___NEWS____

Vic & Brooklyn Involved In Car Crash

"It was one of the scariest moments of my life. For a split second I thought: 'That's it'. I instinctively clutched my stomach as if that was somehow going to protect my baby.

It's hard to explain as it all happened so fast but at the same time, it was as if everything was in slow motion. We were all looking forward to celebrating Brooklyn's birthday and we'd been sitting in the car laughing and joking with each other and then suddenly - bang! - something like this happens. I just thanked God that my dad was driving. He didn't panic and took control.

It's amazing how quickly these things can occur. It's a miracle that we all managed to walk away from it without being injured. I called David straight away to let him know what had happened and to tell him that we were all OK. He was very upset, as you can imagine.

It was absolutely awful but thankfully Brooklyn is too young really to know what happened. It could have been so much worse if it hadn't been for my dad. He's a star."

Beckhams Expecting Their Second Child (!!!!!!!!!)

There had been speculation that Victoria was pregnant again.

In a statement, they confirmed the news saying: "Brooklyn is also really looking forward to having a little brother or sister to play with."

It continued: "This year has been such an exciting year for us - England are in the World Cup finals, Victoria's had a second top 10 hit and now we are expecting a new baby. It's fantastic."

David's father Ted, 53, who lives in Chingford, Essex, said: "I haven't spoken to David yet but it's brilliant news if it's true. It would be lovely to have a brother or sister for Brooklyn."

John Glover, who recently took over management of the former Spice Girl, said: "It is wonderful news and we are very pleased for them. Victoria will be continuing with her work and we are currently planning the promotion of her third single."

Their son Brooklyn was born in March 1999 and was said to have been named after the New York borough where he was conceived.

Her next release is a duet with Robbie Craig, called I Wish, which will hit shelves at the beginning of May

Congratulations Victoria and David!!!!!!!! I can't even imagine how happy they must be!

Victoria To Perform In Scotland

A spokesperson for Forth One, which is hosting the show, said: "Victoria will perform her new single for the first time, along with tracks from her solo album. The other acts will be named in the next few days." Tickets for the Forth One Chart Show Live, priced pounds 9.50 plus booking fee, are available from the Festival Theatre box office on 0131-529-6000.

Posh's First Solo Tour!

The Spice Girl, whose debut album failed to dent the charts, has teamed up with John Glover, who looks after ex-Spandau Ballet star Tony Hadley and '70s rock act Free.

Glover has big plans for Victoria's fading career, saying, "It started a couple of weeks ago. We are very excited and thoroughly enjoying ourselves.

"I'm not looking to emulate the past. We have been brought in to work on the future, developing Victoria's career and working on her musical talent.

"I'm enjoying it. We have all found Victoria an entertaining lady to work with.

"She's very serious about music and has a great will to succeed." -- WENN

Learning To Fly Review from Evening Standard

A fearful price for fame

Learning to fly
Victoria Beckham, Michael Joseph, £16.99

Reviewed by Pete Clark
London Evening Standard

Not being an enthusiastic member of the obscene football terrace choir, I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Victoria Beckham, nÈe Adams, neigh Posh Spice. It seems to me rather admirable that someone so manifestly devoid of talent should have become so hugely successful. She is a terrific role model for the 99.9 per cent of people who are not natural stars.

Victoria takes us through the vicissitudes of being born with mad ambition in an admirably candid fashion. Clearly, most of the people she bumped into before becoming famous could not stand the sight of her. When someone is this desperate for fame, they must reek of it.

What is most interesting about this quite appallingly constructed book - the narrative shifts here would have Jeffrey Archer reaching for the red pencil - is that it carefully delineates the ghastliness of a certain sort of stardom. Victoria-and her husband David, a trophy-couple if ever there was one, clearly have no inner resources. Both are addicted to the adrenaline rush of the big arena, with the result that they spend most of their lives in a state of either fevered anticipation or anticlimactic comedown. Given the fact that the public mood towards the Beckhams turns on a knife's edge, there is paranoia to be factored in as well.

