Singer Jade wins Eurovision berth

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Jade is declared the winner and reprises My Time. Clips courtesy of Eurovision: Your Country Needs You on BBC One

Jade Ewen has been chosen to sing Andrew Lloyd Webber's Eurovision Song Contest entry for the UK in Moscow.

The Londoner won the public vote ahead of identical sibling act The Twins and Welshman Mark Evans after all three acts performed My Time.

The ballad, heard for the first time, was composed by Lloyd Webber with US Grammy-winning lyricist Diane Warren.

The composer said he would give "101% commitment" to the singer ahead of the Eurovision final on 16 May.

In an interview ahead of the contest, Lloyd Webber said that he feared one of three final acts would be unable to cope with the pressure of performing at the event.

'Realistic'

He said it would be a "mistake to put through somebody who didn't appear to do the song justice".

The Twins' vocal harmonies failed to win over the voting public

In the live final of Your Country Needs You, 23-year-old Mark, who until recently appeared in pantomine, finished third in the public vote.

Sheffield Sisters Nicola and Francine Gleadall, whose interpretation of Lloyd Webber's song won praise from song contest fans, were pipped to the post.

All three acts performed two cover versions during the programme, with Jade singing Beyonce's Deja Vu and Lady Marmalade.

The singer, whose father is blind and mother is partially sighted, choked back the tears as she reprised her Eurovision song.

Earlier in the programme, panellist and former contest winner Lulu told Jade: "You tick all the boxes, you've got the whole package."

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The singer is now faced with the task of reversing the UK's very poor recent form at Eurovision, including last place at the 2008 final.

She is expected to go on a tour of Europe to promote the song ahead of the competition.

Lloyd Webber has said that a top 10 placing - last achieved in 2002 - would be a "realistic" goal.

Singer Jade wins Eurovision berth

The 21-year-old soul singer is from Plaistow, east London

Jade Ewen has been chosen to sing Andrew Lloyd Webber's Eurovision Song Contest entry for the UK in Moscow.

The Londoner won the public vote ahead of identical sibling act The Twins and Welshman Mark Evans after all three acts performed It's My Time.

The newly-unveiled ballad was composed by Lloyd Webber with US Grammy Award-winning lyricist Diane Warren.

The composer said he would give "101% commitment" to the singer ahead of the Eurovision final on 16 May.

Springsteen regrets record deal

Springsteen played at President Obama's inauguration celebrations

Rock star Bruce Springsteen has said it was a "mistake" to exclusively release an album with US retail giant Wal-Mart.

The musician told the New York Times: "Our batting average is usually very good, but we missed that one."

Some fans complained about the deal, saying claims made against Wal-Mart's labour practices conflicted with Springsteen's principles on the issue.

He is due to perform during the interval at Sunday's Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida.

'Done different'

"We were in the middle of doing a lot of things, it kind of came down and, really, we didn't vet it the way we usually do," said the musician.

"It was something that if we'd thought about it a little longer, we'd have done something different.

"Fans will call you on that stuff, as it should be," added Springsteen.

The record, a 12-track collection of greatest hits priced at $10(

Potter's injured stuntman named

Daniel Radcliffe plays Harry Potter in the film series

Harry Potter's stunt-double, who was seriously injured on the set of the latest film, has been named.

David Holmes, 25, was hurt at Leavesden Studios, near Watford, Hertfordshire, where Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is in pre-production.

Mr Holmes, from Romford, east London, was taken to Watford General Hospital on Wednesday with a back injury. He has since been moved to another hospital.

His family said they were helping each other "through this difficult time."

A statement released by the family said: "We would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers.

"We are trusting in the expertise of the medical staff who are caring for David."

An investigation was opened by the Health and Safety Executive after the accident.

US rapper DMX given jail sentence

The rapper told the court he is suffering from gout

US rap star DMX has been sentenced to 90 days in prison for theft, drug possession and animal cruelty offences.

The musician - real name Earl Simmons - has been in custody since December when he was arrested in Miami for failing to make a court appearance in Phoenix.

The judge said she would allow him to apply to serve his sentence in Florida.

The 38-year-old admitted the offences last month, including one count of animal cruelty brought after police searched his Arizona home in May.

Authorities said they found 12 neglected dogs and three carcasses, along with drug paraphernalia and weapons.

