Lady Gaga and Beyonce Knowles named top ten Most Powerful Women In The World

Lady Gaga and Beyonce Knowles have been named in the top ten of the 2010 Forbes Most Powerful Women In The World list.

The pop stars ' who collaborated on the single 'Telephone' ' came seventh and ninth respectively joining a host of political leaders including US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the poll.

American First Lady Michelle Obama ' the wife of US President Bracak Obama - took the number one spot.

According to Forbes, this year's index was based more on creative influence and entrepreneurship leading to the inclusion of Beyonce and Gaga.

Moira Forbes, vice-president and publisher of ForbesWoman, insists the people featured in the top 100 had affected billions of people.

She said: 'The women on our list, through their respective realms of power and influence, are shaping many of the agenda setting conversations of our day. They have built companies and brands, sometimes by non-traditional means, and they have broken through gender barriers in areas of commerce, politics, sports and media and cultural zeitgeist, and thereby affecting the lives of millions, sometimes billions of people.'

Other entertainers on the list include talk show hosts Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres, who came third and tenth respectively.

2010 Forbes Most Powerful Women In The World top 10:

1. Michelle Obama, US First Lady
2. Irene Rosenfeld, chief executive Kraft Foods
3. Oprah Winfrey, media mogul
4. Angela Merkel, German Chancellor
5. Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State
6. Indra Nooyi, chief executive, Pepsi
7. Lady Gaga, singer
8. Gail Kelly, chief executive, Westpac
9. Beyonce Knowles, singer and fashion designer
10. Ellen DeGeneres, talk show host

Fergie thinks Cheryl Cole can 'rule the world'

The Black Eyed Peas singer ' who became pals with the British beauty this summer when the 'Parachute' hitmaker was the opening act on the group's tour ' thinks her pal could soon work with some of the world's biggest movie and music stars.

She said: "She is such a good friend. But I don't think she has quite got her head around how big she is going to be. My girl really can rule the world. I have already heard crazy things like Robert De Niro wants to make movies with her and that Jay-Z wants to work with her."

Fergie even believes the Girls Aloud singer ' who is rumoured to be joining the judging panel on the US 'X Factor' when it launches next year ' could reach the levels of stardom attained by pop superstars Madonna and Mariah Carey.

She enthused to the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Within five years we could be talking about Cheryl on the same level as we go Madonna or Mariah Carey."

Fergie has always been a strong supporter of Cheryl's, and pals recently claimed the bisexual star had told bandmate will.i.am ' who was romantically linked to the singer after she split from soccer player Ashley Cole ' she had more chance of sleeping with the 'Fight for This Love' hitmaker than he had.

A source close to Fergie ' who is married to actor Josh Duhamel - said: "Fergie has been telling everyone she's more likely to sleep with Cheryl before will does.

"Everyone has been teasing him about his crush. But when Fergie came out with this, everyone fell about laughing.

"She's mentioned it a few times now. And even Cheryl thinks it's hilarious."

Jessica Simpson spews on US sailor trip

The blonde singer was paying a visit to troops on board the USS Harry S. Truman in the Persian Gulf on October 1 and suffered from sickness because of the heat in the region.

A source told US Magazine: "She flew in on a helicopter and had three Red Bulls with no water. Then she complained it was too hot out.

"She only sang one song, then vomited. She was dehydrated and got sick before she performed - and even got an IV. The doctor told her not to sing, but she did anyway."

Despite her sickness, Jessica auditioned for a soldier to perform a duet with her at the Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting event in November - with Aviation Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class John Britt winning the prize.

He said: "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I'm honoured to be part of it. I'm excited to be able to represent Truman, as well as the entire Navy. My family and shipmates are proud of me."

Victoria Beckham says husband David is her 'soul mate'

The former Spice Girls singer says her soccer star spouse is 'Goddam perfect' and after 11 years of marriage she is still madly in love with him.

She said: 'We are still so close, David and I. We were at a party the other day at my mum's house and I was sitting on his lap. We're very affectionate.

"I looked at him and thought after being married for 11 years, we were the only couple who were even near each other at that party. We're soulmates."

The singer-turned-fashion designer - who raises three sons, Brooklyn, 11, Romeo, eight, and Cruz, four, with David in Los Angeles - also revealed she sometimes can't believe she is married to such a worldwide hearrthrob.

