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The Sun’s TV Biz reports today that ITV1 has got a divorce from Dermot O’Leary’s new show The Marriage Ref after just one series.

Here’s what the paper has to say…

The broadcaster had high hopes for the prime-time Saturday night series, which was created by US comic Jerry Seinfeld.

The show, which features celebrities giving couples marital advice, never took off. It launched with just 2.3million viewers in June and fell to 1.7million at the beginning of July.

Then bosses moved the show from its prime 9pm slot to 10pm.

Ratings perked up slightly for the last episode on Saturday, which pulled in 1.8million – its best performance for three weeks.

But it wasn’t enough to save the show from the axe.

An insider said: “The Marriage Ref is definitely not coming back. Ratings were just not strong enough.

“The figures have to be higher than this for a prime-time Saturday night show to work.” But the insider said ITV was “still committed” to Dermot and was looking forward to his return on The X Factor.

The Marriage Ref was slated by viewers over the format and the calibre of its celebrity guests. When it first launched in the US viewers weren’t thrilled either, but the show was re-ordered for a second series – although with several changes.

Seinfeld has previously said bad reviews don’t faze him.

He’s insisted: “There’s nothing that a certain group of people don’t hate. People love to hate.”

ITV will be hoping its Saturday night ratings perk up when The X Factor returns later this month.

Gathering the entertainment news, so you don’t have to

The Daily Star today reports that Amy Winehouse died broken-hearted after realising she and her “true love” would never be together again.

Here’s the story…

Before she launched into the “death wish” drug and booze marathon believed to have claimed her life, she begged ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil to let her visit him in jail.

But for the first time in their five-year relationship he said “No’’, fearing it would upset new love Sarah Aspin who had only given birth to his son Jack two months earlier.

Hours later the jazz diva, 27, spectacularly fell off the wagon sinking gin and Red Bull mixes at London’s iTunes festival.

Three days later she was dead after reportedly splashing out £1,200 on heroin and crack cocaine.

Police are awaiting the results of toxicology tests to determine what caused her death.

But speaking exclusively to the Daily Star about Amy’s final days, Blake’s new partner Sarah, 33, said she feared the singer was driven to a fatal binge out of despair.

She said: “I can’t help but feel it was the moment her heart may have broken. Blake had never said no to her before.

“It’s an awful thought, but I fear that may have been the moment she realised he and her would never be.

“I’d hate to think that somehow caused her to fall but it is possible.Blake and I have spoken about it and we know there is nothing to feel guilty about. You can’t go on giving in to someone with an addiction.

“Everyone who knows him knows the last thing he would ever do would be something that harmed or upset Amy. All he ever wanted her to be was happy and well.

“But he’d realised she probably wouldn’t achieve that happiness with him as a partner. They were two addicts. There was a lot of co-dependency and little way out. I’m not so convinced that Amy thought the same way.”

Mum-of-three Sarah, who met Blake, 29, while they were both in rehab two years ago, said she had never stood in the way of his relationship with the singer and accepted they would always have a “connection”.

In the weeks leading up to her death Amy, who was seeing film director Reg Traviss, 32, shared long phone conversations with Blake while he was banged up in Armley Prison, Leeds, for burglary and possessing an imitation firearm.

He had never hidden the conversations from Sarah and even talked to her about his concerns for his ex-wife’s well-being.

“I think she was addicted to Blake and couldn’t let go,’’ Sarah explained.

“Blake and I had been together for two years but, just like with Princess Di, there were always three of us in the relationship.

“She may have had another boyfriend and Blake had me but Amy was a constant fixture. When we met he’d told me that she would always be there and I was so in love with him I accepted it. They would fall out, not speak, she even once changed her number. But they would be back in touch.

“He told me that Amy had desperately wanted to have his child. She’d even have sacrificed her career for it.”

Despite her demons, Amy was desperate to be just a “typically Jewish mum” with a husband and family. “But it didn’t happen for them,” said former drug addict Sarah.

