Indiana student ill, but wins Miss America crown

LAS VEGAS – Katie Stam of Indiana was crowned Miss America on Saturday night, fighting off a throat infection, laryngitis and 51 other contestants to win the 88-year-old pageant.

The 22-year-old University of Indianapolis student became the first Miss America winner from the Hoosier State. She drew loud applause for her rendition of "Via Dolorosa" during the talent portion of the beauty pageant at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

Stam said she had trouble sleeping one night this week while she took prescription medicine to fight the infection, but got her voice back by Thursday.

"I was feeling like myself again — I will never take my health for granted," she said.

The Seymour native also strutted onstage in a black bikini and an off-the-shoulder, white lace evening gown. During the interview portion of the competition she decried the use of performance-enhancing drugs among professional athletes and discussed the definition of glamour.

"That beauty that you feel on the inside, it's that confidence, that radiance inside of you, that's what glamour is," Stam said.

Stam won a $50,000 scholarship and hopes to obtain a bachelor's degree in communications and become a television news anchor. She began competing in pageants at age 15.

Stam was crowned by reigning Miss America Kirsten Haglund of Michigan and will soon embark on a year of travel and public appearances.

She said she had one semester left in school — but didn't know when she would finish — and already was graduating debt-free without the $50,000 prize. Stam said she might use the money for graduate school.

The first runner-up was Miss Georgia Chasity Hardman, who took home a $25,000 scholarship.

The 52 young women took to the stage in blue jeans, bikinis and ballgowns following a mini-reality series on pageant prep work and a week of preliminary competition.

After an opening dance number and the traditional parade of states, judges and fans immediately trimmed the field to 15 finalists. Five more were trimmed based on swimsuit and evening gown competitions, while the remaining 10 went on to showcase their dancing, singing and other skills during the talent portion.

"This gown nearly blinds people," Miss Arkansas Ashlen Batson said in a video clip played as she walked onstage in a silver dress with beading. Batson was eliminated before she could play her flute in the talent competition.

Miss Hawaii Nicole Fox drew cheers as she performed a traditional Tahitian dance, wearing a huge white feathered headdress and skirt to match. After she exited, part of her skirt remained on the stage.

In a new twist, viewers of a lead-in reality show, "Miss America: Countdown to the Crown" voted in four of the 15 finalists, while the judges announced the other 11 during a live TLC television broadcast.

The four finalists chosen by viewers were Stam, the eventual winner, and Hardman, the first runner-up, as well as Miss South Dakota Alexandra Hoffman and Miss Alabama Amanda Tapley.

The other 11 women remaining after the opening number were: Batson, Fox, Miss Michigan Ashlee Baracy, Miss Delaware Galen Giaccone, Miss District of Columbia Kate Marie Grinold, Miss Iowa Olivia Myers, Miss New York Leigh-Taylor Smith, Miss California Jackie Geist, Miss Florida Sierra Minott, Miss Kentucky Emily Cox and Miss Tennessee Ellen Carrington.

The viewer interaction to name four contestants as "America's choice" was Discovery-owned TLC's attempt to stoke interest in this year's contestants. Once an American icon, the shine on Miss America's crown has been dimmed by slipping ratings and the popularity of more salacious reality shows.

The pageant was dropped from network television after the 2004 pageant drew a record low viewership. It found a home in Las Vegas after moving from its longtime location in Atlantic City, N.J., but it has struggled to get its footing on cable.

In its second year on TLC, Mario Lopez, of "Extra," hosted with an assist from Clinton Kelly of TLC's "What Not to Wear." Judges include actress Laura Bell Bundy, Miss America 1999 Nicole Johnson, hairstylist Ken Paves and Olympic swimmer Cullen Jones.

As always, the women competed in swimsuit, evening gown and talent competitions, as well as a short "interview," in which they were asked their thoughts on a current event or hot topic. TLC has tried to dash the days of answers that declared that

"children are the future."

Questions came from average people and were intended to put the contestants on the spot.

