You little swine: Emma Thompson is almost upstaged by a pig at the world premiere of Nanny McPhee in London

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By Georgina Littlejohn

This little piggy should have stayed home: Emma Thompson grapples with her snouted date at the world premiere of Nanny McPhee in London last night


The old showbusiness adage says you should never work with children or animals.
Something that Emma Thompson probably wished she'd taken into account for the world premiere of her new film Nanny McPhee And The Big Bang.

The actress was almost upstaged by her date for the night as they arrived at the Odeon West End in Leicester Square in London last night.


Squealing the limelight: The pig tries to drag Emma away as she poses for the cameras


But it wasn't husband Greg Wise making a show of himself but a little pig who took it upon itself to take as much attention away from the film's star as possible.

It tried to lead Emma off in all directions as she tried to keep it under control as they arrived on the red carpet, which was actually blue and covered in silver stars

It refused to pose for the cameras, and became so startled by the flashbulbs and screaming fans that it relieved itself at the entrance to the cinema


Leading ladies: Emma, who wrote the film and plays the lead role, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, who plays the mother who calls Nanny McPhee to control her unruly children


But ever the professional, Emma kept on smiling before handing the pig over to its handler so she could join her human co-stars inside.

Looking stunning in a brown strapless Vivienne Westwood gown and gold Aruna Seth shoes, Emma couldn't stop grinning, probably from excitement about the premiere and relief she'd handled the farm animal situation with as much dignity as possible.


All together: The film's cast, including Rhys Ifans and comedian Bill Bailey, pose with director Susanna White (third from left) and Emma's daughter Gaia (in front of Emma)


Dapper: Rhys Ifans and Bill Bailey scrub up well for the screening


Emma, who wrote the film, also appeared relaxed and sun-kissed, having just returned from a holiday in Mexico with close friend Kate Winslet, providing her with a shoulder to cry on after her separation from director husband Sam Mendes.

Emma was joined by co-star Maggie Gyllenhaal, who kept it simple but very chic in a Vionnet black silk crepe dress with cream ivory silk pleated insert and platform peep-toed heels


Cheeky! Rhys Ifans can't resist grabbing Emma's bottom as he greets her at the premiere


Maggie praised Thompson, and said: 'I'm her biggest fan and I know I'm not alone in thinking she is a brilliant genius. I would like to work with her on everything.'

She also gushed about Dame Maggie Smith, who also stars in the film, and said: 'I heard she was a little tough and was nervous to work with her, but, thank God, she liked me.'

Unfortunately, neither Dame Maggie nor Ralph Fiennes, who also stars in the film, attended the premiere.


Well-behaved: The young stars of the film (from left) a cheeky Eros Valhos, Oscar Steer, Asa Butterfield, Rosie Taylor-Ritson and Lil Woods smile sweetly for the cameras


Other cast members attending included comedian Bill Bailey, who plays a pig farmer.

He joked that his animal co-stars were 'not just common-or-garden farm pigs from up the road', but proper stage pigs who 'were all a bit blase really'.


Celebrity guests: Fashion guru Trinny Woodhall and her daughter Lyla and TV presenter Gail Porter and her daughter Honey and friend


Doing it for the kids: EastEnders actress Patsy Palmer and her daughter Emilia and Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley with her sons Jude and Cassius


Welsh actor Rhys Ifans, who plays a character called Uncle Phil, was also in attendance and ever the joker, took the opportunity to pinch Emma's bottom as he greeted her at the cinema.

Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang is the sequel the 2005 hit Nanny McPhee and tells the story of stressed parent Isabel Green - played by Gyllenhaal - who is struggling to deal with unruly children and run the family farm while her husband is away fighting in the Second World War, so she calls in the magical McPhee to bring them to order.


Family affair: Sinitta arrived with her twins Zac and Magdalena while presenter Vanessa Feltz attends with singer husband Ben and her daughter and friend
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Don't cry Jamie! Now David Letterman lectures Oliver and says his healthy eating crusade won't work in America

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By Daily Mail Reporter

Big challenge: Jamie Oliver looks flustered as David Letterman argues why his healthy eating plan won't work on The Late Show last night


Jamie Oliver's attempt to revolutionise America's unhealthy eating habits hit yet another stumbling block yesterday when his plan was dismissed by David Letterman.

