Girl nicknamed Human Tortoise finally comes out of her shell

London, Aug 26 (ANI): A Brit girl, who earned the nickname Human Tortoise for the body cast she had to wear, has finally been able to get rid of it after 12 years.

Megan Parker, who lives with mum Tina, dad Robert and brother Zac in Colchester, Essex, was diagnosed with curvature of the spine at just six weeks old, and, at 18 months, she was given the “shell” to help correct her twisted back.

She has had to undergo more than 40 operations, including repeated surgery to tighten titanium rods as she grew.

But now, at age 14, she is free to look forward to a normal life.

“There is so much that I want to do now, but I have to take things steady because it’s still early days,” the Sun quoted her as saying.

“It has completely opened up the world to me.

“I could never wear girly clothes before – and I had never had my hair cut at a salon because I couldn’t bend my head over the sinks. It just shows why you should never give up hope,” she said.

Megan has even proved that she’s on track for a full recovery by taking up go-karting.

“Driving a go-kart was one of the first things she had wanted to do and it brought tears to our eyes when she finally did it,” Tina, 39, said.

“She is my miracle girl – she’s been through so much. The surgeons have been incredible and have transformed her life.

“She can play with friends as she has always wanted to. I feel like my little girl has finally come out of her shell – in both ways,” she added. (ANI)

Megan Fox says Robert Pattinson is ‘too pretty’ to date

Washington, May 06 (ANI): Megan Fox has dismissed rumours she once dated Twilight star Robert Pattinson, insisting the young actor is ‘too pretty’ for her.

Rumours that the ‘Transformers’ star was involved with the 22 year old started making rounds after the pair was spotted at a Hollywood hotspot together in March (09).

However, the 22-year-old actress, who recently reconciled with fiance Brian Austin Green, 35, insists that the stories are not true.

“I just randomly asked someone for a light, and it was him. That was the extent of our ‘relationship’. But I’m sure there’s going to be a different guy every week now,” Contactmusic quoted her as telling Elle magazine.

Fox also said that she would never date a teen idol like Pattinson, or Zac Efron – as she prefers older men.

“(Robert) and Zac – they’re just too pretty, with the big hair and the suits. And Rob is, what, 22? Zac is 21? That’s a joke. Boys in their 20s are a waste of time. They have nothing to offer conversationally. They’re immature. I feel like I have a better shot with someone in his 30s,” she said. (ANI)

Megan Fox says Robert Pattinson is ‘too pretty’ to date

Washington, May 06 (ANI): Megan Fox has dismissed rumours she once dated Twilight star Robert Pattinson, insisting the young actor is ‘too pretty’ for her.

Rumours that the ‘Transformers’ star was involved with the 22 year old started making rounds after the pair was spotted at a Hollywood hotspot together in March (09).

However, the 22-year-old actress, who recently reconciled with fiance Brian Austin Green, 35, insists that the stories are not true.

“I just randomly asked someone for a light, and it was him. That was the extent of our ‘relationship’. But I’m sure there’s going to be a different guy every week now,” Contactmusic quoted her as telling Elle magazine.

Fox also said that she would never date a teen idol like Pattinson, or Zac Efron – as she prefers older men.

“(Robert) and Zac – they’re just too pretty, with the big hair and the suits. And Rob is, what, 22? Zac is 21? That’s a joke. Boys in their 20s are a waste of time. They have nothing to offer conversationally. They’re immature. I feel like I have a better shot with someone in his 30s,” she said. (ANI)

Hudgens tells boyfriend Efron she wants to date other men

New Delhi, May 5 (ANI): ‘High School Musical’ star Vanessa Hudgens is believed to have told her boyfriend and co-star Zac Efron that she wants to date other men.

Hudgens, 20, who met her 21-year-old beau while on the show, was reportedly livid after she learnt that Efron did not want to get married until he turned 40, reports the China Daily.

Now, in order to make him jealous, the actress has decided to see other people.

“When Vanessa heard about Zac’s plan to stay single for the next couple of decades she was shocked and shattered. She’d secretly hoped for an engagement ring within the next year or two!” a source told the National Enquirer magazine.