The rapper, who was not given credit for time already served in jail, has sold around 20m records worldwide.

His first five albums topped the US chart in their initial week of release.

Goodness Gracious Me writer dies

Mr Sardana brought Asian comedy to the mainstream

Tributes have been paid to Emmy-award winning comedy writer Sharat Sardana who has died aged 40.

Mr Sardana helped create popular television programmes Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No. 42.

Actors Meera Syal and Sanjeev Bhaskar, who worked with him on both shows said they were "broken-hearted".

Mr Sardana died at Whipps Cross University Hospital in London on Tuesday. It is believed he had contracted a streptococcal virus.

Gifted writer'

Syal and Bhaskar said they were "stunned and completely broken hearted about Sharat's death".

They said: "He was not just a gifted writer and a long-standing colleague and friend.

"We were part of each other's extended families and losing him feels like losing a brother.

"There is so much he should have and could have done, though we're grateful and so very proud of what he achieved in his all-too-brief life."

His cousin Anita Kirpal told the Evening Standard the family was "devastated".

"Sharat was always very witty. He was able to take family jokes and make them work with a wide audience," she said.

Mr Sardana collapsed at the home of his 82-year-old father, Om, whom he had looked after since the death of his mother Raj, one of the UK's first female Indian doctors.

He joined the BBC's script editing scheme after graduating from Queen Mary and Westfield, University of London.

He never forgot that comedy should be funny first and provocative second Jon PlowmanBBC Comedy

He teamed up with fellow writer and ex-classmate Richard Pinto to create the award-winning Goodness Gracious Me sketch show - first for radio and then television.

The show quickly gained popularity for skits including a father who claimed everyone important - including Superman and members of the Royal Family - had to be an Indian and "The Coopers" - Anglo-Asians who shunned their ethnic roots.

The writing team then moved to independent production company Hat Trick Productions.

The Kumars was an indirect spin-off and was a mix of family sitcom and celebrity interviews. It ran for seven series until 2006 and won an International Emmy.

Writing in the Guardian, Bhaskar described his friend as a "prodigiously gifted comedy writer and producer who helped revolutionise the perception of Asians in Britain".

Jon Plowman, executive producer of BBC Comedy, said: "It's a very sad day for comedy to lose a writer who managed to help comedy break through in the way that Goodness Gracious Me did.

"Sharat began his career at the BBC as a very insightful and enthusiastic script editor and went on to co-create, with his writing partner Richard Pinto, the ground-breaking comedy that gave us the British Asian perspective on the world.

"He never forgot that comedy should be funny first and provocative second.

"This is a truly shocking loss."

EastEnders actress Nina Wadia, who also appeared in Goodness Gracious Me, said a "genuinely unique talent" had been lost.

"My heart goes out to his family.

"The time we spent creating something new and special and bigger than ourselves was a privilege I'll always treasure," she said.

Webber's fear for Eurovision act

Jade, Mark and The Twins are battling it out for the UK's Eurovision ticket

Andrew Lloyd Webber has said he is worried that one of his Eurovision finalists may not cope well with representing the UK in Moscow.

The composer said that if the public voted for the wrong act he "might not go" to Russia in May, adding: "I really can't be a miracle worker."

He said he would have to "spend quite a lot more time" with one of the acts.

Three acts - The Twins, Jade and Mark - will each perform his Eurovision song My Time on Saturday's BBC One show.

'Rocky power ballad'

"I absolutely know that it would be a mistake to put through somebody who didn't appear to do the song justice," he said, but insisted he would ultimately support whichever act won the public's backing.

He said he did not have a favourite act of the three, but added: "I think I might say there are two.

"If I haven't got the right act there's nothing I can really do to change it," added the musician.

Webber said the song is "a rocky power ballad", with lyrics penned by Grammy-winning US songwriter Diane Warren.

He said the UK would do very well to secure its first top 10 Eurovision finish since 2002, and this was the initial stage in the country's musical comeback.

"I think that's realistically what we can achieve. But, again, we won't achieve it with the wrong act."

But he said the finalists in Your Country Needs You "are infinitely better than anything that Britain has remotely conceived of putting near the stage" in recent years.

Identical siblings Nicola and Francine, Welshman Mark and Londoner Jade will also sing two cover versions during the final show.

The winner, who will represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest final on 12 May, is also expected to go on a European tour to promote the song ahead of the competition.

