Time now for my hotly anticipated, post-Christmas return. The festive period was a thoroughly joyous occasion, mostly spent wigged off our brains on mainlined cleaning fluids. I received gifts of quality and quantity, and consumed my own body weight in confection. Back to Newsblog I come, satiated and - to be honest - slightly discombobulated.
I'll begin this 2005 tribute post with a little blurb about my own blogging debut, just two months prior. I enetered the blogging stratosphere, doing it for the Brits (despite my hatred of other blogs anglais - sorry), highly apprehensive of such an alien land. I have, however, been pleasantly surprised; I now look upon this blog as a friend, a mother, someone I can unload my darkest thoughts to. (Although, not many of those disability or race jokes get past the all-(too-)powerful 'Newsblog God'.)
I would like to send many props to those who have shown us love, such as D-Listed and Celeboganda; to those who slept on it: a plague on both your houses, bitches.
Please excuse such a verbose introduction; to the year's review we must boldly go. A year of particularly tumultous celebrity love life began accordingly when Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt officially split in January. Rife specualation was confirmed - after many vehement denials - that Brad and Angelina Jolie were a couple when they were spotted together may times throughout the year. Brad is now helping to raise Jolie's adopted children Maddox and Zahara.
Blood was also spilled when Jude Law admitted shagging the nanny - Daisy Wright - leaving flaxon-haired Sienna Miller heartbroken. And yet she still goes back for more. Hmmm.
Love's intellectually decrepit dream drew to a close, with Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey splitting acrimoniously. Something tells me Jess's 'Daddy issues' played a part in the break-up.
Rene Zellweger dropped her hubby Kenny Chesney like he was hot, citing 'fraud' as the reason for the marriage breakdown. The match made in hell lasted just four months.
Britney went from phat to fat as she spawned "Daddy's" bay-bay, largely belived to be called Sean Preston. Her marriage to Kevin Federline has been the subject of prolific tabloid speculation, with rumours of K-Fed's cheating and constant caining. The pair are said to be on the verge of breakdown, with Kevin allegedly labelling Brit 'controlling'.
Charlotte 'Plumpy' Church hooked up with feminine rugger bugger Gavin Henson in February and has managed to sustain something of a relationship with him. The papers went crazy for the story that she mislaid a topless photo which was circulating its way round Wales, although this was later proved false. The Welsh wonder also began a pop career which hasn't exactly taken the world by storm.
Predictably, Paris Hilton added a good few more notches to her bedpost, briefly getting engaged to another Paris, before breaking it off and doing the same with someone called Stavros. The pair are as yet still together but I wouldn't hold my breath (because for one thing, that would be endanger my life).
Paris also hit the headlines for having a very public falling out with Simple Life co-star Nicole Richie. The friendship malfunction is said to have occurred when Nicole played Paris's infamous sex tape to friends at a slumber par-tay. Also said to be a factor is Nicole's physical transformation, which made Hilton see green.
A plucky young lady called Tila Tequila emerged as the first 'internet celebrity', proplelled to some kind of fame by her myspace profile.
heat and its imposters started an embittered and ferocious campaign against anyone thinner than them. heat alone devoted a sizeable (forgive the pun) 18 front covers to skinny-trashing. Bite me you fat bitches.
Live 8 provided the antithisis to a particularly narsisstic year of celebrity, enrolling popstars to get all political and 'raise awareness' (urgh) for the ongoing Make Poverty History campaign. The stage at London's Hyde Park was graced by Coldplay (who knew), Elton John and Madonna who achieved approximately FA.
Celluloid inspiration ran dry this year, with 2005 being given the dubious title of The Year of the Remake. There were dozens of the tedious 'talkies', including King Kong, Lassie, The Producers, Narnia, Pride and Prejudice and Charlie and the Chocoalte Factory. Most were heavily slated by critics.
The music of 2005 will probably go down in history as being some of the worst ever, with utter drivel dominating the British album charts. Jamie Cullum, James Blunt , Kate Melua - all heavyweights in terms of sales this year, and yet if I was feeling suicidal it would be this lot that would push me over the edge. Britain seems to have fallen in love with whiny warbler and ex-Harovian James Blunt; he's even managed to become rhyming slang for the bad word. Good.
The US had more success, with artists such as 50 Cent and the Pussycat Dolls, who achieved global domination with Don't Cha, a musical spit roast featuring Busta Rhymes. Fiddy also had hits a'plenty, with Candy Shop and Window Shopper selling riotously. The big man even made a film, and plans to write G-Unit novellas. That's gangster.
One of the most shocking stories of the year came when Kylie Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of just 37. She is now undergoing treatment and insists she will make a comeback in 2006.
2005 was also the year many celebrities got on the wrong side of the law. Rapper Lil Kim was jailed for perjury; her rival Foxy Brown is also undergoing a trial. Comedian Chris Langham was apprehended after child porn enquiries. Gary Glitter, arrested after allegedly paying young girls for sex at his Vietnamese property, is now rumoured to have paid off his accusors, so will face the lesser charge of child molestation and up to 12 years in prison if found guilty. He was previously said to be facing a firing squad for charges of child rape. Michael Jackson was famously vindicated after a child abuse trial in the US.
Pete Doherty has also been arrested, alas, too many times to mention, but mostly for reasons involvong crack. He spent the rest of the year dancing to a tune only he could hear, hanging out with (ie. dra(/u)gging down) Kate Moss and rehabbing for a very short time in Arizona. His dealer even advised him to get tested for HIV - damn, I wish my dealer was that caring.
Several stars have faced the wrath of cocaine accusations in 2005, namely Kate Moss (which started a media frenzy), Jessica Simpson and Kerry Katona. Moss subsequently got sorry, got clean and got about 5000 job offers. One she took up was a Virgin Mobile ad, which included a very rare speaking role; what a shame her voice is at a pitch only certain breeds of exotic dogs can hear.
So that's it folks, another year almost over. Have a good one. Feel free to add your personal highlights of the year in the comments section. Don't be shy!