Gary Barlow is planning a hike to the North Pole.

The Take That singer – who let a celebrity charity expedition up Mount Kilimanjaro last year – is hoping to convince a group of showbiz pals to join him on the gruelling arctic trip in spring 2012 to raise money for BBC Sport Relief.

His latest challenge is likely to take a week to complete.

A source told Britain‘s The Sun newspaper: “Gary loves a challenge, so as soon as he finished the Kilimanjaro trip he was working out what to do next. There was talk of climbing Everest but that’s a seriously tough exercise.

“Getting to the North Pole is not exactly easier but it is more do-able and takes less time.”

Gary already seems to be shaping up for the challenge – after the singer and his Take That bandmates agreed to ban alcohol at their concerts next year.

The group – who have been rejoined by Robbie Williams – will only serve soft drinks backstage during their proposed epic 54-date tour for the sake of the ‘Angels’ singer and bandmate Mark Owen, who have battled alcohol problems in the past.

A source said: “It’s a sensitive subject but alcohol will be off limits for the band and crew. Their last tour was one giant party and for Mark and Robbie’s sake, that just won’t work this time around.”

Source: BANG Showbiz

Robbie Williams was humbled by the plight of “vulnerable” child victims of the Haiti earthquakes.

The ‘Angels’ hitmaker – who is visiting the disaster-stricken country in his position as an ambassador for UNICEF, (United Nations International Children’s Fund) – met children affected by January’s natural disasters and was visibly moved by the squalid conditions in which they have to live.

He said: “I met children who were injured, who had been separated from their parents and were living in temporary shelters or on the streets. This earthquake hit children the hardest. The children are so vulnerable.”

The 36-year-old singer admitted he was outraged by the “risk of violence” which child refugees now face everyday.

He said: “They’re living day-to-day without the basic things they need and at risk of violence and abuse. I don’t know about you, but I think this is wrong and we need to put it right.”

The emotional star is also launching a special challenge for Soccer Aid – a star-studded sports event which takes place on June 6 and raises money for UNICEF – on his return from the trip, called ‘Keep It Up For Soccer Aid’.

The ‘You Know Me’ singer is asking people to be sponsored for the number of ‘keepy-uppys’ – juggling a football with various parts of the body without letting it fall on the floor – they can do in aid of the organisation.

Speaking of the challenge, Robbie added: “It’s really simple, do as many sponsored keepy-uppys as you can to make a real difference to the lives of children.”

Other stars who have visited Haiti include Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Demi Moore and Gerard Butler.

Source: BANG Showbiz

The ‘Angels’ hitmaker – who performed with the eventual runner-up of the talent contest on UK TV last Saturday (12.12.09) – told Olly he doesn’t need show boss Simon Cowell to make him a star and has offered to help him get signed.

Speaking at the launch of ‘The Gatwick Factor’, a karaoke competition being held at Britain’s Gatwick airport this week, Olly told BANG Showbiz: “I’m just a normal guy who has come from nowhere, but ever since I finished the show, Robbie’s phoned me every other day and said, ‘How are you, how are you getting on?’

“He’s really concerned about how I go on now, about my future and he wants to help me out.

“Let’s be fair, this guy’s been around for nearly 20 years, he’s got a lot of experience, and yeah, he’s had his highs and his lows like everybody else; but he’s got so much advice to give me and I really do genuinely see him as a friend now.”

Former call centre worker Olly – whose dancing and singing talents have been compared to Robbie’s – has also been offered the chance to go to the US to launch his career Stateside with the ‘Bodies’ singer’s help.

The 25-year-old singer added: “He did offer for me to go to Los Angeles with him. He said, ‘Come over and meet my friends,’ and I think he really sees a good future for me and that’s great.”

Source: BANG Showbiz

The ‘Bleeding Love’ singer is concerned for the future of the planet and believes it will only be saved when occupied by other “life forms”.

She told The Sun newspaper: “We’ve done so much damage I worry the world will have to end and start again.

“It will be the next people who occupy the planet who will learn from our mistakes. People are too selfish to stop the things that have caused global warming now.

“But the universe is too big for us to be the only life forms.”

The vegetarian singer – who performs ‘I See You’, the theme song from new blockbuster science fiction movie ‘Avatar’ – hopes to meet an extra-terrestrial, especially if they are like the otherworldly Na’vi who appear in James Cameron’s movie.

She added: “I hope aliens are like the Na’vi. I really like them.