Bill Oddie flies Springwatch nest

Oddie first found fame as a comedy performer in the 1960s

TV presenter and ornithologist Bill Oddie has quit wildlife programme Springwatch, the BBC has confirmed.

The former Goodie has decided to "take a breather" and will not take part in the next series, which begins in May.

He has presented the nightly nature show for the last four years alongside Kate Humble. It is not yet known whether anyone will take his place.

The new series of Springwatch will kick off with a one-hour special showcasing Oddie's favourite moments.

"I'm really going to miss working with Kate and the team but after an amazing four years of really intense work it feels like the right time to take a breather and recharge my batteries," the often-cantankerous presenter said.

Expertise

The BBC said Oddie remained an important part of the wildlife broadcasting team and would continue to work on other programmes, including Bill Oddie's Top Ten.

The door has been left open for him to return to Springwatch - although he has almost certainly been ruled out of this year's instalment of the series' sister show, Autumnwatch.

Neil Nightingale, head of the BBC natural history unit, said: "Bill's inimitable style, in depth expertise and unflinching dedication have helped establish Springwatch and Autumnwatch as two of the nation's favourite natural history programmes.

"Although he's stepping out of the picture for this series he remains an important member of the Springwatch family."

Springwatch, which encourages viewers to spot wildlife in their gardens and get involved with nature conservation, is a popular fixture in BBC Two's schedules.

Its appeal has been put down to the play-off between Oddie's gruff, matter-of-fact persona and Humble's more chatty manner.

Last year's series had an average of 3.5 million viewers nightly.

Call for end to Poet Laureate job

Cope said good poetry cannot be composed to order

Wendy Cope, a favourite to succeed Andrew Motion as Poet Laureate, has called for the post to be abolished.

Writing in the Royal Society of Literature Review, she said the position has far too many expectations attached to it.

She suggested that a good poet can write about public events without holding an official title.

The government hopes to announce in March who will replace Andrew Motion, who is stepping down after 10 years.

Cope, with her wry wit and keen eye for the frustrations of everyday life, is one of the UK's most widely-read poets.

She said: "Although there is no requirement on the part of the Palace or Whitehall that the Laureate write anything at all, the press and the public expect it and the only way to get rid of that expectation is to abolish the post."

Writer's block

Cope added that good poetry cannot be composed to order and criticised former poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman for writing what she called an "embarrassingly bad poem" when Princess Anne got married.

She added: "I remember feeling sad and thinking, 'He shouldn't have to do this'. My opinion hasn't changed."

Motion writes verse for significant Royal occasions

Cope said the best way for a poet to serve the arts would be to remain free and write whatever poems they liked.

But she added that Motion had "worked hard and done a good job without making a fool of himself".

Last year, Motion said the job of writing verse for the Royal Family was "thankless" and gave him a case of writer's block.

His assignments included composing a poem to mark the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's diamond wedding anniversary and a modern verse for Prince William's 21st birthday.

Motion initially said his appointment would give him a platform to promote poetry, and he has gone on found the online Poetry Archive.

He succeeded the late Ted Hughes to the position, which was introduced in 1668. Previous appointees, which included Ben Jonson and William Wordsworth, stayed in the role until their death.

Men's magazine makeover for Morph

Morph was spruced up for his 30th birthday celebrations Enlarge Image

Morph, the plasticine character made famous by the late TV presenter Tony Hart, is celebrating his 30th birthday with a photo shoot in a men's magazine.

Model makers spent three weeks creating tiny designer outfits for Morph, for a fashion shoot to appear in Esquire magazine's March issue.

Editors behind the project said it would be a timely salute to Hart, who died earlier this month aged 83.

Morph was created by Aardman Animations - the team behind Wallace and Gromit.

Peter Lord, co-founder of Aardman, sketched out the scenes for the shoot, which feature Morph and his sidekick Chaz "in this season's key pieces".

Funeral for TV artist Tony Hart

The avuncular presenter's shows included Take Hart and Hartbeat

Mourners have gathered to pay their last respects to Tony Hart, who died earlier this month, aged 83.

Close family and friends packed a small church in the village of Shamley Green, Surrey, where Hart lived for more than 40 years.

As they entered, the congregation used coloured paints to daub a canvas in memory of the artist and TV presenter.

During the service, Hart's son-in-law, Will Williams, described him as an "English gentleman".