“When Blake broke the news he was having a baby with someone else she was devastated. She checked herself into rehab the day Jack was born.

“I loved Amy, too. I knew what she’d been through because I’ve had the same lack of confidence and battle with bulimia and addictions.

“Perhaps because of this I never once stood in their way. There would be arguments when she was constantly on the phone for hours at a time. I would say to Blake how could I possibly compete with someone with such talent? He would say that I had qualities she didn’t possess.

“When baby Jack arrived I think Blake’s outlook changed.

“In the past he’d always really put Amy first and I think his priorities changed. They spoke for the last time a few days before she died.

“She told him she was doing really well, doing yoga and going to the gym. Then she asked if she could come and visit him. Blake told me afterwards that he’d said ‘No’. He told her he didn’t think it was a good idea with all the press about but really he said he didn’t want to upset me or Amy’s boyfriend.”

But when Sarah saw the news of Amy’s death on TV she collapsed in tears. “I just couldn’t take it in,’’ she said.

“Like most people I was overwhelmed by someone with such talent dying so young. I almost died from septicaemia when I was 27 and lost my brother to drink last year when he was 30. I know all the dangers of addiction.

“I also knew what the news would mean to Blake. I thought: ‘The one time he really needs me and baby Jack and we can’t be there for him.’ He phoned me from prison an hour later and asked: ‘Is it true?’ I was in tears and told him: ‘Yes it is, I’m so sorry, baby.’

“He was in shock. He couldn’t really speak.

“I just felt for him on his own in there with his thoughts and no-one to talk to. I just prayed he’d be strong.

“He told me he just wants some normality. He dreams of TV, pizza and the kids. No fame, no fortune, and no drugs.’’

Gathering the entertainment news, so you don’t have to

The Daily Mirror reports today that X Factor fans had better grab a comfy seat – because some of this year’s live shows are set to be epic three-hour marathons!

Here’s the story…

The longest-ever X Factor episode was last year’s first live show, clocking in at two-and-a-half hours.

But some of the live shows this time round are likely to be even longer – maximising profits for ITV bosses and X Factor supremo Simon Cowell.

An insider said: “The feeling is that the audience can’t get enough of the show and extending the programmes again seems the natural next step.

“The idea is simple. More X Factor will mean more viewers, more advertising space, more telephone votes and, ultimately, more revenue.”

The live stages of the last series saw 12 finalists and four “wild card” contestants compete over 10 weeks.

But bosses are hoping to add extra shows to the live stages this year and begin the final stages with 16 finalists, as well as extending some shows.

The ad slots in X Factor’s live final stages are the most expensive on British television, with some selling for £8,000 a second.

The changes will provide a substantial cash haul for boss Simon Cowell, who won’t be on screen this year.

The insider added: “The final details are still being ironed out but there will definitely be more X Factor on screen this year than has ever been seen before. There are going to be longer shows and, hopefully, more of them.”

The show has undergone an overhaul since former judges Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole all left the programme.

Host Dermot O’Leary told this week’s Star magazine: “Gary Barlow, in particular, has been terrific as a judge – and so has Kelly Rowland.

“Gary has just been a revelation. He’s witty, he’s acerbic – and it’s Gary Barlow. When he needs to be honest, he can be honest.”

Gathering the entertainment news, so you don’t have to

The Sun reports today that Big Fat Gypsy Weddings star Paddy Doherty is swapping his travellers’ site for the Celebrity Big Brother house.

Here’s the story…

The former bare-knuckle boxer, 52, has signed a big-money deal to star in the new version of the reality show which kicks off in two weeks.

Paddy was one of the stars of the hit Channel 4 show, which pulled in a massive 11million viewers.

BB producers hope he will be a larger-than-life character in the house and will attract some of the massive gypsy ratings power. Since the show ended, Paddy, who previously appeared on Danny Dyer’s Deadliest Men, has remained in the headlines – most recently after he allegedly had half an ear chomped off by two cousins in a brawl. Surgeons later managed to stitch it back on.

