Buzzin Celebrity Gossip

When you spend your life under the microscope of public scrutiny, your every imperfection is out there for the world to see.

For celebrities, who are constantly confronted by their own likeness, in newspapers, magazines and the results of their own work, lumps, bumps and problem areas can become a real issue, which is why so many people in the public eye decide to go under the surgeons knife in pursuit of perfection.

For those of us on the outside looking in, surgery can seem like an easy solution to body image issues, and more and more people are heading for places such as the Hospital Group to research cosmetic procedures, spurred on by images of celebrity perfection.

So just who is it that is inspiring us to make these permanent amendments? What have they had done and how has the world received it?

Michael Jackson

The late “King of Pop” was an early convert to the world of cosmetic correction; reportedly undergoing a number of procedures that dramatically altered his appearance over the years. While “Whacko Jacko’s” approach may have been a little over the top, he showed how possible it was to metamorphose into a totally new you by going under the knife.

Katie Price

Britain’s favourite glamour-girl-slash-reality-star-slash-author is a walking advert for plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures, having admitted to a number of surgeries and interventions over the course of her career. While breast augmentations undeniably increased her assets, it was the rhinoplasty that corrected a bump on her nose that has made the most marked impact on her appearance. The mum-of-three has also admitted to having undergone liposuction early on in her career as well as being a well-known devotee of the Botox injection to banish wrinkles.

Heidi Montag

The Hills star Heidi was propelled into the tabloid pages after reportedly undergoing 10 different appearance-altering surgeries in one day. The reality star, who is married to co-star Spencer Pratt said that she lacked confidence in her appearance before the surgery and simply wanted to look more attractive.

To that end, she underwent a brow lift, nose job, facial fat injections, Botox, chin reduction, ear pinning, breast surgery, two rounds of liposuction on her neck and lower body and buttock augmentation within the space of just 24 hours in her quest for perfection.

The blonde bombshell, who was just 23 at the time of the operations and has been criticised by some for succumbing to the Hollywood peer pressure, however she has defended her actions saying it is not for others to judge such personal decisions on matters of appearance.

While not all celebrities admit to their surgeries, for some the results (if that’s what they are) are so subtle that they don’t ever have to. Starlets Jennifer Aniston and Michelle Pfeiffer are both rumoured to have has successful nose jobs early in their careers, while recent speculation has asked whether the naturally youthful Drew Barrymore may have had a little help to stay that way with a brow lift or eyelid surgery.

Lee Newell of Viva Brother

With Viva Brother’s debut album, Famous First Words, on radios everywhere and their tour underway, singer Lee Newell is busier than ever. But that hasn’t stopped him from teaming up with PETA UK for a brand-new pro-vegetarian advert in which he proclaims, “All animals are equal, and they feel pain and fear just as we do. Going vegetarian is the best decision I’ve ever made”. A copy of the advert is attached.

In an exclusive PETA interview, Newell explains the two main reasons he decided to go vegetarian. “The first thing that really made me go veggie was actually when I got my dog, Oscar”, says Newell, whose new single with Viva Brother, “Time Machine”, was released this week. “And I just thought to myself, there’s no need to eat animals when you can happily survive without it. You know, it hurts them. Why do it?”

And Newell’s other motivation was none other than fellow PETA supporter Morrissey. “I’m a huge Morrissey fan, and we were actually lucky enough to go on tour with him recently”, Newell explains. He adds, “If you’re looking for good footage to sort of really put you off eating meat and becoming veggie – [try] the footage that Morrissey plays before ‘Meat Is Murder’ in his live show”.

Viva Brother’s previous singles include “Darling Buds of May”, “New Year’s Day” and “Still Here”. Famous First Words is the band’s first studio album; its producer, Stephen Street, is known for his work with The Smiths.

Lee Newell joins a growing list of celebrities, including Joss Stone and Sir Paul McCartney, who have teamed up with PETA and its affiliates to promote a vegetarian lifestyle.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.

A host of TV’s stars including Dermot O’Leary, Ben Price,  Julie Walters CBE, Angela Griffin, Matt Horne and Fay Ripley have joined Disney Junior UK in a bid to collect a million Disney memories in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity – see attached for TV celebrities and their first Disney memories and video clips featuring Fay Ripley and Angela Griffin offering their first Disney memory. We also have interviews with Ben Price and Angela Griffin if you’re interested.

The public are being asked to head over to www.facebook.com/disneyjunioruk and donate their first Disney memory to the campaign, which Disney will turn into £1million for the hospital when they hit the magic number of 1,000,000 memories.