Referring to criticism of his high-pitched voice, Victoria, 36, said in an interview with America's Marie Claire magazine: "I just think he's so Goddamm perfect that people have to find something wrong with him.

'The other day he was sitting at the end of the bed, and he had no clothes on whatsoever. I was getting out of the shower, and I just stood there looking at him. He never looks like s**t in the morning. Never!

"So he's sitting there sending his emails, all ripped. Not an ounce of fat on him. And I thought, 'You done good, girl.' I sure wasn't thinking of his high-pitched voice."

Eva Longoria will host the 2010 MTV EMAs

MTV today announced that Hollywood superstar Eva Longoria will host the 2010 MTV EMAs, MTV's global celebration of the world's biggest music and entertainment stars. Taking place at Caja Magica in Madrid, the 17th annual EMAs will broadcast live on MTV platforms across the globe from Sunday 7th November 2010, 21:00 CET.

The 2010 MTV EMAs are sponsored by the new Suzuki Swift, Calvin Klein Jeans and Dell.

Powerhouse rock stars Kings of Leon, hot new talent Ke$ha and American bad ass and global rock heavyweight Kid Rock join the lineup of performers alongside the previously announced Katy Perry and Linkin Park. MTV will release additional performers and presenters at a later date.

' am so excited to host the 2010 EMAs in the beautiful and sexy city of Madrid!' said Longoria. ' can't wait to see some fabulous performances and I am so proud that the two most nominated artists this year are two amazing women - Lady Gaga and Katy Perry - who are making some of the most exciting music in pop right now!'

'Madrid, watch out,' added Ke$ha. ''m coming to party and I promise it will be messy.'

Actress, activist, and philanthropist Eva Longoria brings Hollywood glamour to what promises to be a star-studded night in Madrid. Following in the very glittering footsteps of Katy Perry, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake and Robbie Williams to name a few, the actress will bring Latina heat to the already sizzling Spanish city of Madrid - the backdrop of this year's 2010 MTV EMAs.

Eva Longoria is a Golden Globe-nominated, Screen Actors Guild Award-winning, and ALMA Award-winning actress, best known for her portrayal of Gabrielle Solis on primetime US network show Desperate Housewives.

To vote for your favourite EMA artists, please go to www.mtvema.com.

For all MTV EMA news and announcements join us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/mtvema and follow us on Twitter at: @mtvema (www.twitter.com/mtvema)

Robbie Williams wants a gay child

The 'Shame' singer ' who married actress Ayda Field in August ' is determined to start a family as soon as possible and says he would be happy with either a son or a daughter.

Speaking to 2Day FM's Kyle and Jackie O Show, he joked: ' want a gay one, we've talked about it and that's what we want, whatever it is.

' genuinely don't care. I always thought I want a boy ever since I was little but now I'm like, 'Oh yeah girls, they're daddy's girls aren't they?'

'f it's a guy I'm going teach it to play footy and all of that stuff and if it's a girl I'm going to protect her to my death.'

The 36-year-old star admitted he and Ayda want to have children as soon as possible and are even considering undergoing in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment to boost their chances.

He added : ' want to get it over and down with and get IVF, what is it where you get the injections?'

The 'Angels' hitmaker also revealed he and his wife were thrilled to receive a wedding gift from Yoko Ono.

Robbie's dad used to refer to the couple as John Lennon and Yoko Ono because of the amount of time they spent in bed together, and when the wife of the late Beatles rocker heard about it, she decided to send the pair a signed picture.

Robbie explained: ' remember one of the wedding presents in particular. Because my wife and I spend so much time in bed, my dad calls us John and Yoko ... and Yoko heard about this and she sent a signed picture to us, 'Congratulations love Yoko.' '

Josh Duhamel says Fergie makes him 'feel loved'

The 'Transformers' actor ' who married the Black Eyed Peas singer in January 2009 after a five-year romance ' loves the fact he can always depend on his spouse when he needs her.

He said: "She does a lot of things that make me feel loved. She's an incredible girl. I don't really want to get into specifics, but Fergs is very present."

However, 37-year-old Josh revealed although he is happy, his marriage to the singer is not perfect.

He said: 'There really isn't a perfect ending. Relationships, if you want them to work, take work. The biggest thing that I learned growing up, and even now, is if it's right, it's worth it. It's just a matter of finding that person you want to be with."

