I finally had a ‘quiff-off’ with pop superstar Rihanna this week when she flew into town for the Nokia Presents Rihanna gig at the Brixton Academy. Thousands crammed into the gig which included a sprinkling of celebs too including Emma Bunton, Jamie Archer and Hollywood star Neve Campbell. Rihanna told me she couldn’t wait to party for her birthday in Brazil. She said: “I’m going to be in Brazil for my birthday soon and that’ll be off the hook. Your quiff is cool by the way.” Ta, Riri!
My spies also tell me the star’s in a secret relationship and was telling anybody who would listen in London that she was “deeply in love”. One spy reveals:  “Rihanna’s got a new man but not wanting anything to come out. It’s top secret – but she’s on fire right now and says she’s never been more in love.” Now, who could it be!
Rihanna also revealed recently she’s been taking lots of acting lessons and says she’d love to play a lesbian assassin in a movie. She said: “I’d love to be an assassin (in a film). I’d love to be that or a lesbian. A gay assassin would be hot. Very hot. That’s a good idea. Megan Fox would be my love interest hands down. She’s yummy!” Over to you Megan!

*Victoria Beckham just can’t help but shop when she swings into town. I hear she swooped upon Selfridges on Thursday for a spot of retail therapy in the personal shopping sector and managed to bag a load of early Christmas presents for her boys too. Good mum!

*Take That are going to be coming together for a rather special intimate gig this week. The boys will be singing along to their new PS3 Singstar Take That Extravaganza game launch in aid of AIDS charity Body and Soul. Superfan James Corden will host the bash and Beverley Knight and Taio Cruz will be performing other hits! Catch the boys on Wednesday evening at the Tabernacle in Powis Square from 8pm.

*Peaches Geldof is taking time out right now in LA before returning for the Christmas period with her family. I hear the rock offspring is taking a load of acting lessons and has been busy shooting the new campaign for her next Ultimo lingerie range. Miss Geldof’s taking this acting stuff dead seriously these days!

*Photography legend Terry Richardson doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to attractive women. At the launch of this year’s uber cool Pirelli Calendar (featuring my favourite model of the moment Rosie Huntington-Whitely) Terry signed one sexy blondes calendar: “Keep on sucking and f***ing, Love Terry x”

*The New Moon preview I popped along to this week attracted T4 host Rick Edwards, former EastEnder Michelle Collins and film actor Tamer Hassan. The flick’s great! The only person I wasn’t keen on was Michael Sheen playing head of the Volturi, Aro. He’s not sinister enough for me!

*Erm, could Mr Kimberly Walsh, former boybander Justin Scott, be planning to put a ring on it? I only ask because my spies spotted him in a jewellers off of Old Bond Street with a friend. A source said: “He was looking at rings.” Let it be true – she’d make a stunning bride!

Former EastEnders Martine McCutcheon is celebrating this week after hitting the top five bestsellers list with her debut novel The Mistress. The star couldn’t help but talk about her dashing man Jack McManus, 25, this week when we caught up and she certainly sounds smitten! At eight years her junior she thinks she’s found the perfect toy boy to be with for life! “The age gap means nothing,” she says. “All the women in my family date younger men. They need to be able to keep up. We’re a tenacious bunch.
“But Jack is quietly very confident and he knows exactly how to handle me. I just love him. I can take him to a local pub in the East End, a Hollywood premiere or a rock gig.”
She and Jack have talked marriage and children – “the whole shebang”. But are not going down that route for a wee while yet! “I’d love children,” says Martine. “And I’d love to get married and have them with Jack. I just want us to have a bit more time on our own. I’m going to be selfish for another year or so.” Good for her.

Don’t expect Leona Lewis to be stripping down to her smalls for a men’s mag shoot anytime in the future. It just won’t happen! The mere thought of posing in lingerie makes her shudder.

Leona tells me: “I’ve been asked quite a few times but I wouldn’t do it. Ever. Not because I see anything bad about it but it’s just not me. I don’t see myself as a men’s mag kind of girl. I’m comfortable naked in the privacy of my own home – but in front of other people, hell no. I’d rather have all my clothes on. I couldn’t do a shoot in my bikini – that just would never happen. Never. No way. Not even with the power of the airbrush. It just won’t.” I’ll take that as a no then!

In fact Leona doesn’t even like to be deemed as sexy by her fans! She says: “It’s a weird one when people say you are sexy. If people think that then it’s cool but I’m not going to be exploring that side of me and releasing a Sex book like Madonna. How weird was that – I can’t believe Madonna did that. It’s a bit disturbing but I bet it’s interesting to read. I’ve never seen it. I’d imagine you need to be alone to read it!” Indeed you would Miss Lewis!

