Friday 30 December 2016

Amber An rehearses for countdown party performance

Amber An showed up at the rehearsal for the 2017 Taipei New Year’s Eve Countdown Party, which was scheduled to start at 7pm on Saturday.

She was excited to be able to perform at the party for the first time and she had prepared four brand new costumes for her 15-minute set. She said smilingly, "The clothes are too thin for the disposable heat pads, but I’ll dance throughout the performance so I won’t feel cold." She revealed that she’d appear as a "hip-hop Egyptian goddess" with a golden mask because it would bring her confidence in the year 2017.

Joe Chen plagued by bad publicity

Joe Chen touts an impressive acting resume and is widely known for being a professional and hardworking actress – she barely goes on breaks and spends at least 300 days a year working on various drama sets.

Dubbed the “queen of idol dramas”, Joe is also seen as a ratings magnet and has established a solid reputation for herself as an A-list actress. But the 37-year-old has been hit by a spate of bad publicity recently for a variety of reasons.

In September this year, she was called out by netizens for being “heartless” when she did not put up a memorial post on social media after the passing of fellow actor and close friend Kimi Qiao; she was also mocked for being a one trick pony and doing idol dramas at 37 years old. Earlier this year, she was even accused of cohabiting with a 16-year-old actor by anti-fans.

Despite being a constant target of online vitriol, Joe took things in her stride and maintained a professional front – earning the respect and pity of fans especially when she had to put on a happy face at a recent work event.

The actress’ 10-year-old pet cat “Rou Bao” (the name of her pet) was said to be undergoing an operation on the same day as said event and although she is very attached to it, she could not be by its side due to work commitments.

Her brother, who also manages her work schedule, recently revealed, “She texts me every morning when she wakes up to ask me if Rou Bao is doing well. And she often ends up in tears after [reading] the messages – she has always been such a kind-hearted person.”

He also spoke up for his sister and revealed that despite her strong front, she has her weak moments and once told him that she feels like “escaping” from this messy and complicated world.

Joe addressed her fans via a social media post yesterday and apologised for putting them through all these hardships recently.

“Actually, I don’t feel good about it too, I always thought of myself to be a strong person but when I’ve experienced how kindness can’t fight against evil, it made me realise how weak I am,” she wrote. “But I still believe in being honest and aboveboard.”

“This is just another hurdle, let’s hold hands and overcome it together,” Joe wrote, thanking fans for their love and support at the end of her message.

JYJ′s Kim Jae Joong Discharged From Military

Kim Jae Joong salutes while surrounded by fans.

On December 30, Kim Jae Joong, who received basic training beginning March 31, 2015 at the 1st infantry Division in Paju before serving as an active-duty soldier under the 55th Infantry Division, officially completed his military service.

On this day, Kim Jae Joong shared, "The JYJ members continued to cheer for me.

Even when I came out for vacation last year, the members said, ′It′s not over until it′s over, so work hard and don′t get hurt.′"

Meanwhile, Kim Jae Joong′s agency congratulated the star by sharing through their SNS channel, "Congratulations on your discharge. Congratulations Kim Jae Joong! We missed you. Thank you for waiting for 640 days."

Lindsay Lohan has written Mean Girls 2 treatment

Lindsay Lohan has written a 'Mean Girls 2' treatment.

The 30-year-old actress is so desperate for a sequel to the 2004 movie that she has taken matters into her own hands and put together her ideas for a follow-up.

She told CNN in a Facebook Live interview: "I have been trying so hard to do a 'Mean Girls 2'. It is not in my hands. I know that [the film's writer and costar] Tina Fey and [producer] Lorne Michaels and all of Paramount are very busy. But I will keep forcing it and pushing it on them until we do it.

"I have already written a treatment for it. I just need a response. I know Mark Waters, the director; he'd happily come back.

"I'd love to have Jamie Lee Curtis and Jimmy Fallon in the movie."

Meanwhile, earlier this year Tina revealed she and her husband, composer Jeff Richmond, were working on a 'Mean Girls' musical.

And it is set to debut in Washington next year.

A tweet on the verified MeanGirlsDC Twitter account stated: "BREAKING OCT 3rd NEWS! The "Mean Girls" musical is coming to Washington, D.C. Fall of 2017! #MeanGirls #OctoberThird #ThatsSoFetch #grool (sic)."

Tina previously said: "I thought the movie, in some ways, mostly appealed to young girls and gay men, and I feel like that could be a recipe for success on Broadway."

Rob Kardashian released from hospital

Rob Kardashian has been released from hospital after a health scare.

The 29-year-old sock designer was admitted to a medical facility in Hidden Hills, California on Wednesday (28.12.16), where he was treated for complications related to his Type 2 diabetes.

According to PEOPLE: "Rob wasn't feeling well and recognised that his symptoms were diabetes-related.

"Rob has made some changes to his lifestyle, but all the latest drama with Blac Chyna has made him depressed. And he has been on a terrible diet.

"He hasn't been taking care of himself, and that's why he's now sick again."

TMZ reported that Rob had gained an "alarmingly large amount of weight after excessively eating" due to arguments with his fiancée Blac Chyna.

However, the morning after he was admitted to hospital, Rob was well enough to be released by medical staff.

The engaged pair - who have their own reality show 'Rob & Chyna' - separated earlier this month after constantly fighting with one another, but reconciled just before Christmas to spend the holiday with their newborn daughter Dream.

However, it was later claimed Chyna had been left off the guest list for Rob's mother Kris Jenner's annual Christmas bash as the family "can't stand" the constant arguments between the new parents.

An insider said at the time: "Rob's family is over Chyna. She is not invited to Kris' holiday party.

"Rob's family is trying to distance themselves from Chyna. They can't stand the toxic relationship. They very much care about baby Dream though. It's just come to the point when they think Rob is better off without being in a relationship with Chyna."

Thursday 29 December 2016

Shu Qi cornered by questions about pregnancy

Taiwanese actress Shu Qi made an appearance at the promotional event for her upcoming movie, The Village of No Return, and was pressed by Taiwanese host Mickey Huang for updates on her baby-making attempts.

The host teased her, “Are you expecting…” and continued with “anything from this production?” after a long pause, in which the actress quipped, “I’m having a… slight discomfort right now”.

Mickey asked Shu Qi once more, point blank, “Are you expecting?” which might have sent the actress panicking and repeating her first answer thrice.

The host eventually resorted to probing the 40 year-old’s co-star, Chang Shaio-Hwei, in hopes of getting a clear answer but was disappointed yet again when he said, “It’s not convenient for me to talk about this”.

Chang Shaio-Hwei then swiftly changed his answer to “I don’t know” when he was asked repeatedly about Shu Qi’s pregnancy.

Shu Qi did not answer any more questions regarding her personal life during the interview after her friendly banter with Mickey, but clarified that she was “not pregnant”.

Vanness Wu Attends Charity Event for Children

To promote his new album "#MWHYB", his first in 3 years, Vanness Wu had been travelling abroad recently. Still, he had found time to return to Taiwan and attended the year-end benefit event for children. He helped with the meal preparation and taught the children the dancing part of the latest MV "Boom". Wearing a grey sweater and a wool hat, he looked casual and happy all the time.

