The Diary

GLAMOUR model Jordan dramatically cancelled her star appearance at the Trafford Centre’s Christmas lights switch-on at the 11th hour yesterday after falling ill.
Jordan, aka Katie Price, had been due to press the button with pop star husband Peter Andre, after an exclusive first live performance of their new single, A Whole New World.
But I hear Katie’s people informed organisers yesterday that she would be unable to attend after falling ill and coming down with a mystery rash on her face and neck.
Organisers had hoped that Mysterious Girl star Peter would still be able to attend the glittering event without his glamorous wife, but were later informed that the illness was contagious, meaning he, too, would be unable to attend.
Other stars on the bill, including Coronation Street’s heartthrob Richard Fleeshman, popera group G4, top super group Upper Street and Hollyoaks’ stars Gemma Atkinson and Marcus Patric, rallied round to flick the switch together in front of a crowd of hundreds at the Trafford Centre’s Orient.
Richard flicked the switch with Key 103 competition winner Christy Smith.
Gordon McKinnon, director of operations at the Trafford Centre, said last night: “Katie Price and Peter Andre are unable to be with us tonight due to illness.
“The couple have been in Rome for the last few days, filming, and were thrilled to be joining us at the Trafford Centre. However, sadly, Katie has been taken ill and the doctors have said she will have to cancel all her engagements for the next few days.
“They are extremely disappointed that they are unable to attend. It was going to be their first live performance of their new single, and, consequently, we would like to apologise to all of their fans.”
But there is some hope for fans of the celebrity couple, as Gordon added: “They have, however, assured us that they would be delighted to come to the Trafford Centre in the very near future and all visitors to the centre will be duly notified when that occasion arises.”
Jordan and Peter had been booked for the event by Manchester radio station Key 103, and I now hear that they are to do a live interview on the station’s breakfast show with Mike Toolan and Chelsea Norris at 8am on Monday.
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The Diary was at the light’s switch-on event all afternoon, and we caught up with some of the stars who did appear on the bill…
***Precocious teen pop star L’il Chris couldn’t resist nipping off to do a bit of shopping minutes before his appearance at the event last night.
His mission to find a woolly hat with toggles in trendy store H & M only left him with only 10 minutes to warm up his voiceafter three weeks of rest. But Chris, whose debut single Checkin’ It Out reached No 3 in the charts, wasn’t worried. He said: “Manchester fans are wicked. I’m always excited about singing here.”
***Just like rocker Matt Willis didn’t let his split from band Busted stop him from pursuing his music career, he didn’t let a little thing like a traffic jam stop him from performing to fans last night.
Matt ensured he got there on time after his dedicated crew whizzed down the hard shoulder as a makeshift fast-track lane. A bit naughty? Yes, but very rock and roll.
***Richard Fleeshman got the biggest cheer of the night from his adoring fans at the Trafford Centre. The ex-Corrie heartthrob appeared on stage sporting his crop of tight curls that had hit the headlines in the past week.
But The Diary is pleased to confirm, on Richard’s behalf, that, contrary to tabloid talk, it’s not a perm.
An exasperated Richard tells me: “I don’t understand what all the fuss has been about. I can officially tell you that it’s not a perm. It’s all natural.”
***HIS crippling nerves meant he just missed out on a place in the live final of The X Factor, but Shaun Rogerson wowed fans at the Trafford Centre last night.
There was still a hint of a tremble, but the 17-year-old Shaun was pitch perfect, singing The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and You’ve Got A Friend, despite battling a sore throat. With reports this week that a wild card contender could be brought back, Shaun could be just the magic ingredient The X Factor bosses are said to be looking for.And though Shaun says he’s not been contacted about returning to the show he’d happily return.
He’s certainly got a lot more confidence since we last saw him on screen at Simon Cowell’s Miami home.
He tells me he’s been working with two life coaches on battling his nerves He tells me: “If The X Factor asks me back, I’d have a go. I feel a lot more confident about singing now. Before, it felt like it was a chore rather than singing. I think I would enjoy it more now.”

