Cheryl Cole Suffering From Malaria, Condition Is Worsening

Cheryl Cole is battling infectious disease malaria

Beautiful British pop star Cheryl Cole is reportedly in dire condition after contracting the disease malaria on a vacation to Tanzania.

The Girls Aloud singer has spent a fifth night in the hospital being treated for the illness after collapsing at a  photoshoot last weekend. Originally thought to be exhaustion, her health continued declining until it was clear something was very wrong. She was admitted to the hospital and it was there where she was diagnosed with the terrible illness.

Malaria is a disease that affects over 300 million people worldwide, with about 1 to 3 million fatalities, most of them being children. The mosquitos that carry the disease are most prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa, where Cheryl vacationed with Dancing with the Stars dancer Derek Hough.

According to OK Magazine UK, a spokesperson for Cheryl has announced that she was moved to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases at University College London in order to receive specialized care. She is expected to be there for a while, and is not expected to return to the auditions for her show X Factor.

Fellow Girls Aloud member Nadine Coyle has asked fans to pray for her stricken bandmate on Twitter. Cheryl's estranged husband, footballer Ashley Cole, seems to be unaware of her plight, partying up in Los Angeles after England's disastrous removal from the World Cup.

Along with X Factor, Cheryl has been working on her second studio album, which was due for release in October. She was also supposed to perform at next month's V Festival in the UK. Both plans might be up for change as she battles this disease.

Get well soon, Cheryl!

BEST! Jennifer Hudson's Outstanding Weight Loss

Hollywood is full of celebrities who have tried all different kinds of diets, with a mixed bag of results. So it was a breath of fresh air when singer/actress Jennifer Hudson blew through with a heavyset figure she was completely proud of. She surely was an inspiration for girls not to stuff their heads in toilets.

Now, after having her son David Jr. last year, the Oscar-winning diva has decided to drop the baby weight, and more, with the help of Weight Watchers. Her successful transformation has gotten her the job of their spokesperson, complete with her own commercial.

The TV spot is nice and all, but how she looks is really important, and she looks AMAZING!

For some context, here was Jennifer at the 2008 Grammy Awards:

As you can see, the change is simply astounding. And she did it for some really good reasons too. She told Robin Roberts on Good Morning America that she joined Weight Watchers because she wanted a better lifestyle for herself, and she wanted to set a good example for her new baby boy.

Congrats on the success, Jennifer! You look absolutely amazing!

Sugababes Drama Continues: Amelle Admitted to Health Clinic!

The meltdown that is the British pop group Sugababes has reached a fevered pitch this week with news that one of the members has been admitted to a health clinic.

Amelle Berrabah, the second newest member who was allegedly responsible for Keisha Buchanan's ouster, is recovering from a "severe bout of nervous exhaustion" at a private health facility. Due to her health issues, she is currently on break from the band.

This spells bad news for the ever-changing girl group, whose album Sweet 7 is due next month, as is their second single "About a Girl".

The exhaustion is most likely caused by the drama of Keisha's exit and replacement by Eurovision singer Jade Ewen. The group was supposed to have their first live performance with her at the Scottish Royal Variety Show, but it was canceled due to legal issues.

The group insists that Amelle's short break will not affect the group at all and they are not disbanding.

Considering what all of this muck is causing, financially and apparently health-wise, wouldn't that be best, though?

"Just Stand Up" Available On iTunes!

The charity single "Just Stand Up" is currently available on iTunes. The song features 15 of the biggest female artists in the country, including Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Mary J Blige, Rihanna, Leona Lewis and more!

I heavily recommend buying this single to help support those with cancer.

Nick Jonas Holds Press Conference About Diabetes Struggle

I may not support the Jonas Brothers musically (save for "A Little Bit Longer and "Burnin' Up"), but I will definitely support Nick in regards to diabetes.

Yesterday, the younger Jonas held a press conference in New York City to discuss both his diabetes and his partnership with Bayer to help spread awareness about the serious illness. They have established a website, www.nickssimplewins.com, that will share with the world how Nick handles his illness, in an effort to inspire others who suffer from diabetes. If you aren't well-versed in the basics of diabetes, then I suggest visiting the site to learn.

His song about his diabetes, "A Little Bit Longer", is #1 on iTunes and is #6 on the BWU Hot 40 (with a platinum certification to boot). You can check out my review of the song below.

Keep up the good work, Nick!

Emmy Nominee Christina Applegate Diagnosed With Breast Cancer

One of my favorite people, Christina Applegate, has revealed to the world that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

The actress, who was nominated for an Emmy for Samantha Who?, made the sad announcement through her spokesperson yesterday.

The good news is that the stage of cancer is early and not life-threatening. According to the statement, she is following the doctor's instructions and she is expected to make a full recovery.

She will be participating in the Stand Up For Cancer telethon on September 8th, which will air on the three big networks ABC, NBC, and CBS, alongside Meryl Streep and Jennifer Aniston.

Christina is known for many roles, including Kelly Bundy in Married...With Children and Rachel's sister on Friends (where I became a fan of hers). She also starred in the Broadway show Sweet Charity.

I hope very much for a speedy recovery. She's already gone through a lot this year, including the death of her boyfriend last month of a drug overdose. Don't forget to send your well-wishes her way.

