Well, well, well. This news shouldn’t be surprising at all, but it is kind of startling in its appropriateness. Here’s a photo (courtesy of Melanie “Scary Spice” Brown’s Twitter page) of Russell Brand peeking out from the middle of the Spice Girls on the night that they all performed at the Olympic Closing Ceremony a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, we can’t see where both of Russell’s hands are, but I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them was somehow on Geri “Ginger Spice” Halliwell’s toned bum because, as it turns out, they’re totally dating each other now.

So far, the evidence is, well, very blurry. As in, there’s a very blurry TwitPic (taken by a bystander) of the two at Hampton Court Palace together. Another bystander is also quoted in a story by the Sun on how loved-up the two looked at the same location. The Sun also includes details about how Geri (years ago) once remarked that Russell, while very smart and hilarious, wasn’t really her type of man because he was too hairy. I guess either she’s lowered her standards, or he’s won her over. She’s allegedly very impressed with his clean-living ways since she herself stopped boozing years ago (probably to lose weight, but it works). Also, they’re age appropriate (he’s 37 and she just turned 40). Russell has previously spoken about how broody he is for children, and Geri’s already got a 6-year-old daughter, Bluebell Madonna. So in other words, it’s on, bitches:

Russell Brand has dumped his girlfriend to Spice up his love life with pop star Geri Halliwell. The comic fell for Ginger Spice at Olympics closing ceremony rehearsals. Smitten Russell and Geri are sharing a “very serious” romance, close pals have revealed.

The couple have enjoyed a string of dates, including a tour of Hampton Court Palace with Geri’s six-year-old daughter Bluebell Madonna over the weekend.

One close pal of Russell said: “Things are getting very serious between them — they’re a proper couple now. They had met several times in the past, but really got to know each other during the Olympics. People thought Russell was joking at the time, when he said he had a crush on Geri all over again, but it was true. They just clicked — they have so much in common. He is spending so much more time in London just to be with her.”

Russell fell for 40-year-old Geri as both rehearsed for their roles in the glittering closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games. And the pair were seen laughing and joking as they held hands during their private guided tour of Hampton Court last Saturday.

Greg Oram, 37, from Herefordshire, was at the historic venue with his family. He said: “I thought it was the most random thing ever to see Russell Brand of all people in a place like that — until my wife pointed out he was with a Spice Girl. They seemed like they were having a really great time, holding hands and chatting — it was 100 per cent obvious they were a couple. Geri was holding his hand the same way I hold my wife’s. It was so cute.”

Another close friend of Russell said: “He ended his relationship with Isabella Brewster, and is now dating Geri properly. They’ve exactly the same sense of humour and are serious about clean living.” Ex-junkie Russell won his drink and drugs battle a decade ago and Geri has cut out booze.

Russell had reportedly been planning to move in with Isabella. But he met up with Geri as she and the rest of the Spice Girls prepared for the Olympics finalé Russell said after the bash: “I’ve got a crush on Geri Halliwell — everything in the world is how it should be.”

Geri seems to have changed her views on shaggy-headed Brand since an encounter in 2008 — when she declared: “I’d love to shave off all that crazy hair.” Geri said after meeting the bearded comic with her bandmates backstage at a Spice Girls show: “He’s really funny and intelligent but not the type of man I go for.”

Russell went on to marry US singer Katy Perry but within 14 months they had split. After his break-up with Katy, who he has since divorced, Brand reportedly found love with American beauty Isabella Brewster. Last year Geri split from Henry Beckwith, son of millionaire property developer Sir John. The two-year relationship hit the rocks after clean-living Geri complained about his hard-partying ways.

[From Sun UK]

Aww, it’s really too bad that Isabella Brewster (who seemed to share a strange sense of humor with Rusty) had to fall by the wayside, but I kind of doubt she was surprised that Russell didn’t stick around for long. I mean, he never does. Besides, it was already rumored that Rusty was screwing around on Isabella earlier this month, so maybe they weren’t even in an exclusive relationship to begin with. Who knows.

On the one hand, I tend to believe that this romance between Geri and Russell won’t last because he’ll quickly grow bored with shagging just one woman, and she’ll have the mutual itch to get away and go back to her usual yacht-wielding, billionaire type of man. However, the UK press is very excited about this coupling, and bookies have already offered 20/1 for a 2013 marriage for Rusty and Ginger. Hey, more bizarre things could happen.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and Twitter

Spice Girl Geri Halliwell has a new interview and photo spread in Hello Magazine in which she’s featured lounging around on the beach in a white string bikini and playing with her daughter, Bluebell Madonna, two. Her body is enviable and toned to perfection yet the pop singer claims the only exercise she does is walking and mild non-strenuous yoga. She also says she eats junk when she wants and just makes up for it the next day with a better diet. Is this plausible at all?

