The TAKE THAT star, 36, has become fascinated with Hollywood's spooky history.

And he and wife AYDA FIELD reckon their mansion on Mulholland Drive has a spectre of its own. A pal said: "The dogs can see it. Its nickname is Bertie. They believe it's a man from the beginning of the 20th Century.

"Rob likes to imagine him in a suit holding a martini glass."

In 2009 Robbie claimed he felt a spectral presence at his Wiltshire mansion. He has also seen UFOs.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol....ed.html

Show bosses are desperate to land a big name if, as expected, Cowell decides to front the US version instead.

And they will tell the hunky Take That star that “He’s the one!”

The singer is being lined up as a new superstar judge on the ITV1 show, which kicks off in the summer.

Bosses reckon Robbie, 36, is the perfect fit, especially as he has been such a hit with viewers when he has appeared recently with contestants such as Katie Waissel.

An X Factor insider said: “Robbie is a huge name so would naturally be a massive ratings hit.

“Not only that, he is also straight- talking and comical.

“We all understand that right now America is where Simon’s focus has to be. There aren’t many people that can fill his shoes, but Robbie just might be able to do it.”

Robbie is touring with Take That in their sell-out Progress tour, which ends in Germany in July.

That means he would be unable to commit to some of the auditions, but would be free for the judges’ houses and the all-important live shows.

Robbie’s big rival for the job could be bandmate Gary Barlow, 40, seen as a safer bet by some show bosses.

The news emerged just a day after we told how Simon, 51, had hinted he may pull out of this year’s UK show.

Speaking to the Daily Star, he said: “I haven’t made a commitment to anything yet.”

The US X Factor hits screens later this year. Cheryl Cole, 27, is rumoured to be joining Simon on the American panel, leaving two huge holes on the British talent show.

Yesterday bookies slashed the odds on Robbie landing the job to just 3-1.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news....-Factor

Scott had been in America when he met up with Robbie and offered one of his cars for a couple of days instead of using a hire car firm.

The DJ took up the offer - despite a history of accidentally racking up some unpaid traffic fines in the past - and used the car while in the states.

Unfortunately the story doesn't end there and yesterday evening "Scott Bills" received an e-mail from the popstar telling him he had received "three traffic citations" using his car after "running a couple of stop signs".

During his show he commented: "Three? I was only there a couple of days! Scott Bills strikes again!"

Mills said he has offered to pay for the tickets but joked on-air that Robbie is "a lot richer" and was hoping that it might be forgotten about.
http://www.unofficialmills.co.uk/communi....ams-car

The singer has been honing his portraiture and still life drawing skills at his home in LA.

In fact, he is so keen he is building a studio for his pursuit.

One of Robbie's first muses was an odd choice though - he picked ROD STEWART.

Rob drew a brilliant picture of the Scots rocker and old love rival.

They fell out years ago over Rod's ex-wife RACHEL HUNTER as Robbie swooped in after their marriage ended. Perhaps that's why he gave the picture to his dad PETE CONWAY.

A source said: "Robbie has really taken to drawing. The ones he's done so far are fabulous.

"He has done a perfect portrait of Rod Stewart. It's so good. It's just one of many.

"He's so serious about it he's building an art studio at home."

The TAKE THAT star isn't the first famous name to enjoy painting.

RONNIE WOOD and Art Attack's NEIL BUCHANAN love it too.

The ROLLING STONE has even used his talents to get women.

He must be an expert at life drawing.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol....ng.html

Williams, formerly signed to the UK major, is currently out of contract, but speaking exclusively to Music Week earlier today, Clark said the team would treat EMI the same as any other potential bidder, despite the company being taken over by Citigroup on Tuesday.

“We are not discounting a new deal with EMI and we will be looking at them in the same way we will every other record company,” he said, adding that Citi’s takeover of EMI has put the music group in a better position in the market.

“EMI is in a fantastic position right now. All of the debt has now disappeared, they are making a profit and there is now a real hope for the company,” he said adding he is keen for the organisation to be kept as an entirety rather parts being sold off.

“To strip it down would just be ridiculous,” he said. “I fully agree with [EMI CEO Roger] Faxon when he said the future of EMI lies in keeping it as a global rights company. It doesn’t make any sense in this day and age for it to operate any other way and I just hope that Citi can understand this vision and support it.”

Meanwhile, Dick O'Dell, manager of Bat For Lashes who is signed to EMI's Parlophone label, said he was surprised by the timing of the announcement, rather than the content.

"The situation that has just occurred is something everybody knew was going to happen," he said. "Citi have done exactly what everyone expected them to do, a debt for equity swap."

And he also backed Faxon, who came in as CEO in June 2010. "Since Faxon has come in, the way EMI has presented itself is much more to my liking," he said.
http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=1044099&c=1

The Take That star is understood to be practising his new hobby at his Los Angeles home.

But his decision to paint Stewart has surprised fans – Williams is a former boyfriend of the singer's ex-wife Rachel Hunter.

