A New York chef has invented a luxury version of one of the city’s staple foods - the $1,000 bagel (£500).

While many bagel bakeries in London charge no more than 50p for their version, you can now splash out over £500 for the world’s most expensive bagel.

Natalie Portman created her stage name when she became famous, so she could lead a normal childhood.

On screen and in the press, she was actress Natalie Portman, but back home she was Natalie Hershlag - and the trick worked.

The 26-year-old Israeli-born actress - who found fame at 12 in 1994 film Leon - says: “It was like having an alter ego. I was able to keep my public persona controlled and let the messiness be in private. I could be a human being.”

Troubled songstress Amy Winehouse has agreed to go into rehab if she fails to quit drugs over the Christmas period, according to reports.

The Back To Black singer was pictured with the residue of a white substance in her nose on the way to a gig last week - sparking rumours she was back on drugs despite claims by pal Pete Doherty she had cleaned up her wild ways.

Filmmaking siblings The Coen Brothers were forced to spend a small fortune shipping specially-designed fake blood from England to their No Country For Old Men set in New Mexico - to keep predators at bay.

The brothers balked when they saw the costs for the blood the costume experts insisted on, but quickly realised the goo had to be something special.