X Factor’s Rebecca Ferguson announces tour dates

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X Factor runner up, Rebecca Ferguson, has today unveiled a 14 date tour which will see her perform across the UK during February and March next year. The UK tour will support the Liverpudlian singer’s debut album release, Heaven.

Rebecca Ferguson’s tour will start in Manchester in February before playing 14 dates throughout the country, finishing up in London in mid March.

The 25-year-old singer will also return to the stage that launched her career this weekend when she performs the first single release from her new album, Nothing’s Real But Love, on the result show on Sunday evening. The debut single is due to get its release next week, with this weekend’s performance timed to support the track as it hits the shops.

The mother-of-two has been speaking about the process of creating her first ever album saying she insisted that she be involved in writing her own songs. Rebecca described how she sat down with her record label Sony and argued that for her to be seen as a credible artist, she needed to write her on material, and so the singer has been busy writing and recording for the album, Heaven, over the last year. The finished article is due for release on December 5th.

As well as the tour announcement and the first live performance of her new single on this weekend’s X Factor, Rebecca has also released two videos of her performing new tracks, Shoulder to Shoulder and Fairytale, both of which are available to view online now.

Jacko’s chauffeur to auction unseen documentary given by the singer as a gift

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Michael Jackson’s former chauffeur is in line to receive an estimated £4 million when the VHS video featuring an unseen documentary of the King of Pop is auctioned later this month.

The chauffeur, who has asked to keep his identity secret, revealed that the legendary singer gave him the video as a bonus to reward him for his hard work in chauffeuring the star.

The footage is believed to have been filmed during Michael Jackson’s 1993 Dangerous World Tour which was filmed in Argentina. According to reports, the late singer was unhappy with the finished result and refused to use the footage, with the film crew responsible for the documentary all being sacked by Jackson as a result.

After Michael’s death in 2009, the chauffeur released a clip of the unseen documentary online, however the late star’s record label and family stepped in to stop any more leaks as they claimed exclusive rights to the footage. Although the chauffeur is unable to broadcast any of the film under American law, he is entitled to sell or transfer the material to a third party.

According to the Fame Bureau Auctioneers, who will be responsible for selling the unique item, the footage on the VHS is of a great quality and is especially exciting because of the close proximity of the cameras to Michael Jackson, and also the large number of cameras used to film the footage, giving a very in depth portrayal of the star.

The documentary has been given an estimated selling price of £4 million, although it’s likely to sell for much more.

Frankie Cocozza exits the X Factor after breaking competition rules

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Controversial X Factor contestant, Frankie Cocozza, has been booted out of the show with immediate effect after he was found to have broken the rules of the competition.

The 18-year-old antics on and off the stage have finally caught up with him with X Factor bosses showing him the red card this afternoon.

TV regulator Ofcom was reportedly called in to investigate the wannabe’s behaviour after receiving over 100 complaints from viewers with many arguing that the teenager from Brighton was seen to be glamorising alcohol with footage aired on the Saturday night episode showing the youngster partying till 6am, while in a separate incident Frankie was seen mouthing an expletive as he celebrated not being voted off on Sunday night’s results show.

However media reports have emerged this afternoon which suggest that the wannabe rocker’s swift exit from the show came about as a result of him breaking a “golden rule” although the X Factor has failed to elaborate.

Aside from his off stage behaviour, the 18-year-old has come in for criticism recently for his lacklustre performances on the X Factor, with his most recent performance prompting boos from the audience. Frankie had reportedly told bosses he would exit the show of his own accord if he had of found himself in the bottom two on Sunday night.

In an official statement from the party loving 18-year-old, Frankie apologies to his mentor Gary Barlow, his fellow contestants and fans who voted for him, adding that his life has gone “out of control” while being on the show, and finishing by saying he doesn’t believe he deserves his place in the competition any more.

It’s not known if a dropped contestant will be called up to fill Frankie’s space on the show, although an official announcement is due to be made on the coming live show on Saturday night.

US rapper jailed for throwing woman out of moving hummer

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US rapper, Gucci Mane, has been handed a 6 year jail sentence after he admitted pushing a female passenger out of his white hummer in January of this year.