What is your diet and exercise regime?
“I walk and I do yoga, but not the strenuous, hardcore Ashtanga style. Often, I just breathe and sit in one position for ages. It’s for relaxation. The most vigorous exercise I do is running around after Bluebell!

“I don’t have a strict diet anymore. I eat cake, crisps, sugar-free chocolate and chips if I want to. I can’t be bothered to follow a gruelling food plan. I’m a petite person and if I eat relatively healthily I’ll stay that way. It’s simple really. When I feel under pressure, I do eat cake but I don’t punish myself for that like I used to. I just eat more healthily the next day.”

[From Hello! Magazine, print edition, August 19, 2008]

I think she’s fibbing – or at least stretching the truth until it almost snaps, but that’s because I’m a person that always has to exercise hard to maintain any kind of fit physique. Heidi Klum says this same crap too about how she doesn’t work out and just runs after her kids. But maybe it’s true and the genetic gods just blessed them. They also probably eat really well and don’t have a lot of carbs.

It seems like Gerri used to work out really hard – she recently got off the Spice Girls tour – and maybe she just keeps this great body with maintenance. There were pictures of her out running with her trainer a while ago and she probably worked out with weights back then. It just makes me roll my eyes when women with such enviable bodies act like it’s so easy and gloss over the hard parts. At least Jennifer Garner and Gwen Stefani admit they busted their butts to get their pre-baby shapes back.

Halliwell also talks in the article about her past issues with bulimia and says she has trouble with always striving for perfection. She calls herself “a bit curvier… at the moment.. having done the tour.” If she’s “curvier” now I’d like to know where it went. She says she’s never had plastic surgery and that she’s trying to resist the urge but that “I’d never say never.” If she does get plastic surgery, I don’t expect her to tell. This is a woman who claims to just walk, do light yoga, and eat junk food.

Maybe I’m wrong though. They totally photoshopped her pupils out in these pictures so they probably made her fitter too, not that there was much work to do there.

Update: Halliwell was photographed on August 6 looking less super-fit, but still great, so maybe it’s true that she doesn’t exercise as much now and indulges when she wants. Compared to that recent photo, these pictures are either slightly old or airbrushed.

[Thanks to Anthony for the tip!]

Photos via The Daily Mail and Hello!

Several celebrities have visited Capital Hill in the past two weeks to testify and represent causes. In many cases the celebrities went through tragedy and adversity and became committed and knowledgeable about issues that personally affected them. In other cases they became involved with specific causes they feel passionate about. Either way, they’re bringing attention to important issues and making a difference. I’d rather see a celebrity testifying in front of a committee than shopping, eating out, or worse getting a DUI, but unfortunately the latter get a lot more attention.

5/21/08: Breast cancer survivor Sheryl Crow testifies in front of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s health subcommittee to support a bill funding breast cancer research. Crow emphasized that she has no family history of breast cancer, and said “I want to know what causes this disease. We need to put more resources into figuring out what the environment has to do with breast cancer.” [Paraphrased from Houston Chronicle. You can view Crow's testimony as a Real Media file thanks to C-Span.org]

5/21/08: Michael Douglas meets with Indiana Senator Richard Lugar at The Capitol to urge him to prevent the spread and use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons as a director of the Ploughshares Fund organization [Description verbatim from WENN]

5/20/08: United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) goodwill ambassador Geri Halliwell and Care ambassador Christy Turlington hold a rally and press conference with congresswomen and fistula survivors. They urged support of a new bill promoting maternal health throughout the world. [Details paraphrased from Baltimore Sun]

5/14/08: Ed Norton testifies in front of the The House Select Committee for Energy Independence and Global Warming. He is a trustee of Enterprise Community Partners, which was founded by his grandfather and builds affordable homes using green building practices for low income families. He said “The legacy of my generation is going to hinge on how we respond to these revelations that we’re not living sustainably, and that we’re altering the environment.” [Quote and details paraphrased from Peopletreefilms. Video is available on Globalwarming.house.gov - scroll to the last video in the list]

5/14/08: Dennis Quaid testifies in front of the House Reform and Government Oversight Committee urging Congress not to support a measure by the drug companies that would make them immune from lawsuits. He is suing company Baxter Healthcare Corp after a known second preventable mixup in which his newborn twins almost died after being given 1,000 times the dosage of Heparin, a blood thinner. Batches of Heparin have since been recalled for an unrelated incident in which the drug became tainted at a manufacturing plant in China, resulting in 19 known deaths. Dennis Quaid’s twins are healthy at five and a half months old, and are not thought to suffer lasting effects from the near-fatal overdose. [Details paraphrased from MSNBC. Quaid's testimony is available on House.gov as a PDF file and the video is available as a Real Media file from C-span.org]

5/8/08: Cancer survivor, founder of a cancer advocacy nonprofit organization, and seven time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, testifies in front of The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Cancer: Challenges and Opportunities in the 21st Century. [From Senate.gov, where there's also a video of Lance's testimony]

Thanks to WENN for these photos.

