'Any Dream Will Do' star axed from panto due to porn career

Former reality TV star Craig Chalmers has been axed from a Christmas panto, after he was discovered to have appeared in a porn film.

The actor finished in fifth place in 2007's Any Dream Will Do, the BBC show which searched for a new star to play Joseph in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

He has since embarked on a career on stage, and was set to play Prince Charming at the Alhambra Theatre in Dunfermline, Scotland.

However, he has now been replaced by CBBC's James Mackenzie after a member of the public spotted his porn background.

He has starred under the alias Ryan Ryder, with his own profile on the adult talent agency website JEM, reports The Sun.

A spokeswoman from the Alhambra Theatre said: "In light of information given by the public, of which we were completely unaware, we can confirm Craig Chalmers is no longer taking part in the pantomime."

Chalmers has stated that he is not "ashamed" of his new porn role, and explained that there had been a "crossover" period between his careers.

He said: "I'm not ashamed of it. I'm being well paid and I'm comfortable with doing it.

"The plan was to wrap my panto career up after this Christmas and concentrate on my new career.

"However there has been an unintended crossover and I'm well aware that there is a clear conflict of interest.

"I understand that a lot of people are going to judge me badly for it but at the end of the day both my friends and family are fully aware of my career and they support my decision."

Craig Chalmers has also previously performed with all-male strip group G-Force, while also being a member of boyband No Reason.

John Simm downplays 'Doctor Who' return possibility

John Simm has downplayed the likelihood of returning to Doctor Who.

The Life on Mars actor was quoted earlier this week as saying that he is open to appearing in Doctor Who again to take The Master to a "very, very dark place".

"I'd love to have another take on him, to be a bit quieter," Simm told fans at the Cheltenham Literature Festival.

He also said: "I started annoying myself after a while [in my previous appearances]. [Then-showrunner] Russell T Davies had a specific idea of what he wanted him to be like. So I just had to do exactly what he wanted me to, and he wanted a giggling lunatic."

Simm has now taken to Twitter to clarify that he was speaking off the cuff and that another Doctor Who guest appearance is not actually in the works.

"The Master thing is honestly a non story. I was answering a specific question at a Q+A. [It's] been taken out of context," he wrote.

Simm first appeared in Doctor Who as The Master in the third series's three-part finale.

He returned for David Tennant's final episodes The End of Time, where The Master saved The Doctor's life by deflecting Time Lord President Rassilon's attack.

The character of The Master was originally played by Roger Delgado in 1971. Peter Pratt, Geoffrey Beevers, Anthony Ainley, Eric Roberts and Sir Derek Jacobi have also played the villainous Time Lord.

Doctor Who will return to BBC One this Christmas for a festive special, with eight more episodes to follow in 2013.

'X Factor': Simon Cowell 'wants Chris Maloney out'

Simon Cowell has allegedly stated that he wants Christopher Maloney to be voted off The X Factor.

The former judge and executive producer is said to have labelled the singer as "dated and cheesy", and has launched a secret plot to try and remove him from the competition.

Simon Cowell The 'X Factor' Season Two Premiere Screening and Handprint Ceremony held at Grauman's Chinese Theater Los Angeles, California - 11.09.12Mandatory Credit: Adriana M. Barraza/WENN.com

Cowell has reportedly asked judges Louis Walsh, Tulisa Contostavlos and Nicole Scherzinger to heavily criticise the 34-year-old in the hopes of convincing the public not to vote for him.

"Chris winning or even getting further into the competition is a disaster for Cowell," a source told The Mirror.

"He wants Chris out and the fact that his mentor is Gary Barlow makes him even more desperate to get him kicked off."

Simon Cowell and Gary Barlow have recently been rumoured to have a rivalry behind the scenes, with Cowell said to have been angry at Barlow's OBE.

Chris Maloney has been reported to have topped the votes in the first two weeks of The X Factor, ahead of bookmakers' favourite Ella Henderson.

'Britain's Got Talent' Amanda Holden: 'Bring on the naked unicyclists'

Amanda Holden has said that Britain's Got Talent contestants should "think outside the box".

The talent show judge told Metro that she welcomes the stranger examples of Britishness on the show.

Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden attended the Chelsea Flower Show in West London. She is pictured standing in the L'Occitaine Immortelle Garden

"Think outside the box," Holden urged contestants seeking her vote.

"I don't want anything too contrived but we're renowned for our eccentricities."

She added: "We've been celebrating our Britishness with events such as the Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee, and long may that continue.

"I'm sure there are lots of naked unicyclists who eat fire while juggling dogs and I hope to see them at the auditions."

Of whether the newer judges should respect her authority as the longest-standing member of the panel, Holden said: "No. We all do our own thing and value each other's opinion, no matter how long we've been there.

"I gave David [Walliams] and Alesha [Dixon] the same advice Simon [Cowell] gave me - just say what you think."

Holden recently claimed that Cowell's other talent show The X Factor is "boring", adding that she never usually watches it through to the end.

'American Idol,' 'Touch,' 'The Following' Get Premiere Dates

Fox released its midseason premiere dates Wednesday, announcing the returns of "American Idol" and the Kiefer Sutherland drama "Touch," as well as the debut of the Kevin Bacon thriller "The Following."

"American Idol" will kick off its 12th season, with new judges Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban, with a two-night premiere on Wednesday, Jan. 16 and Thursday, January 17 at 8 p.m.

"The Following," which was created by "The Vampire Diaries" and "Scream" vet Kevin Williamson, will premiere Monday, January 21 at 9 p.m. The series stars Kevin Bacon as a former FBI agent who's drawn out of retirement to track down a serial murderer who leads an expanding web of killers.

"Touch," which had its Season 2 premiere bumped from Oct. 26 in order to afford the show better promotional opportunities, will now return on Friday, February 1 at 9 p.m.

Donald Trump's October Surprise: I Don't Have One

Donald Trump doesn't have any secret documents about the president, but he'd be willing to pay for some.

Trump's announcement that he would reveal a big surprise today that would shake up the presidential race led to all sorts of speculation about what he knew. There was even ill-informed talk that he might unveil records showing the president and first lady once considered divorcing.

But the "Apprentice" host revealed at noon that he has discovered... dumdumdum... nothing.

Rather, his big surprise was that he's willing to make a $5 million donation to the charity of President Obama's choice if he will release his college records and "passport records," whatever those are.

Jon Stewart: Romney Was Against Obama's Foreign Policy Before He Was For It

"The Daily Show" used clever editing to drive home just how much Mitt Romney and Barack Obama agreed on in Monday's foreign policy debate -- and raise questions about why Romney has been so critical of U.S. foreign policy in the past if he's embracing it today.

Jon Stewart's debate commentary played up the distinctions betwen Romney then and now.

"The president has communicated weakness," Romney said in a Feb. 3 presented by the "Daily Show" staff.

But in Monday's debate, Romney and the president sounded so alike that the show was able to splice their comments on Syria into a duet. All that was missing -- not that we mind -- was the autotune.

"I think Romney's leaning Obama," Stewart said.