Daily Star: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Daily Star: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Just a warning THIS IS IN THE DAILY STAR!

Maybe he was - they say there's a lot of it about these days - but let me know if you can spot any actual evidence in this piece.

And in a second story today, the Star says it was cause he had eye problems and depression.

Joined-up journalism!

Update: There's a very thorough article about Lubitz in the Sunday Telegraph.

On qualifying, Lubitz did not land a job as a pilot immediately and worked as a cabin steward until a vacancy arose. It earned him the nickname “Tomato Andi”, possibly because one of his roles was to hand out tomato juice. It has also been suggested “Tomato” is a derogatory term, meaning someone who isn’t sure if he was a “fruit” or not. There is no evidence, so far at least, that Lubitz was gay and kept his homosexuality hidden, but it’s inevitably an area for the police to explore.

Whatever the truth, for Lubitz, a young man wanting to fly transatlantic jets, to find himself working as a “trolley dolly” would have been all too demeaning...

There have been so many competing claims and speculations in both the broadsheets and tabloids over the weekend, I think it's safe to conclude no-one really has a clue what really happened.

Update2: And by Monday it was...

Tom Daley Watch: Noooooooo!!!

The Olympic diver has posted a naked snap of himself in a rainforest on Instagram this morning.

While the pic was a throwback from the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore, fans believe it has all but confirmed the star will appear on the new series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! kicks off next Sunday.

“Is this a hint that it's true you are going on I'm a celebrity,” one fan wrote under the snap.

Reports have suggested Tom, 20, is part of the new jungle line-up, and bookies already have him pinned as favourite to win.

Ladbrokes are offering odds of 7/2 he will be crowned champ, with a spokesperson saying: "Tom's already been backed by punters and he's clearly the one to beat this year...

Daily Star - regular reviewers may recall the Star has a history of making up stories about our Tom, which turn out to be hilariously wrong.

Meh, any excuse to run this photo.

Maybe this is where Stephen Fry is heading off to?

PS Want to hear about an ex-Star journalist who quit after being asked to make up one too many stories, see Richard Peppiatt's new documentary, One Rogue Reporter .

OMG!!! Attention stalkers! Win a double date with Tom and Dustin Lance Black!!!



It's free to enter, but you're asked to make a donation.

Tom, admirably, wants half the money raised to go to the Brain Tumour Charity, in memory of his dad.

Lance wants half to go to the Human Rights Campaign - this leading American gay rights group really need the money; their declared income last year was a measly $38,500,000.

And the money that doesn't go on mega salaries, goes on imperial nonsense like this.

PS This is being plugged in the US gay media - hope our American friends read the small print about having to provide your own air travel and accommodation. 

Daily Star: Ban The Bum

IT'S not just people doing the Ice Bucket Challenge that are chilling themselves for charity - this brave teenager raised hundreds of pounds for charity by stripping naked on the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Daily Star. 

Respect to that paragon of decorum and good taste the Star for pixelating this young man's bum.

On other pages, endless ads for proprietor Richard Desmond's 'adult TV channels'.

Daily Star: 1D Harry Fake X-Rated Sex Pic Shame

First edition; 'Harry Styles heaped fresh shame on drugs-scandal boyband One Direction last night. X-rated shots of the 20-yearold hunk in his pants have sparked outrage.'

Second edition; 'One Direction star Harry Styles was furious last night after a fake sex picture appeared on the internet...

'A source close to the band said: "The fans knew immediately this picture wasn't Harry. For a start, the tattoo is not in the right place. Harry and the other lads are sick of all the fake stories and fake pictures...'

Via The Media Blog.

And here's the photo...

Daily Star: Same-Sex Celeb Snogs!

This is odd - this gallery of same-sex snogs in the Daily Star only features chicks, and there aren't any of dudes.
Surely some mistake?

PS The Mirror asks, Are we in the time of the celesbian?

