Dan Wootton's celebrity villain and hero of the week: Imogen Thomas and Lady Gaga

A week can be a very long time in showbiz. Just seven days ago, I reluctantly made Lady Gaga my villain because of her ill judged and unwise promotion of marijuana during a concert in Amsterdam (where else?).

But she has redeemed herself by making an empowering and inspiring response to her much talked about (and greatly exaggerated, it must be said) weight gain.

As someone who has struggled with my weight for many years, her comments are most definitely worth repeating.



In a message to her fans on her website, she wrote: ‘Bulimia and anorexia since I was 15. But today I join the BODY REVOLUTION. My weight/loss/gain since I was a child has tormented me. No amount of help has ever healed my pain about it. But you have.

'My boyfriend [Taylor Kinney] prefers me curvier, when I eat and am healthy and not so worried about my looks, I'm happy. Happier then I've ever been. I am not going to go on a psycho-spree because of scrutiny. This is who I am. And I am proud at any size.'

Amen to that.

VILLAIN: IMOGEN THOMAS

On the other hand, Imogen Thomas has wrong attitude about her body.

The former Big Brother contestant, who is five-months pregnant, stripped off for Now this week and revealed how she hates her expanded shape.

‘I'm putting on weight on my sides and I've got bingo wings. It's depressing. And my hips have got a lot wider. I tried my jeans on the other day and I couldn't even get them half way up my leg,' she moans.

While I obviously commend her honesty, it's sad that for nine-months she can't accept her body will naturally change. And after all, it will all be worth it in the end.

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett Plan Jazz Album Together

On a hot summer day in New York last year, Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett recorded a flirty cover of Rodgers and Hart's "The Lady is a Tramp" for Bennett's 2011 Duets II LP, and Gaga was so nervous, she downed whiskey throughout the day. "Did all the girls used to have to get drunk to hang out with you?" Gaga asked. "You're such a dreamboat!"

The unlikely duo will reprise their chemistry on an entire new album, Bennett tells Rolling Stone. "Of all things, she called me from New Zealand and said, 'I want to do a jazz album with you,'" Bennett, 86, said in an interview where he also discussed his upcoming Viva Duets album, out on October 23rd. "And I said, 'You got it!' So that's one of the things we're gonna do."

"We're gonna do a jazz album with Marion Evans, a big swing band, and I'm looking forward to it because a lot of people don't know it, but she's a phenomenal jazz singer," Bennett says, adding the record will consist entirely of songs from the catalog of a mystery songwriter. "I can't mention the composer because I don't want anybody to do it before we do it, but there's a great composer that's very underrated, very famous, but not as famous as Gershwin or Porter. But he did as many hit songs as anybody, and so we're gonna do a big swinging album."

When will sessions happen? "As soon as I can," says Bennett.

Asked if he sees himself performing with Gaga soon, Bennett says, "Let's see what happens. She's a good friend and I respect that she's so creative, that every day she changes, she has so many ideas and carries them out. She just never stops with it. I call her the musical Picasso. Her energy is just phenomenal."

Madonna reaches out to Lady GaGa

MADONNA has asked Lady GaGa to perform with her.

The pop superstar has invited the Poker Face hitmaker to join her on stage during her MDNA Tour, despite previously accusing her of copying elements of her song ‘Express Yourself’ in her single ‘Born This Way’.

“Madonna just called to ask GaGa to perform with her at Yankee Stadium. Her manager reached out to us and said Madonna would like GaGa to perform with her,” said GaGa’s writer-and-producer Vincent Herbert. Madonna was so desperate to have Gaga, 26, join her that she even promised to give the money raised to charity.

“She really wished she could do it. She said, ‘If we do it, let’s donate the money to charity.’ But Gaga’s committed to her own tour.” Earlier this month, Madonna dedicated her song Masterpiece to GaGa, telling the crowd at a performance in Atlantic City, “I’m going to dedicate this next song … to Lady GaGa. You wanna know something? I love her. I love her. I do love her.

Imitation is the highest form of flattery. But one day, very soon, we’re going to be on stage together. Just you wait. You think I’m kidding? I love Lady GaGa.”

Kirstie Alley: Scrutiny over Lady Gaga's Weight Is 'Insanity'

Lady Gaga isn't the first celebrity to put on a few pounds.

If anyone can relate to being scrutinized for weight gain, it's Kirstie Alley.

"Most of my career I was pretty lean, so when I gained the weight, obviously people [noticed]," the former Fat Actress star, 61, tells PEOPLE. "With [Lady Gaga], she gains [25] pounds and it becomes this huge thing."

Gaga, 26, who acknowledged her weight gain to radio host Elvis Duran last month, recently posted a quote on her website from Marilyn Monroe that said, "To all the girls that think you're ugly because you're not a size 0, you're the beautiful one. It's society who's ugly."

Alley agrees with that sentiment, saying, "It's Hollywood that is obsessed with weight. I think everyone should try to be healthy. Lean is better than not lean, but I think we send a horrible message to the world, especially to girls."

As for the amount Gaga has gained, the Dancing with the Stars all-stars contestant says, "She was so freaking skinny that [25] pounds would make her a what, size 2? There's an insanity here. I know it's a pressure on her. I know it is. It's really hard to play that game."

Lady Gaga shares anorexia, bulimia battle

After half-jokingly telling Z-100 radio host Elvis Duran in August that, "My God, I think I gained, like, 25 pounds over Christmas," pop star Lady Gaga found media outlets reporting that number literally and scrutinizing her figure to such a degree that on Tuesday she revealed she has suffered from eating disorders for more than a decade.

"Bulimia and anorexia since I was 15," Gaga, 26, wrote on her fan site LittleMonsters.com on Tuesday. Accompanying the post was an unvarnished, undated photograph of her posing in a yellow bra and panties, and a link to "A Body Revolution 2013" -- a site designed, she wrote in subsequent posts, "To inspire bravery [and] BREED some ---- COMPASSION."

