And the grab and grope award goes to: Rosario Dawson cheekily gets to grips with Paul Rudd at Spirit Awards

By GEORGINA LITTLEJOHN

I wasn't expecting that! Paul Rudd is taken by surprise as Rosario Dawson grabs his crotch on stage at the Spirit Awards last night


At most award ceremonies, someone will always take the opportunity to do something outrageous or offensive.

But last night, Rosario Dawson left the audience at the Spirit Awards open-mouthed as she grabbed Paul Rudd's crotch as he went to present a gong.

The actor took his place at the podium at the awards in Santa Monica, California last night to present the Best Screenplay accolade with actress Eve Mendes.

But then actress Dawson ran on stage to join them and grabbed Rudd's crotch, much to his surprise.


Do you think he minds? Rosario, still with a firm grip on Rudd, smiles at the audience, as Mendes reads out the Best Screenplay winner


He looked stunned at Mendes began to read out the winner, but then seemed happy to let Dawson keep her hand on his nether regions.

As she laughed while keeping a firm grip on him, the winner was declared as The Kids Are Alright, starring Julianne Moore and Annette Bening, who is nominated for an Oscar tonight.


Ok, that's enough now: As Rosario gives him one last squeeze, Rudd goes to remove her hand from his nether regions


However, after a while, Rudd had clearly had enough of her larking about and went to remove her hand as she gave him one last squeeze.

And not one to miss out on all the fun, he then put his arm around his award co-host Mendes while grabbing her breast with the other.

The Independent Spirit Awards are gongs dedicated to independent film makers and always take place the night before the Academy Awards, the biggest night on the showbiz calendar.


Touchy feely: Not to miss out on the fun, Rudd then grabbed Mendes's breast


And the winners last night included Natalie Portman, who won Best Actress for her role in Black Swan and is hotly tipped to take tonight's Best Actress Academy Award

James Franco won Best Actor for his role in 127 Hours, and is also nominated for an Oscar in the same category, but faces stiff competition from Colin Firth, for his leading role in The King's Speech, which last night took Best Foreign Film.


Composed: Rosario and Eva posed for the cameras on the red carpet before the podium shenanigans


Lea Thompson on Back to the Future Reboot and Charlie Sheen at the 2011 Spirit Awards



Who Is Banksy? A Movieline Investigation at the 2011 Spirit Awards


Ashley Bell at 26th Film Independent Spirit Awards (2011)



Trevor Donvan interview at the 2011 Film Independent Spirit


source: dailymail

Time to hang up the Manolos? Sex and the City 2 stars named worst actresses at Razzie Awards

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

They'll be crying into their cosmopolitans: Sex and the City 2's cast were named the worst actresses at this year's Razzie Awards


It is the one Hollywood awards ceremony where no celebrity wants to win.

But this year the cast of Sex and the City 2 were among those who were called out at the 31st Annual Golden Raspberry Awards at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in LA.

The satirical ceremony, traditionally held the night before the Academy Awards, honour the year's worst films and actors.

Sex and the City 2 opened last year to lacklustre ticket sales and even worse reviews.

And all four of its stars - Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon - collectively took the worst actress category during event tonight.

The film, which saw the New York ladies head to Abu Dhabi for a girls' holiday, was also named worst sequel and took out the worst screen ensemble gong.

'It was released in the middle of a period of American history when everyone's scrounging not to lose their homes,' Razzies founder John Wilson said.

'And these women are riding around in Rolls-Royces, buying expensive shoes and just throwing money around like they're drunk.'

Parker said this month that she is open to the possibility of Sex and the City 3, telling the LA Times: 'I would go back. I think there's one more story to tell. I know there is.'


No love here: Valentine's Day stars Ashton Kutcher and Jessica Alba were named worst supporting actor and actress


Ashton Kutcher was picked as worst actor for Killers and Valentine's Day, while Jessica Alba took worst supporting actress for four of her films - The Killer Inside Me, Little Fockers, Machete and Valentine's Day.

M. Night Shyamalan's critically panned 3-D fantasy film, The Last Airbender, led the Razzies with five awards.

It won worst picture, worst director and worst screenplay while Jackson Rathbone was named worst supporting actor for both The Last Airbender and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.


Sweeping the board: M. Night Shyamalan's critically panned 3-D fantasy film, The Last Airbender, led the Razzies with five awards


The Last Airbender, which still managed to make $300 million worldwide, also won for the worst eye-gouging misuse of 3-D.