Paul Flowers: Gay Man Has Facebook Profile, Likes Gay Stuff Shock!

The Methodist minister has yet to ­apologise to his ­congregation for his headline-grabbing antics.

Flowers, 63, is currently suspended from the two churches he looks after in Bradford, West Yorks.

But now he has caused further upset among ­parishioners by bookmarking dozens of ­erotic pages dedicated to gay men on the ­social networking site.

Among his “likes” are Manly Men, Hot Sport Guys, Bear Magazine, XXL and Grab Mag.

Many of the pages contain pictures of male models in their underwear or ­cavorting with ­other men.

He also posted a banner saying: “Let’s get one thing straight. I’m not.”

Last night a ­parishioner said: “It is like he is just trying to shock for the sake of it.

“It is one thing looking at sleazy websites – whether they are for gay or straight people – in private but for him to be so open about it on his Facebook page is a little sad.

“It is almost like he has no thought for the people who worship at his churches.”

Daily Star.

If it's Sunday it must be time for another puny tabloid story about Paul Flowers!

Risible and hopeless attempt at 'investigative journalism' and mock outrage over nothing.

At the time of typing Paul's Facebook page is still up - though he doesn't appear to have been on it this year.

Fagburn has, but of course, sent this poor bugger a friend request.

Edit: Mr Flowers has accepted me as a Facebook friend - DAY MADE!

More Flowers-bashing in - surprise - the Mail On Sunday, masquerading as a business interview with Euan Sutherland, the new CEO of the Co-operative Group.

Apart from donations to the Labour Party, practically nothing else is mentioned apart from the 'Crystal Methodist' scandal.

James Arthur: Rank

Daily Star.

A famous person has said a bad word!
Then another famous person tweeted something about it!!!
Snore...

But then...

James Arthur is not homophobic, insists the Daily Star's top pop columnist, James Ingham - and she should know.
Is it just me who doesn't give two hoots about this story?

PS OH NOES!! A famous American man has alo said a bad word! Burn the witch! Will we ever be the same again? etc etc.

Update: James Arthur has a Twitter row about this with someone else from X Factor! Nope, still not that interested...

Daily Star: Spooky!

Wish me luck today, brothers and sisters.
Fagburn fears today's press pickings could be slimmer than poor uncurvaceous Kate...

Julian Clary: And On That Bombshell...

The camp comic, 54, reveals on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, which airs tomorrow on ITV, that the girl had a miscarriage.

He said: “She is unique. The one woman I had that sort of relationship with.”

And that's the Daily Star's story in full. 

PS There's a bit more - about how after making that joke about fisting Norman Lamont at the 1993 British Comedy Awards he was "driven to the brink of suicide" - in the Mirror.

Update via Popbitch...

Julian Clary did Piers Morgan's Life Stories on Friday. There was a slightly odd moment when Morgan sympathised with Clary about the hounding he got after the Comedy Awards in 1993 - when Clary made a joke about fisting Norman Lamont.

The famously kindly Clary somehow managed to smile in response. Perhaps he found something amusing in the fact that the man who was responsible for the coverage was the then showbiz editor of the Sun... Piers Morgan!

Dominic Cooper: History (Boy) Repeating

The Sun, like many papers, are reporting that Dominic Cooper is now tipped to play Freddie Mercury in the Queen biopic!
Remember last month when so much media fell for a made-up story in The Daily Star quoting an "anonymous" source saying Daniel Radccliffe was going to play Freddie?
Oh, except for Fagburn.
Then Daniel told Empire it was complete bollards. 
Well, luckily there's no need to worry about this rumour.
It comes from an "exclusive" in a blog called Latina Review!
"According to a trusted source, the “rumor” is that Dominic Cooper is now circling the project."

So that's alright, then.

PS And whatever happened to that film with Mickey Rourke playing ruggger bugger Gareth Thomas...

Daniel Radcliffe: Don't Say I Didn't Warn You!

