So which baby will be crowned King (or Queen) of 2013?

Earth will welcome two exciting additions to the already over-packed world that we call home today, but the question I ask is, which new addition will be most popular.

I am of course talking about babies. Two couples announced they were pregnant last year to much publicity and excitement. The unborn girls or boys will catch the attention of all the media when they eventually arrive on the planet.

The first baby to get excited about is of course the Royal baby. Last year, Prince William and Kate Middleton announced, after intense scrutiny by the media and numerous rumours, that they were indeed expecting their first child. An eventual heir to the throne, this little boy or girl will be much talked about when it eventually arrives later on this year. A life in front of the cameras, a Mum and Dad as Queen and Kind, lots of money paid by the taxpayer; that baby is certainly going to have it all. I have already started thinking about names. I reckon Victoria if a girl, George if a boy (Diana will probably be a middle name).

It is great news for the UK, who after the Olympics and the jubilee, need a little pick-me-up to get us through the year. The Royal Baby could prove just the ticket, and with the Royal’s popularity increasing to record figures, the baby will no doubt add to the Royal’s support.

However, the Royal baby faces competition from showbiz royalty, the Queen of Reality TV, Kim Kardashian. Whether it surprises you or not, Kim has announced she is preggers with her first baby. 2012 proved quite interesting for Kim, an A-list celebrity in her own right, despite most people being unable to understand why she‘s famous. She broke up with her husband after just 92 days as man and wife, launched her clothing line in the UK and started dating rapper Kanye West. Now the couple have announced their first baby, despite Kim still waiting on her divorce to be granted from Kris Humphries.

Kim, no stranger to the limelight, will do anything to stay in the magazines, so it is no surprise that some of the media have attacked this pregnancy as another media stunt. Whatever it is, it is great to see her happy. No doubt we will all be watching the baby escape from the womb on the E! Channel this summer. I for one welcome the news. Maybe she will stick with the ‘K’ theme and call it after me. Kieran Kardashian has a nice ring to it!

Whatever happens, both babies will be on the front pages of all the magazines and newspapers later this year, and with Kim and Kanye planning on a London love nest, who knows what will happen. Maybe the two babies will end up going to the Montessori together. Somehow, I don’t think the Queen will allow it!

Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia

Prince Harry and the naked pics: what's the big deal?

In the news this week, there is one member of the Royal Family who has been up to a bit of mischief.

It seems boys will be boys, and in the case of Prince Harry, there’s no exception. Whilst partying on a recent break in Las Vegas - before he is off on military duty - pictures of Harry in a compromising position of ‘naked billiards’ were taken and released to US entertainment website TMZ.

The two photos showed the Prince in a whole new light. The first photo showed the Prince covering his crown jewels (sorry, couldn’t resist) with his own hands, whereas the second photo showed the Prince hugging an unknown female from behind.

Immediately the photos took the viral world by storm, with media outlets across the world reporting on the Prince’s escapades. In Britain, the Royal Family remained quiet, although later confirmed the photos were of the Prince. It took nearly a week for The Sun to print the photos, the first paper to do so in Britain.

But why such a furore? Haven’t we all heard about Vegas? You know the saying, “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” Should Harry be criticised for his escapades?

Well no, frankly, he shouldn’t, and if anything, this will only make him more popular. The thing with the Prince is this. He is young, he is single, he is a red-blooded male; he wants to have fun and enjoy himself like many other young men would want to do too.

The public like Prince Harry, and of course his older brother - the Duke of Cambridge - because they’re modern. They are letting the public see the monarchy in a completely new light, a version where the Royal’s are more in-touch with British society. No more stuffiness.

In fact, many people see Prince Harry as a hero. People admire him, the girls love him and the boys, well the boys want to be him. Let us face it, he is not going to be King so it is hardly going to jeopardise his Royal future.

If I was to criticise the press handling of these photos, I would direct my anger at The Sun. The way they printed them seemed wrong. They claimed most people had already seen them online as a justifiable excuse to why they should be printed on page 1. They then claimed they were not making any moral judgement from printing the photos, apart from the obvious one being by printing these entertaining photos on the front cover means they will make more money.

So here’s to Prince Harry for those rather cheeky photos that have taught the British public, and indeed the monarchy, that a few naked snaps will only boost your popularity. I mean, if it worked for Tulisa and Kim Kardashian, it can work for Harry too!