Almost immediately, fans began posting images of themselves with heartfelt confessions of their own body issues. These included young women with disfiguring congenital conditions and an amputee who earned Gaga's praise after mimicking the pop star's pose: "Tell me you don't want to be as brave as her," Gaga wrote, retweeting the image.

"Watching you all create a safe space online for people to be compassionate is the greatest gift you could ever give me," Gaga wrote on the site. "My weight/loss/gain since i was child has tormented me. No amount of help has ever healed my pain about it. But YOU have . . . I am not going to go on a psycho-spree because of scrutiny. This is who I am. And I am proud at any size. And I love you, and want you to be proud in any form you may take as well."

You’ll Never Guess What Inspired Lady Gaga’s Shoes

We thought Lady Gaga‘s platforms looked familiar!

The superstar stepped out in Paris on Sunday wearing a pair of black shoes with heels modeled after the bottle (below) that holds her new perfume, Fame.

The shoes feature the same four futuristic gold prongs that make up the lid of the fragrance, which is the first ever black perfume (it becomes colorless once airborne).

The choice of shoes was fitting since Lady Gaga was in the City of Light to promote the fragrance. And we love that she found a subtle, yet ultra-creative way to tie her outfit to the event. (It sure beats wearing a tee with the name of the fragrance stamped on it, don’t you think?)

Gaga completed the look by wearing a black turtleneck, worn under a shaggy black-and-white topper. We’re guessing she was also wearing a few spritzes of Fame.

No word on who designed the presumably one-of-a-kind kicks, but we bet that, like most of the pieces she wears, Gaga had a hand in the creations. Tell us: What do you think of Gaga’s shoes? Do you think it’s a cool marketing strategy or just plain strange?

Lady Gaga To Be The First Person To Hit 30M Followers On Twitter

As the world of technology gets more and more mainstream, and some of us ponder how the story of startups and tech is namely one of scale and fast growth, the folks at Twitter Counter have been in touch to alert us to yet another milestone: Twitter’s very close to having its first user reach 30 million followers.

The illustrious user is none other than singer/monster-lover/occasional tech-investor Lady Gaga. She currently leads the pack with the most followers of anyone (29,720,860 followers; 137,546 followed; 1,950 tweets) and is set to hit the landmark 30,000,000 in about 12 days, according to the analytics company.

She will be followed by Justin Bieber (28,238,847 followers), who will get to 30 million in about 50 days; and Katy Perry (26,950,784 followers) who will hit 30 million in about 78 days. The chart for how the three of them are growing is below.

Size and scale may be important metrics of success to investors, and 30 million is one of those numbers that says, “Damn, Twitter’s big,” but apparently simple Follower count isn’t such a big deal to everyone.

Ironically, Ev Williams, one of Twitter’s co-founders and a board member, yesterday made it pretty clear that followers are not the metric that is most interesting for him, and perhaps Twitter, too.

“The thing I think would be more interesting than followers is… retweets,” he said at a BuzzFeed event, noting that measuring followers “doesn’t capture your distribution.”

“The dream metric,” he continued, “is how many people saw your tweet,” he said, before proceeding to note that now that Twitter has restricted usage of its API and reigned in more users to its own clients, it can really start pulling out some stats on how Twitter is used, useful for advertising, and more.

In June, Twitter was estimated to have passed the 500 million user mark. There have been some questions over how many of those users are actually using Twitter, though. Twitter says that 40 percent of its total user base logs in to look but never tweet. Others claim a lot of those millions are fake.

Twitter Counter says that its prediction tool, and subsequent trajectory, are calculated from historical data that charts how a user’s Twitter count has grown. “Lady Gaga shows a steady growth and we have been tracking her for a long time, so I can say this data is accurate,” says TC’s Bram Kanstein.

That also demonstrates how much Twitter growth — as well as Gaga’s — is accelerating. She reached 10 million followers in May 2011. It took 10 months for her to reach 20 million, in March 2012. And now, it’s taken about seven months to get her next 10 million.

The celeb-tweeting thing, of course, goes back some way. Shaquille O’Neil joined in November 2008; Gaga joined in March of that year.

Its track record for celeb-Twitter-counting is pretty good, accurately predicting when both Charlie Sheen and Jeremy Lin (remember Linsanity?) would hit 1 million followers. In all the company tracks 67 million Twitter users.

Lady Gaga weight gain due to overeating, just like the rest of us

As much as she would like us to believe that she's a glamorous alien, Lady Gaga's metabolism proves that the Mother Monster was born just like the rest of us.

In a new interview with radio host Elvis Duran, the "poker face" singer explained that, despite speculation about the reasons for her much fussed-over weight gain, her new chub is only due to long periods of time spent at home, where the temptation for delicious, home cooked Italian meals drove her over the edge.

"I love eating pasta and pizza," Gaga explained. "I'm a New York Italian girl. That's why I have been staying out of New York."

The 26-year-old went on to give an excuse that should sound familiar to any child of Mediterranean decent who's come home after some time away.

"My father opened a restaurant. It's so amazing . . . it's so freaking delicious, but I'm telling you I gain five pounds every time I go in there," she told Duran, "So my dad wants me to eat at the restaurant, and I'm, like, I've got to go where I can drink green juice."

It got so bad, in fact, that her tour daddy (a.k.a. Universal Music) had to order an entirely new wardrobe after the one meant for the svelte Gaga resulted in some disturbing imagery from the tour opener in Amsterdam.

"The tight, skimpy outfits weren't doing anything for Gaga's new fuller figure, so Universal ordered more flattering and better fitting costumes for the rest of the tour," a source revealed to RadarOnline.com."It just wasn't a good look and was getting unnecessary criticism, so they moved fast to nip it in the bud."

"Gaga has an incredible appetite for Italian food, which stems largely from her roots," the insider continued. "It's very easy on tour to get hooked on a diet of pizza and pasta because they are comfort foods -- and when you are away from home you always long for something that reminds you of where you came from.

"She loves to eat, but because of her tiny frame it shows if she doesn't work out as much as normal. Executives told her to quit gorging on her favourite foods."