Byung-hun Lee Wins Grand Bell Award

The 53rd Grand Bell Awards presentation ceremony was held in the Sejong University today. As last year the organizer had announced that the awards would be presented to those who showed up and irritated many actors, very few big names showed up this year despite that the organizer no longer insisted on their presence.

Of the nominees for the best leading actor and actress, Byung-hun Lee was the only star in the ceremony, and he was awarded the Best Leading Actor for the movie "Inside Men". It was his 3rd award this year, after winning the Baeksang Arts Award and Blue Dragon Film Award. The red carpet interview was hosted by Byongchan Kim, Rey-young Kong and Tae-im Lee, and the arrivals included Bumsoo Lee, Dong-geun Yang, Ei Lee and Byung-hun, but still the entire ceremony seemed darker than usual.

Ryan Phillippe opens up about battle with depression

Ryan Phillippe struggled with depression in his 20s.

The 'Secrets and Lies' star has opened up about his battle with depression but says he is "a lot more at peace" with himself now.

He said: "I'm a lot more at peace than I was when I was younger. I struggled much more with depression when I was in my 20s and 30s. I think the amount of reading that I've done, the work on myself and the ways that I've found to cope are healthier than when I was younger.

"I don't know what that specifically amounts to other than being more careful and considerate about why you make the choices you do or where the feelings you have come from. And then ultimately just breathe."

And the 42-year-old actor - who has Ava, 17, and Deacon, 13, with his ex-wife Reese Witherspoon and Kai, five, with his former partner Alexis Knapp - insists he is much happier now and is hoping to stay positive going into the future.

He added to People magazine: "I am happy. It hasn't always been like that, so I'm hoping to keep it going. And I think from there too, giving back and sharing whatever I can [is important].

"When you go through dark periods in life or if you're a person who has struggled with depression as I have throughout my life, to know that that can decrease and that it doesn't have to be your defining characteristic, that you can find ways to manage and cope and feel better - that's what I'm referring to.

"There is a sensitivity that will never change and an empathy that will never change but how you deal with those feelings and where you let them take you, that's an individualistic journey for anyone who struggles."

Billie Lourd will keep Carrie Fisher's beloved pet dog

Carrie Fisher's daughter is planning to keep the late actress' beloved pet pooch Gary.
Billie Lourd is reportedly taking in the French bulldog - which Carrie never went anywhere without - after her mother passed away on Tuesday (27.12.16) at the age of 60.

The 'Scream Queens' actress, 24, already has a French bulldog called Tina and Billie is hoping the two pets will get along well when they live together, TMZ reports.
Carrie's tragic death was announced by family spokesperson Simon Halls on Tuesday.

Speaking on behalf of Billie, he said: "It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning. She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers."

Carrie first fell ill when she was travelling on a flight from London to Los Angeles on Friday (23.12.16).

Brad Gage, who was on the flight, tweeted at the time: "I'm in complete shock. @AnnaAkana and I sat in front of Carrie Fisher on our flight from London and she was just taken off the plane by EMTs ... I don't know what happened. Not really sure what to do right now but I hope she is ok. I hope she is ok. (sic)"

Whilst another passenger Anna Akana shared: "Don't know how else to process this but Carrie Fisher stopped breathing on the flight home. Hope she's gonna be OK ... So many thanks to the United flight crew who jumped into action, and the awesome doctor and nurse passengers who helped ... Feel weird even tweeting about it but I JUST finished her book and was fangirling out over seeing her dog Gary in person. Gah ... Merely wanted to express our shock & sadness & alert fam asap (sic)"

Following the flight, Carrie was rushed to UCLA Medical Centre where she was put on a ventilator and was treated in the intensive care unit.

Wednesday 28 December 2016

Jolin Tsai bakes for Wallace Huo’s birthday

Taiwanese actress Ruby Lin celebrated her husband, Wallace Huo’s 37th birthday yesterday (Dec 26) and she specially prepared a customised fondant cake that showed a girl in a baking in the kitchen. The cake was also decorated with the words, “I love you Daddy”.

The extravagant design of the cake caught the attention of netizens and true enough, it was done by the actress’ close friend, Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai, who had previously won a fondant cake competition in London last month.

The singer’s production studio shared more close-up photos of the cake, proving her formidable skills as the intricate details of the cake were shown. The cake was modelled after a kitchen, which included a refrigerator, oven, teapots, a recipe book and two stuffed toys which were made accurately to the last detail.

The 36 year-old has been close friends with Ruby for a long time and the had even acted together in Jolin’s music video for song, ‘We’re All Different, Yet The Same’, as lovers. Jolin even let slip that Ruby, who is now seven-months pregnant, was expecting when she accidentally wished her baby well at the actress’ wedding, before the official announcement was made.

Jay Chou, Hannah Quinlivan spend Christmas at Tokyo DisneySea

Taiwanese singer Jay Chou and wife Hannah Quinlivan was spotted having a romantic date in Tokyo DisneySea on Christmas, making fans go green with envy.

The couple was photographed when they were shopping in a merchandise store and they were said to be exchanging whispers and interacting lovingly throughout. The ‘tough guy’ singer even donned matching Mickey and Minnie Mouse outfits with his wife, complete with a flashy gold colour sports shoe, which might have played a part in giving away his identity.

Although they tried to keep a low-profile as they were dressed in black and wore face masks, but the 23 year-old model let the cat out of the bag when she posted a photo of the theme park on her Facebook with a Christmas greeting. Fans swiftly identified the location to be the Toy Story Mania ride in Tokyo DisneySea.

This is not the first public sighting of Jay and Hannah at the amusement park. The couple tied the knot almost two years ago in a fairytale wedding in England, before they welcomed the arrival of their first child, Hathaway, in July the same year. They are still working hard on expanding the brood at the moment.

Uhm Jung Hwa and Big Bang′s T.O.P Show Close Friendship Through Selfie

Singer and actress Uhm Jung Hwa has shared a couple photo with Big Bang′s T.O.P who has shared a stage with her.

On December 27, Uhm Jung Hwa shared a photo to her personal Instagram with the message, "TOP! I′m so happy to have done 2016′s Disco together. A handsome dongseng that has promised to always remain a supportive dongseng. I cheer for your bright future."In the revealed photo, Uhm Jung Hwa and T.O.P are seen taking a selfie after performing together at the 2016 SAF SBS Music Awards Festival. The pair especially catch the eyes of fans as Uhm Jung Hwa smiles brightly and T.O.P is holding up a finger heart.

Meanwhile, Uhm Jung Hwa, who performed an eye-catching comeback stage with double title tracks Watch Me Move and Dreamer, plans to meet fans through KBS′ 2016 KBS Song Festival on December 29.


Justin Bieber 'is trying to block release of deposition video'

Justin Bieber is reportedly trying to block the release of his deposition video.

The on-screen evidence relates to a case brought against the 22-year-old pop star by his neighbour, who has accused Justin of egging his house and spitting on him back in 2014.

