It's flat and watery, ... unlike the books that it inspires

A new survey has revealed the stars the UK wants in its Christmas stocking.

Model and actress Kelly Brook has lost the baby she was expecting with boyfriend Thom Evans.

Katy Guest wonders why women take the lingerie route to fame

It was not quite a "Who shot Bambi?" moment, although Jeremy Guscott might have seen it that way.

The marvellous part about a transport strike, such as the one on the London Underground on Monday, is the reports on the news afterwards. This is where we're told that, "one plucky commuter beat the strike by breaking into the Imperial War Museum and stealing a Spitfire, which he used to ferry grateful passengers who'd been left stranded by the union in a swamp with little hope of ever seeing their children again. And an insurance clerk got permission from London Zoo to borrow a leopard, and rode on it to his office in Shoreditch. There was a slight hitch on the Camden one-way system when it mauled a queue for the 159 to Westminster, but he arrived only 10 minutes late, and was able to do plenty of filing."

Boris Johnson and Kelly Brook linked arms yesterday to launch the 2010 Mayor of London's Sky Ride, a free mass-participation cycling event to be held in the capital this weekend. Speaking to James O'Brien of LBC Radio, Mr Johnson mentioned that a "very vociferous heckler" had done their utmost to disrupt the event. "But Kelly... showed the sangfroid worthy of a Napoleonic battlefield in the face of the hurly-burly of British politics." Having consulted a linguist, I shall attempt to deconstruct Mr Johnson's convoluted simile: I believe "sangfroid" refers to the "cold-bloodedness" of the troops who suffered through the emperor's many violent campaigns, and to the calmness of the Mayor's comely companion. One imagines that, while considering Ms Brook's suitability for 19th-century warfare, he was thinking of the bitterly cold, featureless landscapes of Russia, as opposed to, say, the battlefield of Napoleon's greatest victory – at Austerlitz, the location of which is famed for its twin mounds, Santon Hill (700ft) and Zuran Hill (850ft).

Starring Adam Scott, Elisabeth Shue, Kelly Brook

Leaving Las Vegas made Elisabeth Shue a star, and she always excels in complex roles. So why is she in Hollywood's most over-the-top 3D horror yet? Gill Pringle meets her

Women are driving the boom in the West End as more theatres turn to female-friendly shows derived from the silver screen. Kate Youde investigates

They are both 22, precociously talented and should be looking forward to a starring role as their countries try to win the World Cup – but there the similarities end between Lionel Messi and Danny Cipriani.

While Saracens director Francois Pienaar chuckles at Matt Damon's prosthetically enhanced (the nose, that is) portrayal of him in 'Invictus', the South African-backed club are missing nine England players for their LV Cup tie against Newport-Gwent Dragons this afternoon. This is the end of the pool stage, and yesterday's results leave Gloucester, Saracens and Harlequins with a chance of joining Northampton in the last four in March. Quins and Gloucester could stop the Cardiff Blues and the Scarlets going through.

England still unconvinced by 'superstar fly-half' who will be left out until summer tour at least

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