Lady Gaga fights fat jibes: I was bulimic as a teenager

SHE'S one of the most successful singers in the world - and she has had to defend her looks. But she's kicking back.

First came the unflattering photos of Lady Gaga, published on every entertainment site, along with some very judgmental euphemisms.

Then came her admission that she'd put on 11kg, the result of eating too much Italian food.

Finally, reports leaked out that execs at her music label, Universal Music Group, were appalled by the photos and ordered her to lose weight - or else.

The message from on high was: We love that you make us a ton of money, but don't ever, ever put on weight; it's not the kind of quirky individuality we're comfortable selling.

Selling 87 million records doesn't cut you any slack it seems.

Do you think Gaga's photos raise awareness of body issues? Tell us below in comments

Now Gaga has responded to the "fat jibes" and the alleged threats in the most direct way possible - with some eye-grabbing photos of her own and a startling admission.

She posted four unedited pictures of herself in her underwear on her website, LittleMonsters.com, to kick off "Body Revolution 2012", a forum for fans to address body image issues and embrace and share their flaws and insecurities.

The captions underneath the pictures reveal her own pain: "Bulimia and anorexia since I was 15", "But today I join the BODY REVOLUTION", "to inspire bravery", "and BREED some M$therf*cking COMPASSION".

In an open letter to her fans, she urged them to "be brave and post a photo of you that celebrates your triumph over insecurities. My mother and I created the BORN THIS WAY FOUNDATION for one reason: 'to inspire bravery.' This profile is an extension of that dream. Be brave and celebrate with us your 'perceived flaws,' as society tells us. May we make our flaws famous, and thus redefine the heinous.
Gaga said she's happier than ever with her body.

"I have been startled and overwhelmed with pride and emotion the past few days. Gratitude mostly. Seeing you post photos of things on your bodies and in your minds that you feel society tells you you should be ashamed of. You are showing them you have no shame. You are brave, strong and accepting not only of yourself, but of others through your experiences.

"You are proud to be born this way, and brave in your vulnerability with this community. Watching you all create a safe space online for people to be compassionate is the greatest gift you could ever give me.

"My weight/loss/gain since i was child has tormented me. No amount of help has ever healed my pain about it. But YOU have. My boyfriend prefers me curvier, when i eat and am healthy and not so worried about my looks, I'm happy. Happier then I've ever been. i am not going to go on a psycho-spree because of scrutiny. This is who I am. And I am proud at any size. And i love you, and want you to be proud in any form you may take as well. Please don't look for kindness in critics, go where you know the gold is. Here, in out hearts. Love, Gaga."

Her plea worked. Gaga fans have flooded the site with their own confronting photographs and stories. One wrote: "My assistant and best friend sonja. Stage 2 breast cancer. Gaga has inspired me to share my journey with you even though it's always been embarrassing for me to show how overweight I was."

Most fans thanked the singer for her stance: "You give us the strength to take the parts we are supposed to be ashamed of and make them into our pride. Thank you so much for always believing in us and trusting us enough to let us in on your personal life and struggles."

LADY GaGa‘s record label has urged her to lose weight

after they were forced to order better-fitting outfits for the remainder of her world tour.

Bosses at the Universal Music Group saw recent pictures of the 26-year-old singer bulging out of her corset and suspenders and had to gently tell their star they were ordering a new wardrobe for the Born This Way Ball. She was also asked to lay off her favorite foods – pizza and pasta!

“The tight, skimpy outfits weren’t doing anything for Gaga’s new fuller figure, so Universal ordered more flattering and better fitting costumes for the rest of the tour,” a source revealed.

“No one likes to criticize someone who has put on weight, but she has been showing some serious muffin top, especially when wearing tight suspenders. It just wasn’t a good look and was getting unnecessary criticism, so they moved fast to nip it in the bud.

“GaGa has an incredible appetite for Italian food, which stems largely from her roots. It’s very easy on tour to get hooked on a diet of pizza and pasta because they are comfort foods — and when you are away from home you always long for something that reminds you of where you came from.

“She loves to eat, but because of her tiny frame it shows if she doesn’t work out as much as normal. Executives told her to quit gorging on her favorite foods.

“But despite the weight gain, GaGa won’t give up wearing the meat dress that has become a focal part of the live show. GaGa would rather starve to death than lose that dress.”

Lady Gaga says ‘gay marriage will happen’ and the Pope’s opinion is a non-factor

PinkNews.co.uk reports that in an interview with Europe 1 radio today, Lady Gaga had a few things to say about Pope Benedict XVI’s opinion and opposition to same-sex marriage. The pop diva spoke out about comments made by the Pope this past Friday in which he attacked France’s proposals to introduce equal marriage in which he stated that “marriage and the family are institutions that must be promoted and defended from every possible misrepresentation of their true nature, since whatever is injurious to them is injurious to society itself.”

Gaga, who has been an influential figure for gay rights and the promotion of individuality, said that Pope Benedict’s views don’t matter. When asked about the Pope’s opposition, she said:

“What the Pope thinks of being gay does not matter to the world. It matters to the people who like the Pope and follow the Pope…It is not a reflection of all religious people. And to all the gay people here” she continued. “May you live and love each other until the end of time. And I hope you will have the human right to breed as an entirely equal, valuable and special member of society.”

Benedict, who also has opposed marriage equality in countries like Spain and Argentina, feels the union of same-sex couples will harm society stating that “the family is threatened by a conception of human nature that is proven defective.”

But despite Pope Benedict’s opposition, recent polls showed that 65 percent of French people support same-sex marriage according to and the government is expected to unveil its bill to the French cabinet on October 31.

Lady Gaga has made great contributions to the gay community. Despite being misunderstood for her sometimes outrageous outfits and controversial music, the icon is a role model for many and has joined in the fight against bullying by launching the Born This Way Foundation. She hopes to instill bravery and kindness in the world and inspire through the celebration of individuality. She believes that love is the key to building togetherness in our communities and she believes “gay marriage is going to happen. It must. We are not actually equal –humanity—if we are not allowed to freely love one another.”

