Entertainment and Celebrity News

The current occupant of Lady Gaga’s old New York apartment has denied snubbing the singer by refusing her request to film inside the property – insisting she was feeling too ill to be caught on camera.

As part of a 60 Minutes news special, which will air on Sunday (13Feb11), the Poker Face singer took newsman Anderson Cooper back to her old Big Apple neighborhood, where she lived as a child.

But the owner of Gaga’s old home refused to let her and Cooper in with a camera crew, so they had to stage a makeshift interview on the stairwell outside.

However, Emily Ting insists it was not a deliberate snub to the star and her journalist pal – she was battling a nasty bout of influenza.

Ting tells the New York Daily News, “I had the flu. I didn’t want to have cameras inside… I love Anderson Cooper. He is very handsome. His hair is so gray and wonderful. She’s great. I’ve definitely danced to some of her songs.”

Bosses at the BBC have defended a radio-friendly version of Rihanna’s controversial track S&M – because the special edit of the song was provided by her record company.

The Bajan beauty reacted with fury after learning her latest single – which features risque lyrics about sex, whips and chains – was introduced to Radio 1 listeners on Sunday (06Feb11) as Come On.

Taking to her Twitter.com page, she raged, “Are you f**king kidding me??? I’m on it!”

But BBC chiefs have spoken out about the toned-down track, revealing Rihanna’s music bosses provided a risk-free radio edit of the song so younger listeners could hear it on the airwaves.

A BBC spokeswoman tells WENN, “We couldn’t play the edit we had so we asked the record label and they provided us with a radio edit.”

Ricky Martin and Kristin Chenoweth will be presented with special awards at next month’s (Mar11) Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Media Awards.

The Livin’ La Vida Loca hitmaker, who ‘came out’ last year (10), will receive the Vito Russo Award at the annual prizegiving on 19 March (11) in New York. The accolade is handed to an openly gay media star who has helped promote equal rights.

Meanwhile, Broadway star Chenoweth will also be handed an honor – she’ll take home the Vanguard Award at an associated event in Los Angeles on 10 April (11) for “increasing understanding” of the gay and lesbian community.