Wikipedia

Top Ten: Celebrities in the news this week

OK, so love them or hate them, celebrity inspired news stories create massive profit for all newspaper owners - despite what their editors or critics might say. Whether it's a quick glance at Page 3 of the Sun, a snippet from the Daily Express or a flick through glossy OK Magazine; we love to talk about them, know what they are wearing, doing, dating etc...so it seems only fair to create a Top Ten for Tuesday on the glitzy world that is, Celebrities. Here are ten celebs who are in the focus of the press this week:

1) Sir Jimmy Saville - after his death last month, his funeral last week touched the hearts of many a fan of the former 'Jim'll Fix It' host. The TV legend will be missed by all, whether it be his trademark clothing or trademark catchphrases. So when I read the news this morning that 'Jim'll Fix It' is making a comeback this Christmas,  I was shocked. Has he come back from beyond his concrete-filled grave, or was it a hoax? No, it's Alfie from 'Eastenders' (Shane Richie) presenting a one-off Christmas version of the show, in dedication to the late star. I'm sure plenty of fans will be pleased that his memory lives on for future generations

2) Pudsey Bear - he might not be 'real', but he is the face of possibly the best and most popular programme of the year, as well as one of Britain's most loved charities. Yes, it's that time of year again. 'Children in Need' is back this weekend, with a live show on Friday that promises to showcase some of the best TV talent the UK and worldwide has to offer, all for a fantastic cause - and that's just the BBC newsreaders! You can expect to see Pudsey everywhere; from the local cake sale, to the Manchester Rocks! concert. Not bad for a teddy bear, who counts Gary Barlow, Alesha Dixon, and of course, Sir Terry Wogan, as his friends!

3) Ant & Dec - the delightful-but-heavily-used-by-ITV duo are back on our screens this week, presenting the new series of 'I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here'. It's a show which gets a bunch of z-list stars, throws them in the Ozzy outback and feeds them on a diet of insects and kangaroo testicles, for those of you who didn't know. It's trash TV at it's best, but without their comic take on the days events, it would hardly be successful. After all, the boys are perhaps the best presenting duo on the box.


4) Rihanna - away from the land of telly, pop pin-up RiRi is dominating the charts right now. Her endless music duets and collaborations seem to getter better and better, with her current single, 'We found love' featuring Calvin Harris, top of the charts in the UK. Her new single, 'Talk That Talk', promises to be just as good as her predecessors. I for one cannot wait!


5) Kim Kardashian - yes, a name that keeps on appearing everywhere. But who is she? Well, in my own opinion, she's an American version of Katie Price, but more classy, more famous and more prettier! She came into the spotlight for producing a sex tape, appearing in a number of reality shows (most of which she stars with her family in 'Keeping up with the Kardashians'), releasing a perfume and perhaps her most famous asset being her *ahem* derriere! More recently, her very public marriage with NBA player Kris Humphries ended after just 72 days, causing many media outlets to deem the wedding a publicity stunt. Hoax or no hoax, it's proving her popular with the press - and if you really don't know who she is, you're not watching the news for long enough!

6) Beyonce - another debate being staged across the Internet, is whether singer-actress-goddess Beyonce is faking her pregnancy. Pictures emerged over the weekend of an apparent 'flat-chested' Beyonce singing on 'Tonight with Jimmy Fallon' in the US. Although reports suggested the performance was recorded in July - it is not the first time Beyonce's pregnancy has come into question.
I guess we'll have to wait for the birth of destiny's child soon! (Couldn't help myself with that joke!)

7) Lindsay Lohan - moving over to the acting world, she's another star continually in the spotlight, all for the wrong reasons of course. Lohan, who starred in 'Mean Girls' before her life spiralled out of control, is again in and out of court and prison, this time for stealing jewellery. As the world tires of praying for her to recover, let's hope she can really sort her life out. Although I don't hold your breath on it.

8) Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart - teenagers across the globe are sobbing as the King and Queen of the vampire world perform one last time as vampires Edward and Bella in the last film from the 'Twilight' franchise, 'Breaking Dawn'. Despite mixed reviews from critics, the on-screen and off-screen couple are adored everywhere, and will be sadly missed from our screens.

9) Dawn French - comedy genius Dawn has been out and about showing her dramatic new weight loss, and what a transformation. Deciding not to go for the Fern Britton treatment, opting instead for natural dieting, Dawn has shed the pounds in the last year, and looks fantastic. Her 'French & Saunders' co-star Jennifer Saunders even said "she was not the larger one" of the pair! Well done Dawn.

And finally....

10) Doctor Who - OK, so again like Pudsey, not real, but character aside, this promises to be the biggest storyline of this month, and looks to be debated, argued and supported by fans. Yes, the big news this week was the announcement that the BBC, together with 'Harry Potter' director David Yates, are looking to produce a big-screen adaptation of Doctor Who in the next few years. Hooray! Hold on though. They want to create a brand new movie, away from the current TV series, and launch it separately? Well that is the idea, and one that has got fans of the Doctor up in arms about the plans. How will it work? Will they cancel the 'Doctor Who' series on TV, which saw a reduction in ratings this year? Who knows, but keep watch for that blue police box Britain, it could be appearing in the media soon!

Pictures Courtesy of Wikipedia