Will Lady Gaga Publish Secret Diaries?

Will Lady Gaga reveal her secrets?

The pop singer is said to be considering working on her diaries with a writer and publishing them.

The eccentric singer - who caused controversy last week when she appeared to smoke a cannabis-filled cigarette on stage in Amsterdam - keeps a detailed record of her life on the road as a memento to hand down to her children in years to come, but would also consider making the journals public.

A source told the Daily Star newspaper: ''As she tours the world, Gaga notes everything down in her journal.

''It contains her thoughts, feelings, sketches, pictures and even letters between herself and mom Cynthia.

''She keeps it all together as a memento, so that if she ever has children they'll be able to read all about their pop star mum.

''Gaga also says that one day she would consider allowing it to be published, if the timing was right.''

However, if the 'Bad Romance' star did publish her diaries, it wouldn't be for profit.

The source added: ''She often talks about how funny it would be to publish it. But if she did, her decision wouldn't be based on money, it would be for the fans. Gaga would consider it to be a gift to them.''

Lady Gaga Thanks Fans For Not Caring About Her Weight

Lady Gaga’s most vocal critics may have taken her to task this past week over her recent weight gain, but it turns out not everyone has a problem with the change. In fact, most of the singer’s biggest fans are willing to stick by their mother monster no matter what size she is.

Their tweets of support and messages of encouragement and acceptance may not have been as loud as the tabloid articles, but they were all the comfort Gaga needed to saunter on without letting her critics get her down. You can check out her message of thanks below, alongside the shout out to Marilyn Monroe that perfectly captured her feelings…

”And thank to my fans who love me no matter what, and know the meaning of real beauty&compassion. I really love you.”

It’s easy to see why Gaga would find great comfort in the support of her fans, but honestly, this whole thing should be comforting to the rest of us too. Yeah, it was a little surprising to see the singer debut a different size, but it was unfair and unnecessary for so many outlets to wildly speculate about alcohol, marijuana and reckless behavior being the cause. Besides, there’s a difference between not being rail thin and being overweight to an unhealthy point. Gaga has never been and likely never will be the latter.

Lady Gaga’s privacy concerns are ‘ludicrous,’ former personal assistant alleges

Lady Gaga has no private parts.

A Long Island woman who claims the pop star owes her hundreds of thousands of dollars in overtime pay says the singer’s recent demands for privacy in their court battle are “ludicrous.”

Gaga “is probably the last person in the world to care about her ‘privacy,’ exposing herself in all manner of bizarre and intimate ways for the world to see every day,” lawyers for her former personal assistant, Jennifer O’Neill, argue in court papers filed in Manhattan federal court Friday.

The singer struts on stage in underwear and torn fishnets, was shown smoking pot at a show and writhed around nearly nude for star photographer Terry Richardson’s 2011 book, “Lady Gaga x Terry Richardson.”

The book shows Gaga topless, with only her hands covering her boobs, lying with her legs spread, exposing a hole in the crotch of her stockings, and with her breasts exposed while putting on her famed “meat dress.”

Yet Gaga, born Stefani Germanotta, is fighting a subpoena from O’Neill seeking Richardson’s unpublished photos, calling them “private and personal” in court papers.

O’Neill says the photos will show her toiling for Gaga, from her bedroom to backstage costume changes on her 2010 Monster Ball tour, during which a five-person team helped switch star’s outfit 17 times per performance. O’Neill’s image is not in the book.

“I was frequently at Ms. Germanotta’s side, often ready with coffee and/or water, from dawn to dawn,” O’Neill says in court papers. “I was glued to Ms. Germanotta to such an extent that at one point I was asked . . . to step back so that I would not be in the way during photo shoots.”

She is seeking $380,000 in unpaid overtime from the $75,000-a-year job. She says she served as Gaga’s alarm clock, helped in “ensuring the promptness of a towel following a shower” and was dragged everywhere the singer went, including her Upper West Side duplex, “stadiums, private jets, fine hotel suites, yachts, ferries, trains and tour buses.”

Gaga denies that O’Neill was on call at all times or that she helped in the Monster Ball costume changes. She has called the photos “irrelevant.”

LADY GAGA 'ORDERED TO LOSE WEIGHT' BY RECORD LABEL

Following recent pictures showing change in 'Born This Way' star's body shape

Lady Gaga has reportedly been ordered to lose weight after pictures emerged this week of the 'Born This Way' star looking larger than she has in recent years.


Gaga, who put the weight gain down to eating too much Italian food, was seen smoking a spliff in Amsterdam with some onlookers suggesting she had gained weight since she last performed live.

Now, a source close to Gaga tells RadarOnline how:  "The tight, skimpy outfits weren't doing anything for Gaga's new fuller figure, so Universal ordered more flattering and better fitting costumes for the rest of the tour.

Adding: "Gaga has an incredible appetite for Italian food, which stems largely from her roots. It's very easy on tour to get hooked on a diet of pizza and pasta because they are comfort foods – and when you are away from home you always long for something that reminds you of where you came from.

"She loves to eat, but because of her tiny frame it shows if she doesn't work out as much as normal," they continued. "Executives told her to quit gorging on her favourite foods."

It was even claimed at one point that Gaga might be pregnant with reality TV star Kelly Osbourne stating: "I think she is pregnant because she has been covering up this part of her body recently and I have been noticing that a lot," she told Alan Carr on his TV chat show. "And her style has changed and you can’t bleach your hair blonde when you are pregnant."

Shining & Falling Stars: Lady Gaga and Paris Hilton

I don't even like referring to Paris Hilton as a "Star," especially since her only "talent" is mugging for paparazzi and creating a grainy, and honestly, a quite boring sex tape with some random dude.

But Paris Hilton has managed to make headlines again, thanks to this little remark:


"Gay guys are the horniest people in the world. They're disgusting. Dude, most of them probably have AIDS...I would be so scared if I was a gay guy. You'll like, die of AIDS," said Hilton.