Hudgens had decided on the freedom to date other guys after she had a talk with her friends.

“Zac’s totally upset – he doesn’t want Vanessa dating anyone else. Even though he’s not ready to commit himself to settling down at this stage of his young life, the thought of Vanessa in another man’s arms drives him crazy,” the source added. (ANI)

Efron, Clooney, Obama, Winfrey on Time’s 100 Most Influential People list

Washington, May 2 (ANI): Hollywood heartthrob Zac Efron has made it to Time Magazine’s ‘World’s Most Influential People’s list.

Efron, who rose to stardom with Disney’s ‘High School Musical’ film, has joined the likes of Barack Obama, George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey and Brad Pitt in magazine’s annual list of the top 100 influential figures.

And Efron’s Me And Orson Welles co-star Claire Danes admits that he deserves the honour.

“(Working with Zac) I couldn’t help being reminded of the time I had spent with another gifted idol, Leonardo DiCaprio, about a decade before,” Contactmusic quoted Danes as telling the mag.

“I saw the simmering ardour of the teenage masses turn into unbridled hysteria after Titanic was released. But this was even more intense.

“The difference, I realised, was that Zac is not only an actor but also a musician, a bona fide song-and-dance man. We ladies are defenceless against such a combination,” she added. (ANI)

The top 10 celebrity myths and the truth behind them

London, May 1 (ANI): Did Walt Disney really had himself frozen? Did Tom Jones had his chest hair insured? – These are just some of the questions that Britons have been asking about celebrities.

And now they have been debunked.

Mobile phone question and answer service AQA 63336, has posted a list of Top 10 celebrity myths and their answers to mark answering its 18 millionth query, reports The Telegraph.

The top 10 questions posed by customers are:

Q. Did singer Tom Jones really insure his chest hair for 7 million dollars?
A. Tom Jones hasn’t insured his chest hair. Lloyd’s drafted a policy for an unnamed celebrity, but it wasn’t purchased. It was linked to Tom, as he’s hairy.

Q. Is it true that actress Jamie Lee Curtis is a hermaphrodite?

A. Rumours that Jamie Lee Curtis is a hermaphrodite are totally unfounded. She was born a woman. Her name and short hair have led to the popular myth.

Q. Did the guy who played Homer Simpson die and was he replaced after the first season?

A. Dan Castellaneta is the only person to have voiced Homer. The voice he does has gently evolved from the first series, as the character developed.

Q. Is the actor who played Zac from Saved by the Bell dead?

A. No. It was rumoured that Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Zack Morris) died in 2 different motorbike accidents – 1 in an earthquake (with Screech) and 1 on his own.

Q. Did Cher remove her bottom two ribs to give her a smaller waist?

A. Cher didn’t have ribs removed. Her wasp waist is kept in shape by working out. But, she’s had a face lift, nose job, breast augmentation and dental braces.

Q. Did Phil Collins really write “In The Air Tonight” about a farmer who stood by and watched his friend drown?

A. No, Phil Collins says he wrote In The Air Tonight when he was going through divorce and the bitterness is obvious. He finds the drowning man story comical.

Q. Was actor Andy Garcia born as a Siamese twin?

A. Andy Garcia was born with an undeveloped conjoined twin attached to his shoulder. It was about the size of a tennis ball, and was surgically removed.

Q. Was shock rocker Marilyn Manson Kevin’s geeky sidekick on TV’s “The Wonder Years”?

A. Marilyn Manson was not in The Wonder Years. There was a rumour that he played Kevin Arnold’s friend Paul. Paul was actually played by Josh Saviano.

Q. Is it true that Michael Jackson sleeps in a hyperbaric chamber?

A. A photo from the 1980s is often said to show Michael Jackson sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber, but he now claims it was just a publicity stunt.

Q. Did legendary cartoonist Walt Disney have himself frozen, with the hope of returning later on when a cure for what killed him has been found?