Shyamalan, who was widely praised for the The Sixth Sense in 1999, also won Razzies in 2006 for Lady in the Water.

'He managed to take a cartoon property and make it even less lifelike by making it with real actors,' Wilson said of The Last Airbender, which was adapted from an animated TV series.

'Most people who like the show, and this would include my 14-year-old son, hated the movie. It made no sense whatsoever.'



source: dailymail

Pregnant Natalie Portman wins best actress at Spirit Awards (and shares best dressed honour with Nicole Kidman)

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Best actress: Pregnant actress Natalie Portman, in Givenchy, arrived at the Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica today


She may have shared the best dressed honour on the red carpet with fellow nominee Nicole Kidman, but the acting glory was Natalie Portman's alone at the Independent Spirit Awards today.

The Black Swan star, who is pregnant with her first child, was named best actress at the Santa Monica ceremony, which is the art-house world's version of the Oscars.

Her ballet thriller swept the board at the ceremony a day before it competes for

five prizes at the Academy Awards.

The film, which struggled to get made despite an A-list cast and director, picked up three other Spirit statuettes, including best feature.


Lady in red: Nicole Kidman looked stunning in a fiery red fitted lace dress


Darren Aronofsky was named best director for his work on the movie, two years after he was honored for The Wrestler.

It also took the cinematography prize for Matthew Libatique.

The 29-year-old star and her French boyfriend Benjamin Millepied, 33, met on the set of the psychological thriller and are expecting their first child this summer.

Before the ceremony, Portman made a stylish entrance on the red carpet in a baby-doll style Givenchy printed dress.

Kidman, who was also nominated for best actress for her role as a grieving mother in Rabbit Hole, looked equally stylish in a red lace fitted gown that also accentuated her slim figure.


Perfectly printed: Eva Mendes opted for a bright and breezy Chanel number while Zoe Saldana and Kerry Washington both wore Dolce & Gabbana


Paler shades: Grey's Anatomy star Kate Walsh, Australian actress Mia Wasikowska and Winter's Bone Jennifer Lawrence (in Dolce & Gabbana) all went for paler shades for the occasion


The joined a host of other stars at the event, including Eva Mendes, Zoe Saldana, Kerry Washington, Kate Walsh, Melissa Leo, Naomi Watts, Liev Schrieber, Mark Ruffalo and Ben Stiller.

Winter's Bone, which led the field with seven nominations, ended up with two prizes.
John Hawkes and Dale Dickey won for their supporting roles as threatening characters in a rural American community ravaged by methamphetamines.

'The King's Speech, which leads the Oscars field with 12 nominations, was named best foreign film at the Spirits. As a British movie, it was not eligible for consideration in the major categories.


Spirited: The Fighter's Melissa Leo and actresses Anne Heche and Amber Tamblyn looked ready for the festivities


Party of two: Naomi Watts and husband Liev Schrieber and Sandra Oh and her guest were among the stars who came in pairs


The male lead prize went to James Franco for his role as a a hiker forced to amputate his own arm in the true-life tale 127 Hours.

The Kids Are All Right, with five nominations, received a solitary win in the screenplay category, for director Lisa Cholodenko and co-writer Stuart Blumberg.
Aronofsky and Portman first discussed making Black Swan about a decade ago, and when they finally started shooting, the film had no financing.

Aronofsky hailed some equity investors whose risky bet has paid a hefty dividend.
The film, which cost about $15 million to make, has grossed just over $100 million at the North American box office. It will compete in the equivalent categories at the Oscars on Sunday, as well as for editing.

The Spirit Awards honour low-budget American films based on such criteria as original, provocative subject matter and the degree of independent financing.





Mia Wasikowska at the 2011 Independent Spirit Awards



Naomi Watts at the 2011 Independent Spirit Awards


The Duplass brothers at the 2011 Independent Spirit Awards



source: dailymail

Locked-up Lindsay Lohan gets a visit from her mother and sister

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By Daily Mail Reporter

Family visit: Dina and Ali Lohan visit the Lynwood jail in California today


Lindsay Lohan's closest family members today visited the Lynwood jail where the Mean Girls actress is being held behind bars.

Her mother Dina, 47, and sister Ali, 16, stayed for just over an hour, but it's unclear if they were actually able to see the actress, who is spending 23 hours a day in her cell.