What the WHAT?!?!

At first I thought, maybe this was some sort of sick joke. Or maybe it was part of another terrible movie script she was acting out (see, "House of Wax.") But to everyone's horror, it was actually Hilton herself saying this in a recorded conversation to a friend in a NYC taxi cab. Was it wrong for the cabbie to record her private conversation and release it to a gossip website? Sure. But could it be possible that Hilton could be so ignorant to offend and degrade the only group of people that may actually still find her slightly relevant?

Doing massive damange control, both Hilton and her PR flack released statements to GLAAD about how gay people are "the strongest and most inspiring people" she knows. And that Hilton's comments were taken out of context, and the conversation was "edited."

Regardless, Hilton should just stick to what she does best: spending her parents billions, and really, doing nothing at all.

Lady Gaga meets super-fan with Gaga wheelchair

Big impression: Oran Murphy meets his idol Lady Gaga
A dress made of raw meat, a giant egg and a telephone hat... Lady Gaga has worn some of the most eye catching outfits ever made.

But even the US pop icon was impressed when she met one of her young fans, or 'little monsters' as she calls them, on a trip to Dublin.

Oran Murphy, from Newtownabbey, County Antrim, who has spina bifida, is a huge Lady Gaga fan.

The six year old has a specially adapted wheelchair which has a picture of Lady Gaga and the Born This Way logo on the wheels.

Lady Gaga was performing in Dublin as part of her Born This Way Ball world tour.

Oran said he was "shaking" when he got to meet his idol.

Laura Rossborough, Oran's mum, told the BBC how her son loved music and going to concerts.

"Oran loves music and his favourite hobby is going to concerts. As Oran is in a wheelchair he can't always be near the front," she said.

"Sometimes we end out right at the back and Oran can't really see.

Devastated
"His favourite singer is Lady Gaga, he loves her shows and her music. He told me he really wanted a picture of her on his wheelchair.

"His favourite picture is the Born This Way album cover. He is a really happy wee boy and he likes to say that he was 'born this way' so it seemed appropriate to get it put on the chair.

"Thankfully the record company gave us permission to use the picture."

When Lady Gaga was performing at the MTV EMAs in Belfast in 2011 Oran had hoped to meet Lady Gaga, but they missed their chance when Oran's mum wasn't able to get his wheelchair out of the car in time.

"Oran was devastated that he missed his chance to meet her so we knew we had to try everything we could to get him to meet her this year" Laura said.


"When we found out she was going to perform in Dublin we decided we would go down and see the show. Oran dressed up as Lady Gaga's alter-ego Joe Calderone.

"The stadium was huge and we were quite near the back, Oran couldn't really see but a nice security guard moved us down to get a better view.

"During the concert, we heard that some people from the standing area would get to go backstage which was disappointing as Oran can't go into the standing areas."

After the concert Oran and his mum were outside hoping to see the singer leaving the stadium.

A woman approached them and said she would try and help them get to meet Lady Gaga.

She approached a security guard who fetched a member of the singer's management team.

Big hug
"When he saw Oran dressed as Joe Calderone and in his Born This Way wheelchair he said he would see what he could do.

"I couldn't believe when he came back and said she would see us. Oran was so excited."

Laura and Oran were then invited into Gaga's dressing room.

"I was shaking, it was so exciting" Oran told the BBC.

"She really liked my wheels and I asked her if she would sign them. She said yes and wrote Lady Gaga on them.

"I told her I had come dressed as Joe Calderone and she gave me a big hug and a kiss."

Oran's mum was also able to speak to the artist.

"She couldn't get over his wheels and her heart just melted when she realised Oran had dressed up as Joe Calderone.

"It meant so much to him that she liked his wheelchair. It's something he will never ever forget."

Lady GaGa Doesn't Feel Bad About Gaining Weight

Lady GaGa, who was recently pictured showing off a fuller figure, broke silence on her widely-criticized weight gain. The outlandish singer shrugged off the critics, telling radio host Elvis Duran in a recent interview, "I really don't feel bad about it, not even for a second."

"I have to be on such a strict diet constantly," the Monster ringleader opened up. "It's hard because it's a quite vigorous show, so I tend to bulk up, get muscular, and I really don't like that. So I'm trying to find a new balance." She added, "I'm dieting right now, because I gained, like, 25 pounds."

GaGa blamed her father Joe Germanotta who opened an Italian restaurant in New York for her piling on the pounds. "I love eating pasta and pizza," she explained. "I'm a New York Italian girl. That's why I have been staying out of New York. My father opened a restaurant."

"It's so amazing," she raved about her father's cooking. "It's so freaking delicious, but I'm telling you I gain five pounds every time I go in there." Now that she's aiming at losing her fat, she had to restrain herself from hanging out in the eatery. "So my dad wants me to eat at the restaurant, and I'm, like, I've got to go where I can drink green juice," she added.

Earlier this year, GaGa revealed the restricted diet and the workout routine she had to endure to keep her slim body. "Just killed back to back spin classes. Eating a salad and dreaming of a cheeseburger," she tweeted. "Pop stars don't eat."

Many fans were concerned about her back then. Her friend Elton John once said, "I talk to her mum and dad about it. They worry." He continued, "She is frail, and she doesn't eat when she should do, and she's a girl, and it's tougher for a girl."

Due to her bulging figure, GaGa sparked rumor that she's expecting her first child with boyfriend Taylor Kinney. "I think she is pregnant because she has been covering up this part of her body recently and I have been noticing that a lot," said fellow star Kelly Osbourne on Alan Carr's "Chatty Man".

The pregnancy rumor was squashed though when GaGa was caught on camera smoking canabis on stage when performing in Amsterdam as part of her "Born This Way" tour.

LADY GAGA SHOWERS SICK FAN WITH AFFECTION WHILE VISITING AMSTERDAM

Lady Gaga didn’t just smoke weed while on stage in Amsterdam. She met with a sick little monster and showered her with gifts and her time, that latter of which cannot be measured in value. Gaga was so tender and affectionate towards this fan, treating her with the utmost respect and love. It’s that type of treatment that makes little monsters such a dedicated, disciple-like bunch.