TLC also had some fun with the cliches of pageants past. For example, in its scorecard for home viewers posted online, it asked viewers to count the number of mentions of world peace and to name the contestant with best spray tan.

Pamela Anderson hits the beach again in another skimpy bikini... but without her mystery man

Despite being pictured just a few days earlier looking toned, it appears perhaps Pamela Anderson has had a little too much to eat since.

Or maybe she failed to her sit-ups for the day.

Either way, the former Baywatch star took to the beach for another day of frolicking - this time sporting a bit of a pot belly.

Pamela Anderson on an LA beach yesterday sporting a belly

Pamela showed off her curves in a white bikini, covering slightly more of her cleavage though.

The blonde hit the waves later for a spot of surfing.

Pictured alone this time, Pamela decided to give her new mystery man the elbow.

The Canadian model-turned-actress-turned-author nearly flashed a bit too much flesh last week when she was pictured with her latest man.

Wearing a loose-fitting brown bikini, the 41-year-old wrestled in the sand with her new lover.

Beat the bloat: Pamela takes a walk  along the  Malibu beach 

The blonde bombshell was spotted topping up her tan on a Malibu beach, just a short walk from her beachside home.

After play fighting with her new beau, Pamela strode along the beach, appearing unaware her ill-fitting bikini bottoms were slipping down her derrière.

Pamela has been spotted on the beach with her mystery man several times last week, and introduced him to celebrity pal Matthew McConaughey when they bumped into each other one afternoon.

Surfin USA: Pamela hits the waves for some exercise

It looks like the mother-of-two may have found love again after three failed marriage.

Pamela split from Rick Saloman - most famous as Paris Hilton's co-star in her infamous sex tape - in December 2007, after just nine weeks of marriage.

She was also married to rap/rocker Kid Rock for four months in 2006 and Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee for three years in the late Nineties.

Summer lovin': Pamela cuddles up to to new man last week

After making her Playboy debut in 1989 after being discovered on a TV screen while attending a Canadian football game, Pamela is hoping to appear in the men's magazine for the 14th time this year.

Pamela reminded Playboy boss Hugh Hefner of her assets in April when she presented him with his birthday cake while completely naked at his 82nd bash.

Pamela will next be seen on screen in the comedy Hollywood & Wine, alongside Shoot Me comedian David Space.

Low and behold: Pamela appears unaware her bikini bottoms are falling down

80 pictures of Zhang Ziyi caught topless

BEIJING: More than 80 pictures of well-known Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi sunbathing topless and frolicking on a beach have appeared online, sending netizens here wild yesterday.

The photos first appeared on the Internet on Monday - the same day that the Chinese government sent out stern warnings to 19 top websites over issues of pornography and vulgarity.

The photos, taken by a Los Angeles-based paparazzi agency, showed Zhang on the Caribbean island of St Barts with her fiance, Israeli investor Vivi Nevo, last Friday.

The star of the Hollywood film Memoirs Of A Geisha was shown taking off her red bikini and lying face down, with her buttocks exposed.

Nevo was shown stroking and nuzzling her buttocks. Zhang was also shot lying on her back, with her breasts clearly revealed.

There were also less revealing pictures of her strolling along the beach with Nevo, who reportedly has a private beach on the island.

Zhang Ziyi's Photo Scandal - Chinese starlet's beach pics spark heated debate

The pictures were posted on numerous Chinese websites, attracting a flood of comments from netizens on the star, who was recently named by The Beijing News as China's most beautiful person in 2008 - edging out fellow celebrities Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Zhou Xun.

The website operators quickly deleted many of the revealing pictures and, in a sign of caution amid the official crackdown on pornography, some forums even took down comments left by netizens on the issue. But as of yesterday evening, some of the photos could still be found on less popular websites, an indication of the government's difficulties as it attempts to get tough on adult content in cyberspace.

Sichuan province's Huaxi City newspaper said its reporter had exchanged text messages with Zhang's representatives and the actress was shocked and furious when she learnt of the pictures. The Beijing-born star is in the United States.