A. Walt Disney wasn’t frozen after he died. He was cremated on 17 Dec 1966. James Bedford became the 1st human to be cryogenically preserved on 12 Jan 1967. (ANI)

Zac Efron prefers dancing with grandma to clubbing

Washington, Apr 18 (ANI): Hollywood actor Zac Efron is not one of those conventional budding Hollywood celebs, who go painting the town red with his wild partying, for the heartthrob instead prefers dancing and partying with his beloved grandmother.

Zac has revealed that though he has been to clubs, he doesn’t quite like it, as he finds the company of his close pals and family better.

“I’m not really into partying. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve gone to a club. But I’d much rather be with my close friends at home or a concert, or on a trip,” Contactmusic quoted him as saying.

And spending some quality time with his darling grandma is something he looks forward to.

“I’ll go dancing with my grandma. She likes to cut a rug!” Zac added. (ANI)

Nicole Richie: I was just replacing Kate Winslet in Zac Efron Spoof

Washington, April 9 (ANI): Nicole Richie has gagged that she was part of Zac Efron’s new spoof only because Kate Winslet was not available.

The 27-year-old wrote on her blog that she was just replacing the actress in the Funny or Die parody.

“Hey guys, check out this Funny or Die video with Zac Efron. It’s hysterical!” Us magazine quoted her as saying.

“They were able to get some really great cameos…Vanessa Hudgens, Queen Latifah, and since Kate Winslet was busy, they called me ;) ,” she added.

The socialite further appreciated 21-year-old Efron’s chivalry during the shoot.

She added: “On a serious note, I had a fun time. It was my first time meeting Zac and he is every bit the gentlemen, far beyond his years.” (ANI)

Zac Efron pulls out of ‘Footloose’ remake

Washington, Mar 24 (ANI): Hollywood actor Zac Efron has pulled out of the musical remake of ‘Footloose’.

Although Zac was in talks to reprise the role of Kevin Bacon in the remake of the 1984 flick, he decided to leave the project.

Though Zac has left the flick, Paramount pictures are still thrilled about the remake and are hunting for an apt replacement.

“Footloose is a project we’ve longed to see re-booted for a new generation. While Zac is no longer attached, we remain excited and committed to the collective brain trust of [director] Kenny Ortega, [producers] Neil Meron and Craig Zaden, who will reinvigorate the franchise,” Us Weekly quoted a Paramount Pictures representative, as saying.

“Their fresh take on the film will undoubtedly be filled with the same kind of breakout performances that we’ve come to expect from them,” the representative added.

Although the ‘High School Musical’ actor has pulled out of the flick, he still hasn’t publicly revealed the reason behind his move. (ANI)

Zac Efron’s mum gifted him a stocking full of condom on Christmas

Melbourne, Mar 06 (ANI): Hollywood actor Zac Efron has revealed that his mother gifted him a stocking full of condoms on Christmas last year.

The ‘High School Musical’ actor revealed that his mother decided to give him that gift after spotting him with lover Vanessa Hudgens in what appeared to be a sex shop.

However, Efron revealed that it was not actually a sex shop and his mother mistook it for one.

“It was Hallows Eve like, two years ago. It was just a costume store. My mom is like, ‘Zac, what did you buy in a sex shop?’ I was like ‘Mom, calm down, it’s not a sex shop.’ She wouldn’t have any of it. She’s like, ‘I knew you were being sexual,” News.com.au quoted him as telling Elle magazine.

“But she understood. My stocking was full of condoms this Christmas. She buys me the economy box,” he added. (ANI)

‘Hairspray’ sequel in the pipeline?

Washington, Jan 03 (ANI): Hollywood actress Nikki Blonsky has hinted that a sequel to flick ‘Hairspray’ is in the making.

The beauty was an unknown, working in an ice-cream store until the day she landed the part of Tracy Turnblad in the hit 2007 musical movie, based on the Broadway production of the show.

Blonsky revealed that actor Zac Efron, who played pin-up Link Larkin, Turnblad”s love interest, in the film, would love to do the part again.

“Zac has said he”d love to do it again, and I know Brittany Snow is down for sure,” Contactmusic quoted Blonsky, as saying.

“I don”t know about Amanda (Bynes). I hope she will. I want to put on my Tracy Turnblad wig again and dance my little heart out,” Blonsky added. (ANI)