Gaga brought pens from the Born This Way Foundation and a full bottle of her best-selling Fame perfume. She was so sweet and considerate, asking if it was okay for the fan to have the items she was doling out, and asked her what her favorite part of the show was.

Gaga also engulfed her in a huge hug and posed for several photos with her. We all know that Gaga is in demand and has an insane schedule — but while she was hanging out with her precious little monster, it was as though Gaga had nothing else to do and she cleared the deck to spend time with this sick fan.

“I want to get in the bed with her,” Gaga joked.

We see the maternal side of Gaga in this clip, which runs about 11 minutes in length and is a first-person perspective of this side of Mother Monster.

She is still speaking with that dramatic, English-style, theatrical and overly enunciative accent that she picked up only recently. It sounds like she is rehearsing for a part in a Broadway show. It’s different, and it’s also something Madonna once did. But we’re not going to call it reductive.

Gaga’s false nail from Irish gig a snip at €5,000

A FAKE nail worn by pop oddball Lady Gaga at her Irish gig is up for sale on eBay for €5,000.
The bizarre momento was also worn by the Pokerface star at a perfume launch in New York the day before the show.

And now a Dublin-based seller wants to flog the unsanitary souvenir from the 26-year-old’s Aviva gig. The eBay user posted some snaps and wrote: “The pictures show Lady Gaga at her Perfume Launch, the actual nail that is for sale, and the final picture is Lady Gaga near the end of her concert in Dublin.

Lady Gaga tix on sale Fri. for Philly, A.C. shows

She of the black perfume, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame- preserved meat dress, and more outlandish costumes than a Halloween superstore in Vegas won't stage her Philly concert until February, but tickets go on sale Friday.

The gig is set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19, at the Wells Fargo Center, with prices ranging from $49.50 to $175.

Eight other U.S. and Canadian dates on her Born This Way Ball tour, including Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on March 2, will also be up for grabs at 10 a.m. through www.LiveNation.com. The other gigs: Vancouver, Jan. 11. San Jose, Calif., Jan. 17. Los Angeles, Jan. 20. Las Vegas, Jan 25. Toronto, Feb. 8. Chicago, Feb. 13. Washington, D.C., Feb. 25.

Two New York performances are among nine that go on sale at 10 a.m. Sept. 28, including Tacoma, Dallas, Houston, Boston, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Miami. The Big Apple shows are Feb. 22 at Madison Square Garden and March 6 at Brooklyn's Barclay's Center.

At midnight on the night of Sept. 28, Montreal tickets also go on sale.

On sale at 10 a.m. Oct. 5 will be tickets for shows in Detroit, Phoenix, St. Louis, Kansas City, St. Paul, Nashville and Atlanta.

The music will be from "her latest album Born This Way as well as music from both The Fame and The Fame Monster," according to Wednesday's announcement of the sale dates.

"It's a bit odd" that there's no been mention of her next album, ARTPOP, expected in early 2013, Inquirer music critic Dan DeLuca wrote earlier this month on his In the Mix blog (www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inthemix).

The tour, which began in April in Seoul, South Korea, plays venues around Europe this month (with Gaga appearing to puff some weed Monday in Amsterdam), before moving to Mexico and Puerto Rico late next month, then on to South America in November.

Ticket Booth: Lady Gaga, Common tickets on sale Friday

On sale 10 a.m. Friday

COMMON, Nov. 30 ($30-$150, 21+) at the Venue

LADY GAGA, MADEON, LADY STARLIGHT, Feb. 13 ($49.50-$175, all ages) at United Center

OF MONSTERS AND MEN, Dec. 16 ($25, all ages) at Riviera Theatre

On sale noon Friday

THE BLAKES, YOUNG EVILS, Wednesday, Oct. 31 ($10-$12, 21+) at Schubas

COLD SPECKS, Nov. 29 ($12, 21+) at Schubas

LEE DEWYZE, Nov. 5 ($20, all ages) at Lincoln Hall

GEMINI CLUB, Nov. 21 ($12, 18+) at Lincoln Hall

SPIRIT FAMILY REUNION, Dec. 8 ($8-$10, 21+) at Schubas

ALLEN STONE, SELAH SUE, TINGSEK, Nov. 9 ($20.50, 18+) at Lincoln Hall

On sale 10 a.m. Saturday

ALABAMA SHAKES, Dec. 1 ($29.50, 18+) at Riviera Theatre

GRAHAM PARKER AND THE RUMOUR, Dec. 18 ($36, 18+) at Park West

STEPHEN LYNCH, Nov. 17 ($35, 18+) at Vic Theatre

THE TRAGICALLY HIP, Nov. 3 ($38.50-$40, 18+) at Riviera Theatre

THE WALLFLOWERS, Nov. 2 ($30, 18+) at Park West

On sale 11 a.m. Saturday

THE KILLERS, TEGAN AND SARA, Dec. 21 ($39.50-$59.50, all ages) at UIC Pavilion

On sale noon Saturday

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, Oct. 18 ($15-$20, 21+) at Double Door

I FIGHT DRAGONS, PROTOMEN, MC LARS, SKYFOX, Dec. 14 ($15, all ages) at Metro

RZA, Oct. 13 ($22-$30, 21+) at Double Door

On sale now

EMILIE AUTUMN, Feb. 15 ($18-$21, all ages) at Metro

THE HOOD INTERNET, MY GOLD MASK, OSCILLATOR BUG, Nov. 2 ($16, 18+) at Metro

SLEIGH BELLS, Nov. 4 ($21-$23, 18+) at Metro

Most tickets are available through Ticketmaster: 800-745-3000 and ticketmaster.com. Ticket info is current as of Wednesday. For events not listed, check with the box office.