"He kept a stiff upper lip, he never complained, and he was always gracious and kind and warm to everybody, because that's how he was inside," said Williams.

"He knew the meaning of chivalry, honour, duty and respect."

'Magician'

Mourners left artistic tributes to Hart at the funeral service

Hart's daughter Carolyn Ross recalled her father's gentle spirit.

Addressing her late father, she said: "I remember being very small and having a bad dream late one night. To comfort me you lifted me out of bed and took me downstairs where you fed me with Heinz tomato soup and read to me from Winnie the Pooh.

"I remember begging you to collect me from school, so that the other children could see that you really were my dad, and you did."

Hart had suffered from health problems for a number of years, including two strokes. He lost the use of both hands, robbing him of the ability to draw.

He was also devastated by the loss of his wife, Jean, in 2003.

The affable presenter spent more than 40 years teaching children to paint and draw on shows like Vision On, Take Hart and Hartbeat before he retired in 2001.

He served with 1st Gurkha Rifles as an officer before entering television in 1952. His funeral service was preceded by a bagpipe lament from a lone Gurkha soldier.

Paying tribute to his former colleague, Hart's BBC producer, Chris Pilkington, described him as a "magician who used his skills to inspire and empower his eager wide-eyed audience".

"Humble, yet ambitious, enthused, excited, surprised, delighted, self-critical, professional, dedicated, hardworking, an encourager, opening the eye of the audience and giving us all the nudge to 'have a go'.

"Children loved him because of who he was - how genuine he was," Mr Pilkington said.

"They responded to his delight in sharing discoveries, and they loved his invitation to participate. He took us all on a journey, wherein we too could play and be surprised and pleased with our picture-making process."

Slumdog dominates UK film awards

Dev Patel took two awards, as voted for by critics and the public

Hit British film and Oscar hopeful Slumdog Millionaire has cleaned up at the Richard Attenborough Film Awards.

The Mumbai-set drama won film of the year, director of the year for Danny Boyle and rising star of the year for the film's teenage star, Dev Patel.

Kate Winslet was named actress of the year for The Reader and Mickey Rourke received the actor of the year prize for his performance in The Wrestler.

The awards are voted for by regional film critics across the UK.

Critics voted online over six weeks, with homegrown films taking the lion's share of awards.

Martin McDonagh is Oscar nominated for Colin Farrell comedy In Bruges

Irish writer Martin McDonagh picked up the screenwriter of the year award for In Bruges.

McDonagh, who is nominated for an Academy Award for best original screenplay next month, previously won a short film Oscar for black comedy Six Shooter in 2006.

Four People's Choice categories were also introduced this year, with Dev Patel picking up a second prize for British Breakthrough Star.

Patel said he was "thrilled" by the "special recognition".

"I have been absolutely amazed by the sheer scale and scope of the reaction to this film and I want to thank everyone for their support," said the 18-year-old star.

The public voted Mamma Mia! as their pick of the year's British films, while The Dark Knight picked up the two remaining People's Choice awards for film of the year and film score.

"These ten awards, spread across six remarkable films, bear witness to the world-class standing of British actors and film-makers," said awards host Liz Fuller.

Madonna announces summer dates

Madonna opened her show astride a throne, singing Candy Shop Review: Madonna raves in Cardiff

Madonna has confirmed she is to restart her Sticky and Sweet tour and play new dates in Europe this summer.

The singer's website said the star was "looking forward to an amazing summer in Europe, hitting the cities she didn't get a chance to in 2008".

Madonna concluded the South American leg of her world tour in Sao Paulo on 21 December after beginning in Cardiff in August.

Details of the new dates will be revealed in the coming week.

Sticky and Sweet is alreaqdy biggest-selling tour by a solo artist - taking $281.6m (

Singer is injured 'crowdsurfing'

Mike Skinner was treated by St John Ambulance

Singer Mike Skinner needed medical treatment after he "crowdsurfed" at a concert in Cambridge.

The 30-year-old, who performs under the name The Streets, appeared at Cambridge Corn Exchange on Tuesday.

He wrote in his blog that he jumped into the crowd and was punched and scratched, and woke up the next day in "unbelievable pain".

St John Ambulance treated the singer at the scene, before calling an ambulance to provide further medical attention.