Lawyers for the 'Sorry' hitmaker believe that the release of the video could create an unwelcome storm around Justin, who recently courted controversy when he lashed out at a fan in Barcelona, Spain, after he reached into his car and tried to grab him.

The singer-songwriter has already paid $90,000 for the egging damage, but has refuted the allegation that he caused emotional distress to his neighbour, according to TMZ.

Earlier this month, meanwhile, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk branded Justin as "self-absorbed" and guilty of causing "needless suffering" to animals after he stepped out in West Hollywood wearing a fur coat.

The Canadian star was spotted wearing the animal pelt winter coat and whilst it was unknown whether or not the coat was real or faux just by looking at it, video footage of the star emerging from Hyde night club shows Justin confirming the coat is authentic fur.

Asked if it was real fur, Justin said: "Hell yeah it's f***ing real!"

But Justin's actions subsequently drew criticism from Ingrid, who is the head of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

Ingrid said: "I sometimes think that Justin Bieber needs a brain scan, as I suspect his mirror neurons - the seat of empathy - are underdeveloped or undeveloped, given that he acts like a self-absorbed, childish show-off.

"He seems incapable of seeing how his buying habits cause needless suffering to animals, such as baby tigers, baby monkeys, and wild coyotes.

"Animal groups are tired of having to clean up after him, from the abandoned baby monkey in Germany (now rescued) to the abusive zoo in Canada (now closed) to having to run ads explaining the horrible ways in which animals die for fur."

Carrie Fisher dies aged 60

Carrie Fisher has died at the age of 60.

The 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' actress has passed away after suffering a heart attack, a statement from the family has confirmed.

Speaking on behalf of Carrie's daughter Billie Lourd, family spokesman Simon Halls said: "It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning. She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers."

It comes only days after Carrie stopped breathing on a flight from London to Los Angeles and was given CPR by staff, doctors and nurses onboard.

Brad Gage, who was on the flight, tweeted at the time: "I'm in complete shock. @AnnaAkana and I sat in front of Carrie Fisher on our flight from London and she was just taken off the plane by EMTs ... I don't know what happened. Not really sure what to do right now but I hope she is ok. I hope she is ok. (sic)"

Carrie was taken to UCLA Medical Centre where she was being treated in the intensive care unit.

Her brother Todd Fisher revealed at the time: "She's in the ICU and everybody's praying for her. There's nothing new from the doctors. There's nothing new at all ... There's no good news or bad news."

The legendary actress was best known for her role as Princess Leia in the science fiction franchise and was part of Hollywood from a young age, being the daughter of actress Debbie Reynolds and entertainer Eddie Fisher.

Carrie is survived by her mother Debbie, her daughter Billie, 24, and her beloved French bulldog Gary.

Tuesday 27 December 2016

Mayday’s Ashin probes Lin Chiling about her love life

Taiwanese rock band Mayday invited Taiwanese actress Lin Chiling to guest on their sixth show last night (Dec 26) at the Taipei Arena for their Just Rock It RE: Live concert, the first of nine concerts of their remake series, which features themes from previous years.

The band started off the concert with upbeat songs such as ‘Motor Rock’ and ‘Viva Love’ to hype up the crowd, before inviting Chiling to grace the stage. The band’s leader, Ashin, even said to the fans that the actress was their Christmas present to the fans.

The 42 year-old sang praises of one of the band’s latest songs, ‘Song About You’, and was tested by Ashin on the last line of said song. She answered confidently, “To forget you”, leading to a series of teasing from the singer, who asked her, “So, who are you trying to forget?” seemingly hinting at her previous relationship with Taiwanese actor Jerry Yan.

Not backing down, Chiling quipped, “You were the one who wrote the lyrics, who are you trying to forget then?”

The two brought the concert to a high when they held hands while singing the duet, ‘Elope to the Moon’, inviting screams and cheers from the audience.

Before the actress took her leave, she invited only the married band members for a goodbye hug and her gesture incited an overwhelming “Why!” from Ashin, the only single member of the group who was left out of it.

Wu Bai tries flower arranging for the first time

Singer Wu Bai showed up at a radio show to promote his new Taiwanese album "Nail Flower".

He tried to learn the art of flower arrangement from the teacher but failed. He said, "It’s my first time trying flower arranging, and it’s awful. Let the professionals do it, and we’ll just buy the flowers." He admitted that he had never sent flowers to his family or ex-girlfriends, but he did to some singers during their concerts.

Talking about the decline of Taiwanese songs, he said, "Different languages have different styles. For me, Taiwanese is like a knife and Mandarin is like a hammer. Mandarin songs fit the ‘punk’ style and Taiwanese songs are more like the ‘rock’ style. The forces are different."

Recently, he had appeared in the new movie "The Miracle Fighters", but he said today, "I am a singer, not an actor, and I’m glad that I am a singer. Actors are great and can do many incredible things. It’s a tough job."

Kris Shen and Top Secret celebrate Christmas with fans

Kris Shen and the South Korean band Top Secret had a concert at the ATT Show Box on Christmas day. When Kris saw the 1,000 fans from the stage, he was moved very much. He said jokingly, "Please let the Taipei Arena know that we can be ‘higher’ here."

It had been many years since he last performed in Taiwan, and so he started the concert with BIGBANG’s hot song "BANG BANG BANG" and EXO’s "Growl". He had even picked Mayday’s "OAOA" for Top Secret to practise in secret. Top Secret said, "The Chinese pronunciation is difficult but fun."

Busy with acting and singing, Kris was happy that he had finally arrived at a big stage from the 200-capacity venues in the beginning, and he hoped someday he could stand on the Taipei Arena stage like Mayday did.

George Michael suffered heroin addiction

George Michael suffered from a heroin addiction prior to his death.

The 'Careless Whisper' hitmaker passed away from heart failure at his home in Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, South East England, on Christmas Day (25.12.16) aged just 53, and sources have now claimed the star "used heroin" and had been rushed to hospital earlier in the year for treatment after an overdose.

The source told The Daily Telegraph: "He's been rushed to A&E on several occasions. He used heroin. I think it's amazing he's lasted as long as he has."

The news comes as PR chief Gary Farrow - a close friend of the 'One More Try' singer - told The Sun newspaper that "easy access to drugs" ultimately caused the death of the prolific talent.

He said: "I believe easy access to drugs was the cause of his problems. I thought George was too bright to get involved with illegal substances, but once this disease gets hold of you it's hard to fight it."

According to sources, cardiac arrest - which was the cause of death according to George's manager Michael Lippman - is common amongst heroin users.

Michael said on Monday (26.12.16) that he received a call telling him that Michael had been found "in bed, lying peacefully" and that there was "no foul play whatsoever". He added that Michael's death from heart failure was unexpected.
Meanwhile, George's publicist announced his death in a statement around 11pm on Christmas Day, saying: "It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period. The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage."

A statement from Thames Valley Police read: "Thames Valley Police were called to a property in Goring-on-Thames shortly before 2pm Christmas Day. Sadly, a 53-year-old man was confirmed deceased at the scene. At this stage the death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious. A post mortem will be undertaken in due course. There will be no further updates from Thames Valley Police until the post mortem has taken place."

