“So You Think You Can Dance” Star Charged With Rape

Alex Da Silva, a former choreographer on the hit U.S. reality show So You Think You Can Dance has been arrested on suspicion of rape… again.

According to police, Da Silva was arrested this morning at his North Hollywood home for allegedly sexually assaulting four women. However, because of his previous arrest involving rape claims (for which he was never formally charged), the choreographer is being slapped with eight felony counts of assault.

The charges are as follows:

- Four counts of forcible rape

- Two counts of assault with intent to commit rape; and

- Two counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object.

The alleged assaults took place between August 2002 and March 2009, according to the District Attorney, who filed the arrest warrant earlier today. The victims – four women between the ages of 20-26 – were all “aspiring dancers” who met Da Silva through his instructional dance classes.

Da Silva was previously arrested for the rape of four women back in April, but the case was thrown out the window without charge, with prosecutors admitting that further investigation was needed before they could move forward with actual charges.

It looks like now they’ve got the proof they needed.

Da Silva is being held on $6.2 million bail.

I guess this means he can kiss his SYTYCD contract goodbye.

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Posh Spice Bombs in Idol Debut

Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham might be excited and thrilled at being asked to appear as a guest judge on the new season of American Idol, but the fans sure aren’t, with the former Spice Girl’s debut on the show being labeled as “icy” and “wooden.”

“It didn’t go too well,” a source close to the production said of Beckham’s first day on set.

“She tried too hard to be ‘nice,’ but came off as icy and wooden,” added the source.

Posh was apparently being tested as a possible replacement for axed judge Paula Abdul, but with the feedback from the crowd being this awful, it isn’t looking likely that Beckham will be around permanently.

Her contract was initially only for one episode, anyway, as Posh allegedly turned down a meatier role on the reality show in order to further her career in the fashion industry.

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Posh Spice Wins Gig on American Idol Judging Panel

It’s only been a day since Paula Abdul’s shock announcement – via Twitter – that she would not be a part of American Idol any longer, but already the show’s producers have been scouting the who’s-who of muso has-beens for a suitable replacement… and found one, they have.

Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice, has just signed on to make a “one-off appearance” on the U.S. version of Idol, her publicisty has confirmed.

The former Spice Girl will join fellow judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi on the panel in the latest season of the hit reality show, which will begin shooting in the coming months.

However, while the role as judge on the show would definitely be the platform Beckham was hoping for to shoot her into American stardom, the British National has told the producers she “cannot commit” to anything larger than a guest role due to prior committments to her fashion range.

Beckham is well-renowned in the fashion world after her debut collection of dresses received rave reviews during 2008’s New York Fashion Week.

So if Beckham is only going to be a temporary replacement for Abdul, does this mean the newest season of American Idol will see a myriad guest judges instead of a constant paternal figure, like the former was to the contestants?

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Paula Abdul Quits Idol on Twitter

Paula Abdul’s Idol journey is officially over, with the longtime reality judge announcing her termination from the show on her Twitter feed.

Abdul, who has been with American Idol since its creation, said that she had made the decision to leave, but would miss the show terrribly and was grateful for all the love and support she had received over the years.

“With sadness in my heart, I’ve decided not to return to ‘Idol,’” her Tweet read. “I’ll miss nurturing all the new talent,but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from Day 1 become an international phenomenon… What I want to say most, is how much I appreciate the undying support and enormous love that you have showered upon me… It truly has been breathtaking, especially over the past month… I do without any doubt have the BEST fans in the entire world and I love you all.”

Although Abdul hadn’t made it official with the show’s producers, a joint statement from Fox, FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment – the brawn behind Idol – confirmed that the former performing artist would not be returning the for the show’s ninth cycle.

The statement read: “Paula Abdul has been an important part of the ‘American Idol’ family over the last eight seasons, and we are saddened that she has decided not to return to the show. While Paula will not be continuing with us, she’s a tremendous talent and we wish her the best.”

Apparently, Abdul was demanding $20 million to stick with the reality show. She rejected an offer of a 30 % pay increase, which would have seen the onetime singer pocket an eight-figure sum in a multiyear deal.