Strictly Come Dancing judges can’t help pondering the big debate over whether Jedward should have left X Factor last week. Alesha Dixon told me: “What on earth was all that about? Those twins should have bloody gone at the weekend. I mean, what was all that about?” My sentiments exactly! She also told me who she’s backing to win Strictly. “It’s all about Ricky Whittle for me,” she revealed. “I think he’s a potential winner of the series.” Alesha’s brand new single written by Gary Barlow is out tomorrow – it’s called To Love Again. Go check it out!

Spice Girl Mel B is thrilled with her new pad in the Hollywood Hills. She’s just moved her family into the seven bedroom home during a brief visit back to the States. She tells me: “I don’t get anybody in to move us. We do it ourselves. I don’t want people rifling through my stuff! It’s a great house and just around the corner from my daughter Phoenix’s school.
“We move in and then a fabulous gay guy we know comes round and decorates. Stephen and me don’t always see eye to eye style wise so we have different areas in the house for our own time!” I wonder if her rooms are leather clad or leopard print?

George Lamb can’t help but laugh when he sees his dad Larry – who plays Archie Mitchell – snogging the face off of Barbara Windsor on EastEnders. He told me: “He’s always snogging. Which isn’t easy to watch. I thought all that stopped as you got older. I guess not.”

I’m totally thrilled for Denise Van Outen who announced she’s expecting her first baby with hubby Lee Mead. She told me at the bash: “I’m four months gone and I’ve not been ill at all so far. We’re both just so happy about the news and can’t wait to be parents.” She then cheekily grabbed her boobs and added: “And Lee’s obviously loving these beauties.” I bet!

You can rule out a reunion of everybody’s favourite early nineties girl band Eternal. I spoke to Louise Redknapp about the chances of an Eternal reunion and she told me: “I’m not even in touch with Vernie and Esther. And haven’t been for a number of years. It would be great to see them again. They were both incredibly strong girls but I did love my years with the band. Esther’s voice was just amazing and I would love to see her back recording again.” Louise also told me she’s done with  breeding for now. “I’ve got my two boys and I’m happy,” she said. “I don’t think I need any more. I just want to enjoy life with them for now. Maybe I’ll change my mind in a few years but for now I’m done and dusted with having babies.”

After Robbie Williams performed at the Children in Need gig he came backstage to talk to me about being on stage with Take That once again. Robbie told me: “All my team were like – please don’t be the one crying. And I did. While they were singing I was watching them and I genuinely did want to get up, grab a mic and join them on stage. If I sung anything with them it would be Back For Good. It wouldn’t be Everything Changes or Could it be Magic now. I’m past that point now – I want to do one of Gaz’s songs.”
Robbie, whose fantastic new album Reality Killed The Video Star is out now, told me he’s started recording with the boys too for new material as the original five piece. “I’m just wanting to be with four other lads that I love to pieces,” Rob added: “We have to get the balance right and we don’t know how to do it yet. The ball is definitely rolling.
“Something special is going to happen. I hope we get the temperature right for it. To be honest everyone will be bored by it then anyway. They will.” Erm, I don’t think so! I hear Robbie’s hoping for a full time return to Take That in seven months time – after he’s finished promoting his solo record and he’s picked up his Brit Awards lifetime achievement.

Lily Allen hobbled around the stage after falling down the stairs prior to her performance at the Royal Albert Hall. But she still managed to performed a great set afterwards – and squeeze her swollen ankle into huge heels – at the Children In Need gig. Lil giggled about running into Sir Paul McCartney backstage and told me: “I’ve just met him and all he wanted to know was how my dad was. I said: “Yeah, he’s alright.” and that was about it. He said he liked my album and I said I was a bit of a fan of his work too. Ha ha.”

Mika was desperate to duet with Annie Lennox at the event but the pop union didn’t work out on the night. He told me: “I was supposed to duet with Annie Lennox and sing Sweet Dreams. Up until yesterday it was happening but then she had to go to the Berlin celebrations and that was it. It f***ing sucks – I’ve been singing that song at my shows for over a year and this is the third time we’ve tried to make it happen.” One day my boy!

Children in Need Rocks the Royal Albert Hall will be shown on BBC1 at 8pm on Thursday.

Hey Jo, did it take a lot of persuading to strip off for FHM magazine?
It didn’t take a lot of persuading for me to do FHM at all! Its prestigious and I wanted to do it from the get go. It was pretty cool and my husband was over the moon! It’s actually really good fun doing a shoot like that and its not as if I was naked or anything. I would never go nude for a shoot. Playing nice girl Stacey for all those years its nice to do something different. She can be racy at times but I wanted to sex things up a bit. Its nice doing something different and being a bit flirty.

It’s the end of Gavin and Stacey after this series – that must be very sad!
The new show comes out at the end of November and that’s it for the show. Its all over – for good. It will be completely done and although it is sad, I think its a good ending. We’ve done it the right way. Going out on a high. It is even more sad this time around because at the end of all the other series’ we knew we were going to meet up again but this time we knew we wouldn’t.