My favorite Spice Girl, Geri of the Union Jack dress, is getting married. No prizes for guessing what frock I’d like to see her wed in. Geri plans to wed her back-up dancer, Ivan ‘Flipz’ Velez.

A source told Britain’s Daily Star newspaper: “Geri has a huge diamond and an even bigger grin on her face now that she and Ivan are marrying.

“It’s been a whirlwind affair but when you know, you know and she doesn’t care if she’s criticised for being hasty.

“Her daughter loves Ivan and that’s the only opinion she cares about.”

The ceremony will reportedly take place at London’s St. Bride’s church, often dubbed the ‘writer’s church’ because it is located on Fleet Street the former home of many newspapers, after Geri recently launched a new career as a children’s novelist.

The source added: “She’s always wanted to be a September bride.”

Monsters and Critics

Geri has previously said that she’d love to have a sister for her daughter Bluebell Madonna, so a pregnancy could be planned for the near future.

Geri and Flipz have been dating since the Spice Girls world tour last year, where he was their back up dancer. Hopefully her marriage to a dancer goes better than fellow Spice Girl Mel B’s marriage to dancer Jimmy Gulzar. Mel and Jimmy were married less than 18 months, and he received a $1.25 million divorce settlement.

Congratulations to the couple.

Jerri and Ivan are shown on 4/6/08 at “Idol Gives Back,” thanks to PRPhotos.

Sometimes you hear just the strangest stories, like someone being knifed in the head and surviving, or a dog returning home after being lost for years. Or Geri Halliwell’s singing curing a stroke victim.

The girl who had the stroke is Jessica Knight, who last month was walking home and was stabbed 30 times, causing the stroke. She is 14 years old, and the attack has received a lot of press in the United Kingdom where it took place.

Jessica – who also suffered a stroke as a result of her injuries – hadn’t moved but as soon as Geri started singing, it triggered her long road to recovery.

Jessica’s mother, Jill Walmsley, said: “Geri sang a couple of lines from one of the Spice Girls’ songs and Jessica started moving her arms and legs. It was amazing. We were all in fits of giggles because we were so relieved and it was just so funny seeing her legs move to Geri’ singing.

“The next day, she opened her eyes for the first time.”

Sydney Morning Herald

This is actually a great story, Jessica is now talking again, and will soon be heading home. She can’t recall the visit from Geri, but Geri left her a Spice Girls tour wristband that I suspect this kid is never going to take off.

Geri will never have to hear any criticism of her voice again – who cares what she sounds like, she can cure illness! Can you do that, Celine Dion?

Geri Halliwell is shown at the Spice Girls’ final concert in Toronto and at the after party on 2/27/08.

The Spice Girls must have the most restrained and logical concert rider in history. We recently reported on some of the crazy celebrity contract riders as mentioned in the book “The Little Red Riders Book: The Backstage Requests Of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Most Famous Artists” by Steve Lamacq. Among a few of the better ones were Mariah Carey’s request for Cristal champagne, one box of bendy straws, one special attendant to dispose of used chewing gum, tea service for eight, a Honey Bear pack of honey, two air purifiers, a puppy, and kittens. And Mariah’s request were certainly not the most outlandish. Marilyn Manson requested a bald toothless hooker (which we hope was simply a reflection of his dark sense of humor) while David Hasselhoff requests a life-size cutout… of David Hasselhoff. I’m assuming frozen in that dramatic beach rescue running pose.

By comparison, the Spice Girls don’t exactly seem like the divas they used to be portrayed as.

All five have submitted a rider asking for a regular supply of light salads, steamed fish and fresh fruit. Geri Halliwell has asked for Evian and Melanie Brown will have sparkling spring water. [Melanie] Chisholm wants a kettle in her dressing room, Emma Bunton will have scented candles, slippers and flowers while Victoria Beckham’s fridge will be replenished daily with edamame soya beans.

[From the Daily Mail]

The most lavish thing the girls have requested is a daycare to be installed at London’s O2 Arena, where they’re playing 17 sold-out dates. Considering all the kids and nannies they’ll have in tow, it seems pretty reasonable.