The 'Life As We Know It' actor also passed on his top tips for a successful marriage, and stressed the importance of always 'working' at a relationship.

He advised: "It's just being sincere with the other person and not being selfish. When people say 'work at it,' they don't necessarily mean you're shovelling rock. It just means that you can't be as selfish as you were when you were growing up."

Lady Gaga gets in ghostbusters

The eccentric singer is terrified of evil spirits and reportedly has every hotel and tour venue scanned by a team of paranormal investigators before she will agree to stay there, according to Britain's Grazia magazine.

The 24-year-old pop star ' who has previously said she believes she is the reincarnated spirit of her dead aunt ' has also allegedly splashed out £30,000 on state of the art Electro Magnetic Field meters to detect spectres.

A source said: 'She believes in paranormal activity and won't take any risks when she is on the road. It's important to her to be safe from spirits.'

Ghost-hunting equipment is not Gaga's only extravagant purchase.

The 'Alejandro' singer ' who has reportedly lost $4 million on her sold out 'Monster Ball Tour' ' spent £40,000 to hire a NASA trained chemist.

The flamboyant beauty ' who is well known for her love of tea ' splashed out the huge sum in order to discover a non'hot substance that would let steam out from a teacup-shaped dress.

Gaga has also spent £500,000 on private jets to transport her set equipment and wardrobe on the 'Monster Ball Tour', £15,000 on hand crafted lace from Eastern Europe and £52,000 on a bath tub for her performance on UK TV talent show 'The X Factor' last year.

She is reportedly eyeing up a British castle for her next purchase.

Amy Winehouse isn't ready to have children

The 27-year-old singer - who is believed to have recently reunited with her film director boyfriend Reg Traviss ' admits she has started getting broody, but doesn't plan to have a child of her own in the immediate future.

She said: "I'm of the age when you start thinking about it - not seriously, but you start thinking about having kids. Although I'm not going to be getting pregnant in the next nine months!"

Instead, Amy spends time with her young godchildren and relatives when she has thoughts about becoming a mum.

She explained to Britain's Glamour magazine: "I recently watched 'Toy Story 3' with my godson Theo, who's five. It was fun. But right now I'm happy to be the godmum or the fun auntie."

The 'Rehab' singer has had a difficult few months, which may have influenced her decision to wait before starting a family.

She and 'Psychosis' director Reg have had a difficult spell, after it was reported he was still romancing his ex-girlfriend Raven.

Amy and Reg first got together earlier this year, while she was seemingly spending time with her ex-husband Blake Fielder Civil ' who she has always had a complicated relationship with.

The couple appeared to be very settled, and her dad Mitch even praised the filmmaker for looking after his daughter and keeping her out of trouble.

But after their recent troubles, friends of the couple admitted Amy was desperate to settle down with a "normal guy".

A friend recently said: "She just really wants to find a normal guy to settle down with and have a baby.

"She'd be more than happy to go out with someone away from the limelight - she is just fed up of being alone. She'd date a builder or painter and decorator, someone who's kind and funny."

Rihanna accuses pop stars of being generic

In a recent interview with the BBC's Radio 1, the singer said ' didn't want the generic pop record that Ke$ha or Lady Gaga or Katy Perry would do. Every song is tailored to me.'

It's a rare moment for anyone to knock the seemingly infallible Gaga's music, although Perry and Ke$ha tend to be the butt of a lot more jokes.

Rihanna might call Katy Perry 'generic pop', but that doesn't stop her being friends with her. Recently the singer threw a party to celebrate Perry's upcoming wedding at the Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas. Soon she'll marry comedian Russell Brand.

Rihanna is gearing up to release her fifth album 'Loud', which will hit stores on November 12 in Australia, 15 in the UK and 16 in the USA.

Fingers crossed it's not generic pop.

Lily Allen is paranoid about being caught up in a terrorist attack

The 'Smile' singer ' who is pregnant with her first child ' was in Paris, France, yesterday (03.10.10) when the British government issued a warning claiming there was a 'high threat' of attacks in Europe and advised people not to travel to France.

Lily ' who was in the French capital to attend a fashion show for Givenchy's Spring/Summer 2011 collection ' had her fears further heightened by a man holding a suspicious looking bottle sat next to her at a taxi rank.

Writing on her twitter page yesterday (04.10.10), she said: 'Oh god, foreign office have put people travelling to France on high terror alert!!! I'm in Paris already. Scared being here but scared to get on the Eurostar home.

