Expectant couple Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin are so delighted at the prospect of becoming first-time parents that they made a public display of their joy in New York yesterday. The pair were snapped as they left a private Manhattan clinic clutching a scan of their unborn child and could not hide their happiness as they embraced on the sidewalk. One onlooker remarks, "They were smiling and kissing - and Gwyneth cracked up when Chris put his face next to her stomach. They looked at the scan together and Chris patted her belly and listened for ages for the heartbeat." And friends close to the Shakespeare In Love beauty, 31, say that she intends spend much of her pregnancy in Martin's native Britain. The pal says, "She's planning to spend a lot of time in the UK over the next few months because she loves everything British. She's fascinated by the English theatre. And she has always talked about her children being educated in England."

Speculation is rife that Kate Hudson is expecting a girl, after celebrity guests at her baby shower were seen walking away with pink-and-white goody bags. The Almost Famous star, 24, who is due to give birth to her first child with 36- year-old husband Chris Robinson next month, was the center of the attention at the bash, which was hosted her actress mother Goldie Hawn on November 23. And those not lucky enough to be invited to the get-together were still fed a telling chunk of information when they witnessed the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Naomi Watts leaving Hawn's Pacific Palisades, California, home toting the girlie-colored bags.

Hollywood actress Renee Zellweger is set to shock fans in the Bridget Jones's Diary sequel, after it was revealed her character will indulge in a lesbian fling. Texas native Zellweger, who piled on the pounds for a second time to reprise her role as the unlucky-in-love Brit, has been spotted sharing passionate kisses with an Australian actress on the London set of Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason. The stunning actress lucky enough to share the kiss with Zellweger is former Real World London castmember Jacinda Barrett. The eagerly-anticipated movie, set to hit screens next year , also features British actors Hugh Grant and Colin Firth.

Actress Liv Tyler was inspired to become an Ambassador for children's charity Unicef by Angelina Jolie and her idol Audrey Hepburn. Tyler signed to work as a National Ambassador for the charity's American fund after meeting the late Hepburn's son at a charity fundraiser. She explains, "I was really blown away and inspired by everything that she had done for children via and through Unicef and I guess it really, really floored me in a way that I hadn't ever felt toward a public figure before." To see her kindness was inspiring and spoke to me as a person. She was so real and so elegant." And Jolie's recent work as a Goodwill Ambassador for Unicef in Asia was important to her too, "I am also inspired by what Angelina Jolie is doing by traveling to places like Cambodia to help children by actually being there and being more involved."

Hollywood hunk Ben Affleck has poured scorn on his reputation as a ladykiller - by claiming his sexual exploits last about "ten minutes". The Good Will Hunting superstar, 31, is currently trying to divert the media obsession over his relationship with fiancee Jennifer Lopez and insists that the world would be shocked for all the wrong reasons if they knew the details of the couple's sex life. He jokes, "You'd be bored by my sex life now! It's like ten minutes. It's completely routine. It's another root. I've done nothing fancy there."

Troubled rocker Courtney Love has checked into a California detox center. The star overdosed on prescription drugs shortly after being arrested and charged with drug possession in October, and her stay at a Malibu center is thought to be a bid to keep her out of prison when she returns to court next week. Her lawyer Ron Fischetti told website Pagesix, "She checked herself in voluntarily," over the Thanksgiving weekend. Courtney is currently battling with her former mother-in-law to keep custody of Francis Bean, her 11-year-old daughter with late Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain.

Rolling Stone Sir Mick Jagger is begging Britain's Queen not to release images of footage of him being knighted later this month - because he's terrified of upsetting bandmate Keith Richards even more. Hardman rocker Richards was furious when the honor was announced last year and hit out again this week, dubbing the frontman "ludicrous" and the knighthood "paltry". He ranted in a magazine interview, "It's not what the Stones are about. I thought it was ludicrous to take one of those gongs from the establishment when they did their very best to throw us in jail. I don't want to step out on stage with someone wearing a f***ing coronet and sporting the old ermine. I told Mick, 'It's a f***ing paltry honor." Now Jagger is so scared of upsetting him further, he's trying to stop pictures of him receiving his investiture from Queen Elizabeth II from escaping her London home, Buckingham Palace. A band insider says, "It's a really, really sore issue. Mick has asked the Palace that no images of him being knighted are made public - solely because he's worried about Keith doing his nut if he sees it on telly."

Devastated singer Celine Dion was a picture of sadness as she escorted her elderly mother Therese to the funeral of her beloved father Adhemar yesterday. The star paused briefly to acknowledge over a hundred well-wishers who had congregated outside St-Simon And Jude Roman Catholic church in the small town of Charlemagne, Quebec to watch the funeral party arrive. Dion had flown in to Canada for the ceremony earlier this week after her father died at 80 of an unspecified but lengthy illness on Sunday. She was accompanied by her husband Renee Angelil. Adhemar was described by those who knew him as his daughter's "number one fan". Canadian TV host Michel Jasmin says, "He was transformed when Celine stepped on the stage. He went from her father to a fan. It was incredible to watch. I saw it time and again."

An attempt by Vanity Fair magazine to reunite the five surviving members of Monty Python has failed. After repeated efforts to tempt the comedy team back to the stage or screen had stumbled, the American magazine hoped it could at least reunite Michael Palin, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle and Terry Jones for a Photo shoot to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the British comedy team's conception. But, as Idle explains, even that was too much for the busy quintet, "I thought there was zero chance we'd all get together for it. Instead we are to be photographed in different parts of the world and stuck together by computer."

Divorced couple Jude Law and Sadie Frost are planning to put their differences behind them - to give their children a happy family Christmas. The Talented Mr Ripley actor has agreed to spend Christmas morning with Frost and their children Rafferty, Iris and Rudy, and Frost's son Findlay from her previous marriage to Spandau Ballet star Gary Kemp. But the pair will go their separate ways again later in the day when Jude returns to the home he shares with new lover Sienna Miller, whom Frost has banned from ever entering her house. A source close to the former spouses says, "Sadie is so relieved that she and Jude are on more civil terms but she draws the line at playing hostess and being all chummy with his new girlfriend. She and Jude have been speaking again and hopefully the worst of the bitterness is behind them. Christmas day will be the first time they've all been together since the divorce started in February. They have made a pact not to argue or say horrible things to each other in front of the children." Since their divorce was finalized in October Sadie has found love again with guitar player Jackson Scott, while Jude is reportedly besotted with Miller, his co-star in upcoming remake Alfie.