SHE IS making something of a name for herself in theatreland these days, and Amy Nuttall is determined to enjoy every minute of her time treading the boards.
So it was with glee that the Bolton-born former Emmerdale star accepted a lead role in the new West End production of Guys And Dolls, which kicked off in the capital last Monday.
And, along with the lead role of prim-and-proper Sarah Brown, came the chance of a lifetime – to perform alongside Hollywood legend Patrick Swayze.
“Like everyone else, I am a huge fan of Dirty Dancing,” Amy tells me. “So, of course, it was lovely to meet Patrick and to be able to work with him.
“He is a lovely guy and very down to earth. All the cast get on really well.”
Amy, 24, and her other co-star, actress Samantha Janus, had just two and a half weeks to learn their parts from scratch before curtain up on the musical at the Piccadilly Theatre last week.
“It was all a bit of a whirlwind,” she tells me. “But I am really enjoying it and it is my proper West End debut, so it’s a bit of a landmark, too.”

Despite her increasing popularity in theatre, after an acclaimed starring role in My Fair Lady as Eliza Dolittle for the past nine months, Amy has not lost sight of her dream to make it big as a singer, too.
The star’s debut album received critical acclaim when it was released at the end of 2005, earning her a Classical Brit award nomination, and Amy is hoping to have her second album ready for release next spring.
Amy, better known to small-screen viewers as Emmerdale’s Chloe Atkinson, tells me: “I am contracted to do Guys And Dolls until February next year and then we will start to put together and record my new album, which should be ready for spring. I am really excited about it.”
London’s gain, it seems, may be Manchester’s loss, though. The days when Amy was often to be found out on the town with her mates in Manchester city centre are long gone.
She is getting so many work offers in the capital that she is now even looking to move there permanently.
“I am currently renting with a friend in London,” she says. “But I am now looking to buy here.”

PAUL “Bonehead” Arthurs, one of the founding members of Oasis, is back on the Manchester music scene.
But he’s put his guitar to one side to become manager of Manchester-based singer songwriter Vinny Peculiar and his band, which include ex-Smiths members Mike Joyce and Craig Gannon, ex-Fall bassist Karen Leatham and ex-World of Twist’s Ben Knott.
It’s his first foray into music management, but Bonehead tells me he’s ready for the new direction. He says: “I’m good friends with Mike and over the summer he brought me a copy of the Vinny Peculiar album round and I just couldn’t take it off the system.
“I loved it, especially the lyrics, I’d not heard anything like it for a long time.
“Technically it is the first time I’ve managed a band, although in the early days of Oasis I was pretty much roadie, organiser, everything. It’s a learning curve for me but I feel so passionately about the music.”
Bonehead has been appointed in time for the release of their new album, The Fall and Rise of Vinny Peculiar, out on Monday.
And they are just as pleased to have the ex-Oasis star on board as he is. Vinny tells me: “We wanted someone who had the same passion for the band and the music as we do. Bonehead has a genuine belief in the band.”

Ex-Smiths drummer Mike says: “Bonehead has been in bands before, he’s someone who has been there and understands the music industry. We have a good banter and we’re mates more than anything.”
Bonehead, one of the founder members of Oasis, quit the band in 1999 to spend more time with his family. But he’s still in touch with his “best mate” and fellow band founder Liam Gallagher. In fact, Bonehead tells me he’s hoping to get Liam down to Vinny Peculiar’s gig in London tonight.
Still, if Liam can’t make it to that one, perhaps he could journey home to Manchester next month – as I hear the band will be playing a gig at Club Academy on Oxford Road on November 4.
Meanwhile, The Diary couldn’t resist asking Bonehead his thoughts on the release of the Oasis “Best of” album released next month. It has caused some debate among fans about the tracks selected – including early B-sides and album tracks at the expense of more recent hit singles.
Bonehead said: “It’s something we said we’d never do, as a band, but good luck to them.
“I’m on 14 out of the 18 tracks they’ve put on the compilation, so I’m happy. I think it’s a pretty good selection of tracks.”
But he added: “I got a bit worried when I heard they’d re-recorded Acquiesce as a single, and thought ‘oh no they’re going to re-record the whole lot’, but thankfully that hasn’t happened.”