Dappy trashes £1.7 million home

Dappy has reportedly trashed a £1.7 million country home he was renting.

The 29-year-old rapper was renting the posh home where he stayed with his partner Kaye Vassell and their three children, but after moving out last month he has reportedly caused £70,000 of damage to the property, making it "unfit for humans".
His landlord told The Sun newspaper: "[It's] unfit for humans. It's disgusting. The place was beautiful, now it's a bombsite."

The landlord for the home the 'No Regrets' hitmaker was renting went on to state that Dappy - who rented the home for a year - had "no respect" for the house or for the people around him, claiming neighbours told him the star "had parties a lot".
He added: "He said he had a bit of money left from the sale of his old house and was going to use it as a deposit for a new one.

"He said he would just be renting it until he bought somewhere else - but after the headlines about bankruptcy I guess no one would lend to him.

"I couldn't get him out after that, he had the kids in there and he kept telling me he would go but it was all just lies, he has completely conned me.

"Neighbours I know in the area have told me that there were people over there all the time and they had parties a lot. They obviously had no respect for the house or people around them."

However, Dappy, real name Costadinos Contostavlos, has insisted any issues with the now boarded up house occurred after he left, as he "categorically didn't" damage the house in any way.

He said: "I'm disgusted and would like to make it clear when we left that house all rubbish was bagged up. I categorically didn't destroy or smash up the house."

Monday 26 December 2016

Ruby Lin celebrates Wallace Huo’s birthday

In the wee hours this morning, Ruby Lin shared a few pictures from Wallace Huo’s 37th birthday celebration and posted her first personal picture of the both of them.

The parents-to-be can be seen posing before a beautifully decorated fondant cake which had the words “I love daddy” on it.

Many are speculating that Ruby is expecting a baby girl after her good friend Tiffany Hsu accidentally let slip at Ruby’s baby shower party that she is “looking forward to the day the prince and princess will met”, referring to actor Jason Tsou’s son as the prince.

Ever since Ruby and Wallace got married in Bali in July, the couple has been living apart due to Wallace’s busy work schedule. They are seldom spotted in public but during the release of Suddenly Seventeen, Wallace’s latest movie work, and in a rare display of public affection, Ruby booked a huge amount of movie tickets to support her husband and posted a picture of it.

Ruby is currently seven months pregnant and has been on a work hiatus to prepare for the arrival of her first child.

Jam Hsiao and Lion go back to high school

After being on sick leave for quite a while, Jam Hsiao appeared at a high school campus with his band Lion to present some new songs.

He seemed to have recovered and his voice was strong. Touched by the Christmas holiday atmosphere, Jam said to the students, "It’s time for dating in your senior year." He revealed that the other three members of the band all had girlfriends and added, "I’m the only one who is single." The drummer said hastily, "I’m single now." But Jam joked, "You are single on stage." The students were all excited to see them joking around during their performance.

Shinhwa Confirms Appearance on ′Weekly Idol′

First generation idol group Shinhwa has confirmed their appearance on MBC every1′s Weekly Idol.

On December 26, according to a representative of MBC every1, Shinhwa recently confirmed their appearance on Weekly Idol and will film the episode shortly. Earlier this year, member Shin Hye Sung appeared as a solo guest on the show and promised to return as a whole group. Shinhwa, who hit their 18th anniversary since debuting this year, will make a comeback in January with a new studio album.

Accordingly, Shinhwa will appear on Weekly Idol and bring back their variety skills.
Fans are curious to see if Shinhwa will play the random play dance game through Weekly Idol with hit tracks T.O.P, Wild Eyes, Brand New and more.
Shinhwa′s Weekly Idol is set to air sometime in January.

Meanwhile, Shinhwa will attend a variety of year-end award ceremonies and plans to perform title track Touch of their 13th studio album 13th Unchanging - Touch for the first time.

Matilda Tao releases a new book

Matilda Tao showed up at the presentation of her new book "X! Why Am I Standing in the Snow Again" (unofficial translation) to share her experiences of travelling with her family to snowy places.

She choked up when saying that her husband Li Liren had been truly devoted to their children, but then she jokingly begged for fans’ support of her book. She was asked again about her implying about Shu Qi's pregnancy at the Golden Horse Awards, and she clarified that she had gotten Shu Qi's consent. She claimed that Chang Chen could be their witness because he had sat next to Shu Qi at that time. Matilda said, "I know what the media wants and what I want to convey. I’ll do it whatever they say of me."

Jamie Oliver won't get gifts for youngest son

Jamie Oliver's four-month-old son will only get "boobs" for Christmas.

The celebrity chef, 41, has revealed his and wife Jools' baby River won't be getting any presents for his first festive period because he is too young and his only concern at the moment is getting fed.

When asked what River is getting for Christmas, Jamie replied: "Nothing. He's only interested in one thing. Boobs.

"And for that we can both remain equal in our desire."

While Jamie - who also has kids Poppy, 14, Daisy, 13, Petal, seven, and six-year-old Buddy - and Jools are delighted to have a fifth child, the restaurateur admits it has been much tougher to get River to settle at night compared to their other children.
He added: "It's been hard. But he's really good now, so we're so relieved. Jools has been a ninja in that all the other kids have been down pat in about six weeks, whereas this one has taken about four months to settle and we were getting about two hours' sleep, which was ridiculous.

"I had quite a lot of important stuff going on at the same time which required a lot of focus."

But, fortunately, the pair have managed to get River into a routine and are going to celebrate by having a "sane Christmas".

He said: "I put a lot of hours in this year, River's come along and now in a routine, which is important when they're that young, and I thought, 'Let's change it up,' and have a slightly more sane Christmas, which I've never had."

Friday 23 December 2016

Jolin Tsai, Vivian Dawson end relationship of six years

Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai and Vivian Dawson split after dating for six years, after they met on the set of the singer’s music video, and fans are speculating that the two broke up due to conflicting opinions on marriage.

Vivian had previously mentioned in an interview that his future wife would have to fulfil these basic requirements: take on his surname, always wear her wedding band, and to be willing to share their assets.

Fans got wind of this and wondered if Jolin, who has a net worth of NTD 20 billion (approximately S$900 million) and is not considering marriage in the near future, would agree to such a conservative arrangement. True enough, the pair broke up a month later.

However, Jolin’s manager refuted the rumours of the couple splitting due to differing opinions on marriage and explained, “They decided to break up after discussing about it and are still good friends. Why would there be conflicts about money between them when both of them spend their own money?”

Friends of the two also felt that they would not have dated for such a long time if they did not see eye to eye regarding the issue of marriage.

Following the split, the 36 year-old continued working as per normal and even won a fondant cake competition in London last month. It looks like she will not be meeting Vivian or returning to Taiwan anytime soon as she has her hands full with overseas performances on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

The singer continued to keep a low-profile with issues regarding her personal life and refrained from discussing the details of her break up, but fans are wondering if she had actually initiated the split, but chose to protect the actor from negative remarks from the media by announcing that it was an amicable break up.

Z.Tao collapses at airport

Chinese singer-rapper Huang Zitao, better known as Z.Tao, rushed to the Beijing Capital International Airport to catch a flight last night (Dec 22), but fainted right after he went through the immigration gantry.