— Matt Pais

Lady Gaga blames her dad's food for her weight gain, Kelly Osbourne blames an imaginary baby

Everyone has an opinion on poor Lady Gaga after she appeared on stage in Amsterdam this week with a little more flesh on her than just the usual meat dress.
Kelly Osbourne has attributed the extra kilos to Gaga's supposed pregnancy, pointing out that the pop singer has been covering up her belly lately and has stopped bleaching her hair.

…and failing to factor in the joint that she smoked on stage during her Amsterdam show!

But Gaga has offered up the real explanation for her weight gain. Not that she should have to explain anything!

"I love eating pasta and pizza," the 26-year-old told radio host Elvis Duran. "I'm a New York Italian girl. That's why I have been staying out of New York. My father [Joe Germanotta] opened a restaurant. It's so amazing … it's so freaking delicious, but I'm telling you I gain five pounds every time I go in there. So my dad wants me to eat at the restaurant, and I'm, like, I've got to go where I can drink green juice."

Gaga admitted she has gained 25lbs (11kg) indulging in her dad's delicious meals.

"I really don't feel bad about it, not even for a second," she said.

"I have to be on such a strict diet constantly. It's hard because it's a quite vigorous show, so I tend to bulk up, get muscular, and I really don't like that. So I'm trying to find a new balance."

Lady Gaga makes a point to greet fans after launching ‘Fame’ at Macy’s in NYC

On Friday Lady Gaga launched her new fragrance, Fame, at Macy’s Herald Square, where she arrived in a horse and carriage (shaped like her perfume bottle) wearing a a shiny black outfit.

But, when she left the event she was completely covered up in a long black coat and even had most of her head and face under wraps.


One of our contributors, Denise, was there as she was making her way out of Macy’s and said Gaga made a point to cross the street to see her fans before leaving.

According to Denise, “She couldn’t sign anything because she was holding her perfume bottle, but she may have posed for a photo or two! Her car was in the garage so it would have been easy for her to just make a quick getaway, but she actually came out and walked down the line of fans! Very cool of her!”

Check out a few more if Denise’s photos below! If you have a celeb sighting, let us know about it at olv@onlocationvacations.com!

Lady Gaga Dresses Normally In Summer Frock And Heels To Greet Fans In Amsterdam!

She shocked at London Fashion Week when she turned up to Philip Treacy's SS13 show in Burka outfit with racoon tails attached and carrying a bag with a very naughty swear word emblazoned across it, but last night Lady Gaga was spotted looking even weirder.

The Born This Way songstress was papped returning back to her hotel in Amsterdam after a gig dressed in NORMAL clothes, which made her almost unrecognisable to her waiting fans.

Gaga stopped to meet her adoring 'Little Monsters' outside her hotel after her second gig at Zigo Dome, and looked lovely in a less than Burka style pretty summer dress featuring a pastel abstract print and one shoulder strap.

And she wasn't even wearing outrageous adornments such as a teapot on her head or even gigantic shoes, simply opting for nude platform heels which looked rather elegant and elongated her trim pins.

Lady Gaga dresses normally in Amsterdam to greet fans - Splash

The star channelled a sixties look with her newly brunette locks styled into a beehive with white oversized shades.

Gaga caused controversy when she made a surprise appearance at Philip Treacy's London Fashion Week show earlier this week when she carried a hot pink bag with the swear word c*** splayed across it.

And after all the stick she received for wearing the garish outfit, we're not surprised the hitmaker decided to keep a low down in the pretty summer number.

What do you think of Lady Gaga's new, underplayed style? Do you think she should stick to being outrageous?

Lady Gaga turns up to Philip Treacy SS13  in garish outfit...

Lady Gaga Rap 'Leak' Fools Fans: Hear 'Cake Like Gaga

Untangling the murky truth behind the confusing leak

Perhaps inspired by Lil B's genre-fording foray into surf-pop yesterday, Lady Gaga may have sorta secretly attempted to launch her trap-rap career this evening with a song we're calling "Cake Like Gaga." But, like, not really. See, from what we can glean, this entire thing is a goofy stunt played by Gaga and her producer DJ White Shadow, who made it seem like the song was an anonymous fan submission.

There's been some confusion (via Oh No They Didn't) as to the freshly leaked song's origins, but here's what we know. White Shadow hit Twitter earlier with the following announcement: "I just made this TRAP shit, so I am going to put it on my soundcloud. Then I am going to give everyone a couple hrs to make a song. You send it back to me and I will put the best one back out for everyone to hear."

Submissions, we assume, rolled in as he added, "Extra bonus points for whoever writes a song about @ladygaga." And then: "In an unusual twist of fate, the winner has asked not to be announced!" Gaga's makeup artist Tara Savelo then tweeted a link to White Shadow's new SoundCloud share, a based-style anthem that features a pitched-down, Tyler the Creator-esque voice rapping about AKs and imitating Rihanna's love of #cake.

Lastly, an enterprising fan grabbed the track and pitched it back up to discover — as one commentor exclaimed, "oh my fucking God what the actual fuck are you kidding me" — that it sounds like Gaga herself. So here it is, some "ignorant hood rat shit" that may have originated from the Lady of the hour (of every hour, it seems). If it's true, then this is either silly and fun or borderline racist and totally not cool. Either way, it's more promo for Gaga's upcoming album ARTPOP.

Lady Gaga gained 13kg on the 'drunk diet', say 'experts'

She's said in the past that she shuns food in favour of the "drunk diet", so it's unlikely that actual nutrition is responsible for Lady Gaga's recent weight gain.
The usually-skinny star appeared fuller-figured on stage in Amsterdam this week sparking reports that her excessive drinking has caused her weight to balloon.

"Gaga appears to have gained at least 30 pounds (13.6kg)," nutritionist Majid Ali, who has not treated the star, told Radar Online after seeing photos of the 26-year-old.

Gaga has boasted in the past that she follows "the drunk diet", and Ali thinks it's likely booze is the cause of her weight gain.

"I like to drink whiskey and stuff while I am working," Gaga told radio station Sirius FM recently, admitting that she often hits the gym with a hangover.

