Natalie Cole ‘discharged from hospital’

Washington, May 26 (ANI): Singer Natalie Cole has reportedly been released from the hospital after undergoing a kidney transplant and is said to be recuperating.

Natalie, who suffered a kidney failure caused by hepatitis C, was discharged five days after her kidney transplant.

“Natalie is continuing to do well under the circumstances,” People quoted Natalie’s representative, as saying.

Sadly for Natalie, who had planned to attend a private family memorial service for her sister Carol “Cookie” Cole, who passed away following a battle with lung cancer, had to undergo the life-saving organ transplant on the very same day.

Meanwhile, Natalie is expected to spend the next three to four months recuperating and will reorganize her tour dates in support of her album Still Unforgettable. (ANI)

Mickey Mouse’s voice Wayne Allwine dies at 62

London, May 21 (ANI): Well-known as the voice of Mickey Mouse, American actor Wayne Allwine has passed away, aged 62.

Allwine, who had been working for The Walt Disney Co since 1966, started lending his voice to the famous mouse in 1977.

He reportedly died of complications from diabetes, with his wife, an actress who was the voice of Minnie Mouse, by his side.

Allwine’s voice can still be heard at Disney theme parks around the world.

He also voiced Mickey in Mickey’s Christmas Carol and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

He was the third person to voice Mickey, following Walt Disney himself and Jimmy MacDonald.

According to the BBC, Allwine once said: “Mickey’s the real star. You know you just have to love the little guy while you have him, because he won’t be yours forever.”

Roy Disney, director emeritus for The Walt Disney Co, said that Allwine gave Mickey Mouse “a heart and soul”. (ANI)

Mickey Mouse’s voice Wayne Allwine dies at 62

London, May 21 (ANI): Well-known as the voice of Mickey Mouse, American actor Wayne Allwine has passed away, aged 62.

Allwine, who had been working for The Walt Disney Co since 1966, started lending his voice to the famous mouse in 1977.

He reportedly died of complications from diabetes, with his wife, an actress who was the voice of Minnie Mouse, by his side.

Allwine’s voice can still be heard at Disney theme parks around the world.

He also voiced Mickey in Mickey’s Christmas Carol and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

He was the third person to voice Mickey, following Walt Disney himself and Jimmy MacDonald.

According to the BBC, Allwine once said: “Mickey’s the real star. You know you just have to love the little guy while you have him, because he won’t be yours forever.”

Roy Disney, director emeritus for The Walt Disney Co, said that Allwine gave Mickey Mouse “a heart and soul”. (ANI)

Jim Carrey’s ‘Christmas Carol’ promotional train to tour 36 American States

Washington, May 11 (ANI): Hollywood actor Jim Carrey’s forthcoming flick Christmas Carol’s promotional train, consisting of all the flick memorabilia, will tour 36 American States before its release in November.

Jim Carrey portrays Ebenezer Scrooge in the Disney flick, alongside Gary Oldman and Colin Firth, reports Contactmusic.

The ‘Christmas Carol’ Train will be decorated for the festive season, and ferry Christmas carollers across America. It will have multifarious stoppages across towns and cities.

Visitors will see footage from the film inside a large inflatable 3-D theatre, which will be erected at each destination.

American viewers will also get the chance to check out artefacts from the Charles Dickens Museum. (ANI)

BBC sacked Carol Thatcher to get even with `Mom’ Thatcher

London, Feb.5 (ANI): Carol Thatcher, the journalist daughter of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, was fired from the BBC’s flagship The One Show because the corporation has a vendetta against her mother.

Tory peer Lord Tebbit said he felt the sacking, which followed Miss Thatcher’s use of the word “golliwog” during a private conversation after the show, was just “a way for the BBC to get back at Carol’s mother”.

According to the Daily Express, the broadcaster’s agent has also launched a stinging attack on the BBC, calling for corporation bosses to apologize to Miss Thatcher, 55, and threatening potential legal action for breach of contract.

Lord Tebbit, a senior minister in Margaret Thatcher’s government, and a former chairman of the Conservative Party, said he failed to see why a reference to a golliwog should be regarded as offensive.

Carol Thatcher made the remark during an off-camera conversation with The One Show presenter Adrian Chiles.

Although the conversation took place in the green room and not on air, several members of the production team, as well as Chiles, who were described as “shocked”, heard her remark.

It is understood the BBC wanted a formal apology from Thatcher but she had declined to do so.

Despite being barred from the show, Thatcher will not be banned from the BBC as a whole.

Thatcher, 55, was one of the programme”s “roving reporters” and was discussing one of the male competitors in the Australian Open last week. The show”s website praised “her dry, self-deprecating wit and tenacious spirit”.

A BBC source said: “There were a number of complaints from people in the room about this particular remark, it did cause offence. A number of people were quite taken aback by the language.”

A BBC spokesman said: “The BBC considers any language of a racist nature wholly unacceptable. We have raised the issue with the individual concerned and are discussing it as a matter or urgency.”

Thatcher’s spokesman told The Times that her client never intended to cause any offence and it was “meant as a joke”.