"Robbie has really taken to drawing. The ones he's done so far are fabulous,” a source told The Sun. "He has done a perfect portrait of Rod Stewart. It's so good. It's just one of many.”

Williams rejoined Take That last year and the group are set to embark on a huge UK stadium tour this summer.
http://www.gigwise.com/news....Stewart

Here, in the latest of a revealing series of interviews with the Mirror, Sir Elton John insists he thrives on keeping busy and will keep working till he drops.

“For me it’s never about what you’ve done, it’s what you’ve got next,” says 63-year-old Elton, who has sold more than a billion records.

“I’ve got two movies – Gnomeo and Juliet and a documentary [Making of The Union] directed by Cameron Crowe – then there’s my album, The Union.

“I want to do Las Vegas again. I can tour with Billy Joel, tour with Leon Russell, I can tour solo. I’ve got a musical coming up and a ballet.”

That workload sounds tiring, but Elton insists: “It’s not exhausting, it’s amazing.

“I buzz on working, I love it. I’m in this incredible position in life where I am doing a job I absolutely love. I’m going to carry on until I drop. There is absolutely no way I’m going to slow down.”

It has been suggested that since Elton became a dad to son Zachary, born on Christmas Day, he would cut down his phenomenal workload. Far from it.

He grins: “I’ve got a bigger lust for life than ever. I’m a man with the enthusiasm of a boy. I have this wonderful, surreal life. I work really, really hard every year and I love it. I do more than 100 shows a year – musicals, movies, everything.

“I work hard and I live large and that’s what I enjoy. To me, having Zachary is just amazing because he will become part of our lives. He will come with us wherever we go. This is the time of my life and it’s only getting better.

“I’m a total fidget-a***. I can never see myself stopping working. I get bored out of my brains if I have nothing to do. The way I function is by creating, working, singing – you just can’t take it away.”

Elton keeps things fresh with his collaborations. He has just worked with Glee’s Matthew Morrison, recently saw his protege Plan B at LA’s Troubadour club, while the soundtrack for the Disney film Gnomeo And Juliet features a duet between him and his pal Lady Gaga.

ELTON says: “I love her, she’s absolutely amazing. We’ve become friends. What I like about the Gaga most is that she’s amazingly polite and respectful to everyone around her.

“What I loved most about John Lennon is that he was like that. He once gave my mum a lift to the airport and came to my agent’s wedding.

“The Gaga is like that. But the greatest thing about her is that she manages to let everyone think they know everything about her but no one knows anything.

“She’s a phenomenal star – definitely someone who will be taking on the old sods like me, McCartney and Rod Stewart doing big tours for years to come. Pure genius.”

Elton is an expert on long careers. More successful now than ever, he believes that is all down to keeping his ear to the ground. He explains: “Every Monday, HMV sends me a list of new CDs and I’ll order copies for all my houses and my car. On Tuesdays I’ll order my American CDs. I get an advance list, I cross them off and I write down everything in a book – same with books and DVDs. I’m very organised.

“I don’t do freebies, I don’t do iPods, I don’t even do mobile phones. I hate the idea that people pick up one song, I want to hear the complete album.

“I listen to music all the time and I mix with musicians constantly. A lot of artists cut off, but I believe in plugging into everything around me and getting to know people through thick and thin.”

His most recent album, The Union, saw him rediscover Leon Russell – a former hero who had fallen on hard times – and bring him back into the studio. Elton kept in touch with Gary Barlow in his wilderness years. And he also helped Robbie Williams when he turned up wrecked on his doorstep – although that event sparked a major rift between them.

He says: “I couldn’t be happier for Gary, but the time to be a friend is when someone is down. There was a time he didn’t leave his house for six months.

“I have a lot of time for him. The way he handled all that stuff Robbie said about him was incredibly dignified. It was unbelievably hurtful but he forgave him. I saw Take That last year when they were all recording the album – the first time I’d seen Robbie for five years.

“In his book he’d said something about me kidnapping him. I was very upset and we both had a go at each other. We didn’t kidnap him, he turned up on our door coked out of his brains and we took him to our house in Windsor because we thought he was going to die.

“When I saw Robbie with Gary he asked me if we were OK again. I told him of course we were, there’s no point hanging on to bad feelings. I knew what he’d been through, drink and drugs – if anyone can understand that, it’s me.”

These days, Elton is happier than he has ever been. And finding personal happiness has helped him appreciate just how fortunate he is.

Of his success, he says: “I have never had a problem with fame and celebrity. All it has ever done is open doors – it gives me a great way of being able to raise money for Aids.

“What I did have a problem with for many years was myself... I do have it all. I have everything I could want and I appreciate it all because for so long I was rich, successful and very, very unhappy.

“I have an amazing partner, a son, a loving family, amazing friends and an incredible career. I have a perfect life.

“Sometimes I’m not perfect but my life is and I know it now because I’ve worked bloody hard to get here. My life is about family, music, friends and growing.”

Does this mean his family will grow?

“There are absolutely no plans yet – but we haven’t closed the door on that...”

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs....yaJYiUg

О чем он/Робби говорил, произнося kidnapping?