Valance forced to pay ex-manager

Valance shot to fame in Neighbours

Australian singer Holly Valance has been told to pay A$350,000 (£150,000) to the manager she sacked when her career began to take off.

The order follows a ruling that the former Neighbours actress had unfairly terminated the contract of Scott Michaelson in January 2002.

Michaelson had been seeking £160,000 in lost income, plus a cut of album sales.

The judge said Valance had shown a "calculated disregard" for the manager who discovered her when she was 15.

Valance and Michaelson had been unable to agree on an out-of-court settlement so New South Wales Supreme Court judge Clifford Einstein set the amount.

Valance, 20, had tried to argue that Michaelson was ill-equipped to deal with the her blossoming pop career and been unavailable when decisions needed to be made.

Representing others

But Michaelson, 35, who also starred in Neighbours as Brad Willis, was able to argue that he was instrumental in kick-starting her career before being sacked.

Valance, real name Holly Rachel Vukadinovic, first shot to fame playing Flick Scully in the Australian soap.

Following the well-trodden path of soap star to pop singer, she released her first single Kiss Kiss in May 2002.

Outside the court Michaelson's lawyer read a statement from his client.

"I hope I have been able to represent in some way the many managers that have been in a similar position to me but have not had the means to proceed to court," he said.