In a move away from his talkshow's usual format, the TV host delivered an extraordinary five-minute lecture at the start saying why Oliver was doomed to failure.

While Letterman praised Oliver's idea, he said it wouldn't work in a country full of fast food chains and convenience food.


Passionate: Oliver tries to convince Letterman to his way of thinking


Oliver chatted to Letterman during a cooking segment on The Late Show last night as he promoted his new TV show Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.

The six-part series sees Oliver travel to the city of Huntington, Virginia - known as the most unhealthy city in America - in a bid to overhaul their eating habits. He actually bursts into tears of frustration as his message fails to get through.

Letterman started off the segment by outlining his thoughts on why Oliver's healthy eating plan wouldn't work.

He said: 'You know who was on the programme last week was Kirstie Alley and she has a kind of second career dealing with her weight and her struggles to lose weight.


Giant problem: Residents of America's fattest town, Kristin Cookson and Justin Peterson study in Starbucks between meals


'We got to talking about how difficult it is for people to lose weight and I maintained that try as hard as you might you are never going to succeed because we are living in a culture dominated by the commerce of selling food that is inherently unhealthy.'

Oliver said despite the dominance of fast food, he hoped to educate people about what they were putting in their bodies and the health problems they will face in the future.

However, Letterman fired back he had battled weight problems himself and controversially believes diet pills are the only successful way to lose weight in America.


Big appetitie: A Huntington chef prepares one of the town's specialities... a 15lb burger


He said: 'After five or six, ten or 20 years of trying to lose weight there is nothing in this culture you can do to lose weight short of medication.

'If you want to go to a doctor, no seriously, go to a doctor and they'll be happy to give you as many pills as you need.

'But as long as we are trying to feed this many people we are going to continue to eat bad food. And you think McDonald's is going to close down? No, they're not going to close down.'

Letterman then gave several examples of why Americans didn't like change: 'In the late 60s we were going to be changed to the metric system... well that didn't work, did it? And you know why? It was too hard for Americans to figure out metres.

'Soccer, remember soccer? Well that didn't work either.'

Oliver interjected how the smoking ban - in New York and several other U.S. cities - had been successful, despite the initial outrage from smokers.


Emotional: Oliver cries with frustration after clashing with dinner ladies in Huntington


Letterman replied: 'But again that was people making the decision. With eating it's not a decision. People have to eat.

'God bless you but here's what I think will happen. I think that the species will evolve to the point where 1,000 years from now we all weigh 5-600lbs and it will be OK.'

Oliver insisted the increasingly unhealthy lifestyles of today's children meant they would be living shorter lives than their parents, which Letterman agreed on.

But he blamed America's food industry for making unhealthy food so available: 'We'll go into any supermarket and there are 160 different kinds of cookies.

'I don't care how much ground up sea grass you eat or wheat germ - or stuff you find in your pocket. As long as they are selling 160 different types of cookie what hope do you have?'

Oliver appeared to become resigned to the fact he wouldn't convert Letterman to his way of thinking, turning to the audience and saying: 'As you can see ladies and gentlemen, my challenge is big.'


Poor diet: Mother-of-four Stacie, surrounded by a week's worth of deep fried food, starts to cry as Oliver tells her that her cooking will kill her children
In Oliver's new show, he reduces an American mother-of-four to tears when he warns her that her cooking will end up killing her children.


Sitting in front of a pile of the family's weekly food intake, Oliver tells a weepy Stacie: 'This is going to kill your children.'

Her son Jamie, 12, admits he is picked on at school due to his large size and hopes to become a chef.

Oliver's new series sees him hoping to reciprocate his success in Britain, where he overhauled school dinners.

Oliver is shocked when he sees dinner ladies making pizza for breakfast and served instant mashed potatoes to children at Central City Elementary.

