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SAHARA star MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY is thrilled he has been named Hollywood’s top party animal, insisting he thoroughly deserves the title.
US publication In Touch recently dubbed him `The Life of the Party,’ claiming the star had `perfected sexy socialising.’ The magazine even put him ahead of party girls like PARIS HILTON and LINDSAY LOHAN.
A thrilled McConaughey says, "I earned that one. I like to get there (party) early and I like to be the last to leave - especially if you have some good music and good company." The star believes the secret to ultimately capturing the title is all down to his smooth moves on the dance floor.
He adds, "I’ve probably spent I don’t know how many thousands of dollars paying bands to keep playing and paying clubs to stay open, saying, `Can you just play five more songs?’ And if it’s a charity event or something and you can go, `OK, a thousand bucks for every song you keep playing.’ "I’ve woken up the next morning and said, ‘Whoa - my pockets are empty!’"

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Former MELROSE PLACE star HEATHER LOCKLEAR has moved on from DAVID SPADE and is reportedly dating CHRISTINA APPLEGATE’s estranged husband, actor JOHNATHAN SCHAECH.
The pair were recently spotted sharing an intimate dinner at Mastro’s Steakhouse in Thousand Oaks, California.
Schaech, 37, who split with the ANCHORMAN star last year (05) is close to finalising his divorce.
Meanwhile, Locklear, 45, split from husband RICHIE SAMBORA in January (06) and has been seen out on the town with Schaech.
A friend of Locklear’s tells American publication Us Weekly, "She really likes him. It’s still in that fun, getting-to-know-each-other stage."

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Wrestling star JOHN CENA is keen to step into ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER’s shoes by landing the lead role in the next PREDATOR sequel.
The tough guy is the clear favourite to land the role of OAK in PREDATOR 3, according to Internet film rumours, but he insists no one has called him and offered him the role yet.
Cena is making it easy for the studio executives who may be considering him for the part - he’d love to tackle the Predator.
He tells movie news site moviehole.net, "Everybody’s been telling me about that (rumour). I wish somebody from the movie would actually call me about that." "I haven’t heard anything yet, but, man, that’d be something fun to do…. I grew up on those movies. They were fun to watch and they honestly and legitimately gave, not only me, but a lot of people, heroes.
"In retrospect, those movies have become cult classics… They are pieces of history that can’t be ignored. I’d love to give it my best shot and I’m gonna try my damnedest to take that role."

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Cancer survivor FARRAH FAWCETT gave fans a treat yesterday (12DEC06) when she hit Beverly Hills’ top stores as part of a Christmas shopping trip with old flame RYAN O’NEAL.
It was the actress’ first public outing since she was diagnosed with anal cancer earlier this year (06).
The former CHARLIE’S ANGELS star and O’Neal dined at Cafe Roma before shopping for jewellery at Alan Friedman, according to US news show EXTRA, who captured the footage.
Angry O’Neal used the news coverage to blast tabloid National Enquirer for running stories suggesting the actress was close to death.
The actor held up a copy of the publication, which featured a headline-grabbing story about Farrah wanting to die, and yelled, "Bulls**t, you tell them that. She’s doing great, not perfect, but great!"

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CIARA has stunned the US album charts by beating EMINEM to number one, thanks to her best sales week ever.
The R&B star’s new album, CIARA: THE EVOLUTION, rocketed to the top of the Billboard 200 chart this morning (13DEC06) with 338,000 copies sold.
That’s almost 30,000 copies more than Eminem’s new compilation EMINEM PRESENTS: THE RE-UP, which debuts at number two.
GWEN STEFANI’s new album, THE SWEET ESCAPE, gives the NO DOUBT singer her highest chart placing as a solo artist by debuting at three with 243,000.
The soundtrack to Disney show HANNAH MONTANA drops from number two to four in its seventh week on the chart, while hits compilation NOW! THAT’S WHAT I CALL MUSIC 23 slips from four to five.
Meanwhile, INCUBUS set a new undesired chart record by making the biggest drop from number one in the countdown’s history.
The rockers’ LIGHT GRENADES debuted at the top last week (06DEC06), but the album plummets to number 37.