Visitation is normally reserved for weekends, although prison wardens at the California women's prison can make exceptions.

The 24-year-old is said to have requested her family take her a copy of Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea to help keep her occupied.


Emotional: It's unclear if the pair got to see Lindsay as visitation is usually reserved for weekends


She is two days into an what was ordered to be a 90-jail term for violating her probation, however she is expected to serve just 14 days.

The jail went into lockdown mode for an hour on Tuesday when the actress arrived, with prisoners confined to their cells. She was strip-searched and 'cavity searched' before changing into an orange prison jumpsuit.


Mug shot: This picture was taken just moments before she was put behind bars


She then posed for her prison mugshot, appearing to pout and possibly smirk for the camera. Her booking sheet at the prison says she weighed 8st 6lb and is 5ft 6in tall. It also says she has blonde hair but, strangely, black eyes.

After having a photo taken, she was led to her 12ft x 8ft cell, which is next to Alexis Neiers, who was convicted as part of the Bling Ring burglaries and is serving time for burglary at Orlando Bloom's house.

They are being housed in the 2,200-bed facility's special needs unit, where Lohan will live in isolation for her own safety and be confined to her cell 23 hours a day.

The actress spent about 84 minutes there in 2007 for a drunken driving offence, reduced from her already trimmed day-long sentence because of the overpopulation issue.


Behind bars: Lindsay is expected to serve just 14 of her 90-day jail sentence

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Tommy Hilfiger and his wife make a very fashionable pair aboard his yacht in St Tropez

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By Mail Online Reporter

Stylish pair: Tommy Hilfiger and wife Dee Ocleppo took in the sights as they cruised around St Tropez, France


Powerhouse American fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger and his wife Dee Ocleppo looked oh so chic as they took a cruise around St Tropez yesterday.

The 59-year-old father of six was dressed in a classic blue and white stripped shirt, white shorts and sunglasses, soaked up the sights from his luxury yacht.

Dee opted for a simple yet stylish look in a strapless white cotton sundress, aviators and wedge heels.

And love was in the sea air as the pair shared a kiss while relaxing on the back deck of the boat.


Love boat: The couple share a kiss on the back deck of the boat


The romantic couple had lunch at the celebrity haunt Club 55 before returning to the boat, moored in arguably one of Europe's most famous marinas.

Hilfiger married Ocleppo, an ex professional tennis player, in December 2008 and the pair have a son together, Sebastian Thomas Hilfiger, who was born in August last year.

He had previously been married for 20 years and had five children with his ex wife, Susie Hilfiger.

They divorced in 2000.
Hilfiger then, largely due to declining sales, sold his clothing empire in 2006 for a reported $1.6 billion to a private investment company called Apax Partners.


Mind your step: The couple returned to their luxury yacht after dining at the popular Club 55

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Puffing Billie: Toddler gets smoke in his face as actress mum enjoys a roll-up

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By Beth Hale

Mummy's such a drag: The fumes from Miss Piper's roll-up cigarette leave young Winston's blond head enveloped in smoke


With her young son only inches away, Billie Piper takes a deep drag on her roll-up and blows smoke in his face.

The 27-year-old actress made great play of the fact that she gave up cigarettes while pregnant with Winston, now aged 21 months.

But she appeared to be making up for lost time during a visit to a pub garden with her actor husband Laurence Fox and another couple.

Initially, either Fox or his wife would take turns looking after Winston while the other moved away to puff on a roll-up.

But as the afternoon progressed they became more relaxed and eventually, as the picture shows, made no effort to distance the toddler from the tobacco cloud.

Earlier this year former pop singer Miss Piper, who went on to star in Doctor Who and Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, admitted that her greatest vices were 'roll-up cigarettes and red wine'.

She added: 'I didn't smoke through my pregnancy, and I thought I did really well not to for nine months.


Bad habits: Billie, who gave up cigarettes when she was pregnant, pictured enjoying a roll-up with husband Laurence Fox


'When Winston was born, I decided I didn't want to smoke cigarettes any more, as they are full of chemicals, so I turned to roll-ups instead. I do love them.'

The damaging effects of passive smoking are well documented.

In March, a report from the Royal College of Physicians revealed that tens of thousands of children in the UK every year develop asthma, chest infections and ear problems because they are exposed to smoke from their parents' cigarettes.