I would look on this book as a self-help manual rather than an autobiography. It should be required reading for anyone whose notion of grandeur is larger than their ability to fill it convincingly. Victoria Beckham's life, as set down in these pages, is a hideous construct of mobile phones, aeroplanes, nannies, photographers, fawning, and Alex Ferguson's thinlipped contempt. To fill in the gaps, she plays a number of silly games, such as naming her child Brooklyn - lucky for the poor little sod that he wasn't conceived in Didsbury - and affecting to admire the taste of Elton John.

The most arresting feature of the life described here is that it stinks. It's all very well getting to call Madonna Madge, but the price paid for that small familiarity is fearful. I am happy to take Victoria's word for it that much that has appeared in the press about her and her husband has been exaggerated, untrue or simply malicious. Unfortunately, when you so unblushingly drape your food troubled body on the altar of fame, this is the inevitable consequence.

Just because you can exercise control of a battery of PRs, heavies, hairdressers, and the men who get you tables in the best restaurants, this does not mean you can usher yourself into a nation's heart. Once upon a time, Victoria Adams watched a musical on stage and thought, "I could do that". Now, there are a million people looking at her and thinking the same. This does not make for a comfortable life.

Victoria's Album Review by Worldpop

Victoria Beckham Online Album Launch Party

Visit the party room here to hear tracks from her album, get a new wallpaper, and see some fans. 

POSH & BECKS THE BIG PARKINSON INTERVIEW

POSH Spice has left hubby David Beckham squirming again from her latest nickname - Golden Balls.

Victoria blushed and covered her mouth as she let the pet name slip during the celebrity couple's first joint interview on Parkinson.

The Spice Girl - whose current solo effort is being trounced in the charts by Kylie Minogue - said she gave the Manchester United hero the name after he managed to turn around bad publicity following his World Cup '98 red card disgrace.

But Becks wasn't slow in getting his own back on his loose-tongued wife.

Asked by chatshow veteran Michael Parkinson what he thought of Victoria's new autobiography - which has been slated by critics - he admitted he was struggling to get through it.

The couple's blunders had the audience in stitches for the first of chatshow veteran Parkinson's latest series, shown tonight on BBC1.

Parky asked them about the World Cup incident, when Beckham was sent off against Argentina for kicking an opponent who'd tackled him to the ground.

The booking led incensed England fans to blame the young midfielder for their team being knocked out of the tournament.

Some even hurled death threats at him, Victoria and their toddler son Brooklyn at later matches.

However, in the past two years, Beckham has won back support and is now England captain.

Asked if she thought David has a good public persona Victoria, 27, said: "I think he does now but he didn't a few years ago.

"Sometimes I get down and think, 'Why are people saying this about me?'"

Then she let slip: "What better person to look at than my own husband to see how somebody can turn that all around? I call him Golden Balls now."

Mortified, she put her hand over her mouth gasping: "That's one of those things I shouldn't have said."

It's not the first time she has and embarrassed her husband with personal secrets.

On the Big Breakfast, she told Johnny Vaughan her husband liked to "borrow my knickers".

Despite claiming it was a joke, the idea stuck and David, 26, was teased mercilessly on and off-field.

The Beckham's embarrassment continues on tonight's show when footballer David confesses he hasn't read his wife's best-selling book, Learning To Fly.

Asked what he thought of its revelations, he admitted: "I don't know. I'm only half way through it at the moment."

He revealed that for several weeks he had been reading snippets in bed so he could immediately quiz Victoria about the anecdotes.

Gallant Parkinson stepped in as the audience began to s******, telling them: "At least he is honest."

Perhaps still smarting from Victoria's Golden Balls slip-up, he also stuck the boot in to her music.

Asked if he liked her style, David said: "It's not my kind of music but her album has made it into my car."

The couple also spoke candidly about their family life together as they sat, holding hands or touching each other's legs throughout the interview.

They even openly discussed the allegations that David had had an affair while Victoria was pregnant with their son Brooklyn.

The "Bonk-Beckham lies" as she refers to them in her book, gave the couple one of the most difficult and traumatic times of their relationship.

Victoria - wearing a low-cut Paco Rabanne black dress - revealed: "I was pregnant and a few girls looking to launch their modelling careers dragged my name into that."