It was said that the singer appeared to be unwell upon reaching the airport, and was bearing with the discomfort while his staff held him as he walked, but he eventually collapsed in the presence of the media and fans.

Z.Tao put on a wheelchair right after and was sent to the hospital to be put on drip.

The 23 year-old was in Beijing, China to attend the press conference of his upcoming movie Railroad Tigers, which he starred in alongside Jackie Chan and Taiwanese actor Darren Wang, but left promptly after that to catch his flight.

According to Chinese media reports, the former EXO member probably fainted from fatigue as he was overworked from the filming of upcoming Chinese drama, Tan Pan Guan (loosely translated as The Negotiator), which he started on right after filming Railroad Tigers. He was also tired out as he insisted on performing most of his stunts in the movie without a stunt double.

Worried fans flurried their idol well after the incident and one wrote, “The New Year is approaching, please take care of your health”.

Jordan Chan, Cherrie Ying expecting 2nd child

Hong Kong actress Cherrie Ying was seen shopping in a mall in a baggy outfit with her 6-year-old son, Jasper in tow this September. Fans also noted that the mother-of-one had a slight bulge at her tummy, and she would caress her tummy from time to time, sparking rumours of her second pregnancy.

The 33 year-old and her husband, fellow Hong Kong actor Jordan Chan did not respond to the rumours, but it seems that Cherrie let the cat out of the bag herself when she spoke of her ‘daughter’ in a video.

The actress appeared on the second season of Chinese variety show Huo Xing Qing Bao Ju (loosely translated as Mars Information Center) and was asked to record a video for her future self in 2026, in which she said, “10 years later, my daughter will be 9 or 10 years-old and we’ll be living happily as a family of four”.

Jordan and Cherrie tied the knot on in 2010 before they welcomed the arrival of Jasper three years later in 2013. The actor will presumably be welcoming the fourth addition to his family at the age of 50 next year.

I have no say at home: Nicky Wu

Taiwanese actor Nicky Wu attended the promotional event on Tuesday (Dec 21) of game show, Wo Men De Fa Ze (loosely translated as Our Rules) which requires the cast to rely on their outdoor survival skills as they overcome challenges and obstacles when they are left in the jungle.

When asked if he would like his wife, Chinese actress Cecilia Liu, to join him on the show, the model-husband answered, “There’s no need for her to go through such hardship!”

The couple tied the knot this March in Bali, Indonesia and Nicky admitted during an interview that his wife wears the pants in their marriage. “I have no say at home”, he mused.

He also shared previously on talk show Small Swallow Xiaoyan Night that they rarely argue.

The actor is also fully supportive of Cecilia’s exit from talent agency Tangren Media as he believed that his wife is an independent woman. He said, “She is independent, I support all of her decisions regarding work or our lives”.

Nicky and Cecilia registered their marriage in January 2015 after they met and fell in love on the set of Chinese period drama Scarlet Heart.

Kesha to 'forever fight' for music to be released in 2017

Kesha just wants to spend 2017 releasing new music.

The 'Tik Tok' hitmaker is fully focused on relaunching her music career after dropping her lawsuit against Dr. Luke - who she claimed sexually assaulted her - and fulfilling her contractual obligations to the producer's label Kemosabe by submitting 28 new songs.

Kesha has been working on an emotional duet with a mystery collaborator, which made them both cry "happy tears".

The 29-year-old pop star has penned a heartfelt message to her fans about her horrible year and how she aims to "forever fight" to be able to release the songs she's been working on.

Alongside a black and white picture of the star slumped in bed, she wrote on Instagram: "Just got back a mix of me and someone singing a duet crying happy tears never in my life imagined this dream could ever actually come true .... please pray one day y'all can hear this music. it's the most vulnerable and honest I have ever been to myself and it's literally documenting me growing up. I cannot wait and will forever fight for u to hear it. merry everything and happy every day and thank you for not abandoning me while I fight the good fight. I just want to make art. and let you hear it. that's all I want for Christmas. and my New Years resolution is to finish my record and give it to you. thank you animals. love y'all. (sic)"

The blonde beauty previously revealed she has been recording a "f**k off" song with a Grammy Award-winning artist, and has since taken to Twitter to share an update.
She wrote: "to the studio with a friend hope he wins the Grammy for producer of the year this year!!!! #secretawesomesongs (sic)"

Kesha's last track, 'True Colors', was recorded with Zedd and came out after a judge ruled she could not be released from her recording contract with Dr. Luke.
She signed a contract with Dr. Luke - who has denied all the allegations of abuse - for five albums in 2005 and has so far released just two, with the most recent, 'Warrior', coming out in 2012.

Until she delivered her final three LPs, Kesha could have remained locked in the contract for life.

Although she has now submitted the required 28 songs, the studio wizard - whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald - may not necessarily release them, if they are not deemed commercially satisfactory.

However, Kesha and her team could provide any failure to make the tracks available as proof Sony and Luke are refusing to release her music.

Thursday 22 December 2016

"The Great Wall" premieres in Hong Kong

At the premiere of "The Great Wall", Andy Lau appeared with director Zhang Yimou and were greeted by cheering fans.

Andy said it was hard to speak in classic English and Matt Damon would correct him sometimes. Talking about their achievement of grossing 500 million yuan at the box office in five days when shown in the mainland, Andy said smilingly, "Of course I am satisfied. The director's standards are too high."

Yimou admitted that it was a "popcorn movie" and he hoped all the young people in the world could see it. Andy said he felt relaxed when working together with Yimou again after 12 years. Yimou praised Andy for his politeness because Andy would visit him in Beijing every time.

When asked if he’d star in a Hollywood movie again, Andy said it would depend on chance. When asked about his Christmas plans, Andy said he would stay with his family and he had already bought a present for his daughter.

Jay Chou, Hannah Quinlivan determined to have a son?

Taiwanese multi-hyphenate Jay Chou has been working hard with his wife, Hannah Quinlivan to achieve their goal of having three kids, after their first daughter, Hathaway, was born last year. However, the power couple’s plans hit a road bump last month when the actress was diagnosed with ovary disorder and had to put their baby-making plans on hold.

The couple are said to be seeking help from Chinese medicine practitioners to improve their health now, but rumour has it that the pair is actually consuming Chinese medicine because Jay and his mother yearns for Hannah to give birth to a baby boy for their second pregnancy.

In response to the rumours, Hannah’s manager confirmed that the two are seeking help from Chinese medicine practitioners, but is unsure if they intend to conceive a baby boy through the Chinese medicine treatments.

The treatment that 23 year-old Hannah is currently undergoing requires her to consume medication and exercise moderately.

Jay and Hannah tied the knot in January 2015 and gave birth to their first child in July 2015.

Kim Yoojung, Hacken Lee win big at Yahoo! Asia Buzz Awards

Actors and singers showed up at the presentation ceremony of the Yahoo! Asia Buzz Awards tonight, including Hacken Lee, Gillian Chung, Joyce Cheng, Kim Yoojung, Eric Chou, Sherman Chung and Vincy Chan, etc.