The rapper had only recently been released from prison after serving sentences for other unrelated crimes. Three months after his release, and the music performer is back behind bars serving a 6 month jail term after he his most recent court appearance.

According to the press reports, a 36-year-old female was approached outside of a mall in Atlanta by a male, later identified as Gucci Mane, driving a white hummer vehicle. The victim was asked if she’d like to join the driver for breakfast, she agreed and got inside the hummer.

Once onboard the hummer, the driver offered the female passengers money to visit a hotel with him, when she refused, he leant across and opened the passenger side door, pushing the female from the hummer as the vehicle was still travelling along the road.

The 36-year-old female fell from the moving hummer causing her to sustain bruising and redness to the skin on her back and left side of her body.

The Atlanta rapper pleaded guilty to two counts of battery, two counts of reckless conduct and one count of disorderly conduct which lead the judge to sentence Gucci Mane to 6 months behind bars.

Amy Winehouse’s home robbed of unreleased songs after her death

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Personal items including a book containing lyrics for her upcoming third album and Amy Winehouse’s favourite guitar are thought to have been stolen from the singer’s home in the days after her untimely death on July 23rd.

It is thought that only a handful of people, some 20 individuals, have had access to the Rehab singer’s home in Camden North London since she was found dead at the property at the end of last month. Those who have been inside the property include police, friends and family of the star.

A source told the press that the family are “sick with shock” after discovering the disappearance of the items which were so personal to the singer. Officially the police have registered the theft of two books containing lyrics written by the 27-year-old before her death, believed to have been intended for use on her new album. Reports suggest other property is also missing including a much loved guitar belonging to Amy, and also unreleased tracks and letters.

Amy’s family are away on holiday as they try to come to terms with their loss. It’s been reported that Amy’s father, former cabbie Mitch, is planning to give the person responsible for removing the items from her home the chance to do the right thing and return the property. Mitch and Amy’s on/off boyfriend Reg Travis, who has joined the family on holiday, are due to compile an inventory of items in the late singer’s home when they return from their break.

Kanye West to hire a Limo Broker Hummer for Big Chill Festival

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When US Rapper Kanye West makes his way to the stage to headline The Big Chill Festival in Hertfordshire this weekend he’ll be transported from his accommodation at the £7,000-a-night Eastnor Castle in a Limo Broker hummer limousine, The Mirror has reported.

The 34-year-old golddigger singer has flown into the UK especially to perform at The Big Chill Festival and will reportedly be staying at the lavish Eastnor Castle, the grounds of which the music event is held on. Kanye will enjoy a luxurious stay at the historic castle which boasts its own library, gothic dining room, as well as 12 bedrooms.

As well as hiring a state of the art 16-seater hummer to chauffeur him while he’s in the country, Kanye West has also made a number of requests to festival organisers ahead of his performance on the main stage at The Big Chill. The rap star has asked for 12 “locally sourced ballet dancers”, presumably to join him on stage during his set, and the Kayne has also asked for a raised staging area to allow him to crowd surf safely.

So if you’re heading to the Big Chill Festival this weekend, be it in a chauffeur driven limo or otherwise, Kanye West looks set to pull out all the stops for his headline performance at the music event so you’ll be in for a treat.

Prince demands chauffeur driven limo for 25 metre ride to the stage

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Pop singer Prince likes to travel in luxury it seems, even if he is travelling just 25 metres, after it was revealed that the US singer demanded a chauffeur driven limo to ferry him the short walk from his back stage dressing room to the performance area on Sunday night when he performed at the Hop Farm Music Festival.

The American hit maker left festival organiser flabbergasted with this list of demands which would have made even the biggest divas blush.

Prince reportedly asked for his dressing room to be made to his exact specified measurements, with backstage staff having to pull down and rebuild the space on several occasions as the room was too small or too big by a couple of inches. As well as being extremely specific about the dimensions of the dressing room, Prince also insisted that the area be decorated in purple, with all furniture and fittings in the colour purple as well.