'Come to think of it. The day before yesterday there was this weird guy balancing a small bottle of something on his knee. He was sat next to me at a taxi rank, I thought he was being strange so I snuck a picture. I hope I'm just being a mad paranoid pregnant lady and that he wasn't a terrorist about to unleash deathly virus. (sic)'

Despite her paranoia, Lily still managed to enjoy the Givenchy show, which was attended by a host of stars, including Rolling Stones rocker Ronnie Wood and his girlfriend Ana Araujo, Courtney Love, Justin Timberlake and Liv Tyler ' both of whom are Givenchy ambassadors and advertise fragrances for the fashion house.

Lily, 25, tweeted: 'On a lighter night, I went to the Givenchy show earlier on and it was amazing, really amazing. Ricardo Tisci is so brilliant, in my opinion. x (sic)'

Britney Spears' legal control order is to come to an end in three months

Britney Spears' legal control order is to come to an end within three months.

The 'Womanizer' singer - who suffered a public meltdown in 2007 resulting in her being hospitalised in January 2008 - has had her personal and professional affairs controlled by her father Jamie Spears since 2008 when a judge ruled he and lawyer Andrew Wallet should be made co-conservators of her estate.

But the 28-year-old pop star is expected to reclaim control of her life after meeting with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Reva Goetz last Thursday (30.10.10) so he could assess her general wellbeing.

A source told RadarOnline.com: 'Britney has made tremendous progress in the past three to four months. She seems to be firmly in control again.

'Judge Goetz needed to meet with Britney and talk to her face-to-face, to see how she was doing. It's one thing to read medical reports about her, but the in-person meeting was very important.

"Britney's court-appointed attorney, Sam Imgham was the only other person in the judge's chambers during the 35-minute meeting.

"Judge Goetz also met with Britney's father, Jamie separately, as well as with Britney's therapist."

The final decision will be made by Judge Goetz, and if he decides Britney no longer needs conservators she will be in charge of her affairs within 12 weeks.

The singer ' who has two sons, Sean Preston, five, and four-year-old Jayden James, with her ex-husband Kevin Federline - will reclaim control in two stages, first her personal matters will be handed back to her followed by her finances.

The source added: 'There will be a hearing for the conservatorship to end. This won't be done in secret. There is nothing to hide, everyone just wants to be cautious that it's the right time, and all signs seem to indicate that it is."

Ne-Yo blasts today's songwriters

Ne-Yo has blasted today's songwriters - claiming they are only interested in making money.

The 'Closer' singer - who as well as topping the charts himself has also penned pop hits for a number of other artists with the production team Stargate, including 'Irreplaceable' for Beyonce Knowles and 'Take A Bow' for Rihanna - is unimpressed with the current crop of songwriters because of their "shallow" motives.

He said: "People's reasons for making music have changed. I remember a time when people made music for the sheer joy of it. Nowadays people are just trying to make money and you can hear it. Everything sounds the same: it's shallow, hollow and thin. I take the time."

Ne-Yo also revealed he gave up playing the guitar because he didn't like the way the tough steel strings hurt his fingers.

He added: "They didn't tell me that learning to play the guitar hurts. Your fingers bleed and they cramp. I was like, 'This is not sexy. I do not like this.

"And that's when I gave up. I was like, 'Nah. I'm OK.' Playing guitar is not the hottest thing. And then when you shake a person's hand, you've got sandpaper hands. No, thank you."

Lady Gaga wants to get married in a British castle

The 'Bad Romance' hitmaker has reportedly told members of her stage crew that she wants to tie the knot with rumoured boyfriend Luc Carl after performing her UK shows in December.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "Lady Gaga has told everyone she plans to get married. She has said she wants a fairytale wedding in a castle.

"We finish the European leg in London just before Christmas and the timing is perfect for the wedding."

According to the insider, the eccentric singer has a string of wishes for her big day, including arriving in a horse-drawn carriage, wearing wedding rings similar to Elvis Presley's horseshoe ring and to have burlesque star Dita Von Teese spring from a cake and perform one of her raunchy routines.

It was recently claimed the 'Poker Face' singer ' who first dated Luc in 2005 before rekindling their romance recently ' plans to buy a British castle, fuelling speculation she wants to host her wedding in her own house.