And Paddy’s son also appeared in court last month charged with attempted murder.

Paddy is expected to join other celebrities such as Kerry Katona and busty The Only Way Is Essex star Amy Childs on CBB. Meanwhile, Hollywood hellraiser Charlie Sheen’s agent last night denied reports that the actor had agreed a £6million deal to appear.

An insider said: “Paddy will have to get used to a house on Big Brother.

“But he is up for the challenge of doing the reality show and can’t wait to get involved.”

The new look show on Channel 5 will be fronted by Ultimate Big Brother winner Brian Dowling.

It will kick off with a celebrity version before the regular series with members of the public, which will run until the end of the year.

A BB spokeswoman said: “Executives are currently in talks with a number of celebrities, but we’re not confirming any names at the moment.”

Gathering the entertainment news, so you don’t have to

Last year’s most controversial X Factor contestant Katie Waissel has a style rebirth.

The awesome results appear in this week’s heat magazine.

“I love it!” says Katie. “I want hair like this. I tried extensions recently, but had them pulled out because they looked naff!”

Having been slated in the past about her style, does she give a damn what people think?

“Not really. If I like what I’m wearing I don’t care. I’ve always experimented and played dressing up. Why wear only one thing when you can wear everything? Hey, can I keep these clothes? This whole look is very Madonna – and she’s fierce!”

More amazing pictures appear in this week’s heat magazine, on sale now (Tuesday).

AMY CHILDS Our columnist flies to Greece and does another stint on This Morning…

My little Prince

Here I am with my gorgeous little pug puppy, Prince Childs. My ex Joe bought him for me for my 21st birthday. Even though we’ve split up, he still asks after him. Prince sleeps with me every night but it also means he wakes me up every morning!

Meeting Brian

I met the new Big Brother presenter, Brian Dowling, last week. We were reporting for This Morning from Weston-Super-Mare together and it was nice to finally meet him. I was a bit too young to remember him in the house back in 2001, but he was as much fun as people have told me. We had such a laugh and got along really well and I’m absolutely loving being a part of This Morning. Meanwhile, there are lots of reports linking me to the new Celebrity Big Brother, which starts next month on Channel 5. All I can say is that I’m being offered some great opportunities at the moment and that I’m thinking things through. Watch this space!

Greece is the word

I escaped the weather here last week and flew to Kos for my first PA abroad. It was so nice to have a little break and top up my tan. I went to a nightclub called Starlight and met some lovely fans. I just want to thank everyone there for making me feel so welcome on the night. I didn’t have to be at the club until 2am so I had a few drinks before. Although I started to regret it the next day as my flight was at 7am in the morning. Oops! But it was a great night and I can’t wait to meet more fans on my travels. On my night out (below), I wore a white Lisa Jayne Dann bandage dres from La Boutique in Essex.

I’ve been using the St Tropez Skin Illuminator in Gold (£12.26). I heard it was what Jennifer Aniston used to give her that gorgeous golden glow at the premiere of Horrible Bosses, so I just had to try it out. It’s a summer must-have!

TOOTH FAIRY

I’m thinking about getting my teeth done. I don’t mind my bottom teeth as they are nice and straight, but I’m considering getting veneers done at the top. The procedure involves filing your own teeth down to stubs, so there’s no going back! I think I might book a consultation and talk it through I don’t want to make a mistake I will later regret.

Don’t spoil TOWIE!

I read that there are talks about having TOWIE on every week, all year round. I really don’t think this is a good idea and hope it doesn’t happen. TOWIE fans love the suspense and look forward to the next series to find out how the storylines unfold. I’m worried that if it was on all the time, people would get bored and it would lose all the drama. After all, how many times can we watch Mark and Lauren break up and get back together in one week? Only joking!

- Read the full story in this week’s new! magazine – out today

TOWIE’s Lydia Bright dazzles in her pick of the sexiest new season buys in this week’s more! magazine.