On social networking website MySpace, Skinner said: "Seriously never known pain like it and I broke both my arms when I was younger, hardly noticing it. Some kind of tendonitis, cramping and general bodily bashing."

The Streets are on a tour of the country before playing dates in Australia.

Do-It-Yourself Music Television

In recent years, music's place within the schedules of prime time television has been limited to talent show contests, with few opportunities for new bands.

In response, a new wave of do-it-yourself music TV makers have emerged, empowered by low-cost cameras, editing software and the ease of video uploading sites like Vimeo and YouTube.

BBC News visited three of them.

LO-FI: INDIE GHETTO

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Daniel Tuffin and Rick Stanton of Indie Ghetto

When you go looking for the future of music television you don't expect to find yourself in a freezing toilet in London's East End.

But for Daniel Tuffin and Rick Stanton, the makers of Indie Ghetto, a men's public convenience just happens to be the only place in an otherwise dimly-lit music venue with enough light to set up their green screen.

Indie Ghetto turn up wherever a band are playing, equipped with a

Who rewrite after damage to bus

The Doctor's bus takes an unexpected detour during the episode

Doctor Who writers were forced to change the script for the show's Easter special after a double-decker bus was damaged during filming in Dubai.

Planet of the Dead's plot sends David Tennant's doctor and guest star Michelle Ryan on a dangerous bus trip.

But the top deck of the vehicle was "badly damaged" leaving no time to fly out a replacement.

A spokeswoman said producers never commented on future storylines but that shooting was "continuing as normal".

'Huge impact'

A second bus at a location in Cardiff was used in some scenes.

Executive producer Russell T Davies and co-writer Gareth Roberts had to change parts of the script as a result of the damage.

Planet of the Dead is the first of four Doctor Who specials, which will bring to an end David Tennant's spell as the Time Lord.

Ex-EastEnder and Bionic Woman Ryan plays Lady Christina de Souza, a woman with a mysterious past who Davies says will have a "huge impact" on the Doctor.

Comedian Lee Evans is also on board for the episode but further details of the plot are being kept secret.

ITV suspends Heartbeat production

Joe McFadden and Rupert Ward-Lewis star in the show

Production of long-running ITV show Heartbeat is to be suspended to clear a stockpile of unbroadcast episodes.

It is understood that by the end of the year more than a series worth of shows will have been made and ITV wants to broadcast them before making new ones.

But the channel insisted the show was still an important part of its schedule amid reports it is to be axed.

The nostalgic drama set in North Yorkshire has been an ITV Sunday night staple since it first aired in 1992.

It is unclear how long the break in production will last.

An ITV spokesman said: "Heartbeat and The Royal (the show's spin-off medical drama) are an important part of the ITV schedule and are currently in production."

'Pleased with progress'

Earlier this week, five members of the show's cast and crew were taken to hospital after a tractor accident during filming.

Although four were later discharged, one guest actor was airlifted to hospital in Middlesbrough with chest injuries.

An ITV spokeswoman told the BBC News website that doctors treating the actor were "pleased with his progress" and that the Heartbeat production team were hopeful he would be released later on Wednesday.

She added that the guest actor, who has not been named for privacy reasons while recovering, was only appearing the episode being filmed.

Heartbeat is based on the books of Peter Walker under the pen name Nicholas Rhea.

The drama, set in the late 1960s, is about the life of police constable Joe Mason, played by Joe McFadden, who patrols the streets of Aidensfield.

Tricia Penrose and former Coronation Street actress Nikki Sanderson also star in the series, which returns to ITV1 later this year.

The series draws up to seven million viewers in its Sunday night slot.

Bowie dismisses Stardust claims

Bowie supported his son at the Sundance Film Festival last week

Singer David Bowie has denied rumours he is to resurrect his Ziggy Stardust alter ego.

It had been reported that the star was to revive the character for this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California.

But the 62-year-old's website has dismissed the claims, describing the story as "poppycock".

Bowie has been in semi-retirement since cutting short a 2004 world tour following a heart scare.

Newspapers and websites reported that the star would be performing his classic 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars in its entirety.

However, a statement on Bowie's website said: "I'm sure the majority of you saw this tale for what it was anyway - poppycock.

"However, we feel duty-bound to deny this particular story, lest members be fleeced of their hard-earned."

David Bowie does not have a Twitter account David Bowie's website

Bowie retired his alter ego on stage in London in 1973.

