Lawrence.com

'Trash TV' pioneer Downey dies

Before Jerry Springer and Jenny Jones, there was Morton Downey Jr., a growling and opinionated TV talk show host who shocked viewers from behind a haze of cigarette smoke.

America, he said, saw him as "a loudmouth who gets in trouble just like they do, who's had problems just like they had, someone that they can identify with a lot more than someone who's squeaky clean."

Downey, who reigned over "Trash TV" in the 1980s and tried to clean up his act for a return, died of lung cancer and other respiratory problems, his family said Monday night. He was 68.

A chain smoker for years until losing a lung to cancer, Downey was known for deliberately blowing smoke into the faces of guests who annoyed him when he was host of one of the most popular talk shows on television in the 1980s.

After his cancer surgery in 1996, he became an anti-smoking crusader. Saying he had been "an idiot" for smoking, he taped public service announcements and told the syndicated TV show "Extra" that he hoped he could "undo some of the damage that I did during all the years that I did television."

Getting down with Prince Charles

Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall joined Sir Elton John and a slew of other entertainment and sports stars at a special anniversary dinner party given by Prince Charles at St. James's Palace in London Monday.

Singers Sting and ex-Ginger Spice Geri Halliwell and actors Stephen Fry and Ben Kingsley were among the 80 guests invited because of their support for The Prince's Trust, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

The trust, established by Prince Charles to help disadvantaged young people with education, training and starting their own businesses, raises millions of dollars through events like concerts, with the help of British celebrities.

"I have been to lots of concerts and shows. It's a wonderful charity," Jagger said.

Another Royal in a rush

Meanwhile, Princess Anne has been fined $600 and given five penalty points for driving faster than 90 mph. She was convicted of driving her Bentley at 93 mph near her Gatcombe Park home in Gloucestershire. And just to give you an idea of what life is like in the fast lane, the princess said she thought police had been escorting her past a line of traffic.

Gwyneth gains a few pounds

Fat is where it's at these days for Gwyneth Paltrow. For her next movie, the rail-thin star is donning a specially constructed "fat suit" to portray an obese woman searching for love.

Paltrow's unusual look will be seen in "Shallow Hal," a new film from the Farrelly Brothers, who directed the gross-out hit "There's Something About Mary." The fat suit � along with computer-generated special effects � will make the actress appear to weigh 300 pounds.