The 9 0'Clock News – Tue 12 Aug

Posted by heatworld on Tuesday 12 Aug 2008

Filed under: Hayden Panettiere, Joss Stone, Madonna, Sharon Osbourne, Simon Cowell, The X Factor, Adoption, Brush with the law

X Factor boss breaks silence on Sharon Osbourne:
As we gear up for the start of a new series, X Factor boss Richard Holloway has finally confirmed the real reason Sharon Osbourne left the show – her salary demands were too high. Shazza walked off the show just days before the auditions were due to start back in June, and had to be hastily replaced by Cheryl Cole. It was soon rumoured that her resignation was due to a battle over pay, and Sharon was said to be asking for a whopping £500,000 pay rise which would have taken her salary up to £2million. X Factor executive Richard admitted, "I think her demands were unreasonable. From a financial point of view, it was absolutely right to say there was no more money." He went on to admit, "ITV wouldn't cough what she was demanding." We don't know about you, but we're getting VERY excited about this year's show. It's set to be the biggest yet, with over 100,000 hopefuls turning up to auditions and some familiar faces returning. Simon Cowell is already boasting that he will be the mentor to win the show, despite not yet knowing which group he will be looking after. "I have the ability to find the best in any category," he stated smugly. Well, there's not long now until we find out if he's right...

Madonna's not giving up on motherhood
She's about to embark on a world tour and celebrate her 50th birthday, but Madonna is determined to rest for a second. The star has decided to renew her bid to attempt a second orphan from Malawi, despite the baby girl's family telling her they are not interested. Madge wants to adopt two-year-old Mercy James, who was placed in an orphanage after her 18-year-old mother died giving birth to her. However, the tot's family say she will be returned to them when she's six, and are reluctant to let her go. Mercy's gran said yesterday, "I do not want the money they said they'd give me." Madonna has fallen for the baby girl, and is reportedly desperate to make her a little sister to David Banda. She has now sent aides over to Malawi in an attempt to persuade the baby's family that giving her up for adoption would be the best thing for her.

Joss Stone gets her American dream
Faux-American songstress Joss Stone must be feeling rather pleased with herself – her dedication to her US accent has finally paid off. US Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has asked the star to sing his official campaign tune. A source says, “Joss is a big supporter of Barack Obama and was very excited to be asked to do this for him. He sent her a personal message asking her to get on board. He has always admired her music and thinks she is the perfect choice because of her unique appeal to black and white voters.” Only time will tell whether it’ll be as good as Tony Blair’s hijack of D:Ream’s Things Can Only Get Better…
 
Panettiere’s dad arrested after “hitting” wife
The father of Heroes actress Hayden Panettiere has been arrested for allegedly beating her mother. According to reports, Alan Panettiere hit his wife Lesley at the Panettiere family home in Los Angeles after a party at Eva Longoria’s restaurant. Sources claim the incident happened because Lesley had been “hanging out” with "someone else" at the bash. Alan is currently being held on £26,000 bail.