“They care about the things I’m passionate about – nature, the planet, the environment.

“This song required a powerful performance so I had to find an emotional connection. I found one to them.”

Leona is not the only star who believes in aliens.

Robbie Williams is fanatical about extra-terrestrials and regularly takes late night trips in the hope of spotting UFOs.

The ‘Angels’ hitmaker claims to have had three close encounters of the third kind over the years and believes in ghosts.

He said: “People will think I’m mental – which I am!”

Source: BANG Showbiz

The body of Aaron Vickers – who once shared a cabin with his partner on the land of Robbie’s £7 million mansion in Compton Bassett, Wiltshire, South West England – was discovered by a 16-year-old girl hanging from a tree next to a primary school.

Vickers had left his home in the early hours of Monday morning (30.11.09) telling his live-in lover he was going for a walk.

Mick Green, the owner of Knock-em-Dead the hair salon Vickers worked at, said: “Aaron was a larger-than-life character who touched everyone he met. When we found out what had happened to him, everyone was devastated. We closed the shop and went home.”

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police has confirmed an investigation is now underway although the death is not believed to be suspicious.

They said: “It is not believed there are any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death but as inquiries are still ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment further.”

Although he lived in the property for some time, Vickers is recently believed to have moved to a house in nearby Oakhurst.

Vickers is believed to have met Robbie through mutual friend Jonathan Wilkes.

A spokesman for the ‘Angels’ singer said: “Robbie Williams would like to express his profound sadness at the news of Aaron Vicker’s death, and sends his deepest condolences to Aaron’s partner, his family and his friends. Robbie did allow Aaron and his partner to stay in a property on his estate for a period of two months this spring. However, Aaron was not employed by Robbie as his hairdresser and their acquaintance came about through mutual friends Jonathan and Nikki Wilkes.”

Robbie had been living in Los Angeles since 2004 before buying the 71-acre Wiltshire property in January.

The pop star recently admitted he is planning to sell the mansion because his American actress girlfriend Ayda Field doesn’t like the British weather or way of life.

He is believed to be planning to move to Australia so he can go UFO hunting.

Source: BANG Showbiz

The ‘Bodies’ singer was on the Kyle and Jackie O breakfast show on Sydney’s 2DayFM to promote his new album ‘Reality Killed the Video Star’ and decided it was time to pop the question.

Ayda, 30, was in the studio with him when Jackie asked Robbie if there was any news he wanted to share.

The British singer turned to Ayda and said: “Is there anyone you want to get married to? Will you marry me?”

Ayda – who has been dating the ‘Angels’ singer for the past two years – said ‘yes’, although Robbie hadn’t prepared for the proposal and had to slip Jackie’s ring onto her finger.

A spokesperson for Robbie is yet to confirm whether the engagement is genuine.

During the interview, Robbie also revealed he misses being in Take That.

He said: “I’ve always wanted to be in a band ever since I left Take That and looking at the love they’ve all got for each other, I fancy a bit of that myself.”

Source: BANG Showbiz

The ‘Bodies’ singer has criticised the ‘Live Forever’ hitmakers – who split this summer after relations between bandmates and brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher became unmanageable – for only releasing one good single in over a decade.

He said: “To be honest, I know there’s history between us and this isn’t very complimentary, but they’ve been doing a lap of honour for the past 13 years. There’s been the occasional gem here and there. ‘The Importance of Being Idle’, and well, that’s about it.”

The 35-year-old singer has also admitted he thinks his former friends are too “stubborn” to ever reunite.

He is quoted by Britain’s The Sun newspaper as saying: “Originally I thought they’d inevitably get back together because they are the band. But reading between the lines, they’re both really stubborn so I don’t think they will.”

Robbie became friends with the brothers in 1995 after he quit boy band Take That.

However, their friendship turned sour years later when Noel labelled him a “fat dancer from Take That”.

The ‘Angels’ star hit back, branding the guitarist a “mean-spirited nasty little dwarf” and reportedly sent a funeral wreath to the band following the release of their 2000 LP ‘Standing on the Shoulder of Giants’ with a note reading: “R.I.P. Heard your latest album .”

Meanwhile, Robbie – who has just release his highly-anticipated comeback single following a three-year-break – has shocked fans by pulling out of the MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs).

It has been reported the former Take That star is unhappy with the way his return to the charts has been handled.

MTV have blamed his withdrawal from the music award show on “scheduling conflicts”, while Robbie’s team have refused to comment.

Source: BANG Showbiz