The site also scotched rumours the star was working on new material in Germany.

They came after a comment was left under his name on Twitter, a micro-blogging site where people post short messages online using up to 140 characters.

"David Bowie does not have a Twitter account," it said.

Bowie was seen recently at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah to watch the premiere of Moon, directed by his son, Duncan Jones.

He told reporters: "I'm so happy for him and proud as punch."

The singer's last studio album Reality was released in 2003.

Last year, he sang backing vocals on Scarlett Johansson's album Anywhere I Lay My Head.

Thriller musical set for Broadway

Michael Jackson was not involved with the current UK stage show

Pop star Michael Jackson is to help develop a US stage musical based on the video to his hit song Thriller, it has been announced.

Producer James Nederlander, whose company owns nine Broadway theatres, said the star would "participate in every aspect of the creative process".

Jackson's spokesman said the singer and Mr Nederlander "represent live theatre and musical excellence".

Jackson was not involved in current West End production Thriller - Live.

'Exclusive'

The show, which is being staged at London's Lyric Theatre, opened earlier this month, and its premiere was attended by Jackson's brother Tito.

Mr Nederlander's organisation said the Broadway production "will be the exclusive Michael Jackson authorised version of Thriller."

The Thriller video became an early staple of MTV

The show is expected to be based around the video for Thriller, which was first shown in 1983 and starred Jackson as a werewolf and featured dancing zombies.

No details of the musical have yet been revealed, but it is thought the stage show will also feature songs from Jackson's 1979 album Off The Wall.

In November, Jackson reached an out of court settlement with an Arab sheikh who claimed the singer had reneged on an entertainment contract worth

Oasis top the NME nomination list

Dig Out Your Soul topped the chart in the UK and Italy

Oasis have notched up an impressive seven nominations at the 2009 NME awards, including best and worst band.

The band are up for best live band, best album and the coveted best British band - which they won in 2003.

Noel Gallagher has picked up a couple of individual nods for hero of the year and in the best dressed category.

Kings of Leon are up for four of the awards, including best international band and best track for the UK number one Sex On Fire.

Oasis' last NME award came in 2006 for best video.

Noel Gallagher said: "Seven nominations, you say? Is that all? I always knew my time would come in the best dressed man in the world category."

Muse, the winners of last year's best British band, go up against Oasis, Radiohead, Bloc Party and The Last Shadow Puppets to retain their title.

The Devonshire rockers are also in the running for best live band and DVD.

The Brats

The NME awards show, also known as the Brats, has enjoyed its fair share of controversy over the years but has faced recent criticisms of becoming mainstream.

Since 2003, lighter awards such as sexiest male and female, best and worst dressed and best haircut have floated in and out of the nominated categories.

Former US President George W Bush has been named villain of the year for the past four years running and this year will battle it out with former presidential candidate John McCain and Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Amy Winehouse is also up for villain of the year

The newly inaugurated US President Barack Obama has been shortlisted for hero of the year.

Despite their haul at the Brit nominations, Coldplay's album Viva La Vida (Or Death And All His Friends) has been nominated for worst album.

It is up against Slipway Fires by Razorlight, whose self-titled debut album was also nominated in 2007 but lost out to Robbie Williams' Rudebox.

Singer Johnny Borrell also shares the dubious honour of worst dressed alongside Amy Winehouse, Pete Doherty, Katy Perry and The Killers' Brandon Flowers.

The Cure will accept NME's godlike genius award, the equivalent to an outstanding contribution, and join past honourees including Manic Street Preachers, Primal Scream and Ian Brown.

Winners will be announced at London's Brixton Academy on 25 February.

Oprah 'considered for Obama seat'

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Rod Blagojevich on ABC's Good Morning America

Scandal-hit US Governor Rod Blagojevich has said he considered offering the Illinois senate seat vacated by Barack Obama to talk show host Oprah Winfrey.

An impeachment trial currently is under way in the state senate over claims Mr Blagojevich tried to "sell" the seat.

He told ABC that Ms Winfrey, one of America's wealthiest women, would have been unlikely to accept.

Mr Blagojevich says he is innocent and that the trial, which he is not attending, has been rigged.

The trial opened in Chicago on Monday, with Illinois Chief Justice Thomas Fitzgerald telling senators, they were about to engage in "a solemn and serious business," the Chicago Tribune reported.