She commented: “People will be shocked when they see me in these photos.”

She added: “I love fashion, it’s such a huge park of my life.”

The full photo shoot appears in this week’s more! magazine, on sale now (Tuesday).

He’s the poster boy of prime-time television and about to host his fifth series of the phenomenally successful X Factor, but things haven’t been all plain sailing for Dermot O’Leary recently.

The 38 year old lost out to former T4 presenter Steve Jones to host the US version of the show.

He’s also had to suffer with his ITV show, The Marriage Ref, being moved back to a later slot. However, the Essexborn host is not one to stay down for long, and is reportedly being asked to present BBC1 show, The Voice.

And with all the massive changes to the X Factor panel, we can’t wait to hear all about what’s been going on behind the scenes, what he really thinks of the new judges and whether he’s spoken to Cheryl Cole …

Hi, Dermot! It’s a busy summer for you, how have the X Factor auditions been going?

“It’s been great. Fantastic!”

What’s been the best audition so far?

“We’re lucky if we get one good person in Scotland and one in Wales. Sometimes they fall apart at Boot Camp. But so far, both Cardiff and Glasgow have been terrific for us.”

What do you think of the new line-up on the judges panel?

“Gary Barlow, in particular, has been terrific as a judge and so has Kelly Rowland – her accent is just sort of dipped in honey and you forget what an important part of Destiny’s Child she was. When she talks, she’s got a real authority and a lot of warmth. Tulisa Contostavlos has been in the industry since she was 11, and if you want to see an act that have had a meteoric rise, then N-Dubz are your band. She’s brilliant. And Louis Walsh is just Louis. Louis has been himself in the industry for over 30 years. I think we’ve got a good panel.”

Are you missing Cheryl?

“I’m missing them all in different ways. I’m missing Cheryl because I haven’t seen her and I know she’s had a rough time, and she’s a pal.”

There’s reportedly been chanting for Cheryl during the auditions. Is that true?

“I haven’t heard any.”

You weren’t leading it, then?!

[Laughs.] “That’s not to say I don’t miss her. I love her dearly. But no.”

How is Louis enjoying being the most experienced judge on the panel this year?

“Louis is loving it. He’s lapping up every moment of it. And Gary has just been a revelation. I mean, he’s witty, he’s acerbic – and it’s Gary Barlow! The families sometimes don’t agree with his opinion and get a bit grumbly, but then they’ll go: ‘Well, it is Gary Barlow, so I suppose you can’t argue with him.’”

Can Gary be tough?

“When he needs to be honest, he can be honest. When he first started everyone was thinking: ‘Well, what’s he gonna be like? Maybe like Simon?’ But he’s not like Simon at all, he’s very much his own man. He’s sat in Simon’s chair and he leans back quite a lot in a presidential manner, but other than that…”

How is Olly Murs working out on the Xtra Factor?

“Olly is here, there and everywhere, and he comes in and does his half a day and then he runs off and does a gig somewhere else. I can’t believe he took the job because he’s on tour, but you know what Olly’s like – he’s so enthusiastic! The lovely thing is the young girls and guys see him and they know that he was there a couple of years ago with them, so it’s good.”

Are the rumours that you were going to be poached by the BBC as the presenter of The Voice true?

“I’m glad they told me! [laughs.] I’ve not heard anything. I’m just happy doing what I’m doing. I’m really enjoying X Factor this year. It was news to me when I read it, let’s put it that way.” Let’s talk about The Marriage Ref. Why did you decide to do it?

“It’s a social show and that’s one of the reasons why I took it. I was on holiday in America last year and my girlfriend, Dee Koppang, was working out there. I started watching it on telly and I thought: ‘If this comes to England then I really, really want to do it.’ So I’m lucky because I chased after it.”

Do you have to choose carefully what gigs you want?

“Totally, yeah. There’s not that much time to do anything else with the radio and X Factor so when you do do stuff, you really want to make it the right and fun stuff. It’s not a formatted show. X Factor is such a brilliant gig and I love it, but it’s a formatted show so I wanted to do something less structured.”

