Bookies' cold shower for Brother fan

A Big Brother fan who bet £200 on Melanie winning has demanded a refund - saying he only backed her because she was the "only fanciable female" before newcomer Claire arrived.

The customer, from Walsall, West Midlands, asked William Hill for his money back, saying he believed the flirty florist would skew the odds in favour of a man.

Spokesman Graham Sharpe said: "the man send us an outraged e-mail in which he explained that he'd backed Mel because she was the only fanciable female, although that wasn't quite the way he phrased it.

"But he said that, because Claire had now come in, he thought a male would now be the winner and we should therefore refund his stake money."

The company has laughed off the suggestion, but are joining the show's official bookmakers, Ladbrokes, in offering punters who placed money before Claire's arrival their winnings if their chosen contestant comes second to the newcomer.

Contestants have been frolicking in a £10,000 hot tub installed by producers before they find out which of Craig, Darren, Anna or Thomas is evicted on Friday night.

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Avalon's hotel horror

Former Sixties idol Frankie Avalon, star of films like Skidoo and Horror House, is suing the Avalon hotel in Beverly Hills for unauthorised use of his name.

Avalon claims that an advert for the hotel containing the words "Frankly, Avalon" and using a model resembling the actor damaged his reputation.

The 59-year-old performer, who last appeared in the Scorsese film Casino in 1995, is seeking at least $350,000 (£236,000) in damages. The hotel was not available for comment.

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Silent star Marsh dies

Joan Marsh, star of silent films and early talkies has died at the age of 86.

Marsh began her career as a child actress, appearing in popular films including Daddy Long Legs and Pollyanna.

She went on to become one of the blonde bombshells of 1930s cinema and was often compared to Jean Harlow.

She made a successful transition to talkies, starring in films such as It's Great To Be Alive and Road To Zanzibar. Marsh died at her home in California.

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Dafoe considers his Morality

Willem Dafoe is in final negotiations to star in British indie film Morality Play, set to start shooting in October.

It concerns a priest on the run who takes up travelling with a band of actors. Dafoe would play the leader of the troupe, who try to solve a murder.

Paul McGuigan, behind the recent Gangster No 1, will direct the project.

Dafoe will next be seen in Shadow Of The Vampire, as famous horror actor Max Schreck, best known for Nosferatu.

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Young film-maker's Grizzly debut

An 11-year-old boy is set to become the youngest feature film director in history, with family film Camp Grizzly.

Charlie Stovall began making films aged eight, and a documentary he produced for a cable channel won first place in the US National Children's Film Festival.

The new film will star Dan Haggerty from the TV series Grizzly Adams.

In comparison, Steven Spielberg was 15 when he made his 40-minute war drama Escape To Nowhere.

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Italian co-star for Arnie

Italian actress Francesca Neri has been cast as the female lead in Arnold Schwarzenegger's next blockbuster film.

Collateral Damage is about a man who seeks revenge for the murder of his family by teaming up with the wife of the terrorist behind the bombing.

Neri's first major English-language role is in Hannibal, the forthcoming sequel to The Silence Of The Lambs.

She has starred in many Italian films, as well as Pedro Almodovar's Live Flesh.