Gillian was given the Most Popular Actress award, and she was grateful for the fans’ support. She revealed that she’d find time to visit her friend Michelle Chen who had just given birth to a son.

The Most Appealing Male Singer award went to Hacken, who had become a dancing singer in the music video for "One Day". He said teasingly that it was because the Thai director Deuce let him try it since William Chan had done it before him. Next year, Hacken would focus on album productions and concert preparations, although he’d like to participate in a reality show. as well.

The Most Searched Asian Artist award winner Yoojung arrived from South Korea and promised to present better shows, and she humbly said that she did not perform well in some parts of her TV series "Moonlight Drawn by Clouds".

David Beckham earned £71k a day

David Beckham earned £71,000 a day last year.

The retired sportsman took home the hefty sum after his new company Seven Global LLP managed to make £8.6 million of profit in only seven months.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "There is no stopping Brand Beckham. Even though he has long retired from football David's empire keeps on growing. He is a savvy businessman and surrounds himself with like-minded people. The latest figures are staggering but it's no real surprise."

The figures come from the £3.8 million, which was paid to Beckham's DB Ventures and lifestyle company Global Brands Group Holding Limited, with the money thought to come from his successful collaboration with brands including clothing retailer H&M.

Elsewhere, David also managed to secure another £11.4 million in profit at his Footwork Productions company, which rakes money in for the use of David's name and his image.

It comes after the 41-year-old star admitted he isn't into lavish gifts and wants socks for Christmas.

He said: "Socks is always a good one. You know, I'm an Englishman so we - us Brits we love nice socks, so I've asked for socks this year. Victoria's list - nice pajamas. She loves some nice PJ's, comfy and cozy."

And despite his wealthy status, David much prefers to wear casual clothes like jeans, t-shirts and trainers rather than suits.

He added: "[I am a] very casual dresser. I love to wear smart suits and I like to feel smart when I go out for dinner but I also much prefer to wear jeans, T-shirts, trainers, boots, vintage boots and that's kind of how I dress every single day."

John Mayer: I'm not an 'it' celebrity anymore

John Mayer is glad he's not a huge star anymore.

The 'Free Fallin' hitmaker says there is "humility in knowing" he's not an 'it' celebrity now.

Speaking on Todd & Jayde In the Morning on 95.5 PLJ, he said: "I now say, I'm not it, I just do it. There's a difference. People who are 'it', 'it' will kill you. It will kill you if you consider yourself to be it. If you think you are the star, like all the way down to your core that you are just made of star parts, you will die. What I realise now is I have a very cool job.

"I get passes that I get to wear around my neck that [allow me to] keep walking to the microphone - and nobody tackles me. And then the show is over, and I go home.
There is humility in knowing that you're not popular to the point where people are following you around anymore. They're following new people around. They're not following me around anymore. There's humility in, Yeah, don't worry about it because you're not going to be that hot [forever] anyway."

Meanwhile, John is happy to share advice with other songwriters including Shawn Mendes, who sought the 39-year-old singer's thoughts on his new album 'Illuminate'.

The 18-year-old singer shared: "I didn't get to work with him, but he listened to a bunch of the songs and gave great pieces of advice through the music and production and lyrics and stuff, especially on songs like 'Three Empty Words' and 'Ruin' and 'Patience.' It was great to have him listening through it all."

Tuesday 20 December 2016

Jam Hsiao recovers from Influenza A H3N2

Taiwanese singer Jam Hsiao performed for the first time on Sunday night (Dec 18) after cancelling a number of performances during the past week because he fell ill  and was diagnosed with Influenza A virus, H3N2 more than a week ago on December 10.

The singer sang for the finale of the Christmasland in New Taipei City concert and assured the media during an interview that he was feeling much better compared to when he first fell ill and felt weakness in his limbs.

However, the media was skeptical as Jam let out a cough when he was answering a question, but the singer said, “There’s no problem, it’s alright! I’ve rested for quite a while!”

He also let in that he will not be reducing his performances as he has no problems coping with his current workload.

When asked if he had a Christmas wish, the 29 year-old wished for everyone to be well and firmly reiterated that he does not accept presents. Fans are familiar with Jam’s request for no gifts as they donate to charities every year on his birthday in his name instead of spending money on a birthday gift for him.

Angelababy not ready to be a mum

Chinese actress Angelababy is currently seven months pregnant and has taken a break from work to prepare for labour, but the actress had recently admitted that she feels “anxious and unprepared” about the impending arrival of her first child.
The 27 year-old wrote a lengthy post on her Weibo, sharing her thoughts of becoming a mother and her arduous journey as an actress.

She wrote, “I’ve been quite free lately, so free that I’m not used to it, so I thought I should use this time to talk to you guys here.

“To be honest, I’m not prepared to be a mother, and I still feel like a teenager, everything is happening too quickly. But being unprepared has always blessed me with kind people who make my journey easier by taking care of me, so I feel happier even though I am unprepared.”

Angelababy also expressed her gratitude for the cast of Chinese variety show, Hurry Up, Brother for taking good care if her during the games after she injured her hand during a shoot and showed her appreciation for the opportunities that were given to her despite her not being ready for a certain acting role.

As she prepares for motherhood, Angelababy also let in that she is “all ready to become a housewife” but ended up scaring her husband, Huang Xiaoming, away when she cooked for the first time. “Maybe Mr Huang should lower his expectations of me when it comes to cooking,” she mused.

Lastly, the actress thanked her fans for supporting her through it all “even though I am always unprepared”.

Twice′s Christmas Edition Album Far Exceeds Sale Expectations

Girl group Twice has sold an astonishing 115,000 copies in pre-orders of the Christmas edition of their mini album TWICEcoaster : LANE 1.

Following the A and B versions of Twice′s mini album TWICEcoaster : LANE 1, the 3rd version, which released on December 19, sold 115,000 copies in pre-orders.According to the Gaon Chart, the A and B versions of their mini album TWICEcoaster : LANE 1 had combined sales of 225,000 copies, setting the record for the highest selling girl group album of 2016. However, Twice has once again proven their popularity by exceeding sales expectations for their Christmas version.

Meanwhile, Twice′s Christmas edition album was produced as a gift to their fans for their love and support throughout 2016.

Kanye West to make comeback at BRIT Awards?

Kanye West wants to make his comeback at the 2017 BRIT Awards.

The 'Famous' rapper was rushed to hospital in Los Angeles with suspected "temporary psychosis" in November - which saw him cancel the remaining dates of his 'Saint Pablo Tour' - and he reportedly sees the prestigious bash, which is held at London's The O2 on February 22, and the Grammys in US as the perfect events to make his stage return.

Kanye, 39, - who has North, three, and Saint, 12 months, with wife Kim Kardashian West - is also keen to bring his famous floating stage, which was a regular fixture on the tour with him.

A source said: "Kanye has made it known that he's available for the awards season. People are telling him to take it easy, but he's really pushing to play the Grammys and the BRITs next year.

"He's planning to bring his life 'Saint Pablo Tour' tour to the UK in 2017 anyway and the BRITs would be a great way to preview his floating stage."