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Hip-hop producer JONATHAN `JR’ ROTEM’s family was shocked when they saw photographs of their son kissing pop star BRITNEY SPEARS - but remain unconvinced the couple are dating.
Rotem, 31, has been working with the TOXIC singer on her upcoming album and their working relationship has apparently turned into something romantic.
The duo were photographed kissing and cuddling during a night out in Los Angeles Sunday (10DEC06) and Rotem’s family was caught completely off guard. The music producer’s father DORON ROTEM, a Berkeley, California-based computer science researcher, tells American publication Star, "I actually saw those pictures, but Jonathan didn’t tell me anything about that. Jonathan’s worked with Britney, but that’s all I know - that’s all he’s told me." Rotem has been hard at work on his career, working with such stars as 50 CENT, DESTINY’S CHILD, SNOOP DOGG and he even co-wrote three songs on the new album by Spears’ estranged husband KEVIN FEDERLINE.
Rotem’s father says he has been kept in the dark about his son’s famous new love interest adding, "I haven’t met her. Honestly, he’s so busy we barely get to see him. "If there is something going on, I don’t think it’s serious. You know, they’re just in pictures. Photographers catch a moment and the headlines start to go wild!"

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ARETHA FRANKLIN will supervise auditions for budding singers hoping to portray the Queen of Soul in a new musical based on her life. The production will be based on her 1999 autobiography ARETHA: FROM THESE ROOTS and will tour in the US.
The musical will tell Franklin’s story from her childhood in Detroit, Michigan, where she grew up in the church headed by her father REV CL FRANKLIN.
The RESPECT singer grew up around influential mentors including SAM COOKE and DINAH WASHINGTON and faced numerous personal struggles in her rise to international stardom.
In addition to supervising the new musical, the 64-year-old FREEWAY OF LOVE star is also putting the finishing touches on her new album, which is due for release in February (07).

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KORN star DAVID SILVERIA has opted to step down as the group’s drummer to concentrate on personal matters.
The exhausted star will be taking a temporary hiatus from the band in the New Year (07). A replacement has not been announced.
In a statement, Silveria says, "I just need a break right now." The drummer joins former bassist BRIAN `HEAD’ WELCH in quitting the group.
Welch departed Korn in February 2005 after becoming a born-again Christian.
But it’s not all Christmas doom and gloom for the heavy rockers - EVANESCENCE star AMY LEE and THE CURE joined the group to tape a new MTV UNPLUGGED concert last weekend (08DEC06), which will air on TV early in 2007.

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Soul queen DIANA ROSS is hoping to cash in on movie musical DREAMGIRLS, which is inspired by her life story, by releasing a new covers album in America.
The singer has made it public knowledge she’s not a fan of the film, which stars BEYONCE KNOWLES as a character loosely based on herself, but she isn’t going to let the film pass her by without reminding fans she’s still recording.
The 62-year-old singer will release I LOVE YOU, her first new studio album in more than seven years, in her native America on 16 January (07) - less than a month after the Christmas Day (25DEC06) release of Dreamgirls.
The new album, which features Ross’ renditions of classics like THE LOOK OF LOVE, I WILL and LOVELY DAY, has already been released in parts of Europe.

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Hollywood star VAL KILMER loved working on historical epic ALEXANDER, because director OLIVER STONE told him to pile on the pounds.
Kilmer often has to get in shape before starring in blockbuster movies, so he was thrilled at the chance to let himself go when he played PHILIP OF MACEDONIA in the 2004 ALEXANDER THE GREAT biopic starring COLIN FARRELL.
He says, "I liked being well-built when I played Philip a couple of years ago. I had fun getting out of shape. I told Oliver I thought I should look like a big bear.
"He said, ‘Great,’ so I sat around the pool with ANGELINA (JOLIE) eating ice cream." But the TOP GUN star’s new found weight had its drawbacks.
He explains, "I felt as if I was pregnant. I made noises just getting out of bed and thought I’d never have sex again."

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THANDIE NEWTON failed to bond with her co-star WILL SMITH on the set of THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS, and admits they "never got to know each other".
Newton and Smith’s characters are at odds in the new movie, and this tension continued once the cameras had stopped rolling.
She tells the New York Daily News, "To work opposite Will in this way, I knew it was special, even though part of me was pretty bummed out.
"How come I get to work with Will and we shout at each other every day? I arrive on set and everyone is like, ‘Oh, this is going to be so sad…’ "At the end of the day, when we’ve been horrible to each other, it was very hard to then just be sweet and nice, because we had to channel so much s**t to do it. We never got to know each other as who we are. "I really felt my job was to give Will and give the story what it needed. It had to be pretty rough. That’s my gift to it and to him, although I wish I could have been in HITCH!"

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British stars DAME HELEN MIRREN and SACHA BARON COHEN picked up the top prizes at this year’s (06) San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards yesterday (12DEC06).
Mirren won the Best Actress gong for her portrayal of QUEEN ELIZABETH II in THE QUEEN and Cohen was named Best Actor for BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN.
There was more glory for Brits with the KATE WINSLET-starring film LITTLE CHILDREN, which was named Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Little Children star JACKIE EARLE HALEY also won the Best Supporting Actor Award.
British director PAUL GREENGRASS won the Best Director Award for UNITED 93.
Elsewhere, BABEL star ADRIANA BARAZZA was named Best Supporting actress.
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH was named Best Documentary and PAN’S LABYRINTH was named Best Foreign Language film.