"There is no truth to it at all. It's one of those very, very funny things: it came out of a story in the Daily Star and then you see newspapers like The Guardian using The Star as their source, and it grows and grows [until] it's 'Dan Radcliffe is playing Freddie Mercury!', which I was never going to do."

"Everyone on the internet who I presume is saying I'm totally wrong for that part is correct," he laughed. "I AM completely wrong for that part!"
 
"If I'd seen a rumour about me playing Iggy Pop, I'd think, 'Hey, I'd have a go at that - that'd be fun!', but Freddie Mercury? No. I don't even know who the director is. They seem to be saying it's Stephen Frears and Tom Hooper on the internet."

"This is the kind of thing that happens to me and it happens to Emma (Watson) with multiple 50 Shades Of Grey things. When somebody has column inches to fill, they just sub in one of our names." 

Daniel Radcliffe talking to Empire in a podcast - about the story that he was going to play Freddie Mercury in the new biopic.
A fiction ran as fact in media around the world.
Except for one lone voice crying "This sounds like bollocks!" in the wilderness - the mighty Fagburn!
Journalists would make their lives so much easier - and far less embarrassing - if they just listened to me in the first place.
Hey-ho...

The Guardian online - though there's an embedded link they don't make it explicit how they published this crapola without bothering to check it.
Journalism fuck yeah!

Another way stories appear in the Daily Star (and they are not alone) are when they are simply made up, or based on such scant, dubious evidence as to essentially be untrue. I list in my resignation letter (attached) a number of stories that I wrote via this method, in the full knowledge, and on occasion request, of superiors. Most, but not all, of the fabricated stories featured the Daily Star’s most referenced celebrities – Katie Price, Peter Andre, Kerry Katona etc. These people’s careers are symbiotically linked to tabloid column inches, and therefore they were very unlikely to sue over false stories...

Former Daily Star journalist, Richard Peppiatt, statement to the Leveson Inquiry [Thanks to fillo].

PS UND! here's a video of Ed Miliband auditioning for the part of Queen Freddie at Labour party conference yesterday. ONE VISION!

Update: I'm far too nice to gloat - and moreover there are far too many to list - but there are some hilarious reverse ferrets on this today, in both the gay and straight media, often forgetting to mention how they'd run the Star story as if it was deffo deffo true. Hahaha!

Daniel Radcliffe: Media Gaga

 

Daniel Radcliffe aims for a new kind of magic in Freddie Mercury biopic

Harry Potter star is sought to replace Sacha Baron Cohen after the Borat actor bit the dust over alleged creative differences Harry Potter star is sought to replace Sacha Baron Cohen after the Borat actor bit the dust over alleged creative differences

The Guardian.

This story has "gone viral" - just like dysentery did.
There are now over 75 (and counting) news stories internationally on Google News.
Like The Guardian, their source is "an unnamed source" in Sunday's Daily Star - I Wand To Break Free! Daniel Radcliffe To Play Freddie Mercury.
Eh? An unnamed source in the Star??!
No need to check that, then!
Precious few expressed any doubt - I've yet to see any hack that's tried to check it - the gay media in particular have taken it as gospel.
Fagburn has offered a simple challenge...

Dear journalists of the world, Here's the number for Daniel Radcliffe's agent - 020 7436 6400 - why not call them and check the story?
— Read Fagburn.com  (@Fagburn) September 24, 2013

I wonder if anyone will?
Bit hopeful asking journalists to maintain basic journalistic standards, I know. 

I wouldn't hold your breath - how many media have reported the statement from the Olympics organising committee; "There have never been any negotiations with Cher about her possible participation in the ceremonies."
Mind you, that was about the Great Satan Russia so you can lie as much as you want.