However, while the 'Fade' hitmaker is hoping to return early next year, his European fans will have to wait until he fulfils his previous cancelled dates in the US first.

The source told the Daily Star newspaper: "There are a few US shows that need to be rescheduled first, but the priority for next year is taking his show to Europe.

"The staging is complex, it takes a lot of planning, you have to find the right arenas."
And it looks as though Kanye will need to think wisely about his performance choice if he is to return to the BRITs, as his performance of 'All Day' in 2015 was heavily-muted because of the explicit lyrics and received over 100 complaints from viewers. The source added: "Love him or hate him, he's great box office. Anyone would be crazy to turn down a Kanye West appearance."

New Thor: Ragnarok details revealed

The planet Sakaar will be heavily featured in 'Thor: Ragnarok'.

Director Taika Waititi has confirmed that the planet - which is a home to refugees from other worlds due to its location next to a wormhole in space - will be vital to the new movie, which stars Chris Hemsworth as the titular hero.

Speaking to Total Film, he said:" Sakaar was just an insane, far-off, futuristic place which was the biggest shift for the film and these characters...I was really excited when Kevin [Feige] and the rest of Marvel jumped on board with the idea to use [Jack] Kirby as a big influence in the design of the film. What's really hard is staying authentic."

The movie will see The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) try to help his Avengers teammate with a huge threat looming over Asgard.

And in the 'Planet Hulk' comic storyline, Sakaar is where Thor reunites with The Hulk.
Meanwhile Taika recently insisted he wanted to make an "awesome" standalone film so did not pay much attention to 2011's 'Thor' or 2013's 'Thor: The Dark World', and admitted he has "no idea" whether his motion picture with blend with the first two.
In a Reddit AMA, he wrote: "I made an effort to ignore the fact there are other Thor films.

"I honestly know NOTHING outside of what I'm doing. I'm trying to ignore the rest of the universe and just make my own awesome movie.

"It will be a nice addition to the Taika Waititi box-set though. (sic)"

Monday 19 December 2016

Zhou Dongyu wins Best Actress at Macau International Film Festival

At the 8th Macau International Film Festival ceremony, Zhou Dongyu was presented with the Best Leading Actress award for her performance in "Never Said Goodbye", while the Best Leading Actor award was shared by Hu Jun in "Lord of Shanghai" and Li Xuejian in "The Woman Behind the Man".

When Irene Wan, the previous winner of the Best Supporting Actress award, appeared to present the Best Supporting Actor, she recalled that she had been in Japan when a magnitude 7 earthquake struck and she was really scared because she was on the 51st floor.

Michelle Chen, Chen Xiao bake Christmas cookies together

Taiwanese actress Michelle Chen and husband Chen Xiao is currently waiting for the arrival of their first child, who might be due as soon as late December. The pair seized whatever time they had left before the birth of their baby and spent a night baking and decorating Christmas cookies together.

The actress, who is eight months pregnant, even posted photos of them hard at work while decorating the cookies on her Facebook page on Wednesday night (Dec 14). She wrote, “The battle of the Christmas cookies between the two hardworking people, who will you pick?”

The couple remained tightlipped regarding the gender of their baby, despite many conflicting speculations from fans. The 33 year-old was also rarely sighted with her baby bump in full view since she went on a hiatus to prepare for labour after their wedding.

Photos posted by her mostly only showed her face and she would often dress in dark colours, hiding her baby bump discreetly even when she is photographed out and about.

Although the You Are the Apple of My Eye Actress had been resting in ahead of delivery, she hosted a baby shower with good friend and Taiwanese singer Rainie Yang, and also met up with fellow expectant mother, Angelababy when she visited Taiwan previously.

It was said that Michelle has also been actively reading scripts and selecting work in advance while on hiatus, to prepare for her debut after pregnancy.

K.A.R.D′s ′Oh NaNa′ MV Exceeds 1 Million Views

New DSP Media group K.A.R.D has exceeded 1 million views on their debut music video.

The music video for K.A.R.D′s debut track Oh NaNa, which was released through a variety of music sites on December 13, exceeded 1,250,000 views within 3 days of its release.Oh NaNa is a moonbahton track with dance hall groovy beats. The track marks the first collaboration between producing team Zoobeater Sound, rapper and producer Nassun and K.A.R.D.

Previously, Oh NaNa reached the US iTunes′ chart in the k-pop category at number 4, Japan′s chart at number 10 and was listed on a variety of charts including the US, France and more. Additionally, fans from all over the world have been producing reaction vidoes through top video site YouTube.

K.A.R.D uses the concept of the King, Ace, jokeR and hiDDen cards and consists of members BM, J.seph, Jeon So Min and Jeon Ji Woo. The members are gifted many areas including composing, writing, choreographing.

Emma Stone's 'traumatic' audition

Emma Stone enjoyed sharing her "traumatic audition" experience on the set of 'La La Land'.

The 28-year-old actress was only happy to open up about some of the "horror stories" from her first few years in Hollywood with her co-stars in the romantic comedy film.

She said: "With 'Birdman', my character was outside the actor's mind really - she was just his daughter, not totally involved in that world. But with 'La La Land', I had a little more trepidation playing an actress in Los Angeles who was auditioning over and over. It's pretty close to my exact appearance when I first moved there. It was scary - like, is this going to be too much? But then it quickly became fun because we were all sharing horror stories and dramatising our little traumatic auditions."

And whilst starring as Mia in 'La La Land' didn't remind Emma of one audition in particular, it did cast her mind back to when she got the role in 'Superbad' and spoke of how the casting director helped her career progress.

She told Canada's The Globe and Mail newspaper: "It didn't directly remind me of any single audition I went on where I was, 'Wow, that might be the one!' But what it did remind me of was the casting director who put me in 'Superbad'.

"She just had a feeling about me, and she kept bringing me in for things over three years. If it weren't for her, I don't know what would've happened. But the audition for 'Superbad' was pretty different than here - I wasn't singing a ballad, but, well, there was improvising with Jonah [Hill]. I guess that's kind of similar."

Martin Scorsese's deep movie

Martin Scorsese has been taken on a "deeper road" by 'Silence' than any of his other movies.

The 74-year-old filmmaker is still unsure how much he has been impacted by his latest movie - which stars Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver as two missionaries in 17th century Japan who are sent to find an older Jesuit (Liam Neeson) who is rumoured to have renounced his faith - but he is still on a journey with it.

He said: "'Silence' has taken me on a deeper road than my previous films.

"I didn't know how deep it was, and maybe I still don't, quite honestly. I haven't experienced a conversion on the road to Damascus; I'm still on the road. You stop a little here, stop a little there. And eventually, it's only going to one place."

The acclaimed filmmaker also admitted he was on the verge of collapse after making 'The Departed', his 2006 tale of double-crossing police officers, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon, and felt it would "kill" him if he had to promote the movie as he had had such an "unpleasant" time making the movie.

He recalled told the Sunday Telegraph: "Moral Ground Zero, I call it.

"All the characters killed at the end, basically everyone, and there was no place to go, after that.

"You know, I hardly did any press for that film. I was tired of it. I felt it was maddening.