A source said recently: "No expense will be spared in her quest to make this dream come true.
"It's her childhood dream and she's particularly interested in castles in the north of England or Scotland."

Nicole Scherzinger has her own flag

The 'Don't Cha' singer - who rose to fame in Pussycat Dolls - said a group of Portuguese fans who follow her around the world have designed their own flag in tribute to her.

Nicole, 32, explained: "I have these fans from Portugal and a couple of times they have travelled around the world to follow me, and one time they brought this Portuguese flag.

"They make me feel so special when they are holding up a huge flag of their country with my face and name on it. It's like I've got my own country! Well, I have my own flag at least."

Nicole is of mixed heritage herself, and although she grew up in the US, her biological mother was of Russian and Hawaiian descent and her father of Filipino heritage. The Scherzinger part of her name comes from her stepfather, who is German-American.

She said she is most proud of her Hawaiian heritage, however, and loves to represent the country, where she lived until she was six.

Nicole added: "I most associate with the Hawaiian part. That's where I was born. My family still live there. The best part of being Hawaiian is the food.

"I think it's hard to find people who have Hawaiian in their blood. You don't hear of many people coming from Hawaii. But I find I represent my people."

Katy Perry and Russell Brand dress up as 'bag ladies' to get some privacy

The famous couple have been forced to take drastic measures so they don't get recognised wherever they go ' though the British funnyman claims it is much easier for his fiancee to disguise herself than for him to go incognito.

He explained: 'Do I ever go out in disguise? Yeah, I can't tell you what it is, actually I can because you might think it's someone else.

' put on some specs, then I bend over like an old man and go out with Katy holding a cane and we dodder around like a couple of bag ladies.

'The thing about female pop stars, all they have to do is not wear so much f***ing make-up and no one knows who they are!'

The 'Get Him to the Greek' star ' who was recently arrested following an altercation where he allegedly tried to stop a photographer taking pictures up Katy's skirt ' admitted he gets jealous of the attention the 'Teenage Dream' singer receives from other men, but wouldn't want her to be less attractive.

Speaking at a show to launch his new autobiography 'My Booky Wook 2: This Time It's Personal' last night (30.09.10), he told the audience at London's Hackney Empire: ' want to take care of her and love her, but everything about her being sexy and desirable to other people, frankly, if she lost them I'd be on the phone to Lady Gaga.'

Jennifer Lopez will be the 'tough' judge on 'American Idol'

The singer-and-actress has joined the panel along with Aerosmith frontman Steve Tyler and insists she hasn't been going easy on the pop hopefuls since the auditions began.

Jennifer, 41, described her judging style as 'tough, easy and fair,' adding: ' really want to put them through the wringer in the sense that I don't want to let anybody really great go because they're nervous or whatever and not get to see what they could've been.

"We working with them a little more than maybe you've seen in the past. We give them more of a chance.'

The show started filming auditions at the end of September in Los Angeles, and has recently moved to New Jersey where J.Lo warned prospective contestants she is looking for more than just vocal talent when she judges them.

Their look and style are also very important to her ' although she won't give out any specific tips as to what she's looking for.

She said: 't's definitely part of a package when you're going to be an artist, but I can't tell you what that would be because it's a very personal, individual thing.'

Tyler has also been trying to judge the contestants 'fairly', but has advised anyone whose audition isn't successful not to direct their frustration at the judging panel, which also includes Randy Jackson.

He said: 'Don't get mad at what we say. Get better!"

Cheryl Cole will be 'loved' in the US

Black Eyed Peas star will.i.am ' who worked with Cheryl on her debut album 'Three Words' ' believes the 'Promise This' singer will become a big star if she heads to America to become a judge on the US version of 'The X Factor'.

He said: ''ve heard she's going to be a judge on 'The X Factor' in the States. Wow, she'll do great. The public will love her.

' hung out with Cheryl recently. I was in the judges' house. She's cool. She's a great artist and we're good friends.

' think the US are gonna latch on to her in a big way. She's awesome.'

As well as working as a producer on Cheryl's debut album, will.i.am also guest starred on the album's title track 'Three Words'.

He will also feature on her second musical endeavour 'Messy Little Raindrops', and has told friends her new work is her best yet.

A source recently said: 'He can't contain his excitement over the new stuff. He reckons the tracks will be even more successful than her first batch of solo tunes.'