Big Brother US picks winner

The fourth series of Big Brother USA has been won by Jun Song, a 27-year-old investment manager from New York.

She won the top prize of $500,000 (£303,000) after beating runner up Alison Irwin.

The US version of the show differs from the UK's, in that winners and evictees are chosen by the contestants rather than voted for by the viewers.

Big Brother USA had an added twist by introducing a number of the housemates' ex-partners into the house.

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Ritter's show tops US ratings

John Ritter's show 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter has topped ratings in the US a week after the actor's death.

The Tuesday night episode of the show, the first after Ritter suffered a suspected heart attack on set and died last Wednesday, drew 16.86 million viewers

After his death ABC said they would show the remaining episodes he had filmed.

Ritter made his name in the 1970s playing Jack in the US comedy Three's Company, a remake of the UK sitcom Man About the House.

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Stones' Sympathy is US hit

A reissue of the Rolling Stones' 1968 classic Sympathy for the Devil has debuted at number one on the singles sales charts in the US.

The track, which is on the recent best-of album 40 Licks, has been remixed by a number of modern producers, including hip-hop remixers The Neptunes and Fatboy Slim.

The album has not topped the Hot 100 singles chart in the US because that is also dependent on airplay.

The song replaced an Elvis Presley reissue, 1969's Rubberneckin', which had previously been the highest-selling single.

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Penn wins Spanish film award

Sean Penn has become the youngest recipient of the Donostia Lifetime Achievement award at the San Sebastian film festival in Spain.

The actor, whose latest film 21 Grams is showing at the festival, was hailed as "American cinema's last rebel".

He told reporters that receiving the award was a "true honour".

French actress Isabelle Huppert and US actor Robert Duvall are also receiving Donostia awards this year for their contribution to cinema.

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Wonder supports 'drug lord'

Singer Stevie Wonder has spoken in court in support of a man convicted of controlling a drug ring.

Wonder urged a federal judge to allow Antonio Ameen, 37, to remain free on bail while he appealed after being sentenced to 20 years in jail.

The star said he had known Mr Ameen for several years and was impressed with his parenting during the difficult case.

Mr Ameen and associate Steven Fantroy, 38, said they did not get a fair trial because they were black but no black people served on their jury.

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Sooty agent left £1m to charity

Theatrical agent Vincent Shaw, whose clients included Sooty the bear, left £1m to charity, it has been revealed.

Shaw, who died in June last year aged 77, also counted Cherie Blair's father Tony Booth and actress Mandy Rice-Davies among his clients.

But his most famous charge was glove puppet Sooty, along with puppeteer Harry Corbett and later his son Matthew.

The money is to be split between the Actors' Benevolent Fund and the Entertainment Artists Benevolent Fund.

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Numan enjoys baby surprise

Rock star Gary Numan has said becoming a father after four years of expensive and painful infertility treatment was a "monumental surprise" that "blew me away".

Numan's wife Gemma, whom he married in 1997, gave birth on Friday and the couple named the child Raven Webb.

They have been undergoing IVF treatment since 1999 after being diagnosed with "unexplained infertility" and lost two babies since then.

"I'm feeling very emotional and just overawed by the whole thing," said the star, whose hits include Cars, We Are Glass and Are Friends Electric?.

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