RED TOP REVIEW

Botox obliterates Cowell's scowl
Simon Cowell is hardly a stranger to the tabs but the talent show judge we all love to hate won't like today's story one bit. The paper reports that the host of the American version of Pop Idol says Cowell has had so many Botox jabs he can hardly move his face. Ryan Seacrest says of Cowell: "The angry face is the same as the happy face." Asked if Cowell will continue to be angry in the new series of American idol, he adds: "You won't know because of all the shots." The paper jokily prints the same picture of Cowell, 48, four times with different captions: "Happy", "Sad", "Angry" and "Amazed". The paper says: "Earlier this year, Cowell confessed he was a fan of the anti-ageing treatment - saying: 'To me, Botox is no more unusual than toothpaste. It simply works. You do it once a year - who cares?'"

Billy Connolly's no clown at home
Being married to Billy Connolly is sometimes "boring", reveals his wife of almost 20 years in the Daily Record. Pamela Stephenson tells the paper her husband is a bit of a recluse who beats the blues by playing the banjo. She tells the paper: "People always think that being married to Billy means that I get non-stop Billy Connolly concerts. It's not nearly as exciting as that, although he's adorable. But it's boring sometimes and he would say the same." Stephenson says her husband - who is notorious for his dislike of newspaper reporters - is a "little reclusive and I don't think it's necessarily his personality".


Meet Britain's 'luckiest man'
Finally, a "real" person from today's Daily Mirror, branded by the paper "Britain's luckiest man". Former soldier Alec Alder, 90, has survived four car crashes, three wartime bombings, being run over by a tank, and a plane crashing into his bedroom. Alder, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, began his run of good luck in 1926 when he fell 15ft out of a tree without suffering serious injury. Three years later he was hit head-on by a car while cycling. After numerous close shaves during the war, Alec survived two post-war car crashes. "I must be the luckiest fella alive," he says.


BUSINESS
By Rosemary Gallagher
Trading restrictions boost markets
World stock markets have been given a welcome boost by radical steps that have been taken on both sides of the Atlantic in an attempt to tackle the growing global financial crisis.

In the UK, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has banned short selling - in which traders bet on share prices falling - to try to introduce market stability. Short selling is being blamed by some commentators for the sharp fall in HBOS shares before it was taken over by Lloyds TSB.

The rule came into force at midnight and is due to last until January 16. The FSA's clampdown applies only to 29 leading financial stocks.

Hector Sants, FSA chief executive, said: "While we still regard short selling as a legitimate investment technique in normal market conditions, the current extreme circumstances have given rise to disorderly markets."

In the US, treasury secretary Henry Paulson last night said officials are working on a rescue plan to rid US banks of their bad debts.

Paulson and Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke plan to work through the weekend with Congress on a plan to deal with "toxic" bank assets.

The announcements helped drive up world markets, including the FTSE.


TELEVISION
By Chitra Ramaswamy
New Scots channel is born
The moment has arrived. The new channel, which will broadcast up to seven hours a day and cover sports, documentaries, music, entertainment and daily news, opens with Gaelic singers performing the Runrig song 'Alba'. These include Karen Matheson from Capercaillie, Tony Kearney from River City and traditional singers Arthur Cormack and Cathy Ann MacPhee. Next up is music by Julie Fowlis and Mary Smith, a programme about Donald Trump and a drama set on Lewis about Elvis on the day of the King's death.
BBC Alba launch night: from 9pm, BBC2

Stars in his eyes
The man who was once just David Brent returns here in his stand-up show about life in the limelight and the surreal nature of celebrity.
Ricky Gervais: Fame, Channel 4, 10pm

Roxy of ages
This profile of the Bryan Ferry's band is the best of Friday night telly - as BBC4 so often is on the first night of the weekend - tracing the developments of Roxy Music from 1972 to the present day. Along the way they influenced people from Siouxsie and the Banshees to U2 and this excellent programme features interviews with band members Ferry, Brian Eno and more, as well as fans including Bono, Siouxsie Sioux, John Taylor of Duran Duran and Alison Goldfrapp.
The Roxy Music Story, BBC4, 9pm

FASHION
By Kayt Turner
Little ol' me?
'Oh dear me, Mr Photographer. You want to take my picture?" This whole Southern belle thing would be easier to swallow from Renée Zellweger if (a) she wasn't dressed up to the nines when everyone else at this premiere is in jeans and Converses and (b) she hadn't engineered it so that she pretty much blocks out Ed Harris from the film poster -
leaving her centre stage.

Uptight
Nice to see Emilia Fox with her clothes on. After her unfortunate wardrobe malfunction at London Fashion Week, it's good to see her all buttoned up.


Here's where you start paying
Mischa Barton - remember her? She used to be an actress. She hasn't exactly left all that behind her as evidenced by her audition piece for the New York School of Performing Arts. All together now - '"Fame! I'm gonna live forever!"

SPORT
By Graham Bean
Sandwich pairings hope for Ryder Cup team
The tears usually come during or after a Ryder Cup, but European captain Nick Faldo broke new ground with his emotional outburst on the eve of the tournament.

The hitherto unflappable Faldo was greeting after meeting Muhammad Ali, although he admitted the tension of the week was perhaps a contributing factor.

Once he's dried his eyes, Faldo will focus on the job in hand: retaining the trophy the Europeans won so convincingly at the K Club in Ireland two years ago and winning for an unprecedented fourth time in a row.

The action begins at 1pm with the foursomes, and Faldo has opted to go with the so-called "sandwich pairings", the names he inadvertently revealed on a scrap of paper to a photographer then tried to pass off as a lunch list.

It means Padraig Harrington and Robert Karlsson will be up against highly-rated Americans Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim in the first match.

Next up are Europe's Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey against the US's Justin Leonard and Hunter Mahan, followed by English pair Justin Rose and Ian Poulter against American duo Stewart Cink and Chad Campbell.

The final foursome pits one of Europe's strongest partnerships, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia, against home favourite Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk.

INTERNETWebsite of the day
Ever wondered what cuss-spouting cook Gordon Ramsay was like as a lad? Find out in this hilarious spoof video.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulEHogg4Xwo