This led to a call for a ban on smoking in cars, and for the ban on smoking in enclosed spaces to be extended to parks, playgrounds and other areas where children congregate.


The actress, who has admitted roll-up cigarettes are her 'greatest vice', pictured with Laurence and Winston


Martin Dockrell, director of research for the charity Action on Smoking and Health, said: 'There are two good reasons not to smoke in front of children.

'First, especially in enclosed areas second-hand smoke seriously damages a child's health and even risks causing a cot death.

'The second reason is that the more a child sees adults around them smoking the more likely they are to try smoking themselves as they get older.

'In fact only one in five adults smokes but children often overestimate this and the more they do, the more they are likely to smoke themselves.'


Abstinence: Billie gave up smoking while she was pregnant with Winston
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Kate Garraway reveals GMTV staff were 'shocked' at gaunt appearance of Ulrika Jonsson

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By Georgina Littlejohn

Concerned: GMTV presenter Kate Garraway, pictured leaving work today, said she and staff members were worried about Ulrika's Jonsson, seen arriving at the show last Tuesday


GMTV presenter Kate Garraway has admitted that staff were left 'worried' about Ulrika Jonsson's appearance when she appeared on the programme.

Ulrika, 42, left viewers and crew stunned with her skinny frame which showed off her bony chest when she was a guest on the ITV breakfast show last week.

And Kate, 43, said everyone was shocked at how much weight she had lost - although the Swede refused to talk about it on the show.

Writing in her column for new! magazine, she said: 'Ulrika Jonsson came on GMTV last week to talk about the new series of Shooting Stars.

'The show looks hilarious and Ulrika is clearly still up for a joke as ever.

'However, everyone was very worried about how thin she looked. She’s always been lean, but viewers were shocked at how much weight she’s lost.

'I asked her before we went on air if she was OK and she said she didn’t want to
talk about it on camera, which is her prerogative.

'She said that her life is really happy but busy at the moment, not least running about after her four children.


Gaunt: Ulrika showed off a bony chest and thin face when she appeared on GMTV on July 13


'I do hope it’s nothing more serious and that all she needs is her husband Brian Monet to make her a few meals and feed her up with a bit of stodge!'
Ulrika returned to the show where she where she first made her name as a weathergirl in 1989, and looked super skinny in a low-cut grey top and cardigan as she talked to Garraway and her co-host Andrew Castle.

When they asked her about family life with her husband, U.S. advertising executive Brian Monet who she married in 2008, Ulrika said: 'Yes it’s good, it’s very, very busy as you might imagine with four children and ranging in ages from sort of nearly 16 down to two.'

And questioned if she was going to stick with him, she added: 'Oh yes. Well I have to, he’s watching... He’s a keeper, as he said to me once. But no, he’s great.'


Breakfast banter: Ulrika shares a joke and a chat with Garraway and her GMTV co-host Andrew Castle


Monet is Ulrika's third husband after she first married cameraman John Turnbull in 1990 and then Lance Gerrard-Wright in 2003.

She had a highly-publicised affair with fellow Swede and former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson.

Ulrika has a 15-year-old son, Cameron, by Turnbull, daughter Bo from her relationship with Markus Kempen, followed by Martha, her six-year-old daughter by Gerrard-Wright.

Last August, Ulrika spent £11,000 on cosmetic surgery to help win back her figure after she put on five stone following her fourth pregnancy.

The surgery involved reducing her breasts from 34I to a more manageable 32C.

Read the full story in this week's new! magazine - out today


Trim: Pictured on Malibu beach last July following surgery to reduce the size of her bust and, right, with her 34I cup chest a month after the birth of her fourth child in July 2008


Meanwhile, ITV has announced they are dropping the name GMTV to re-brand the show as Daybreak for a fresh feel.

It will coincide with new presenters Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley arriving to the channel and will air from September.

Kate Garraway will be Daybreak’s Entertainment Editor and will conduct A-list star interviews, on top of covering exclusive showbiz events.

Garraway said: ‘This is a fantastic opportunity to spread my wings in an exciting new role.

‘Show-business is big business and Daybreak will be the place for all the big interviews and stories.’
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Lindsay Lohan cheered by inmates as she arrives at jail (and she'll be out in just 14 DAYS)

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By Daily Mail Reporter

Inmates cheered and shouted 'We love you' as Lindsay Lohan arrived to serve her prison sentence today.