"I mean, I like the picture, but the process of making it, particularly in the post-production, was highly unpleasant.

"I said, I don't care how much I'm being paid, it'll kill me. I'll die. Very simply."

Thursday 15 December 2016

Jay Chou’s London concert sells out in 20 minutes

Taiwanese singer Jay Chou announced previously that he will be holding a concert at The SSE Arena, Wembley (also known as Wembley Arena) in London next year on March 18 and the highly coveted tickets were promptly snatched up by the singer’s fans in 24 minutes.

Due to the overwhelming response, Jay added an additional concert slot a day before, on March 17, making him the first and only Chinese singer to require additional shows when performing at Wembley Arena, which can seat 12,500 people. The tickets for the second show sold out within 20 minutes, with 12,000 fans still on the waiting list.

Although the 35 year-old was more than willing to add more show dates for his fans, the iconic London concert arena was already fully booked for other performances prior to Jay’s concert dates.

Wembley Arena has also played host to big names in the music scene which include The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Taiwan’s rock band Mayday, Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung and Korean boyband Big Bang.

Being the first artiste after Big Bang to perform additional shows, Jay manage to rake in a total of NTD 1.5 billion (approximately S$6.7 million) from sales of the concert tickets.

However, even before Jay planned a concert in London, the singer has always been known to be fond of England’s architecture and environment, which is evidently shown in a number of his music videos. He even tied the knot with Taiwanese model Hannah Quinlivan in a cathedral in North Yorkshire, England in January 2015.

Nicholas Tse is sole distributor of Faye Wong’s concert livestream

Fans of Chinese singer Faye Wong who did not manage to snag tickets to the singer’s one-night only concert, Faye’s Moments, in Shanghai, take heart: the concert will be available for free viewing on a livestream.

The singer announced the good news on Facebook yesterday (Dec 14) through a video where she said, “You will be able to feel the atmosphere of the concert wherever you are, I hope everyone will enjoy themselves”, appeasing many fans who could not afford the sky-rocketed price of her highly anticipated performance on the black market after failing to purchase it through traditional methods.

The livestream will feature a special 360 panoramic view of the arena and possible virtual-reality effects that will be done by the world’s biggest independent special effects company, Digital Domain.

Coincidentally—or not, Faye’s boyfriend and Hong Kong actor Nicholas Tse has a share in Digital Domain, and particularly in the special effects studio, DDPO, which is a subsidiary of Digital Domain, where he is responsible for growing the company using its expertise of 360 panorama video recording and virtual reality for concerts or sports events.

Although the couple have yet to work together since their reunion, fans can probably count this partnership as their only business affiliation with each other, other than a number of Faye’s Cantonese songs which are written by Nicholas.

The couple rekindled their love and reunited in 2014, 11 years after they first broke up.

B1A4 to Hold Solo Concert ′B1A4 Live Space 2017′

Boy group B1A4 is holding the solo concert B1A4 Live Space 2017 next February.

B1A4 Live Space 2017 is B1A4′s 6th solo concert and also the group′s first concert in over 1 year since B1A4 Adventure 2015. Additionally, fans are especially looking forward to the concert as it will also be a finale for their promotions of 3rd studio album Good Timing, which was released in November. The concert, which will be held on 4 days, is said to have the concept of ′Space′ created by B1A4. Interest is especially high as the concert will be held in a small theater where fans can hear and see B1A4 in a close proximity.

The competition for ticketing, which is opening on December 27 and 29, is expected to be fierce. CJ E&M Music, who will be producing the concert with WM Entertainment, stated, "This concert will be an extension of their 3rd studio album and will be a place for B1A4 to maximize their musical charm."

Meanwhile, B1A4′s solo concert B1A4 Live Space 2017 will be held a total of 4 times at the Blue Square Samsung Card Hall on February 4, 5, 11 and 12. Ticketing will open on December 27 for fan club members and on December 29 for the public.

Jimmy Kimmel reveals his fee for hosting Oscars

Jimmy Kimmel will be paid $15,000 to host the Oscars ceremony.

The 49-year-old TV presenter has been chosen to host the Academy Awards ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on February 26, and has joked that he's being paid a relative pittance for the honour.

He quipped: "I think it's illegal to pay nothing."

Jimmy subsequently admitted to being unsure whether he was supposed to disclose how much he was being paid, but he also blamed the slip-up on the event organisers.

The funnyman told the 'Kevin & Bean' morning show: "I'm not sure I was supposed to reveal this. But nobody told me not to. I consider this their fault."

Jimmy joked that he was only chosen to present the glitzy ceremony because the Academy's preferred hosts were not available.

He said, tongue in cheek: "They asked like 14 people and they all said no and then there was me. I absolutely was surprised."

Jimmy has been modest about securing the coveted role ever since it was first announced, telling the audience at his chat show, 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!', that he was only chosen because his studio on Hollywood Boulevard is close to the Dolby Theatre.

He quipped in an opening monologue: "The producers and the Academy went through a long list of names, and in the end, they decided that - since I am already right across the street from where they do the show - I was the closest person to host."

Jimmy is poised to follow in the footsteps of stand-up comedian Chris Rock, who hosted the iconic awards ceremony earlier this year.

The 51-year-old star used his opening monologue to address concerns about a lack of racial diversity in Hollywood, and closed the ceremony by making reference to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Lindsay Lohan 'spotted flirting with mystery man'

Lindsay Lohan has been spotted being "affectionate and holding hands" with a mystery man in Dubai.

The 30-year-old actress - who split from London-based Russian millionaire Egor Tarabasov earlier this year - was reportedly seen flirting with a "tall, dark and handsome" man in the financial district of Dubai.

A witness told the New York Post newspaper: "She enjoyed a few drinks with him and a group of friends. They were also dancing together."

However, the source also observed that the 'Mean Girls' star "was very well-behaved".

Speculation surrounding Lindsay's love life comes shortly after it was reported that she is living in a hotel after being asked to leave her London rental apartment.

The Hollywood star was issued with court papers by lawyers acting for the landlord of a £3.5 million flat she was leasing in Knightsbridge, after she failed to pay £77,600 owed in rent.

Lindsay raised the money to pay off her debts and move out of the property and into Blake's hotel in the British capital.

But Lindsay - who has also been romantically linked to Dennis Papageorgiou, her partner in a Greek nightclub called Lohan - was said to be planning to leave the hotel in order to stay with a friend.

A source said: "Lindsay has been in a complete financial mess. She has been staying at a smart hotel but has now had the offer of staying at a friend's apartment whilst she tries to sort herself out."

Prior to that, Egor reportedly accused the actress of stealing items from him, worth a total of £24,000, including a Rolex Oyster watch, designer clothing and a small gold crucifix, which belonged to his late godfather.

A friend of Egor said: "Lindsay is in an absolute mess. She has blown virtually all her money, and has basically resigned herself to being declared bankrupt ... The whole situation is incredibly tragic, and for Lindsay this is an astonishing fall from grace.

"The thing he really wants back and which, ironically, is of very little monetary value, is a small gold Russian orthodox cross which was given to him by his dead godfather."