The Spice Girls have had a creche [daycare] installed at the O2 ahead of their 17 nights of sell-out gigs.

The group – who, with the exception of Melanie Chisholm, are all now mothers – have requested the facility so their small army of child-minders can keep the children occupied during their two-hour concerts, which start tomorrow.

An insider said: “They all want their babies close by and looked after, so their nannies also come with the package.”

[From the Daily Mail]

When I first started researching this story, I assumed it would head in the direction of “Spice Girls have crazy diva demands.” I also assumed a creche was some type of fancy air ionizer or something. Since the article just called the arena the O2, I was thinking oxygen. So I was mightily disappointed – though impressed – that the girls were just asking for a quiet, fun place to put their kids. So far their concerts are getting pretty good reviews. Emma Bunton took a spill during a show last week and sprained her ankle, but has continued to perform, despite her leg being wrapped and hobbling around on crutches. Say what you want about their talent, but either they’re keeping their petty differences to themselves, or the Spice Girls are – at the very least – consummate professionals.

Picture note by Jaybird: Header image of the Spice Girls (with Sir Richard Branson) opening Virgin Atlantic’s new terminal at Heathrow Airport yesterday. Images thanks to PR Photos.

The Spice Girls are touring, making them suddenly cool again (or maybe ‘cool’ for the first time). Victoria Beckham is featured on the cover of Elle magazine this month, and revealed what we’ve long suspected – she has no natural talents.

ON HER TALENT:
“It became very obvious from the start,” Beckham continues, “that I was never going to be the best singer or the best dancer or the best actress. I was never a ‘natural.’ ” She thinks about this. “You know, I’ve never been that good at anything, to be completely honest.”

[From Elle]

Actually, Posh seems to have a talent for attracting attention to herself and wearing naff outfits.

As if to prove that she has no talent, at the Los Angeles Spice Girls show she skipped her solo singing spot, instead opting for a prance down the runway.

Baby, Scary, Ginger and Sporty each belted out solo numbers. Mel C’s “I Turn to You”, Scary’s rendition of “Are You Gonna Go My Way” and Ginger’s of “It’s Raining Men” brought the house down! Meanwhile, Posh rested her pipes and opted instead for a maaayjah prance down the runway as a mix of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” and RuPaul’s “Supermodel” played in the background.

[From TMZ]

When the Spice Girls were in their heyday it was always said that Posh and Sporty were the two strongest singers, so I wonder if Victoria’s reluctance to sing is actually from a lack of self confidence. Although, she did work that catwalk!

While I’ve never heard any of Victoria’s solo music, maybe a great cover would work for her. How much would you love to see her parody herself while singing ‘You’re So Vain’?

Note by Celebitchy: Victoria Beckham is shown in the video below singing live and acoustic. She’s not bad. Victoria is shown in the header image on 12/7/07 at “The Mint” in LA with Mel B, thanks to Splash News.

The Spice Girls world tour kicks off this weekend, and it’s been a busy week for the girls. Geri Halliwell blogs on the lead up to the first show on Sunday in Vancouver.

I actually feel like I’m in the Spice bubble… we are encapsulated in this world where we are just immersed in each other’s lives constantly. Just before the run through of the show this morning, Mel B, Victoria and I even went to the loo together… in separate cubicles, obviously!

But of course… there’s also my daughter Bluebell. She loves hanging with the Beckham boys. Cruz and Bluebell have play dates, and Romeo – well, he is just gorgeous with her. Actually, it was a beautiful moment when we were rehearsing the other day and all of our kids were playing on the stage at the same time. It made me smile.

As you probably know, Mel B was in the live final of Dancing With The Stars and we surprised her on Monday down at the show. She was so shocked, it’s the first time we’ve ever seen her quiet! She was with us in rehearsals yesterday morning and then went to the studio in evening for the results show. She SO should have won… I’m very disappointed. But we are all so incredibly proud of her. You’re a winner to us Mel!

Read the full entry at thespicegirls.com

Mel B was robbed! Robbed I tell ya!

The girls were also visited by Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes this week, and surprised them with an impromptu performance.

Tom and Katie’s 19-month-old Suri danced around as the band belted out a selection of their greatest hits.

Following the surprise visit, Victoria – who is married to England soccer star David Beckham – said: “David and I are great friends with Tom and Katie. It was lovely of them to come down to rehearsals, a really nice surprise.

“Katie has told me before that she used to be a huge Spice Girls fan, so it was great for her to meet the other girls.”