Earlier this year, the then-slim singer copped criticism when she tweeted, "Just killed back-to-back spin classes. Eating a salad dreaming of a cheeseburger. Pop singers don't eat. I was born this way."

Now that everyone is doing her the favour of pointing out her weight gain (pop singers can't win, huh?) she has reportedly vowed to lose 10lbs (4.5kg) by going on a gluten-free diet.

Gaga on stage in Amsterdam this week.

Lady Gaga looks 'Gaga-gantuan' on during Amsterdam concert

Maybe it’s a case of the stoner munchies. 'Born This Way' singer has said she is a marijuana fan and enjoyed Dutch pit stop in city where it's legal

Lady Gaga barely squeezed into an ill-fitting leather one piece during the show that revealed a little too much of her backside during her Amsterda, concert.

Lady Gaga looked positively Gaga-gantuan at her concert Monday in Amsterdam.

The 26-year-old diva barely squeezed into an ill-fitting leather one piece during the show that revealed a little too much of her backside for the “Paparazzi” cameras.

Compounding the questionable outfit choice for a performer who’s considered a fashion pioneer - fishnet stockings that didn’t quite roll all the way up her exposed cheeks.

PHOTOS: LADY GAGA'S WILDEST MOMENTS

Lady Gaga on stage in Amsterdam.

Maybe it’s a case of the stoner munchies.

Gaga went native during the Amsterdam show, taking a few puffs from what appeared to be a marijuana joint while performing on stage.

In a video captured by a concertgoer, the “Just Dance” singer is handed a wrapped cigarette from someone in the Dutch audience.

“Holland, is it real? Don't tease me,” says Gaga, pulling open the wrapper. “Oh, it's real.”

After lighting it up and taking a few long puffs, Gaga throws the lit joint to another fan in the crowd at the Ziggo Dome.

Amsterdam, where pot smoking has been legalized, seems the perfect fit for Gaga, an admitted fan of the "medical" drug.

The New York product, “Born This Way” as Stefani Germanotta, has admitted in the past that she dabbled in harder drugs, but cleaned up her act - almost completely.

Lady Gaga lights up at Monday night's concert at Amsterday's Ziggo Dome.

"'I am a little bit part of the green club," she told the hosts of "The View" last year.

During her Amsterdam concert, Gaga used the opportunity to extoll the virtues of pot. She even joked that she would lobby President Obama to legalized marijuana worldwide, according to London's The Sun.

"I want you to know it has totally changed my life and I've really cut down on drinking," she told her Dutch Little Monsters. "It has been a totally spiritual experience for me with my music."

Lady Gaga performs during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

Lady Gaga, P!nk and Rihanna all to play New York City area early next year

Get ready for a diva three-way.

Lady Gaga and P!nk announced New York City dates for the first half of 2013 -
joining the previously announced local show from Rihanna.

Gaga arrives first. The ever-changing fashion queen will bring her “Born This Way Ball” show to Madison Square Garden February 22, and to the Barclays Center on March 6.

Tickets for both performance go on-sale 10 a.m. Friday Sept. 28th at LiveNation.com. The full tour, set to hit 25 North American cities, kicks off January 11 in Vancouver, Canada.

P!nk hits our area March 23 at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J.. Her “The Truth About Love” tour will then move to Nassau Coliseum on March 25. It’s the big-voiced star’s first American tour in four years. Tickets for both local dates go on sale Sat. Oct. 6 at noon at LiveNation.com.

As the News previously reported, Rihanna’s new “Diamonds” tour stops at the Barclays Arena in Brooklyn on May 4. Tickets for that date can be purchased starting this Fri. Sept. 21 at 10 a.m. at - you guessed it - LiveNation.com.

Lady Gaga puts Fashion Week to bed as she invites famous friends to watch her sleep, then gets tattoo on back of her head in front of partygoers

Paris Hilton, Marc Jacobs and other celebs watch as Gaga slumbers away in egg/claw installation

Marc Jacobs sticks fingers through egg installation to touch 'sleeping'Lady Gaga at Guggenheim.
Lady Gaga knows how to throw a party.

To mark the end of New York Fashion Week and fete “Fame,” her first fragrance, Gaga invited her famous friends to watch her sleep.

Lady Gaga sleeping and being touched by people at the Guggenheim Museum.

She arrived to the black-tie masquerade around 6:30 p.m.,  bypassing the red carpet where reporters weren’t expecting her for another hour. According to  a source Gaga was fashionably early because she wanted to prepare for her performance art piece, “Sleeping with Gaga.”

Lady Gaga arrives.

Around 9 p.m. she climbed into some sort of  egg/claw combo that allowed partygoers, including Paris Hilton and Marc Jacobs, to stick their fingers through a hole in the installation and touch her as she “slept.”  Gaga emerged from the egg at 9:45 p.m. when assistants stripped her down to lingerie and thigh highs.

She crawled back inside with a tattoo artist who inked a cherub looking suspiciously like Honey Boo Boo on her neck for all to see on a big-screen TV.

Lady Gaga's new tattoo.

Lady Gaga getting her new tattoo on the back of her head, September 14, 2012

Mother Monster has said she wants her perfume to smell “like an expensive hooker,” and said that blood and semen “is in the perfume, but it doesn’t smell like it.”

A covered Lady Gaga and photographer Steven Klein leave the event.

Confidenti@l has learned exclusively that Gaga was very strict when it came to invites for her Thursday night party at the Guggenheim celebrating her foray into fragrance with “Fame.”

Lady Gaga's poster for her perfume launch.

“She personally decided who got the nod for invitations and who couldn’t come,” says an ultra-insider. Although the songstress has been busy with her “Born This Way” tour and a new album, “she’s really hard-working and took this upon herself,” says our source. The party “is important to her.”

Lindsay Lohan attends the Lady Gaga perfume launch.

The fashion-forward few approved for the soiree, hosted by celebrity photographers Nick Knight and Steven Klein (who directed Gaga’s “Alejandro” music video), included Alexander Wang, Rachel Zoe, Alexandra Richards and Yoko Ono.