What is it about Christmas that makes movies, music and books so awfully naff? Richard Fitzpatrick gets nostalgic

Every year Christmas records sell — but do the artists live happily ever after? Simon Hattenstone asks those who know, from the Pogues to Boney M to Slade.

IT WAS a plush affair for the mid-80s, an era when record sales had already begun to decline, and when music writers had already begun to reminisce about the good old glory days when lavish promotional parties and international flights were commonplace.

LAST year was the year of baby James.

ODETTA, the folk singer with the powerful voice who moved audiences and influenced fellow musicians for a half-century, has died. She was 77.

Actress Lindsay Lohan and pop singer Annie Lennox are the latest stars to add their names and images to a hearing loss awareness campaign.

An engagement riddle was sparked by Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan when she flashed an enormous sparkler at a film festival.

Actor-singer Jamie Foxx, R&B songbird Mary J Blige, crooner Chris Brown and rapper T.I. topped their performances at the BET Awards early today by taking home trophies.

Actor Brock Peters, best known for his heartbreaking performance as the black man falsely accused of rape in the American movie To Kill A Mockingbird, has died at his home after battling pancreatic cancer.

British actor Roger Moore and American crooner and civil rights promoter Harry Belafonte followed in the footsteps of fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen.

Top Hollywood star Meg Ryan will appear in a documentary film about Northern Ireland children, which will be shown to celebs at the United Nations HQ in New York.

Jackie Chan, the Hong Kong action film star known for his daredevil stunts, has been named a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations’ Children’s Fund and UN Aids agencies.

Ant and Dec were honoured tonight at the prestigious Golden Rose awards ceremony with two honours.

Grammy Award-winning musician Shakira has been appointed a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, the United Nations children’s agency.

SUPERSTARS Michael Jackson, Harrison Ford and Lauren Bacall were among 3,000 friends, family and fans who bade an emotional farewell to Hollywood legend Gregory Peck.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan opened the first UN children’s summit today with a stinging rebuke to ‘‘the grown-ups’’ of the world for failing ‘‘deplorably’’ to uphold the right of every child to grow up free of poverty and war and to receive a quality education.