Self-styled “good Jewish boy” Michael Sophocles came unstuck in BBC 1’s The Apprentice following his stunning revelation that he did not know what a kosher chicken was.

In Wednesday night’s episode, Sir Alan Sugar tasked his would-be junior to find a number of items in Marrakech, one of which was to buy a kosher chicken, while Michael’s rival team succeeded in getting a kosher chicken, his own team did not and to make matters worse, tried to pass off a halal chicken as a kosher chicken.

Actor Michael Rosenbaum is set to leave the cast of Smallville at the end of the US TV series’ current season.

Rosenbaum, who plays Superman’s arch enemy Lex Luthor, has been with the show since it began in 2001 - but has decided to pursue other projects.

American Idol judge Paula Abdul has fiercely denied she was drunk when she made an embarrassing blunder on the hit reality TV show on Tuesday.

The singer was blasted by American gossip website TMZ.com, which accused the singer of being under the influence of alcohol when she was caught out by a change to the judging format of the show.

Death-defying illusionist David Blaine set a new world record on US TV on Wednesday when he held his breath underwater for 17 minutes and four seconds.

With Guinness Book of Records official Stuart Claxton in the audience for the feat on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Blaine climbed into a water-filled sphere to beat the record set by a Swiss man in February.

Neil Diamond has great respect for the young wannabes he’s mentoring on American Idol this week - because he wouldn’t have made it past the first round of the TV talent show.

The Sweet Caroline singer has been helping to coach the remaining finalists on the show as part of Idol’s Neil Diamond Week - but he would never have put himself through the audition process for the show.

American Idol judge Paula Abdul was left red-faced after making an embarrassing blunder on the hit reality TV show.

The singer was flummoxed after the series’ producers changed the judging format from the usual pattern of appraising each contest after they had sung to waiting until all five had performed.

When asked to appraise first performer Jason Castro, Abdul gave her opinions on two performances - even though each singer had only sung once.

Star Trek star William Shatner is determined never to die - as life is “too much fun”.

The actor - who turned 77 last month - insists he never thinks about passing away and is determined to carry on ignoring his own mortality.

He said: “I don’t plan to die. I’m having too much fun. As far as I’m concerned it’s not going to happen.”

Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss is joining the cast of next season’s US TV show Celebrity Rehab - and she is looking to get clean and find love.

The 42-year-old is seeking treatment for her dependency to crystal methamphetamines and prescription painkiller Vicodin, but she admits she’s hoping to hook up with a hunky male celebrity addict.

Law students are furious after learning controversial talkshow host Jerry Springer is to be a guest speaker at their graduation ceremony later this year.

A committee of students at Northwestern University’s Law School in Chicago, Illinois has caused uproar among the graduating class after selecting the risque TV personality, who graduated from the school in 1968, to speak at the upcoming convocation, reports New York gossip column PageSix.