Kerry Katona strikes again

Only fame leach Kerry Katona could turn something as heartbreaking as Amy Winehouse dying into a possible moment to grab attention.
Kerry's more than happy to constantly let the world know she's had it tough, she battled against all odds and is still here to tell her sorry tale.

However, she's taken the proverbial biscuit this time.
No not a disco biscuit, although she's probably necked that with a bag of Columbian marching powder too.


I bumped into her manager Max Clifford at a party this week who told me: "As soon as Amy died Kerry phoned me up sobbing 'that could have been me'. She was distraught. She knows how lucky she is to turn her life around."

He's a shred business man Max, from the Simon Cowell school of training. Never one to miss a showbiz opportunity.
I'm surprised they didn't dye Kerry's hair black, lob it into a beehive and make get her to do a tribute act.
If she turns up in a magazine shoot  next week styled/ dressed as Amy talking about their similarities and struggles it's going to be a very bleak day in showbiz.

I won't know wether to laugh, cringe or cry.

Two Greedy Italians

I love it when you stumble across something good on telly. It’s quite rare these days.
I’ve slowly put my Hollyoaks obsession to bed, that died when Justin left.
To be honest it was time to put down the unnecessaryily pretty Cheshire actors and move away from E4 First Look at 7pm every night.
The reality TV shows don’t float my boat, I could really give two shits what Peter Andre, Kerry Katona or Katie Price do when they’re not in the tabloids for some kind of mutual bickering\ wardrobe malfunction\ new endorsed product flogging.

However, I somehow came across Two Greedy Italians on BBC2, and loved it instantly.
The basis is... two old Italian friends, they’re both internationally renowned fantastic chefs, but first and foremost they’re best friends.
Each have won awards for their fantastic cooking, unique recipes, restaurants, books, but they are so enthusiastic about life and the main ingredients of life. These being love, family and passion
Their programme is compelling viewing.




Famous chefs Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo

The show is really therapeutic. It could easily double up as an hour long counseling session. They should play it on repeat in rehab.
Forget drugs all you need to do is follow these wise Italians and you’ll end up eating your way to a heavenly utopia filled with handmade tortellini, seafood linguine cooked on a boat in the Med, the best Italian wine all seasoned with love, friendship and dreams of the perfect, idyllic life.

The two chefs bicker as much as they laugh, and spend as much money on food as they do time talking about love.
Their favourite dish is tortellini, which can take up to six hours to prepare, each handmade squashed tiny tortellini shell..."Each made with a little bit of love”, they enthuse.

They believe happiness is sitting round a huge table with your family and friends eating out of massive bowl of shared, home-made pasta dishes.

Each week I take a little piece of their advice and a little nugget of their excitement for life.
I want to grow up like them and pass on their enthusiasm and happiness for life to my children.

God bless The Two Greedy Italians.
They make me happy to have a hangover in bed on a Sunday.
 
Well for a good 60 minutes anyway.

Each hand made Tortellini created with love

The FHM 100 Sexiest Woman awards

It's been a busy month, event wise in the showbiz world.
Russell Brand walked the red carpet in London for his new film Arthur, alongside Dame Helen Mirren.
Russ even brought his super famous wifey Katy Perry along to try and drum up further attention.
I haven't seen the film yet, but early reviews have been pretty dire.
Which is annoying, as I'm a big fan of Randy Russ.

Then Robert Pattinson came to town for the premiere of his new flick Water For Elephants, which I'm told is fantastic.
It's been compared to The Notebook, that itself excites me greatly.
And everyone said you fall in love with the elephants instantly.
I can't wait.

However, the big party of the week was the FHM 100 Sexiest Woman awards, won by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, if you don't know her she's mostly famous for dating plastic gangster Jason Statham.

The bash was raucous, everyone was hammered.
Alex Reid (ex husband of Jordan) was so pissed he kept asking girls to go into the photo booth with him, he basically wanted a shag.
He eventually ended up leaving the party, completely wasted, with Vanessa Perroncel (the ex-girlfriend of Wayne Bridge, who (allegedly) shagged John Terry and caused a royal drama between the Chelsea footie squad). A nice pairing, I think you'd agree?

Boxer and Welsh stud Joe Calzaghe was also there, alongside a host of reality TV stars including Kerry Katona and The Only Way Is Essex peeps.

Alex Reid before he got seriously shitefaced and ever-the-gent Joe C

Reality TV sandwich Amy Childs and our Kezza

Seemed only fitting to get a photo with Joey Essex... the No 1 TOWIE wannabe

A list shoulder rubbing

Last week I was invited to the UK red carpet premiere of Morning Glory staring Rachel McAdams and ageing hunk Harrison Ford.

I've been a fan of Rachel ever since I adopted a lady crush on her in Wedding Crashers.

And Harrison, well it's Harrison bloody Ford, what's not to love?

I met Harrison for the first time and despite being a lot thinner than I expected, and greyer, he still oozed coolness.

The full-time poser leant seductively against the film's promo board with one foot bent against the wall a'la The Fonz. He's undoubtedly aware that, despite being 68, he's still got it.

I didn't get to meet Rachel, but as she stood at the front of the theatre welcoming everyone to the film I'm sure she looked at me and winked. The lady crush is obviously mutual.

(Disclaimer: Some of the above isn't true... mainly just the winking bit.)

Anyway, I bumped in Kerry Katona and Peter Andre at the premiere; the pair walked the red carpet, chatted to press, posed for pap shots and gave me a big hug. Who knows which they preferred more.

I also chewed the fat with Essex hyper-bomb Stacey Solomon. She wants to pull the rug under Konnie Huq's feet saying "I enjoyed presenting on the X Factor. It was wicked! I am in my element when I'm doing presenting, I wouldn't say no if they offered me to do the Xtra Factor."

Yep, I doubt Konnie would be tickled pink to hear that.

The film was good, by the way. Not brilliant, not rubbish, just good.

Go and see it if a.) You work in morning telly and need some inspiration or b.) You're bored and have a fiver to burn.

In other news I went over to Channel Five today (my boss Richard Desmond owns the channel) to sit in on Live From Studio 5. The crew over there are cool and the office makes ours look like a hostel. Not that I'm complaining ( I clearly am) but they had big sofas with kitsch cushions and wall paper. Thorton's toffee lying around, a drinks fridge full of nice looking beverages and posh black wine glasses. I felt like I was on a fully inclusive holiday in sunny Osterley.

The show went well, Boyzone's Shane Lynch was on (fiiiit) and that guy from Diversity (looks older than 22). Presenter Kate Walsh came over to say hi. She's really pretty, TV doesn't do her justice. She looked Hollywood glam with bouncy hair and flawless skin. But she's tiny, I mean, properly LA skinny. She'd eat a solitary mung bean and be full.

I was surprised. That is all.