russell brand

Plus, Katy Perry offered £2mn to pen “tell all” book, and Britney Spears wants “get out clause” for X Factor US

It’s been reported today that X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos is dating Skins and This Is England actor “bad-boy” Jack O’Connell.

The Sun claims that Tulisa – who reportedly recently had a bit of a fling with former TOWIE star Mark Wright – began dating Jack just days ago after the pair partied in Jack’s hometown, Derby.

A source close to the pair told the paper, “Tulisa likes him because he is — to use her words — a ‘bit of rough’.”

Tulisa had previously been dating her N-Dubz bandmate Richard ‘Fazer’ Rawson, but they split in January of this year.

Over the weekend, Tulisa tweeted, “I am seeing some1!! Cus Im a bloody human being.”

She later added, “Like my men a bit ruff around the edges!”

Well, at the risk of sounding inappropriately ghetto, you go girlfriend! After all, there’s only so much a rabbit can do right…

And apropos of ladies who may require new acquaintances of the buzzing variety, the Sun also reports today that Katy Perry has been offered around £2million to write a “tell all” book about her life with her now former husband, Russell Brand.

It seems that there are three publishers vying to secure a deal with Katy, all of whom are convinced that readers will be ever so interested to know what really happened with the couple.

Personally, I couldn’t care less, but I guess somebody, somewhere will read it.

A source close to the story said, “When everything was going well, Katy couldn’t stop talking about him.

“Since the split neither of them have said anything – keeping the price of a deal high.”

And that last sentence nicely segues into the final reality TV news story today, which is that Britney Spears is apparently close to signing a deal with The X Factor USA, but there’s just one sticking point…

According to Hollywood Life, Ms Spears wants a “get out clause” written into her contract with the show which would let her leave after a year, should she wish to.

However, Simon Cowell is reportedly keen to ensure that whoever he signs up next for the show’s judging panel stays a minimum to two years.

A source close to the goings on said, “Money is not an issue for the show.

“As of now, they are looking to pay her $12 to $15 million (£7.7 to £9.6 million) for the first season, with a drastic price hike for a second year based on ratings performance.

“[But] Simon Cowell wants at least a two-year commitment, and Britney wants an out clause if she doesn’t want to continue after one year of service.”

The second season of The X Factor USA begins in September on Fox, and as yet, only Simon and LA Reid are confirmed as being on the judges’ panel. Here’s Simon Cowell talking about Britney Spears in an interview with Access Hollywood…

More reality TV news soon!

What’s On TV report today that former drug addict Russell Brand has paid a tribute to Amy Winehouse, saying addiction should be treated as a potentially fatal disease.

Here’s the story…

Russell met her on the Camden pub scene a number of years ago, and said at first he thought she was ‘just some twit in a pink satin jacket shuffling round bars’.

He said when he spoke to her she was ‘sweet and peculiar, but most of all vulnerable’.

By chance Russell saw her perform with Paul Weller at the Roundhouse in Camden, north London, and had an epiphany.

In the piece posted on his website he wrote: “Entering the space I saw Amy on stage with Weller and his band; and then the awe. The awe that envelops when witnessing a genius. From her oddly dainty presence that voice, a voice that seemed not to come from her but from somewhere beyond even Billie and Ella, from the font of all greatness.”

Russell has given frank accounts of his battle to overcome drug addiction, and said loved ones will always fear getting a phone call with the worst news possible.

He wrote: “Addiction is a serious disease; it will end with jail, mental institutions or death. Now Amy Winehouse is dead, like many others whose unnecessary deaths have been retrospectively romanticised, at 27 years old. Whether this tragedy was preventable or not is now irrelevant. It is not preventable today.

“We have lost a beautiful and talented woman to this disease. Not all addicts have Amy’s incredible talent. Or Kurt’s (Cobain) or Jimi’s (Hendrix) or Janis’s (Joplin), some people just get the affliction. All we can do is adapt the way we view this condition, not as a crime or a romantic affectation, but as a disease that will kill.”

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