Tweet Of The Day: Russell Brand

With respect to the ol' transgender community, I didn't have it off with the antiques kid off Wogan. My favourite media lie ever though.
— Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) September 4, 2013

Russell Brand responding with wit and grace to Lauren Harries claim they had "a romp" once.
Or as the Daily Star put it; 'EX-swap CBB star Lauren Harries claims she had a secret affair with bed-hopping comedian Russell Brand'

Charlie Condou: Scoop Of The Century!

Oh god, my secret is out!! great journalism @daily_star RT @jamesrbuk: Er, what, Daily Star? pic.twitter.com/PEIdR46XvR
— Charlie Condou (@Charliecondou) August 21, 2013

The actor, 40, who plays midwife Marcus Dent, agreed with actress friend Catherine Kanter they would have a child if she did not find love by the time she was 40.

Catherine stayed single but Charlie hooked up with partner Cameron Laux, 49.

But the soap star honoured the deal, fathering Catherine’s daughter Georgia, four, and two-year-old son Hal, by IVF.

Charlie, Cameron and Catherine, 45, all share the responsibility for raising the youngsters in Islington, north London.

Charlie said: “I always wanted to be a daddy. Catherine and I had the conversation thousands of women have with gay friends, a Plan B pact, to have a child together should Mr Right not appear.”

And, err, that's the full extent of the Daily Star's front page story today!

The quote - singular - is taken uncredited from yesterday's Daily Mail, which came from an interview Charlie gave to Red magazine.
Eagle-eyed viewers may have spotted Mr Condou is one of the best-known gay dads - and most prominent advocates for gay parenting - in the country, and used to write a weekly Guardian column about it.
Heaven forfend that the Star should ever find out about Elton John and David Furnish's secret love children.

BBC: We Apologise Unreservedly

BBC chiefs last night issued an apology after screening a picture of Prince William with a large willy drawn on his head...

Daily Star.

Something tells me today could be another slow news day...

Big Brother: Gay Boy Problems

A GAY police officer who quit the probe into sex beast Jimmy Savile to enter the Big Brother house said last night: “What’s the problem? It’s not like I’m doing a porno.”

Today's Big Brother-related front page story in the Daily Star. 

Exciting times!
Hard to know if The Gays will be getting behind this hawt bent cop or the gay one out of those morbidly obese twins who vote Tory and like showtunes.
Hmm...

If the twins win, I'm sure there'll be the inevitable Attitude and/or GT shirtless cover shoots.
I hope their respective editors bear in mind that Jack Glenny’s party trick is “putting spoons under my moobs and holding them there”.
Sounds quite a catch, doesn't he, boys?

Rylan Clark: Daily Star Star

The Daily Star.

Horrible stuff.
But there is some good news - The Star remind readers that by happenchance Rylan's hosting a new Big Brother spin-off show that launches on Richard Desmond's Channel 5 this Thursday.

Daily Star: Fantasy Football

How the Daily Star have teasingly framed a story pinched from yesterday's Observer about a claim that eight players have approached the Professional Footballers Association saying they're gay but are worried about coming out.
Best line? Chris Basiurski, chair of the Gay Football Supporters’ Network; “The worry is that fans will start getting on their backs..." 
The Star doesn't credit the Observer, natch, and there doesn't seem to be much to the story bar what's stated in the original headline - 'Eight footballers say 'we're gay' but keep quiet in fear of fans' - and some speculation.
Oh, and this number is strangely down from 2008 when a Daily Star front page "revealed" there were '12 Gay Premier Football Stars'. 
Which would mean the number's dropped by a third - should we blame the recession?
Not that I'm suggesting sometimes they make stuff like this up. 
Ho hum.

Daily Star: The Murder Mystery

How do you illustrate a shock-horror! story about two prisoners who "are seeking tax-payer funded sex changes"?
Well, if you're the Daily Star with a photo of gay serial killer, Dennis Nilsen.

PS The Sun says; "£100,000 bill for sex-swap lags." Trans campaigner Jane Fae puts the cost at about £13,500 each.