Sir Michael Caine says: “I remember crying my eyes out when Bambi died and laughing my head off at the Seven Dwarfs. My favourite Disney villain? The Wicked Witch in Snow White. My First hero was Mickey Mouse and he’s my favourite.”

Disney Junior’s Million Disney Memories campaign was created following new research, which found that 92% of UK parents and grandparents believe memories of Disney characters stay with you for life and more than half of the British Public have shared their own Disney memories with their family.

Mel C who ‘donated’ her memory says: “I think Disney is something that we’ve all grown up with and it’s so nice now, being a parent, that my daughter can enjoy all the characters that I have enjoyed, so we share it together.  Getting involved is really simple – you tell Disney Junior your memory and once they have collected a million, these memories will turn into money for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. It’s a great cause so I urge everyone to share their Disney memories to help us reach our target.”

The British rapper turned soul singer Benjamin Paul Ballance-Drew, born in October 1983  is better known as Ben Drew aka Plan B.  He released his critically acclaimed debut Hip Hop album, Who Needs Actions When You Got Words in 2006. But it was his second album, The Defamation of Strickland Banks, a concept soul album, that has propelled Plan B to the commercial success and accolades he is now receiving.

The Defamation of Strickland Banks told the story of fictional soul singer Strickland Banks who ends up in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. For his next album, The Ballad Of Belmarsh, Ben Drew will go back to his Hip Hop roots and will chronicle his alter-ego’s ordeal in the eponymous prison.

Plan B is not just a musician and has tried his hand at acting appearing in 2008′s Adulthood and the Michael Caine vehicle featuring Harry Brown in 2009. He is currently amidst a popular tour of the summer festivals including Glastonbury and Wireless Festival in Hyde Park. But in the Autumn he will return to acting when he plays George Carter alongside Ray Winstone in a remake of the 1970’s British film, The Sweeney.  The part was originally played by Dennis Waterman.

Based on the  cult classic TV show, the film will be a modern take on the London Flying Squad, directed by Nick Love (The Football Factory, The Firm) and co-written by Bafta Winner John Hodge (Trainspotting).

Ben Drew has also directed one short film and a music video for Pieces, his collaboration with Chase and Status.

Hear the music the way the artist with HP. In the video below, HP/Intel with beats audio presents Plan B who reveals the process behind recording She Said, the standout track from his Defamation Of Strickland Banks album.  The film uses 3D sound and is best enjoyed with headphones.

Celebrities who have had Cosmetic Surgery

There are many celebrities who have had some sort of cosmetic surgery at some point in their lives. Some deny it, some own up to it, but most have had some kind of work done. The pressure to look flawless in the world of glamour and glitz is enormous and as time goes by the ability to keep looking fabulous naturally reduces, and Mother Nature needs a hand.

Celebrities and Liposuction

Liposuction is probably the most common cosmetic procedure in the world today and it’s certainly popular in the world of celebrity. One of the most notable examples being the actress Tara Reid, who starred in the American Pie films of the late 1990’s. She underwent liposuction on her stomach in an attempt to give herself a more toned looking six-pack; however she was left with a dented, disfigured looking area around her tummy which aged her appearance considerably.  Fortunately mishaps like these are quite rare. Celebrities don’t have months to spare in their schedules so liposuction is a quick and convenient way to get rid of this excess weight, even after childbirth in some cases. Oscar winning actress Halle Berry openly admitted to having liposuction after the birth of her child. For someone so reliant on her looks for her career, liposuction can indeed be a godsend.

Celebrities and Botox

Another very common cosmetic procedure amongst celebrities, second perhaps only to liposuction is Botox injections. Celebrities who have been linked to Botox include Kim Cattrall, Liz Hurley, Virginia Madsen, Ryan Seacrest, Simon Cowell and Kylie Minogue. Some celebrities like Joan Rivers and Virginia Madsen openly admit to using Botox, but others are far more secretive about having Botox or indeed any cosmetic surgery. The prospect of gaining flawless features and combatting the signs of aging can seem even more tempting to celebs seeing as though Botox prices are the lowest they’ve ever been.

Other Celebrities who admit to Surgery

Both Angelina Jolie and Beyonce, widely hailed as two of the most beautiful women in the world, had rhinoplastys (nose jobs), to give themselves straighter and more perfect looking noses.  In 2007 Jennifer Aniston, of Friends fame, even admitted to having a little bit of work done. There are many others, too numerous to mention, who have admitted to having had some form of cosmetic work done on themselves with the pressure to maintain an image of youthful perfection too strong in the 24/7 world of media and celebrity.