Earlier, Mr Blagojevich told ABC's Good Morning America that Ms Winfrey "seemed to be someone who would help Barack Obama in a significant way become president".

"She was obviously someone with a much broader bully pulpit than other senators," he said.

But he said Ms Winfrey "probably wouldn't take it" and that it would have been hard to offer the seat to her in a way that "didn't look like it was some gimmick and embarrass her".

'Amused'

Ms Winfrey said she was amused to learn she had been considered

Ms Winfrey has said she did not know that she was being considered as a potential senator and that she was "pretty amused by the whole thing".

"If I had been watching as I normally watch from the treadmill, I probably would have fallen off," she told the Siruis XM radio station.

Ms Winfrey said she thought she could be a senator but that she was "just not interested".

Mr Blagojevich's eventual choice for the seat, Illinois attorney general Roland Burris, took office in January after initially being blocked by senators.

Under the 17th amendment of the US constitution, state governors have the power to appoint temporary replacements for senators who resign, die or are expelled, until special elections can be held.

Dirty Dancer wins ballet award

Martin Harvey swapped ballet for mambo in September 2008

Martin Harvey, who stars in the stage musical Dirty Dancing, has won a major award for classical ballet.

The Critics' Circle gave him this year's Spotlight Best Male Dancer Classical Award in recognition of his ballet dancing career.

The performer plays the role of Johnny Castle which was made famous by Patrick Swayze in the 1987 film.

He had previously spent 11 years with The Royal Ballet, and his move to theatre surprised the dance world.

The stage star said he was "delighted and honoured to receive this prestigious award", adding that he had enjoyed "the most amazing 11 years with the Royal Ballet".

Direction change

Harvey was First Soloist at The Royal Ballet where he danced principal roles in classical works including Romeo and Juliet, Mayerling, Manon and La Fille Mal Gardee.

He had taken acting classes for several years, but the role of Johnny Castle was the first one for which he auditioned.

He was on tour in China with The Royal Ballet when he got the call offering him the part.

"Taking the role of such an iconic and inspirational character as Johnny Castle is a genuine thrill," said the dancer at the time, who admitted his ambition was to star in a West End musical.

He saw off strong competition from his former colleague Eric Underwood of The Royal Ballet and from the English National Ballet's Esteban Berlanga to take the award.

Miller set to make Broadway debut

The Roundabout Theatre Company runs two Broadway venues

Actress Sienna Miller is to make her New York stage debut this autumn, it has been announced.

She will play a wealthy young woman who has a relationship with a servant in Patrick Marber's After Miss Julie, the Roundabout Theatre Company has said.

The three-character play, an update of 19th century classic Miss Julie by Swedish playwright August Strindberg, is set in 1940s England.

The company is yet to announce in which theatre the production will be staged.

Update

The Roundabout Theatre Company runs two Broadway theatres - Studio 54 and the American Airlines Theatre.

Other casting and performance dates will also be announced at a later date.

Marber's play updates Strindberg's Miss Julie to the eve of the Labour Party's 1945 election victory.

Last year, Miller, 27, won

Saatchi to front art talent show

The BBC Two show will attempt to find the next Tracy Emin

A new X Factor style television talent show will attempt to discover the next British art sensation.

The BBC Two show, presented by advertising boss and art collector Charles Saatchi, is open to all aspiring artists.

Finalists will be tutored by leading contemporary artists before exhibiting their work in St Petersburg, Russia.

Aspiring artists are being invited to apply for Saatchi's Best of British from 2 February.

'Incomprehensible'

Mr Saatchi said: "I am looking forward to the prospect of finding undiscovered British talent.

"Anyone with a fresh creative approach should enter, because nobody knows where the next art star will emerge from."

The BBC said its talent search will be open to all artistic genres including installation art, painting, digital media, sculpture, printmaking, and performance art.

Charles Saatchi, pictured in 1994, is notoriously camera shy

Executive producer Peter Dale said the series would attempt to "demystify" modern art.

He said: "The contemporary art world has famously been a controversial arena with some claiming the work is incomprehensible to the untrained eye, or created purely to shock and get headlines for the artist.

"For viewers who are passionate about this art form, the programme offers a fascinating insight behind the scenes and into the minds that create the work, what inspires it and what it means.

"For others, it will be a journey of discovery as the series makes the art more accessible."