Parky then looked David directly in the eye and asked if he had had an affair.

The footballer replied: "No."

The Beckhams also told of the support they receive from their families.

Both their mothers act as eager nannies when the couple have to leave their son at home.

And Victoria admitted they were also a rock for the starry couple to hold to during various media storms - whether his footballing mistakes or her back-fired publicity drives.

David explained: "There's not a day that there's not something in the news about us.

"It is hard but that's why we are a strong family, the three of us, and we've got strong family around us. It's easy to get away from things with them."

Recent reports have suggested Posh was on the brink of abandoning pop to have another child if her latest single, Not Such An Innocent Girl, didn't make it to No1.

She's since back-tracked, saying her self-titled album is still to bereleased and promoted, with more singles being taken from it.

The Beckhams did agree they were desperate for Brooklyn, two, to have a brother or a sister.

But Victoria said her new solo career was taking up all of her time.

She told Parkinson: "For both of us, family is the most important thing and I'd love to have a huge, huge family and at Christmas to have a big old Christmas tree in the hallway.

"That's my ultimate goal. But not just yet because I'm a little bit busy."

When the chat show host asked her if she was pregnant, she turned to her smiling husband and told him: "No, no. Sorry babe, I'm not." Asked about her own persona, Victoria joked: "I think people think I'm a miserable cow who goes down Bond Street all the time."

Laughing, she added: "Not that there's anything wrong with that - come on, all the ladies out there know that!

"I try to get across that, yes, I am married to David and I'm very, very lucky but I'm also a normal girl.

"I'm a working mum, working very hard and trying to raise a family at the same time."

Despite their various blunders, the couple still looked as deeply in love as ever at the end of the show.

Victoria performed the ballad IOU - which she dedicated to David - and afterwards he kissed her hand and murmured: "Brilliant."

The interview capped a star-studded return for Parkinson.

Legendary footballer George Best, a veteran of several encounters with the Barnsley-born journalist, joined his Manchester United successor along with the Beckhams' friend, Elton John.

The former soccer pin-up revealed how his alcoholism had left him surviving on 12 pills a day and Antabuse implants in his stomach which make him violently ill if touches a drop of alcohol.

He also admitted being driven to the brink of suicide when his problems became too much three years ago.

The fame, football and fashion connection continued when Elton John, well-known for his extravagant lifestyle and friendship with the Beckhams, joined Parkinson.

But his alliance was forgotten when Parky asked him who, in his opinion, was the world's best-ever footballer.

Without hesitation, Elton looked at Best, Elton said: "George Best."

During Best's time being interviewed, Posh and Becks hardly talked and even Parkinson seemed overawed by the former Manchester United star.

When it was Elton's turn to be interviewed, he entertained the guests and the audience with tales of how he supports the couple and often offers advice.

Pointing at Victoria's diamante-studded high heels, he even joked: "Well, she borrowed those shoes from me for a start." He then talked about how he overcame his wild years and how he deals with being gay in the world of sport, as chairman of Watford Football Club.

Elton also performed on the show, singing I Want You to the delighted audience.

The singer is heading out for an American tour today but won't be playing New York in October as planned.

Instead, because of the terrorist attacks, he'll play New York in November.

However, despite the support of her husband and showbiz pals, Victoria looks likely to have a lost another popularity battle this week.

It seems like she hasn't learned from her last attempts to get to the top of the charts with duet Out Of Your Mind.

Then she made enemies by making young fans buy her single before autographing it. And, for the past month, she has gone all out to beat Kylie Minogue to No1 with her first solo single.

But the fans have spoken. The Aussie favourite's Can't Get You Out Of My Head has built up a lead of 130,000 copies.

The pair were initially expected to have a fierce head-to-head to clinch the number one slot but Kylie immediately left Victoria standing.

Now the Aussie singer is tipped to shift at least quarter of a million copies as she collects her sixth No1 on Sunday.

Victoria will be lucky to sell 40,000, judging by her performance so far this week - scraping into the top five.

Her publicity drive for the song was full of controversy. It started when she wore a lip ring at this year's Party In The Park.

Eyewitness accounts of her last-minute piercing appeared in the Press, despite overwhelming disbelief.

