Queen Elizabeth, perhaps yielding to her age (she turns 80 on April 21), is cutting her work schedule to three days, the Sun in London reported. Senior royal sources stressed the Queen is not preparing to “retire” or hand the throne to Prince Charles. The new work schedule, an aide said, was simply “common sense” and “self-preservation.” The Queen had 545 engagements on her calendar in 2005.
Britney Spears played the role of humanitarian amid the partying at Mardi Gras.
The Louisiana native saw firsthand the devastation of last year’s Hurricane Katrina and treated a group of New Orleans schoolgirls to a day of shopping.
Spears told “Good Morning America” how she surprised four students from Our Lady of Mount Carmel School of New Orleans who were having breakfast with City Councilman Jay Batt. Spears took the girls shopping and to dine at one of Emeril Lagasse’s restaurants.
“They were so excited to go shopping because they said they lost all their clothes,” Spears said. “It was an honor to be here with all of them.”
Nick Lachey doesn’t seem to work much these days, but when he does he doesn’t get paid a pittance. While waiting for alimony checks from his soon-to-be ex, Jessica Simpson, Lachey scored $500,000 for appearing with Brooke Burke in infomercials for celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson’s “Core Secret” DVDs, Us Weekly reported.
Sophia Bush is taking the Renee Zellweger tack as she seeks an annulment of her five-month marriage to “One Tree Hill” co-star Chad Michael Murray, E! Online reported. Bush, 23, filed papers Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, citing “fraud” to clear the relationship from the books. Zellweger made a similar claim in her split with country singer Kenny Chesney.
If “One Tree Hill” returns for a fourth season, we’d love to be a fly on the wall of that set.
Aaron McGruder, creator of “The Boondocks,” is taking a six-month vacation starting this month and putting the controversial comic strip on hiatus.
The strip about an African-American family living in white suburbia is syndicated in about 350 American newspapers, including The Denver Post. McGruder offered no explanation and declined interviews. “The Boondocks,” which touches on racial issues, pop culture and politics, also is featured weekly on the Cartoon Network. The last new comic will appear March 26.
– Compiled by Greg Henry from wire and Internet reports
Lisa Rinna lost the contest but might win “Dancing” job
Lisa Rinna may have lost on “Dancing With the Stars,” but her performance may have won her a co-hosting role alongside Tom Bergeron for the ABC reality series’ next season.
The New York Post reports Rinna will replace Samantha Harris, who may become an entertainment correspondent on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