And if that didn't give her a lift as she put on her regulation orange prison jumpsuit and posed for her prison picture, then the revelation this afternoon that she will serve just 14 days of her 90-day jail term most certainly will.

The actress, 24, arrived in tears as she was driven into a private side entrance at the bleak Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California, just south of downtown Los Angeles.


You're booked: Lindsay Lohan pouts for her prison mugshot and, right, her booking sheet at Lynwood prison. It appears to say she has black eyes


Tiffany Hawes, who was being released after serving 35 days of a 180 day sentence for driving on a suspended licence, said: 'Lindsay was crying when she came in. She was handcuffed but seemed calm. We all started saying "God bless you Lindsay" and saying "Hi" to her and then she smiled at us.'

Brenda Armstrong, 50, also being released after serving 20 days of a 120-day sentence, said: 'We all cheered when we saw her and said we loved her.'

Jen Devey, 21, also being released after served 45 days, said: 'We saw her. She was nice and smiled but she'd definitely been crying. She's human, just like all of us , but she happens to be a celebrity with lots of money. But she's still a person and she f***** up,'

The jail went into lockdown mode for an hour when the actress arrived, with prisoners confined to their cells. She was strip-searched and 'cavity searched' before changing into an orange prison jumpsuit.


Cosmetic job: Lindsay Lohan arriving at court in Los Angeles earlier today with her original lawyer Shawn Chapman Holley. It appeared Lohan might have had some work done on her lips


She then posed for her prison mugshot, appearing to pout and possibly smirk for the camera. Her booking sheet at the prison says she weighed 8st 6lb and is 5ft 6in tall. It also says she has blonde hair but, strangely, says she has black eyes.

After having a photo taken, she was led to her cell, which is next to Alexis Neiers, who convicted as part of the Bling Ring burglaries and is serving time for burglary at Orlando Bloom's house.

They are being housed in the 2,200-bed facility's special needs unit, where Lohan will live in isolation for her own safety and be confined to her cell 23 hours a day.

The actress spent about 84 minutes there in 2007 for a drunken driving offense, reduced from her already trimmed day-long sentence because of the overpopulation issue.

Tonight a sheriff's deputy confirmed that she'll be eating spaghetti with meat sauce and broccoli.

But the good news for her is that a spokesman for the Los Angeles Sheriff's department said she would only serve 14 days at the jail if she behaved herself.


Glittering welcome: Lindsay Lohan is showered with golden confetti by a fan as she walks into the courthouse


Lohan had arrived at jail after a court appearance that lasted under 10 minutes. .

She was due there at 8.30am but didn't arrive until 8.37am after getting stuck in the Los Angeles traffic. As she rushed inside from her black SUV with her mother Dina, an onlooker threw gold confetti over the actress.

Lohan was immaculately turned out with her hair bleached platinum blonde and wearing designer skinny-legging style jeans, a crop top and peep-toe slouchy boots.

Observers in court were left to wonder if she'd had a new trout pout for the occasion. The actress certainly spent a lot of time licking her lips and playing with her mouth.

Lohan arrived inside the courtroom at 8.40am and appeared close to tears as she sat and listened as Judge Marsha Revel ordered her to jail.


Family affair: Lindsay Lohan stands with her mother Dina Lohan and attorney Shawn Chapman Holley as she waits to go through the metal detector at the Beverly Hills Municipal Courthouse


But there were none of the tears that were witnessed two weeks ago as the Superior Court judge handed down the 90-day jail term and blasted her for not taking her probation in two drink-driving cases seriously.

Lohan was handcuffed out of the view of the cameras just eight minutes after entering the court room.

The actress removed her black jacket revealing a grey sleeveless top with an open diamond in the back and no bra.

She calmly put her hands behind her back and was cuffed by a female sheriff's deputy and then led out through judges' chambers.





Tense: Lohan constantly played with her hair and her lips, which looked suspiciously trout-like





A brave smile: Lohan appeared close to tears at times but didn't break down as she did two weeks ago


Point of law: Lindsay Lohan's lawyer Shawn Chapman Holley addresses the judge in court today as the actress looks on


Her father Michael was sitting in the centre section of the court and yelled 'We love you
Lindsay'. Lohan did not turn around, did not look back and completely ignored her father.

Her mother Dina and sister Ali sat on the far right hand side of the courtroom and kept blank faces. They did not speak to anyone afterwards.

Lohan was put in a police car immediately and driven to jail.

