues Day and 107 participated in the research project which is still ongoing. What quickly emerges is that our live music venue circuit is in a perilous and precarious state, facing an uncertain future that despite the passion of the people involved in it is at real risk. We need to be openly discussing and airing those challenges with our live music industry colleagues, and working together to tackle that range of issues so we not only maintain and preserve this circuit but actively start to improve it. We feel that past failures to talk about the ecosystem of UK music have meant that people who don't actively work in it perhaps don't understand the structure of the industry, or the vital role that this network of venues plays in maintaining it.

The UK is, quite literally, a music world leader, punching vastly above its weight in terms of the impact our artists and musicians make across the globe. A huge proportion of the music we export, which generates thousands of jobs, develops the artistic careers of our best writers and musicians, and is such an important part of the UK's standing on the international cultural stage, starts in a small venue. This is the grassroots of our industry, the research and development department of our major international music industry partners.

I think it is impossible to overstate this; if we in the music industry don't act to make sure we have a Troubadour or a 12 Bar Club, we should stop thinking we are going to produce any more Adeles.

Our UK music scene, arguably the best in the world, is built on a robust ecosystem that starts with a first live concert in front of as few as ten people on a Tuesday night in Guildford and climaxes with 3 nights at Wembley Stadium. And it's not just the musicians - our industry and other parts of the creative sector are filled with people who cut their teeth promoting, booking or simply working the door at a small venue. This small venue circuit is the training ground and the entry level experience for our lighting engineers, sound technicians, and cultural organisers at all levels; we need to ensure we do all we can to protect it.

A full report will be released on Monday 9 March 2015, when we at Music Venue Trust will be announcing our response to what has been learned. In the meantime, you can read the interim report at this link

I love comics, and as someone who draws comics and writes and illustrates children's books, I sometimes get peeks at the sketchbooks of children and teenagers. At least half the time, I see they've filled the entire sketchbook with faces... the same face, drawn over and over. Not their own face, but a face inspired by Japanese comics and anime cartoons such as Sailor Moon, with huge eyes and a pointy little chin. The hairstyle might change as they move from character to character, but the face stays the same.

I grew up loving Archie comics, which weren't all that different. My favourite two characters were Betty and Veronica, and their faces were identical, but Betty had long, straight blond hair and Veronica's was long, straight and black. I see the same identikit thing with superhero women: visually interchangeable except for hair colour and costume. I remember wondering about that, even as a kid. As a grownup, I watch illustrators post drawings on Twitter, and many of them have these same faces and idealised bodies.

Those are all right, but I'm getting bored with it. As an illustrator, I want to see a variety of people in illustrations, and see people push their drawings further to be... not just diverse and inclusive (which is hugely important) but... interesting.

One of the problems with drawing diverse characters in cartoons and comics is that making main characters generic is one way to get readers to identify with them. We read characters into even the simplest shapes, such as this one:

If I put blond hair on that shape, you'll probably think it's a symbol for a little blond girl.

But it could represent an elderly Peruvian man in yellow wig. My drawing would have to be more detailed and specific for you to know that. It's more tricky when we want to depict someone people aren't expecting. Would I need to change my drawing style if I wanted my characters to be more diverse? Hmm...

So thinking and wondering about all this, I've set myself a challenge: Draw 20 female faces that don't fit this identikit model but are still striking or beautiful. Arresting enough that if I saw them in the street, I'd turn around and think, WHOA! Faces that aren't standard Hollywood ingenue or female superhero, but I can't stop looking. Sometimes they'll be from non-white ethnicities, sometimes they'll be the white teenager or 20-something women that illustrators I know seem to prefer drawing, but with a difference. A heavier chin, a big nose, a monobrow, at least one variation that we get in real life.

Three tips if you're not sure where to start:
1. Draw from life.
2. Study old master drawings and adapt portraits to suit your own modern taste.
3. Just experiment a bit.

Check the Twitter hash tag - #NonIdentikit - for updates, and feel free to use the hash tag to contribute your own! You can experiment with detailed portraits or a bunch of quick doodles on a single sheet of paper: head portraits or full body, awesome outfits, plain clothes, whatever you like. (Keep in mind that some kids might be browsing, and hopefully they'll be inspired, too.)

Drawing non-identikit people isn't easy, and editors usually want main characters to conform for perceived commercial mass appeal. But there's no reason I can't try out things in my sketchbook and if I can develop a character well enough, maybe she'll make it into published story sometime. I love Twitter, it's like a big practice doodle pad, where I can post drawings and get feedback without the massive commitment of a printed book.

I don't have the answers; I'm hoping to learn a few things by doing this, practical considerations: how to create characters who aren't identikit but still have powerful visual appeal. I'll see what I learn, and you can check back on my blog to find out.

Here are a few snapshots of experimental #NonIdentikit sketches I've already posted on Twitter, and a few other people have already jumped in to try their own.

(See Sarah McIntyre's original blog post)

They've got over a hundred million subscribers between them and have billions of views. Featuring comedy gamers, funny skits and world-famous musicians, here are the 10 most subscribed YouTube channels for 2015.

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Brian Harvey Releases Bizarre ‘German Whip' Video With References To His 2005 Car Accident (And Jacket Potatoes) (WATCH)

Is 'The Voice' UK Any Good?

Why Is it Acceptable for the Media to Judge People Based on Their Appearance?

Alicia Douvall Evicted From 'Celebrity Big Brother' House Over Perez Hilton, Nadia Sawalha and Calum Best

Katie Price Admits Dane Bowers Split Left Her Suicidal, During Chat In 'Celebrity Big Brother' House

Dame Joan Collins Talks Plastic Surgery: 'Cosmetic Surgery Is Scary... I Don't Want To Look Like A Barbie Doll'

Kelly Brook Admits She's 'Completely Single'... And 'Knows Nothing' About Relationships

Seven Japanese Acts to Watch in 2015

Walking the Tightrope - Theatre Without a Safety Net

What's Happening to Our Music Venues?

Putting More Diversity in Comics and Illustration: Why I'm Taking the #NonIdentikit Challenge

10 Most Subscribed YouTube Channels in 2015