Amazed that they're not using real potatoes, he points to the mash, saying: 'It's that kind of food that is killing America.'

An incredulous Oliver is further stunned when he holds up tomatoes on a vine to a young boy, who believes they are potatoes.

The chef stands back as he watches the children eating and notices they are all drinking flavoured milk and are uninterested in fruit.

Using shock tactics to explain to the children and staff how much fat they're eating every year, they eventually are open to change.

During the series, a local newspaper claims Oliver has said several disparaging things about Huntingdon, which he insists was taken out of context.

An emotional Oliver is seen tearing up as he says: 'They don't understand me 'cause they don't know why I'm here.'
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Wonder Girls’ Yeeun shows support for American Idol contestant

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Last November, former Wonder Girls member Sunmi shared her love for the hit American show American Idol. Well, it seems as if Sunmi wasn’t the only member in the Wonder Girls that watched American Idol!

Not too long ago, Yeeun voiced her support for a current American Idol contestant. She tweeted, “OMG who else just watched Crystal singing on AI?! I gotta say she just rocked !!!! Amazing perform!!”

This Crystal that she mentions is none other than Crystal Bowersox from Elliston, Ohio. Currently, Crystal is among the top 11 contestants of the ninth season. With her amazing voice, it’s no wonder she made it this far! Check out her latest performance
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Foxy’s MV gets banned on free to air TV

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New girl group, Foxy, was expected to grab attention due to Han Jang Hee, the 2006 World Cup girl, being one of the members. Unfortunately, one of Korea’s largest broadcasting channel, SBS, has banned their music video for their song Why Are You Doing This To Me.

Things are looking worse, as the other two main brodcasting channels, KBS and MBC, have also banned their music video from airing on their channels as well.

The music video showed a lot of skinship and promoted sexual relationships with men and women. It was decided by the censorship department of all 3 tv stations that the music video was over-the-top and very inappropriate.

Foxy’s company, MC Entertainment stated, “The decision for Foxy’s music video being banned on free to air television stations was a big blow to us. We are thinking of editing the video and hoping for it to be accepted on TV. The music video for their World Cup Song, which will be released in May, will not have this problem.”

Let’s hope that things will look better for them in the future!
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Zia to release a new single

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Following the release of her previous album ATELIER last December, singer Zia will release a new track titled Bad Habit on the 26th!

Her single album is titled T-Project: Part II Timeless. The word “Timeless” represents the song’s theme of having a bad habit of not forgetting the love one that left. T-Project: Part I Tears was her previous hit single Have A Drink, as it represents the theme of a female’s tears. Like her previous hit tracks, her upcoming track will also be a ballad song.

Zia’s agency LOEN Entertainment stated, “People who have heard Zia’s ‘Bad Habit’ before its release have been impressed. This song will continue on from ‘Have A Drink’ to become a great emotional ballad song.”

Aren’t you guys excited? Stay tuned to the release of Bad Habit on Friday, March 26th!
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Lift off! Virgin Galactic's space tourism rocket soars to heavens in first test flight

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By Daily Mail Reporter

Onwards and upwards: SpaceShipTwo during its inaugural test flight over the California desert yesterday. It is attached to the middle of its mothership, WhiteKnightTwo

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, the world's first commercial passenger spaceship, made its inaugural test flight over the California desert yesterday.

The flight marked the start of a test programme that will progress to flights as a glider and then under rocket power.

Throughout the two hour, 54 minute test, the space tourism rocket remained slung beneath the middle of the wing of its 'mothership' WhiteKnightTwo, a twin-fuselage carrier aircraft.
The pair achieved an altitude of 45,000ft before returning to the Mojave Air and Space Port, which is 70 miles north of Los Angeles.

'This is a momentous day,' designer Burt Rutan said.


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Virgin Galactic, an offshoot of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group, has collected about £30million in deposits and fares from more than 330 aspiring amateur astronauts, each of whom will be charged £133,000 to experience a few minutes of suborbital spaceflight

By suborbital means its trajectory will not complete a full orbit of Earth.