Do things ever spiral out of control during filming?

[Laughs.] “Yeah. Although the couples are very well behaved. It’s just a question of how far… you’ve got to keep the panel in check!”

You always ask the panel: ‘What is the secret to a good relationship?’, have you got an answer yet?

“Jimmy Carr said: ‘Spontaneity – you’ve got to be able to leave at any point,’ which I thought was the answer of the series.”

Catch Dermot on The Marriage Ref on Saturdays at 10pm on ITV1.

Read the full story in this week’s Star magazine – out today

Although phone hacking has been dominating the news for ages, it still came as a surprise when Jade Goody’s widower, Jack Tweed, came to Star telling us of his suspicions that their phones were hacked during her final days.

We decided to find out more – and also catch up on what Jack has been up to in the past few months. After losing Jade to cervical cancer in March 2009, Jack, 24, was sent to prison on assault charges.

But, in recent months, he has picked himself up and is living back at home with his parents, and is busy promoting club nights in Marbella with his best friend, The Only Way Is Essex star, Mark Wright.

When we meet him in a London café, he looks tanned and relaxed, having just got back from Portugal. Over a pint, he tells us about his hacking theory, his thoughts on TOWIE and what’s going on right now with his on/off girlfriend Chanelle Hayes…

Hi, Jack! How are you? “Good thanks, just keeping my head down.”

Tell us about your phonehacking suspicions…

“Well, Jade used to say to my dad that she thought her phone had been hacked because there were stories going into the paper that she had literally only told her best mate or me. At the time I thought: ‘They’re not the FBI, they’re the News Of The World, so why would they break into her phone?’”

What stories do you think they may have got from it?

“There was so much going on but I always wondered how they knew about when I lifted Jade up to see her sons Bobby and Freddy playing outside in her final moments. It was only the two of us in the room.”

How do you feel about it?

“I’ve never had a problem with newspapers and the paparazzi – they are just doing their job. But if they did that when she had terminal cancer – it’s disgusting. There are limits to where you go. I don’t want them to get away with it, and she wouldn’t have wanted that, either.”

If you get compensation, will you give it to Jade’s boys?

“Of course I would. I gave them every single penny from the wedding.”

Have you spoken to their father, Jeff Brazier, about your worries?

“I haven’t spoken to him since a month after Jade passed away.”

Have you been in touch with him since?

“Yeah, I’ve written him loads of letters and left messages. I said to him: ‘Even for an hour a month, with you in the same room, can I see and play with the boys?’ But I’ve heard nothing back.”

Will he not answer your calls, then?

“No, and I’ve been given no explanation. I know the boys talk about me because I still speak to Jackiey [Budden – Jade’s mum] and Jade’s friend Jen on and off, and they told me Freddy said the other week: ‘I want to see my stepdad Jack.’ I think Jeff’s always wanted me out of their lives because I had a laugh with the boys and I didn’t tell them off. Obviously I was responsible and wouldn’t let them do anything stupid, but I didn’t put them on the naughty step.”

Are you upset at him for not letting you see them?

“I don’t want to slag him off because if I was in his situation maybe I would be the same as him. I could see where he was coming from because I was going off the rails, but I’m not in trouble now, so an hour of his month spent sitting in the same room as me wouldn’t hurt him.”

Do you miss Jade?

“Every day. I go to her grave all the time.”

Moving on, do you regret not being part of TOWIE?

“I wasn’t involved in the first place as I was in prison. But I wouldn’t mind – it seems like it’s a real laugh.”

Is it difficult having them filming around you?

“I was living with Mark when they were first filming at the apartment. I would wake up and open the door in my pants, and there’d be a million people there!”

Do you think it’s caused problems for Mark and Lauren’s relationship?

“No, Mark and Lauren have always been like this. What you’re watching, I’ve had to deal with for years.”

Does their constant bickering annoy you?