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Kardashian & Conrad Join ‘Top Model’ Team

Reality television stars Kim Kardashian and Lauren Conrad will add to their ever-expanding resumes, with an appearance as celebrity judges in cycle 13 of America’s Next Top Model.

At this stage, both Kardashian and Conrad only have one-episode gigs, with Conrad slated to stop by the show on September 16, and Kardashian a few weeks later on October 21.

However, rumour has it that ANTM is looking for a more permanent replacement on the judging panel for the newly departed supermodel judge, Paulina Porizkova, and both Kardashian and Conrad are in the running for the spot.

I guess that means they should treat their cameo appearances as an audition, of sorts.

What do you Top Model fans think? Does either of these two reality fashionistas have what it takes to become a permanent fixture in the ANTM house?

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Simon Cowell Offered $144M to Stick With Idol

Simon Cowell’s American Idol contract is up, and the infamously snarky judge wants more than last year’s $36 million to stick with the series – so Fox has reportedly offered the British national a whopping $144 million per year!

Contract negotiations between Cowell and Fox’s co-producers has been leaked to the press, and the figures involved – a sum too great to comprehend for most of us – are believed to be 100 % accurate.

Fox has declined to comment about the salary negotiations, but a source close to the Idol set has revealed that the sum Cowell is expected to receive is “only a fraction” of the estimated $900 million that the reality television show rakes in yearly. The source labeled Cowell as the “lynchpin of the show,” and said that without his “dramatic tension” with fellow judge Paula Abdul, Idol wouldn’t be the hit it is today.

“[Cowell is] due for a raise,” the source added.

Cowell’s current contract with the Fox-produced reality show expires in May next year.

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Audrina Patridge Moving Out

The Hills is about to be one girl down, with regular Audrina Patridge preparing to move out of Lauren Conrad’s guesthouse.

Sources say that boxes were dropped off at Conrad’s pad on Thursday, and moving vans were seen outside the L.A. home earlier today, prompting speculation that Patridge is leaving the nest.

Her decision to leave comes as no surprise, however, with tension between Patridge and Conrad coming to a head in recent weeks.

The pair have been at logger-heads for some time, and Audrina has almost moved out once before, going as far as to look for apartments with partner Justin Bobby at the end of the Hills’ last season.

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Former ‘Destiny’s Child’ Member to Perform on ‘Australian Idol’

Australian Idol has possibly snagged its biggest ever guest star!

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, two former Destiny’s Child performers have “been approached” to appear on this year’s Australian Idol finale show, set to air on November 23.

However, a source told the newspaper that a cameo appearance from the biggest name of all – Beyonce Knowles – isn’t looking too likely at this stage, with Beyonce’s peeps not “overly enthused” about the idea of the Grammy-award-winner appearing on a reality singing show.

“It’s not looking promising with Beyonce but we may end up with someone like [fellow Destiny's Child singer] Kelly Rowland appearing at the Opera House,” the soure said.

In its sixth season locally, Australian Idol is looking to revamp its aging format, and producers hope an appearance by a former Destiny’s Child bandmate will bring the massive audiences from previous series’ back to the Network Ten show.

Australian Idol, Season 6, will premiere on August 24.

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Former ‘Big Brother’ Winner Going Blind

Regina “Reggie” Sorenson, the 2003 winner of Australian Big Brother, has a degenerative eye disease and is going blind.

The former chip shop owner found out about the delibitating disease – known as retinitis pigmentosa – just three weeks ago, and has been rapidly losing her eyesight since the diagnosis was made.

“I will go blind. I was devastated and so upset. I knew it was there, but now that it has gotten really bad… it has just really hit me,” Reggie told Woman’s Day magazine.

The 34-year-old added that she was now declared “legally blind,” and that her greatest fear was not being able to watch her daughter, 16-month-old Mia, grow up.

However, there may be hope for the one-time reality television star. Scientists in the U.K. are trailling an experimental gene therapy to combat the disease, and Reggie and her family are considering relocating to the United Kingdom so she can be included in the trials.

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Pamela Anderson on ‘Big Brother’

For those of you who didn’t quite catch Pam Anderson while she was in Australia, here’s the Baywatch star’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance on reality show Big Brother.

She was paid over half a million dollars for this?? What a waste of good money!

More videos from her time in the house available after the jump. Read more

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