Artists aged 18 and over can apply to www.submityourart.com.

Play lifts lid on mental health abuse

By Geoff Adams-Spink Age & disability correspondent, BBC News website

The incarceration of women in psychiatric hospitals, for social rather than medical reasons, is the subject of an award-winning piece of theatre now on tour in the UK.

Dialogue is minimal - a great deal is conveyed physically

The Idiot Colony is set in the hairdressing salon of a Midlands mental hospital in the 1980s and is based on the testimonies of patients and staff from several institutions.

It tells the story of a married woman who fell in love with a black US serviceman during World War II.

It was her own mother-in-law who had her "committed" because of the social embarrassment.

The character, Joy, remains in the hospital for decades.

Another character was admitted after being raped by one of her school teachers and getting pregnant.

The third character does not speak at all - presumably traumatised by some episode in the past and the dehumanising regime in the hospital.

The idea for the Idiot Colony came from the father of cast member Claire Coache.

He used to repair hairdressing equipment and - while working at a psychiatric hospital in the West Midlands - was told the story of an inmate who had been sent there after having an affair with a black American airman in the 1940s.

'Outraged and intrigued'

A lot of men were uncomfortable with female sexuality - even some women were jealous or disturbed by other women Writer Lisle Turner

"Claire's father told her that story and she was outraged and intrigued in equal measures, " said Coache's husband, Lisle Turner, who wrote the Idiot Colony.

His research revealed the systematic use of psychiatric institutions to remove women from society who were considered immoral or embarrassing.

"It's a terrible, untold crime that had been committed against women for generations," he said.

"One of the worst cases I read about was a woman who was locked up for 'having the strange habit of going for long walks on her own'."

He says that once admitted, the women very quickly developed all of the symptoms of someone with a mental illness because the regime was often so brutal and dehumanising.

The thread that linked many of these cases was sex.

"Almost every story that we came across contained a sexual element of some kind," said Turner.

"In a society that was very repressed about these things, a lot of men were uncomfortable with female sexuality - even some women were jealous or disturbed by other women who could more freely express their sexuality."

The play itself uses minimal props, sparse dialogue and relies heavily on visual representations of the characters' emotions.

Some of the scenes are close to dance in their careful choreography.

The use of white towels for a variety of purposes - together with careful lighting - allows the production team to achieve a lot with very little.

For example, one of the patients is bathed by two nurses, using a backlit towel, the silhouette of the actor's body and a bucket of water to great effect.

At times the simple addition of a nurse's white cardboard hat is sufficient to transform the patient into a member of the hospital staff.

Overt sexuality

Each of the characters wears a simple, white regulation gown, but these are sufficiently fitted at the waist that they can pass for 1940s dresses in different lighting.

The music is a mixture of Glenn Miller big band numbers, 1980s hits played in the hairdressing salon and original composition.

For Cassie Friend - who plays Joy, the character besotted by GI Earl - the biggest challenge was having to be so overtly sexual.

"That's always quite an intimidating thing to play on stage," she said.

As time goes by, Joy clings to her brief memory of Earl giving her her first orgasm as they sat watching a Rita Hayworth film at the cinema.

She even goes as far as to cover her skin in black make up to remind herself of what he looked like.

The system responds harshly - destroying her character in the process.

According to Lisle Turner, psycho-surgical practices like lobotomy were very experimental and yielded little or no benefit, apart from making a patient more docile.

"If treatments like this had been given to people who were not classed as being in some way 'mentally ill' it would have been called torture," he said.

The Idiot Colony plays at Plymouth's Theatre Royal from 3-7 February. It will play at Aberdeen's Lemon Tree and The Tron in Glasgow during April.

Record year for West End theatre

Shows like Hairspray helped box office figures

West End theatres enjoyed another record-breaking year in 2008 despite the economic downturn, figures reveal.

The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) said box office takings increased by 3%, totalling more than

Winslet wins Screen Actors award

Kate Winslet is also nominated for an Oscar

Kate Winslet has won the best supporting actress at the Screen Actors Guild awards in Los Angeles for The Reader.

In it, she plays a former Nazi concentration camp guard.

She has already won a Golden Globe for the role and is nominated for a best actress Oscar.

The 33-year-old said: "It is really an honour to be included in such a remarkable year and be acknowledged by my peers in this way."