Will you never come back for a one-off special then?
We might come back when we’re all 60. Actually, I don’t think we will. That will be it for me and the others. I can’t see it working us all being old and wrinkly. The film wouldn’t work for me. It would be depressing coming back old, fat and wrinkly. I think it really is the end.

What did you do at the end of the show?
We had a huge party to celebrate the end and I remember Ruth and me just crying throughout the last day and pretty much throughout the party too! She came to my hotel at the end of the day of filming and we both sat there with swollen faces from crying all day. It was the saddest day of my life and its not easy to let go of the show but we have to move on.

What’s next then?
I’m doing panto in two weeks and I’m playing Cinderella. I’m so excited about it and love the fact I’m going up against Pamela Anderson in panto. I’m Cinderella and she’s playing a Genie. I don’t know how she’s going to cope with the dressing rooms at Wimbledon theatre! They are  really small and there’s not much Hollywood about that.

I’m back safe and sound from the EMAs in Berlin – and here’s all my juice….

Firstly – thanks to all the team at Brando and Sony Ericsson for an amazing trip!

I partied with the thoroughly lovely Joss Stone in Berlin – and boy can she dance! Anyway, Joss has been having an education in who celebrities are of late after hosting the Digital carpet at the MTV bash. A few weeks ago she told me she didn’t have a clue who Cheryl Cole was (Joss doesn’t have a telly!) but this time around it was a different story. She squealed: “I know who Cheryl is now! I went on the Xtra Factor and she was there. She’s so teeny and doll like. And very beautiful.”
We also spoke about her brand new record Colour Me Free and that now infamous track Mr W***erman – a 14 minute long track of expletives sung in her soulful voice! And she revealed it wasn’t aimed at EMI Records – with whom she’s been tangled up in rows over the release date of her album for ages! Joss said: “It’s about somebody in my personal life. It’s nobody at EMI records – I promise. I wouldn’t slag anybody off like that in my professional life. The title speaks for itself – it’s about a guy who turned out to be a total w***er.” Point made!

Sony Ericsson FanWalk superstar Gilian Deegan (below) from Dublin beat 100 other Fanwalkers to win the chance to present a gong at the MTV EMAs herself. Gilian, who literally walked across Europe to win the competition, handed out the Best Alternative Award at the ceremony with actress turned rocker Juliette Lewis.

Could Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson make a shock return to the band after leaving nearly four years ago? I only because the other four members revealed backstage at the MTV EMA after party that they don’t think he’ll stay away for too long! AJ McLean told me: “Kevin was never happy in the music industry as a whole. He didn’t want to be doing the sort of music we did – he was more urban and loved r+b. And that’s the direction we’ve gone on with our new material.” Nick Carter added: “This is exactly the style of music he loves and as far as we’re concerned we hope he will return one day and pick up where we all left off as a five piece.” The boys seem to be going down a storm with their latest resurgence – their album This Is Us has gone down well and they’ve sold out their UK tour that starts this week!

As the hunky gardener in Desperate Housewives actor Jesse Metcalfe has romped with Eva Longoria on many occasions. But it turns out in real life the pretty boy has impeccable taste too. Because Jesse was spotted swapping saliva with beautiful Irish MTV presenter Laura Whitmore, 24, at the Ewerk club in Berlin after the MTV Awards.
I stood watching Laura, who’s one of the rising stars of telly, snogging handsome Jesse as the party began to wind down at 3am and they left the bash hand in and and into the night!
The pretty pair had earlier partied the night away with the likes of The Hills star Brody Jenner, Joss Stone and Leona Lewis but it was clear they only had eyes for each other.
It was only minutes before the pair copped off that I was having some man talk with Jesse about his love life. It seems he’s been miffed for the past few months that a string of girls have sold kiss and tells on him. Jesse told me: “It’s frustrating that when you get to know a girl you have to immediately fear that they are going to sell you out. I mean, girls always enjoy the time they spend with me and I’ve known when I’ve been with a couple that were just immediately going to sell me out. But what can you do. You have to get on with it and try not to worry. But it makes my love life hard to say the least. Nobody wants to read a report on what they were like in bed in a paper.”
And let us not forget that Laura wouldn’t be Jesse’s first Irish girlfriend – he spent a couple of years dating Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle before finally splitting in January last year. Since then Jesse’s been single apart from the odd fling. And right now Laura could be a welcome addition – because he needs a date for his latest film premiere in December. Jesse revealed: “The film is called Beyond A Reasonable Doubt and I’m starring alongside Michael Douglas which was like a dream come true for me. He’s the king of cool.
“Then I have another two films and I’ve just finished filming a TV movie. So it’s all good right now.”

Shhhh
WHICH pop star doesn’t just accessorise in real life – she does in the bedroom too. This lady is experimenting in merkins and asked one guy if he: “Liked her fur” after a sex session! Eeeew!

I never put Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters down as a Backstreet Boys fan. But he definitely is! I spied Dave singing along to every word of the Boys set at the after party. WTF! Another person who knew every word was Leona Lewis!