Here is my favorite scene from hers, as Amy on Friends:

Could Christian Bale Be Heading Down The Same Path as Heath Ledger?

Christian Bale Taking Same Steps as Tragic Friend

As more information comes in about the Christian Bale assault charges, details about the toll co-star Heath Ledger's death and the filming of The Dark Knight had on the star are revealing themselves.

A friend of Bale's told UK's The Daily Mail about the impact Ledger's death had on Bale: "Christian pretends he's calm and collected but you really started to see the cracks in his façade in January, right after Heath Ledger had died....Christian was in the middle of a very brief break from work when he heard the news, and it was massive blow to him....They had become very close during the making of The Dark Knight and Christian went into virtual hiding for the six weeks after Heath was found dead."


Heath Ledger and Christian Bale at a wrap party in 2007

Heath and Christian had many things in common. Both showed a serious intensity in their acting techniques. Heath locked himself away in a hotel room to cultivate his role as the Joker in the $158 million blockbuster that would be his last film. Christian lost an astonishing 60 pounds to play the role in The Machinist. He reportedly wanted to lose more, but the filmmakers refused for his safety. The drastic change made preparing for his career-making role in Batman Begins in 2004 all the more difficult.

Heath and Christian reportedly became very good friends during the filming of Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There. According to the friend, Heath was Christian's confidante when problems with his family were rough. "Without Ledger around, he's found it more and more difficult to communicate with those around him, especially his family."

Playing Batman has taken a serious toll on Christian, much like the Joker did on Heath Ledger. He had told an interviewer recently that he was suffering bouts of depression and insomnia. Heath Ledger also suffered insomnia, reportedly sleeping only two hours a night and taking two Ambien pills to help alleviate the issue. The autopsy after his death showed that some of the medications he overdosed on were used to treat insomnia, along with pain and depression.

I appreciate the brilliant performances Christian Bale delivers (his Batman is the most interesting and complex to date, quite frankly), but I hope he can get a handle on any issues with depression and insomnia before its too late. I also hope that whatever family problems he has can be resolved.

First and third photo courtesy of Daily Mail Online.

UNBelievable! Pharrell To Use Replicated Skin To Cover Tattoos

In an effort to create a more mature image, rapper Pharrell Williams has decided to get rid of his tattoos. However, he is using an alternative method instead of the laser removal.

In an interview with British Vogue, Pharrell revealed that he was going to have replicated skin cells placed over the tattoo to cover them. "It's basically like getting a skin graft, but you're not taking skin from your ass or your legs. These guys actually grow the skin for you. First you have to give them a sample of your skin, which they then replicate. Once that's been done, they sew it on - and it's seamless."

I'm not sure how covering tattoos with homegrown skin is seamless at all. Aren't there things that have to be worked out, like bloodflow to the new skin and stuff like that?

Also, I'm not necessarily knocking the procedure, but using it to cover tattoos? Doesn't it have more useful practices, like helping a burn victim recover, like the woman on Oprah today who was burned alive by her husband? It just seems like using the replicated skin method to cover tattoos is like using a shotgun to kill an ant; unnecessary.

JMO.

The Jonas Brothers Tackle Diabetes In New Album

Girls, proceed to scream, squeal, and tear up.

The Jonas Brothers, arguably the biggest boy band on the planet right now, have revealed the name of the upcoming album that the "Burning Up" tour will support.

A Little Bit Longer, the band's third album, will be released on August 12th. The album title comes from the song "A Little Bit Longer", which Nick Jonas wrote about his struggle with diabetes.

The youngest brother of the band revealed he was a Type 1 diabetic in March 2007 during a benefit to support the illness. In order to help him manage the insulin-dependent disease, he uses the OmniPod insulin delivery system.

As a diabetic myself, I am very interested in how Nick will detail his experience in song. I am expecting a heartfelt ballad; a boisterous, teenybopper jam would seem a bit inappropriate (unless that's inspirational too). It takes a lot of maturity, courage, and strength to tackle something like that head on, and for that, he has my respect. When I found out he had the disease, it was shocking, considering the schedule he is able to maintain. Touring, recording, and promoting takes a lot of time and energy, and the fact that Nick is able to properly handle diabetes is truly astounding. If he and his seemingly responsible brothers are supposed to be role models for kids, then I definitely support it. Considering who the role models used to be (coughBritneycough), it is definitely a nice change of pace.

I'll probably never really like their music (I may give their album a chance), but they do have my respect.

For those who LOVE them, remember the Burning Up tour kicks off in Toronto, Canada on July 4th. The tour swings by NYC on August 10th at Madison Square Garden. Considering the response, the tour is probably sold out.

 

Picture comes from JustJared website

Vocal Condition Sidelines Jordin Sparks

Last year's American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, whose music career is currently in an upswing, has been dealt a crippling blow: a serious voice issue.

The pop princess was forced to cancel a performance today at the Bryce Jordan Center in Pennsylvania because an acute vocal chord hemorrhage condition. The illness, according to a press release by the Center, could lead to permanent vocal damage if left untreated. This also affects her place in the Alicia Keys tour, which began yesterday.

Jordin, after disappointing early record sales, has saw her career bounce back, thanks to her new single "No Air" with Chris Brown. It is currently sitting at #3 on the pop charts, and is the second most played pop song in the country.

Get better Jordin!!