Media: The Word on the Street

NOT CONTENT with his column in The Sun, satellite TV show and radio programme, Richard Littlejohn is making a bid for a new career. He was at Radio 5 Live, broadcasting his sports show last week, when time came for the news. Unfortunately the newsreader was late, so Littlejohn took over. While reading a claim made by the Prime Minister that the previous government was to blame for something, Littlejohn ad-libbed his own opinion: "Well, he would say that, wouldn't he?" If it was possible for an organisation to faint, the BBC would have done just that. A producer rang Littlejohn's agent, Alex Armitage, to remind him that newsreaders are not allowed to make politically biased asides. Mr Armitage reminded the BBC that Littlejohn charges for newsreading and might be sending an invoice.

JUST IN case Planet Hollywood is too tasteful for your kiddies and the Fashion Cafe not naff enough, news comes of a new themed restaurant from David Hasselhoff. Yup, you guessed it, a restaurant themed around Baywatch. Look out for a lot of ham on the menu, not to mention succulent breast and beefcake on the bone.

BY FAR the most comprehensive website on the Internet devoted to Rupert Murdoch is that created by Fans Against Rupert's Takeover (Manchester United fans, that is), which goes by the charming acronym Fart(at www.infonamibia.com/fart). One of its offerings is "Hang Rupert", a game that borrows heavily from Hangman, using the Dirty Digger in the place of the stickman. It might be basic, but it gets its point across.

THE LAST time The Sunday Telegraph grabbed the headlines was when its editor Dominic Lawson was named as an MI6 spy (a charge he vigorously denied). With its leaked account of the report into the police investigation of Stephen Lawrence's murder, his paper is the centre of attention again. Which is more than can be said of Mr Lawson, who is just over halfway through a two-week holiday.

IN OUR coverage of the departure of James Brown from GQ last week, The Independent suggested that Ronnie Cooke Newhouse, whom we described as head of press at Calvin Klein, had expected Mr Brown to accompany her to some of the New York fashion shows. We wish to make clear that Ms Newhouse no longer works for Calvin Klein (where she was in fact creative director) and that she did not attend any fashion shows in New York.