But the next day, she claimed it was a clip-on and accused an English tabloid of making up quotes. Since then, she says, they've been baying for her blood, knocking her for dressing up as an American cheerleader for a performance at the G.A.Y club night in London's Astoria days after the American terrorist tragedy.

Now the most famous Spice Girl seems to be all but washed out.

She was knocked for having her autobiography out on the same week as her single - and then laughed at when some bookshops put the price down before it even went on sale.

Robbie Williams' autobiography, Somebody Someday, was up against hers and went to number one.

Learning To Fly only managed the number three position in the book charts, despite a huge amount of hype and numerous interviews.

Then she was slated for showing her new home, dubbed Beckingham Palace, on her website.

But maybe, after this performance on Parky, the public might forgive her the ceaseless campaigning and tacky gimmicks.

Another extract

For those of you who don't have the Learning To Fly yet, there's another long extract from the book here. 

Intro for Posh at GAY: 'special guest'

Victoria Beckham is to be introduced at London' s GAY club night by a special guest.

Reports on the internet suggest Victoria's husband David may do the honours on Saturday, September 15.

Posh Spice's appearance will be preceded by a specially produced video featuring Victoria and Big Brother 2 winner Brian Dowling.

In a post on Worldpop.com's GAY microsite, promoter Jeremy Joseph said: "Basically, we've arranged for Brian to come down to GAY because he's a huge Victoria fan.

"I felt sorry for him because he was actually meant to be meeting Victoria on CD:UK but there was a mix up and it never happened. He was really disappointed.

"The video we've shot with him and Victoria is great. You'll love it!"

Victoria releases her debut solo single, Not Such An Innocent Girl, on September 17.

SOCCER ACE'S SLUR OVER POSH 'FAKE BOOBS'

DAVID Beckham was involved in an amazing bust-up with a soccer star who taunted Posh Spice about "having fake boobs".

England skipper Beckham was insulted by Mark Kennedy in a nightspot - and the row spilled over to the flats where they are neighbours.

Wolves winger Kennedy, 25, first angered Beckham by making remarks about wife Victoria having had surgery to make her breasts bigger, which she denies.

The Manchester United star walked out in disgust.


But the ding-dong flared again hours later at 2.30am when Kennedy, formerly with rivals Manchester City, began pressing the buzzer to the Beckhams' apartment and hurling abuse.

Soon afterwards cops came and arrested the Dublin-born Republic of Ireland international.

He was charged with dangerous driving in his red Ferrari and failing to provide a specimen.

A source close to Beckham, 26, and Victoria, 27, said: "Kennedy was behaving like an idiot."

The run-in began as Beckham enjoyed a quiet meal with pals Gary Neville and Dave Gardner.


The trio were in exclusive Cheshire club-restaurant Brasingamens, near the Beckhams' £500,000 apartment in Alderley Edge, after Man United's 4-1 win over Everton last Saturday.

Onlookers said Kennedy, who earns £15,000 a week with First Division side Wolves, was being "loud and leery" and came over to make remarks about Posh having fake boobs.

Beckham told him to be quiet and left after his meal - only for Kennedy, who has a flat below in the luxury apartment building, to turn up later and furiously buzz the intercom.

The source added: "Kennedy was very rude. He made nasty comments about Victoria and it was very embarrassing."

Kennedy, due in court on September 19, said last night: "I have nothing to say. You'll have to talk to my lawyer."

I'm not a confident girl - Posh

VICTORIA BECKHAM has admitted she lost her confidence after critics claimed she couldn't sing.

Posh, who is to release her next solo single Not Such An Innocent Girl next week, said: "People are very cynical. This is why I had to work on building up my confidence.

"People think that because I didn't sing a lot with the Spice Girls that I didn't write any of the songs.

"I've spent a long time saying it doesn't bother me what people say about me.

"But it does hurt. I might be a celebrity, but I'm only human.

"When my mum reads people being horrible, that affects me. Sometimes people are nasty or bitchy for no reason at all.

"Thankfully, I've got some great fans out there who write lovely letters."

Victoria will go head to head with Kylie Minogue in the battle for the No.1 slot when both release singles on September 17.