“It does. None of us listen to him any more. Sometimes he says: ‘We’ve split up,’ and we’re all like: ‘Right Mark, whatever.’ And they’ll be back together an hour later.”

Will you be his best man when they marry?

“I don’t know. We haven’t spoken about it. I don’t think they are planning to marry quickly.”

Do you think they’ll last?

“Yeah, they obviously love each other and they are both weirdos in their own way, so let them get on with it.”

What about your love life?

“I’m just doing what every young lad does. I’m just a flirt. It’s all lies! [Laughs.]

“I used to be out every night in London getting drunk, but now I just go out once a week locally and try to leave at a sensible hour, instead of at seven in the morning.”

Are you with Chanelle at the moment?

“No, that’s over again – we’re just good friends now.”

What happened?

“She lives so far away [in Leeds], so it’s hard to have a relationship. It takes about three-and-a-half hours to get there and I don’t drive, so once I’m there, I have to stay for a week. And then I’m away from everyone.”

Did she ever ask you to move to Leeds?

“She’s got no chance of me doing that. She was debating coming down here, but it just never happened.”

Do you still love her?

“I do still care for her because she’s a really nice girl. I enjoyed my time with her and I liked being around her. She’s sort of like Jade in a way, with her arguments all the time about nothing.”

Were you upset with her for getting her boobs done?

“Not in the slightest, it’s her body.”

She admits she’s body-conscious. Did you find that annoying?

“Yeah, she did go on about it a lot. She’s got a nice body, so she doesn’t need to diet.”

Did anything go on with you and Kerry Katona in Marbella?

“No. I know that she was out there at the same time but I’ve never even met her. She seems like a good laugh – I’d have a night out with her. She’s a pretty girl, but I don’t fancy her.”

What about Amy Childs?

“No, I knew her ex-boyfriend, Joe, and I wouldn’t tread on anyone’s toes.”

Finally, are you relieved to be out of the limelight for the time being? “I was never famous – I was just going out with Jade. I’m shy. That’s why me and Jade got on so well, because she was so loud and the centre of attention and I was just happy to watch her.”

Read the full story in this week’s Star magazine – out today

Denise, 37, shows off the amazing figure that made her a lads’ mag favourite back in the day. Speaking to this week’s heat magazine, she revealed how she kept trim after the birth of her daughter Betsy.

She said: “I tend not to sit down very much, because I’m a busybody and I’ve always got to be doing stuff. I also did a trek when Betsy was four-and-half-months old, so that helped a lot. A lot of it is down to nervous energy. I have treats. I’m not an angel and I’m not strict. I would miss all of the things that I love. I had Nando’s yesterday, but I just had chicken and corn, not chips.”

Asked which celebrity she fancies, Denise admits: “I do think Mark Wright is a very good-looking chap. But you’d have to be very careful… He’s the sort of person I would have fallen for back in the day and then been left crying into my pillow while all my friends said, “I told you so.” He’s an “I told you so” kind of boy.”

On her dream acting role, Denise commented: “Hopefully, one day, I’ll be in the Queen Vic pulling pints behind the bar like good old Barbara Windsor. I’d love to do EastEnders at some point. I’m lucky that I stay busy. I’m about to do a film called Run For Your Wife – it’s a British comedy farce with Danny Dyer, Sarah Harding and Neil Morrissey – then it’s back to doing The Only Way Is Essex. [Grins.] God, I love it. I feel like my summer has been quite dull without it.”

Speaking about her love for her actor husband Lee Mead, Denise gushed: “I’ve been with Lee for four years now and he’s never made me cry. Not once. I’ve never felt anxious or worried about him being angry with me. It’s amazing. I’m very, very happy.”

In keeping with the theme of the photo shoot heat asked Denise if she is a member of the Mile High Club. She replied: “No, I’ve never joined it. I’d be too nervous. It would be so typical – I’d get caught.”

The full interview appears in this week’s heat magazine, on sale now (Tuesday).