Thanks to jail overcrowding and a state program that credits inmates for good behavior, non-violent female misdemeanor offenders such as Lohan typically serve only about 25 per cent of their sentences





No mercy: An artist's impression of Lindsay Lohan being handcuffed in court and led away by police officers


On her way: Lindsay Lohan closes her eyes as she is driven to prison in the back of a police car in Beverly Hills


But according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore Lohan will actually only serve 14 days.

'She is scheduled to be released on either August 1 or 2 for overcrowding issues and good behavior,' he told People.com.

That means in theory she should be out in time for the premiere of Machete, the action-thriller opening Sept. 3 that stars Lohan as a gun obsessed socialite. But the star still has to serve 90 days in a rehab clinic.

It's hadn't been a good 24 hours for the star leading up her dramatic court appearance. Celebrity lawyer Robert Shapiro walked away from representing her, just hours before she was due to appear in court.

Shapiro, who famously represented OJ Simpson, stepped away after meeting with a judge the afternoon before Lohan's court appearance.






Captivity road: Lindsay Lohan's silver car was escorted by a black police car before it entered the prison at Lynwood, right, through a side entrance


Tough: Inside one of the cells at Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California. But Lindsay will have to spend just 14 days there


He had taken on her case unofficially on the condition she followed the judge's orders and reported to jail.

But Shawn Chapman Holley, who quit after the actress's sentencing, never signed the papers removing herself as lawyer of record and was at her side this morning as she arrived in court.

Holley was due to be in court as a lawyer on an attempted murder case. But she had the Cruz case delayed so she could be with Lohan at Beverly Hills Superior Court.

Lohan took to Twitter the night before her court appearance and made it clear she's still in disbelief over the sentencing.

'The only "bookings" that i'm familiar with are Disney Films, never thought that i'd be "booking" into Jail... eeeks,' she wrote.

But tonight a spoof Twitter site 'LindayInJail' poked fun at the actress with the entry: 'Isn't it funny," I can't help but think.. So many bars, but nothing to drink.'
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Domestic Goddess Nigella Lawson is back shooting a new TV show (and curvy as ever)

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By Chris Johnson


Tasty: Nigella Lawson looked immaculate and as voluptuous as ever as she filmed her new TV series in London yesterday


After Sophie Dahl's disastrous BBC cookery show earlier this year, it looks like Domestic Goddess Nigella Lawson has been called in to save the day.

The voluptuous star, who has been absent from our screens for more than a year, has been spotted filming her new food show at a grocery shop in London.

With a basket in hand, filled with vegetables, the 50-year-old brunette looked immaculate and curvy as ever in a flowing black dress, blue top and jacket.

She was pictured outside a shop in St Johns Wood in north-west London, being regularly attended to between takes by her stylist.

According to reports the BBC has commissioned a new 13-part series for this autumn.
Her last appearance with the Beeb was back in December 2008 with her festive-themed show Nigella's Christmas Kitchen.


Looking good: The Domestic Goddess is said to be returning to the BBC for a 13-part series this autumn following Sophie Dahl's cookery show which flopped


Over the past year she has been busy promoting her recipes across the pond in America, as well as writing a new book, Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home.


On a knife edge: 'Delicious Dahl's' BBC2 show didn't cut the mustard


The book will be released in September and no doubt coincide with her television series.

Fans of the kitchen queen, married to art collector Charles Saatchi, will no doubt be eagerly awaiting her return.

Her younger rival Sophie, 32, the granddaughter of children's author Roald Dahl, had her show axed earlier this year after attracting poor viewing figures.

Despite being dubbed 'Delicious Dahl' she could not quite live up to the reputation of Ms Lawson, whose cookery shows have been well received over the years.

Just 1.4million viewers tuned in to watch Dahl's final episode back in April. To put that in perspective, Lawson's viewing figures peaked at 3.4million with her BBC show Nigella Express in 2007.

Nigella posted a message on her site saying: 'Now I'm filming the TV series [to accompany her new book] and having a lot of fun, but it does rather keep me away from my computer and this site.

'As ever, my book took rather longer than it should have, partly because I did the App in the middle of it, and partly because I kept adding recipes and rejigging things.

'So, for the past couple of months, I've pretty well been shut in my study, slaving over a hot computer. But now the book - a whopping 500 pages of it - is finished and will be out at the beginning of September.

Ready for your close up? A stylist ensures Nigella is looking her very best






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