Stuff

In other Victoria Beckham news, she’s just been announced as the new face of the Marc Jacobs campaign. We’re unsure whether her new boobs have been temporarily added at the designer’s request, or if they are a permanent fixture. They’re definitely nicer than her old half melons.

Sadly, the Spice Girls aren’t coming to my town. Still, video of the shows should be up on YouTube before I even make it out of bed. I’ll be listening to their CDs, and watching their movie this weekend. Not because they’re on tour – I do it most weekends…

Picture note by Jaybird: The Spice Girls made a surprise visit to the studio’s of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ to support Melanie Brown. Images thanks to Splash Photos.

Well that didn’t take too long. Who bet on day 94 in the “When will the Spice Girls get all diva bitchy on each other?” contest? Apparently it doesn’t take much to cause infighting… though that’s not really a surprise. Aren’t divas known for freaking out about the slightest thing? I’m guessing the majority of the cat fighting is between Ginger, Posh, and Scary. The other two seem comparably nice and low-key, but I’m easily mislead these days.

Apparently Geri Halliwell released the name of the Girl’s first single without their permission, and even knew it might cause some problems. I’m guessing she either got carried away from being on television, or the tabloids are trying to make a big deal out of nothing. It all seems petty to me, but I’m not a Spice anything, so I could be wrong.

“Geri Halliwell has sparked tensions with her newly reunited Spice Girls bandmates after she revealed the top secret name of their new single – according to reports. Halliwell announced the single release, their first in seven years, to British chat show GMTV on Friday.

“She said, ‘I’m not too sure if I’m going to get in trouble for telling you this because I haven’t discussed it with the other girls. The Spice Girls’ new single is finished and it’s out on November 19 and it’s called Headlines.’

“However, the other members are said to be annoyed at the impromptu announcement, reports British newspaper The Daily Star.

“A source tells the paper, ‘They will be furious Geri has let slip the name of their new single.’

“However, a spokesperson denies the rift, explaining, ‘Everything’s cool with the girls. No-one’s angry with Geri about her giving the name of the single away. It was all part of the plan.’”

[From Star Pulse]

Hmm… sounds like double-talk. I’d like to believe there’s a lot of drama and anger behind the scenes. Something along the lines of vases being thrown and secretly slipping roofies into each other’s drinks and then taking embarrassing photos of one another. But I’m guessing things aren’t nearly that dramatic. There’s probably a lot of play pens, husbands, and … [I’m trying to think of other mature things here…] sauvignon blanc? I’m sure all the girls can whip out some diva when they want to, but I’m guessing that they’ve probably matured enough not to freak out about Ginger Spice leaking their first comeback single title. It’s not like she showed up with the disc in hand or anything. Though that’d would have made for much better drama.

Picture Note by Jaybird: Here’s Geri at the 2007 Serpentine Gallery Summer Party on July 11th. Image thanks to PR Photos. Header of Geri making a trip to the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre in London after making an early morning appearance on GMTV on October 5th. Image thanks to Splash Photos.

The Spice Girls just added three new dates to their tour – and ten hair and make up people!

“There’s so much competition between the girls. They all want to look their best so each of them brought in their own separate team. It’s hilarious – and completely over the top. Why can’t they just share like in the old days?” the Mirror quoted the source, as saying.

The band of aids include 10 hair stylists and make-up artists, plus fitness trainers and nutrition experts, as well as personal assistants, managers and security guards.

“It’s a far cry from the old days when they had one make-up artist and a hairdresser between them,” the source said.

However, a band spokesman insisted: “It’s normal for each girl to have a team.”

The Times Of India

I think it’s appropriate to have a team for each Spice – there’s five of them, so it would take hours to groom them for public viewing. Also rumored to be on the Spice Train is clothing designer Donatella Versace. A source describes her as being “a big fan of the girls back in the day.”

Reports in today’s papers claimed the Spice Girls had found their much-needed fairy style godmother in the shape of Donatella Versace, who was said to be designing £200,000-worth of designer stage outfits for their comeback reunion tour – but a spokesperson for Versace has denied that this is the case. “It’s simply not true,” he told us. “I have no idea where the rumours have come from.”

Vogue

I guess it makes sense to have so many more stylists and trainers on hand then before – the girls have put on a few years! But what we all really want to know is – does Ginger have her Union Jack dress back yet? I’m sure Donatella could knock up another, but a new dress just isn’t the same as vintage. Besides, it’s kind of like your wedding dress. Every few years you try it on to see how much weight you’ve gained. Admit it, we all do it. I’m surprised Geri didn’t want to keep it for that purpose alone.

Photo via http://www.dlisted.com“>DListed.