Pop Idol favourite in shock exit

Andy Scott-Lee, 23, has become the latest contestant to be voted out of the Pop Idol finals.

He lost the final vote to fellow hopeful Susanne Manning in the disco-themed show.

The result was seen as a surprise as Andy, the brother of former Steps member Lisa Scott-Lee, was said to be one of the favourites to win.

Andy scored two top 20 hits in 2002 as a member of the band 3SL, managed by his sister.

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Singer Judd on drink-drive charge

Country star Wynonna Judd has been charged with drunken driving early on Thursday after being stopped near Nashville for speeding and failing a sobriety test.

The 39-year-old singer had bloodshot eyes and appeared confused, according to a police spokesman. She was later released on a $500 (£296) bond.

Wynonna has been a solo act since 1990 when mother Naomi retired from The Judds.

Her most recent album What The World Needs Now Is Love, released in August, topped Billboard's country charts.

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Bullock and Streep join for comedy

Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep have signed up to star in Prime, a romantic comedy set in New York.

Written and directed by Ben Younger, Prime tells of a 22-year-old painter from Brooklyn who falls in love with a 37-year-old career woman (Bullock).

Streep will play Bullock's therapist. The painter role is yet to be cast.

Bullock's next project will be a sequel to her 2000 comedy Miss Congeniality. Streep will shortly be seen in the US TV mini-series Angels in America.

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Deneuve quits Unesco post

Actress Catherine Deneuve has resigned from the UN cultural agency Unesco in protest at the appointment of an envoy named in an alleged arms scandal.

Deneuve, 60, said Angola's nomination of French businessman Pierre Falcone had "tarnished" Unesco's image.

Mr Falcone is being investigated by French authorities over the alleged sale of $500m in illegal arms to Angola. He denies any wrongdoing.

A Unesco spokesman said it had no control over nations' nominations.

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Madonna to launch 'Roses' dolls

A range of toys and other merchandise based on characters from Madonna's children's book The English Roses is to be launched.

The singer announced that the range would include dolls, clothing, cosmetics and stationery.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to develop a range of beautiful products to complement the book," she said.

The English Roses has been released in more than 100 countries and translated into more than 30 different languages.

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Cold Feet to be remade in Italian

Award-winning ITV comedy drama Cold Feet is to be remade in Italian with a whole new cast.

The show's format has already been sold to the US but this is the first deal for it to be remade in Europe.

Cold Feet, which starred James Nesbitt and Helen Baxendale, finished its final series in the UK in March.

It won a Bafta Award in 2002 for best drama series, while Nesbitt won a British Comedy title for his performance in the show.