Despite having a limousine to transport him the short walk from the dressing room to the stage, Prince arrived at the performance 35 minutes late. However when he did arrive, he gave the crowd a great show, keeping the festival-goers entertained with a two-and-a-half hour set. The singer initially requested to do a 3 hour set, however the festival organisers managed to reach a compromise with the star of 30 minutes less than he initially wanted.

As well a chauffeur driven limo and custom made dressing room, Prince’s rider also said that backstage staff were not allowed to look the star in the eye.

Prince’s headline appearance was his first UK festival appearance ever, and so a major coup for Hop Farm Festival which took place in the South East of England.

New X Factor judging panel confirmed by ITV

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The new look judging panel for this year’s X Factor has been confirmed in an announcement on Twitter by ITV, and there’s no room for the one time golden girl of the hit talent show, Cheryl Cole.

Many believed the Girls Aloud singer would rejoin the judging panel after being ditched by the US version of the show last week amid fears American viewers wouldn’t understand her Geordie accent. However there was no mention of the 27-year-old on this morning’s announcement by the TV channel.

So Cheryl Cole is out, as is Dannii Minogue and Simon Cowell who has bowed out to concentrate on the American X Factor. On the flip side, Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland is in, as is N Dubz star Tulisa Contostavlos and Gary Barlow who have all been confirmed as the judges on this year’s X Factor. Louis Walsh has survived the chop and is the only remaining judge from last year’s panel.

It’s been reported that Cheryl Cole was given the opportunity to return to the UK version of the X Factor, but that she failed to respond to offer before the deadline set by TV bosses. There’s been no word as to whether the Fight for this Love singer will be making an appearance on this year’s show in a non-judging capacity.

The auditions for this year’s show are due to start this Wednesday in Birmingham followed by auditions in Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff, London and Liverpool.

Rihanna lined up for The Bodyguard remake

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Rihanna has emerged as the biggest contender to clinch the female lead role in the remake of the hit 1992 movie, The Bodyguard.

The Rude Boy singer would take on the role made famous by Whitney Houston who starred in the original version of the movie. If the rumours are true, Rihanna will have the opportunity to perform some of the biggest hits from the film, including the number one single, I Will Always Love You.

Warner Brother are hoping to repeat the success of the original film with their modern take on the 90’s classic. The Bodyguard proved popular around the globe, pulling in $250 million from worldwide box office sales.

The remake will aim to keep the essence of the first movie, but with a modern twist. The lead character will be stalked via Twitter and Google Maps in the proposed new version, and the bodyguard character will be a war veteran who takes on the position after returning from active service in Iraq.

Rihanna is due to make her acting debut this year in the movie Battleship, after which she is expected to take the lead role in the Clint Eastwood directed remake of A Star is Born, which originally starred Judy Garland.

Other names which have been linked to the main role in the forthcoming new version of The Bodyguard include Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift, however the Barbadian singer has been tipped as the hot favourite to play the lead character.

Adele’s double chart success

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Soul singer Adele scored her first number one hit yesterday after her live rendition of her new single, Someone Like You, stormed the UK charts to secure the number one spot.

The Londoner beat off stuff competition from the likes of Lady Gaga and Jesse J to clinch the UK’s number one single this week.

However Adele’s success doesn’t end there as the 22-year-old’s recent single, Rolling in the Deep, remained in the top 5 on Sunday’s chart, plus her new album, 21, stayed at number one spot on the album chart, while her previous album, 19, re-entered the top 10 on the same chart. The impressive music sales figures mean that Adele is the first living artist to achieve two top 10 hits in both the singles and album chart since the Beatles in 1964.

The Chasing Pavements singer gave one of the most memorable performances of this year’s Brit Awards last week when she pulled at the nation’s heartstrings with her moving rendition of Someone Like You. The recording of this performance struck a chord with music fans who went on in their droves to download the track, which has since lead to the Londoner’s first UK single number one.

Since its release at the end of last month, Adele’s new album 21 has remained at number one on the UK for four consecutive weeks, and achieved number one in 17 countries following its first week of sales. The album is due for release in the US this week.