Zhang's manager did not dispute the authenticity of the pictures in her statement to the media. She said: 'Ziyi and her fiance were holidaying on a beach as a part of normal life and as a matter of personal privacy.

'I sympathise with all celebrities whose privacy is invaded. It is difficult for them to enjoy vacations and ordinary, everyday life.'

While mainland actresses have appeared nude in films - including Joan Chen, Bai Ling and Tang Wei recently in Lee Ang's Lust, Caution - Zhang is believed to be the first major star to be caught undressed by the paparazzi.

Her expose comes a year after the Edison Chen photo scandal, when the Hong Kong-based actor's collection of intimate shots with various female stars shook the Chinese entertainment industry last January.

Chinese netizens were not sympathetic towards Zhang, slamming her for her modest assets and for being a shameless exhibitionist.

Some even accused her of bringing shame to China and staging the shoot to generate publicity for herself.

'Her figure is really poor and she really showed off her weaknesses. She should be more considerate towards the sentiments of the public,' said one netizen.

'What a disgrace to the Chinese people,' said another.

But there were a few who spoke up on behalf of the actress, whose recent film Forever Enthralled banked more than 100 million yuan (S$22 million) in China.

'It is very normal for Western magazines to shoot actresses sunbathing nude on beaches. Zhang is not the first. She is just the first Chinese actress,' said one.

Lindsay Lohan struts half naked

Lindsay Lohan is a great fan of Research in Motions (RIM) BlackBerry Bold, perfect to keep in touch with her lesbian lover Samantha Ronson. The pair has been inseparable since the revelations of their love affair hit the headline last year.

The guys over at CrackBerry posted photos of Lindsey Lohan on a beach gripping her BlackBerry Bold in one hand and strutting along in a black bikini, it’s not sure at this point if Samantha was soaking up the rays with her, but one thing for sure the BlackBerry Bold was the perfect accessory on the beach, maybe she was off to get some lunch?

It’s actually the first sighting of a celebrity with a BlackBerry in 2009 by the guys at crackBerry but its sure to be the first of many, question is will the BlackBerry Storm beat the BlackBerry Bold in celebrity status in 2009? Check out the photos below, let us know what you think.

Britney takes a break from the gym and hits the beach ... only to spill out of tiny bikini

She might have taken to the treadmill in an ambitious attempt to regain the sexy svelte look which once made her famous.

But as these pictures show, a curvy Britney Spears still has a way to go before she is ready to make her much-awaited comeback.

The princess of pop was taking a break from her new gym routine by sunning herself on a Malibu beach in the company of a friend. 

Enlarge 

Enlarge 

Rising to the occasion: Britney shows she loves her bright new bikini while enjoying the Malibu sunshine

Spears, who has supposedly dropped twenty pounds in thirty days, decided to show off her body as she spent an afternoon relaxing with a friend in the sunshine.

Sporting a yellow bikini which appeared too tight, the Toxic singer sunbathed, read magazines and at one point even paddled her feet in the water before covering up and heading off home. 

Enlarge 

Britney relaxes in the late afternoon sunshine with a friend

The 26-year-old star is currently working on regaining her famous figure amid talk of a highly-anticipated comeback.

The star was spotted working up a sweat on the cardio machines at Bally's Fitness Center in Studio City, Los Angeles, earlier this week.

Sources say the troubled singer has already started recording again and after being reunited with ex-manager Larry Rudolph, and that she has realised it's time to regain her figure, which critics have said she has "let go" since meeting now ex-husband Kevin Federline in 2004. 

Feeling the burn: Britney and her assistant burn off the calories at an LA gym earlier this week

Her "excess" weight has also come under criticism after she stunned fans at the MTV Video Music Awards in September with a disastrous performance of Gimme More.

Britney appeared out of shape as she "walked" through the song, and even appeared to forget her dance routine during the performance.

Enlarge 

Fiasco: Critics accused Britney of being out of shape and ill-prepared for her MTV VMA performance in September