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Emmy Award-winning actor PETER BOYLE died at the New York Presbyterian Hospital last night (12DEC06). He was 71.
Boyle, best known in recent years for playing FRANK BARONE in EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, had been suffering from multiple myeloma - a form of cancer - and heart disease.
Boyle was a versatile and talented actor, excelling in both comedy and dramatic roles. He famously played it straight as ROBERT REDFORD’s campaign manager in 1972 film THE CANDIDATE before switching to farce by playing the monster in MEL BROOKS horror spoof YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN two years later (74).
Boyle’s TV career earned him 10 nominations - seven for Everyone Loves Raymond - and one win in 1996, as Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series for a role in THE X FILES.
He leaves behind wife of 29 years, LORRAINE, a former Rolling Stone magazine reporter, and two daughters LUCY and AMY.
Former BEATLE JOHN LENNON was best man when the pair married in 1977, after becoming close friends with Boyle through Lorraine and YOKO ONO.

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British rockers THE HORRORS have cancelled a concert tonight (13DEC06) because lead singer FARIS ROTTER has lost his voice.
The band were due to perform Newcastle University’s The Globe venue in England.
The band have yet to reschedule the date, but are due to return to the north eastern city in February. (SC/WNWP/MEH) WENN - FIFTH - HOLLYWOOD, SHOWBIZ & PEOPLE NEWS - 13 DECEMBER 2006

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Hip-hop moguls RONALD ‘SLIM’ WILLIAMS and BRYAN ‘BABY’ WILLIAMS are in mourning after their sister TAMARA was killed in a car crash on Monday (11DEC06).
The Cash Money Records co-founders’ sibling was involved in a head-on collision in New Orleans, Louisiana when she was struck by a vehicle driving the wrong way down a street.
Tamara, who was 26, leaves behind her husband and three children, reports AllHipHop.com.

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The $9.75 million (£5 million) Broadway musical HIGH FIDELITY will close on Sunday (17DEC06), just one month after opening previews were staged.
The production is based on British author NICK HORNBY’s best-selling book, which was adapted into a 2000 Hollywood movie starring JOHN CUSACK and JACK BLACK, and failed to garner healthy advance sales before opening to the public last week (07DEC06).
The New York Times critic described DAVID LINDSAY-ABAIRE’s show as one of the "all-time most forgettable musicals".
Last week, New York’s Imperial Theatre was half-empty for the first public performances, prompting producers to pull the plug.

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Auction website eBay has pulled tickets for a British celebrity concert celebrating the life of British royal DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES, just hours after they sold out.
The first batch of Concert for Diana tickets - numbering 22,500 - sold out just hours after going on sale this morning (13DEC06) and some were immediately advertised on eBay for three-times their £45 ($88) face value.
But "out of respect" for the late princess’s memory, executives at eBay have decided against allowing members to resell tickets for the Wembley Stadium concert which will go ahead next year (01JUL07).
A message on eBay.co.uk’s internal community page reads, "In view of the unique and commemorative nature of the Concert for Diana event and as a mark of respect for the memory of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, we’ve decided to prohibit the resale of tickets to this event on the site. "Any tickets currently listed will be removed as soon as possible. "Now that the details of the event have been confirmed, we’ll be contacting the charities involved to suggest ways they can further raise money for Diana’s favourite causes through our eBay for Charity programme." More tickets for the 60,000-capacity concert will go on sale next year (07).

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With Christmas approaching, I’d like to inform you all of WENN’s plans over the Christmas period.
As with previous years, the newdesk will be closing for a few days over Christmas and New Year.
We will offer a full service up to the 24th December. We will then be closed on the 24th, 25th and 26th December. On 27th, 28th and 29th December we will send three feeds per day at 10am, 1pm and 5pm (GMT).
We will offer a full Saturday service on 30th September. We will then close on 31st December and 1st January.
On 2nd January we will send feeds at 8am, 1pm, 5pm and 8pm (GMT) Full service will resume on 3rd January.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any queries about our Christmas service.
Let me take this opportunity to wish you a very happy Christmas and New Year from all at WENN.
Regards Ian — Ian Garland Senior News Wire Editor World Entertainment News Network Ltd 35 Kings Exchange Tileyard Road London N7 9AH Tel: 020 76072757 Email: ian@wenn.com

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