Test flights are scheduled to continue through 2011, with commercial operations set to begin in 2012.

The rocket and mothership are the second generation of the Burt Rutan-designed system that sent the first privately developed, manned rocket into space in 2004.

SpaceShipOne went on that year to make two more suborbital flights, winning the £6.7million prize Ansari X Prize. It is now in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.


Throughout the two hour 54 minute test it remained attacked to WhiteKnightTwo. In future, it will be the job of the mothership to carry it to an altitude of 50,000ft before releasing it


High flier: The craft achieved an altitude of 45,000ft before returning to the Mojave Air and Space Port in California


Sir Richard is in a deal with the Rutan-founded Scaled Composites of Mojave, California, to develop passenger-carrying spacecraft and launchers.

SpaceShipTwo has been dubbed Virgin Spaceship Enterprise and the four-engine carrier jet is called Virgin Mothership Eve, after Sir Richard's mother.

'Seeing the finished spaceship in December was a major day for us but watching VSS Enterprise fly for the first time really brings home what beautiful, groundbreaking vehicles Burt and his team have developed for us,' said Sir Richard.

Virgin Galactic said the flight test program will run through 2011 before passenger travel is scheduled to begin in 2012.

SpaceShipTwo will be carried to an altitude of about 50,000ft and then released by the mothership.

Powered by a single rocket motor, the spaceship will be flown by a crew of two and carry six passengers on a Mach 3 thrill ride through the edge of the atmosphere for a brief zero-gravity experience and views of the Earth far below before gliding to a landing.


Coming in to land: Virgin Galactic said the flight test programme will run through 2011 before commercial operations are scheduled to begin in 2012


Such suborbital flights are similar to the 1961 flights of Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Virgil Grissom - up into space and then back down without circling the Earth.

But by launching SpaceShipTwo from a high-flying carrier aircraft, there's no need for the massive rockets that propelled the Mercury capsules.

Motherships have been used for decades by Nasa and the military for 'captive-carry' tests and launches of such craft as the X-15 rocket planes.

The novel part of Rutan's design is his 'carefree re-entry' system.

SpaceShipTwo has tailbooms extending rearward from its wings. In space, the booms pivot upward to a 65-degree angle. The position causes drag and slows the descent in the upper atmosphere before the booms pivot back to horizontal.

Commercial development has been slower than expected.

When Virgin Group licensed the technology from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who funded about £17million for SpaceShipOne, Sir Richard envisioned operating flights by 2007.


Mass appeal? An artist's conception of SpaceShipTwo during a sub-orbital flight (left) and the spaceship as it is released from its mothership White Knight Two (right)


Inside deal: An interior view of SpaceShipTwo's cabin while it was under construction


A major setback was an explosion during a 2007 ground test involving the flow of a rocket oxidizer.

Three workers were killed and three others suffered serious injuries.

Approximately 600 people are now employed on activities relating to the Virgin Galactic project.

This figure is estimated to rise to over 1,100 jobs during the peak of the construction phase at the space port and when the commercial space vehicles begin their flights.

Speaking in December, Sir Richard said: 'The team has created not only a world first but also a work of art.

'It's incredible to think only 450 people have ever been into space; that's including all the Russians, all the Chinese and all the Americans put together.'

In honour of a long tradition of using the word Enterprise in the naming of Royal Navy, U.S. Navy, Nasa vehicles and even science fiction spacecraft, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson in December christened SS2 with the name Virgin Space Ship (VSS) Enterprise.


December launch: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger with Sir Richard Branson and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, break wines bottles at the christening ceremony of SpaceShipTwo (left). Sir Richard poses with aircraft designer Burt Rutan (right)
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Dancing With The Stars: Lewis Hamilton cheers on girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger as she tops the leaderboard

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By Chris Johnson

Waltzing to success: Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough topped the leaderboard last night on the U.S. show Dancing With The Stars



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It was hardly a surprising result.

Nicole Scherzinger, of dance troupe Pussycat Dolls, last night topped the leaderboard as the new season of Dancing With The Stars premiered in America.