“She made a light aside about this tennis player and his similarity to the golliwog on the jampot when she was growing up. There”s no way, obviously, that she would condone any racist comment – we would refute that entirely. It would not be in her nature to do anything like that.It is disgusting that we”ve had a leak of private conversations in the green room – the BBC has more leaks than Thames Water, he said.

Thatcher, a journalist and writer, made a name for herself by winning the ITV reality programme I”m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2005. (ANI)

Taylor Swift to make guest appearance on ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’

Washington, Jan 13 (ANI): Popstar Taylor Swift will be making a guest appearance in the upcoming episode of ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’, CBS has announced.

“Swift will play Haley Jones, a teenaged girl whose family runs a seedy Vegas motel,” US Weekly quoted CBS, as stating in a press release.

“Over the course of a year, Haley goes through a series of changes that have tragic consequences,” CBS added.

The CSI role went to Taylor when a CBS executive told CSI’s executive producer Carol Mendelsohn that Taylor was a fan of the show.

“Before Christmas we reached out to Taylor Swift because one of the CBS executives had told me, ‘Taylor loves your show’,” Carol said.

“So Taylor came in to meet with me right before the holidays and we talked about the character,” Carol added.

Carol warned Taylor that her role will have negative shades, but Taylor was adamant to be a part of the show.

“I said, ‘it’s a very edgy part, this may not be what you want, But she said, ‘I love it, and I want to do it,” Carol said. (ANI)

Troubled Yahoo names Bartz new CEO

Troubled Yahoo names Bartz new CEOSan Francisco – Struggling web pioneer Yahoo on Tuesday named Carol Bartz, the former head of software company Autodesk, as its new chief executive.

The appointment follows a two-month search for a replacement for company founder Jerry Yang, who was widely blamed for botching merger talks with Microsoft that would have proved highly lucrative to many shareholders.

While Bartz, 60, does not have wide experience running a consumer- facing technology company, she does sit on the boards of major tech firms like Cisco and Intel. She served as chief executive of Autodesk from 1992-2006 and remains the company’s executive chairman, and held executive positions at Sun Microsystems, Digital and 3M.

“We are very excited to have Carol Bartz leading Yahoo into its next era of growth,” Yahoo Chairman Roy Bostock said. “She is the exact combination of seasoned technology executive and savvy leader that the board was looking for, and we are thrilled to have attracted such a world-class talent to Yahoo.”

“Yahoo is a powerful global brand with a great collection of assets, strong technology, and enormously talented employees,” said Bartz. “There is no denying that Yahoo! has faced enormous challenges over the last year, but I believe there is now an extraordinary opportunity to create value for our shareholders and new possibilities for our customers, partners and employees.” (dpa)

Mum collapses in tears after grandson disowns Gazza

London, Jan.7 (ANI): Paul Gascoigne’s heart- broken mum collapsed in tears as she watched her grandchild disown her famous son on TV.

According to the Daily Star, the soccer legend’s mother Carol, 61, was “devastated” by the documentary charting his slump into alcoholism.

She watched in dismay as Gazza’s ex-wife Sheryl, 43, revealed that the England legend had beaten her in booze-fuelled rages.

And she broke down as the couple’s 12-year-old son Regan said that he wished his dad would “go away”.

Along with Sheryl and her other children Bianca, 22, and Mason, 19, Regan followed his father to a booze bender in Portugal and told him he was turning his back on him for good.

A family pal said the scenes left Carol distraught.

She said: “She watched it through tears. It was hard enough watching Paul’s bizarre behaviour laid out for all the public to see, but the worst part for her was seeing her grandchild disowning her son. She was so distraught. She was crying too much to speak. It must have been so distressing to see just how sick Paul is.

“She understands how Sheryl and the children feel, but it was devastating to hear her grandson say those things,” the family pal added.

The documentary showed Gazza, 41, desperately calling home between drinking bouts as he toured Europe with heavy metal giants Iron Maiden.

He had briefly moved back in with Sheryl and the children before the bender, following a stint in rehab last year. But, as exclusively revealed by the Daily Star, he stormed out when Sheryl refused to let him sleep with her.

The documentary showed Sheryl and the children take the heart-rending decision to cut him out of their lives.

Gazza is currently undergoing Equine Assisted Psychotherapy at the specialist Stepps rehab centre in Minsterworth, Gloucestshire.

Gazza was not allowed to watch the documentary and has been cut off from the outside world during his 2,000-pound-a-week stay.

He will move to the Sporting Chance clinic, owned by fellow ex-England star Tony Adams, 42, next week. (ANI)

Gazza banned from watching TV documentary in which son disowns him

London, Jan.5 (ANI): Former England footballer Paul Gascoigne has been banned from watching tonight’s TV documentary about him – in case it drives him to drink.

The show features his son Regan, 12, disowning him, as ex-wife Sheryl, 43, tells of her torment while living with the deluded soccer legend.

In the end Sheryl and their son Regan, 12, turn their backs on him after he rejects their final bid to help him beat his booze addiction and depression.

Gazza knows the show’s content and told his mum Carol he doesn’t want to watch it, reports The Daily Star.

But medics fear it could prove an irresistible attraction – and the revelations could prove to be a setback. (ANI)