Pandora: At last, the fashion bible carries Cole

Cheryl Cole's journey towards being crowned the queen bee of football's Wag sorority is finally complete. Following her sob-filled appearances on television's recent X Factor series, the spangly pop star graces the hallowed cover of the February issue of Vogue.

It is a particular coup for Cole, since Vogue's publisher, Condé Nast, had refused to confirm whether it would be featuring her on the front of the magazine, which is out on Thursday and contains a full interview with Cole. When Wayne Rooney's wife, Coleen McLoughlin, was invited to appear in a shoot for the monthly style bible in 2005, she was only worthy of a feature on the inside pages. After some 12 years of trying the convince the world of her status as a fashion icon, Victoria Beckham only managed the cover in April last year. So it is perhaps inevitable that not everyone is overly enthusiastic about Cole's metoric rise from Tyneside beauty pageant winner to modish fashionista.

Before Christmas, the 25-year-old was forced to call in lawyers after Heat magazine falsely claimed that she had stormed out of the Vogue shoot early following a blazing row with the stylist.

Tennant's back (early)

Amid all the hullabaloo surrounding the BBC's appointment of the foppish actor Matt Smith as the new Doctor Who, his predecessor David Tennant has quietly rejoined the cast for the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Hamlet.

On Saturday evening, the audience at London's Novello Theatre was told that Tennant, 37, would finally be performing after he was declared fit to reprise the role for which he won rave reviews at Stratford-upon-Avon last summer.

The Scot pulled out of the play's West End run last month when he was forced to have back surgery after suffering a slipped disc.

"None of us were expecting it, so when the announcement was made just before the curtain went up, we all cheered," says one lucky punter who was in the crowd. "It was a very welcome surprise. Needless to say, we gave him a standing ovation at the end."

Last night, a spokesman for the RSC said that following Tennant's welcome return, his ability to perform would now be assessed on "a day to day basis". However, it is hoped he will be able continue in the role until the run finishes on Saturday night.

Glenister caught on the hoof

Philip Glenister has been a ubiquitous presence on British television screens since his shouty turn in the detective series Life On Mars, but the Hollywood money men are yet to come a-knocking.

The gritty, London-born actor, 45, reckons that may have something to do with his refusal to work with horses on the set of Sir Ridley Scott's 2005 blockbuster, Kingdom Of Heaven.

"There was a scene where we had to shoot out of an enclosure. Ridley Scott came over and said to us all, 'If anyone doesn't want to do this, feel free to put your hands up'," says Glenister. "It was like a Spartacus moment, so I was the first to say 'I'm not too keen'. Then, as soon as I did it, David Thewlis went, 'I'm Spartacus' – and then all of the main cast put their hands up.

"Yeah, I've never worked with [Sir Ridley] again, don't ask me why."

TV talents barred as Astoria bows out

Sir Elton John refused to perform with the X Factor winner Alexandra Burke during his New Year's Eve concert at London's O2 arena, it was reported yesterday. Now the organisers of a forthcoming fundraiser for the great man's Aids foundation appear to have followed suit.

In a fortnight, the owners of Ibiza's notorious Manumission nightclub will host a party at the London Astoria to mark the final night before the 81-year-old venue in Tottenham Court Road is demolished. Talent show winners, I am told, have been barred.

"We don't want them there," says a spokesman for the event. "We are hoping to get The Who and Kasabian to perform. It's more that kind of evening."

Marr mars Sheen's spot on the sofa

Indignity for the actor Michael Sheen, who yesterday found himself alongside the Prime Minister on Andrew Marr's sofa, and discussing the fact there has been no long-running political drama in the vein of The West Wing on British television. As Marr ended the show, he gave thanks to Gordon Brown and "Martin Sheen". As any fool knows, Martin Sheen is the Hollywood actor who played the President in The West Wing. Marr, however, didn't appear to notice his blunder.

Do ya know how silly you sound?

Caroline Kennedy's attack of the "ya knows" in a US television interview was trumped by Andy Murray's recent post-match chat, when he said the words "you know" 30 times in 2 min 27 sec. However, a reader points out that in a BBC interview, the Hereford footballer Steve Guinan managed to say "y'know" 17 times in just 30 seconds. The mind boggles.