The 31-year-old beauty was cheered on by her Formula One boyfriend Lewis Hamilton, who was among her supporters in the audience.


Support: The Pussycat Doll's boyfriend, F1 ace Lewis Hamilton

Nicole and her partner Derek Hough - who comforted Cheryl Cole in the days after her split from Ashley - scored the first two nines and a seven on the premiere of the 10th season of the show, beating off stiff competition from the new cast.

Judge Bruno Tonioli called Scherzinger's Viennese waltz a 'performance of startling finesse.' He added: 'I'm astounded.'

Fellow judge Carrie Ann Inaba added: 'Apparently, the bar has just been set.

'I haven't seen a routine out of the gate like that ever.' But Len Goodman was not as impressed, giving the dance a seven.

He said: 'There was no footwork. Great performance but work on your technique.'

Scherzinger denied her experiences with the Pussycat Dolls gave her an unfair advantage, saying: 'This is a whole other world for me.

'I have experienced dancing but I have never done anything like this before. It is a far cry from chest pumps and booty dips.'

But perhaps Nicole should not get too used to having Lewis as her cheerleader - he's off to Melbourne soon for the next round of the Grand Prix on March 28.

At least he was on hand to return the favour, though, after Nicole 's support at many of his races, including in 2008 when he became the youngest F1 title holder in São Paulo.


High hopes: Nicole dismissed claims her dancing background gave her an advantage, saying this is a 'whole other world for me'


True to style, fellow Dancing With The Star contestant Pamela Anderson sexed up the show after she ripped the shirt off her dance partner Damian Whitewood during a red-hot cha-cha that won the praises of judge Tonioli.

Tonioli said: 'I can only think of sex, sex and more sex. The dirtier the better! I can't wait until next week for some more.'

Pam, 42, said she had been terrified before coming out on the dance floor.


Show stopping: Pamela Anderson with dancer partner Damian Whitewood and host of the show Tom Bergeron


She said: 'This is the first time I've had to deal with choreography. I have no rhythm and I'm tone deaf - but I like music.'

Bruno gave Pam an eight while Carrie scored her seven and Len a six. Goodman said: 'It was a mess, you were off time.'

Beverly Hills 90210 star Shannen Doherty provided the drama for the premiere.

The 38-year-old actress, famous for playing Brenda Walsh, suffered such stage fright that she broke out in a rash just moments before she was due to dance.


Sex factor: Pammy spiced up the show in her skimpy pink outfit


Chemistry:And she ensured her dance partner flashed the flesh as she ripped his shirt off during a red hot cha-cha


She could be seen scratching her arms as she waited to enter the ballroom with partner Mark Ballas.

Doherty said: 'I'm doing Dancing With The Stars for my dad. He had a massive stroke and the road he faces is a very hard one.


Drama: Beverly Hills 90210 star Shannen Doherty and Mark Ballas

'He loves the show, he asked me to do it and I can never say no to my dad.

'But being judged terrifies me. Not only are there three judges but the whole audience. It's super scary and I'm going to get hives.'

The judges said they could tell she was worried as she performed her Viennese waltz, receiving three sixes. Bruno Tonioli gave her perhaps his harshest criticism of the night.

'You were swinging your arms around like a primate,' he said.

Doherty replied: 'You see my dad's face? That's all that matters to me.'

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who was the second man to step foot on the Moon on July 20, 1969, is the oldest contestant of the current series.

The 80-year-old, who was partnered with professional dancer Ashly Costa, joked about his appearance, saying: 'I've stepped on the Moon so now I'm going to dance with the stars.'

The rest of the celebrity line up includes American Football star Chad Ochocinco, sports reporter Erin Andrews, The Bachelor star Jake Pavelka, comedienne Niecy Nash, figure skater Evan Lysacek, U.S. soap star Aiden Turner and reality TV mother Kate Gosselin.


Pretty in pink: Reality TV star Kate Gosselin and dancer partner Tony Dovolani


Stars and the moon: Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who was the second man to step foot on the Moon, with dance partner Ashly Costa









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