MTV News Round-Up 25/05/2004

*** Victoria Beckham is to make a determined effort to break the US as a solo artist, even marketing herself as 'Posh Spice Victoria Beckham'. Manager Simon Fuller is behind a massive marketing campaign, in an effort to get his record label 19 Recordings up and running in the US. If all goes well, Will Young, Rachel Stevens and Emma Bunton will follow suit.

*** MTV Dance is proud to present the 'Cream MTV Dance Arena' at this year's Creamfields on the August 28 bank holiday weekend at the Old Liverpool Airfield. DJs added include Sasha, Sander Kleinenberg, Gabriel & Dresden, Dave Seaman and Radio 1's new signing Nic Fanciulli. Chemical Brothers will play live at Creamfields for the first time.

*** Whitney Houston is apparently to tour with heavyweight vocalists Natalie Cole and Dionne Warwick. The R&B superstar, currently battling her drug addictions, is on the road to recovery, Cole told a US chat show, and will take to the stage as part of the treble-bill in July. "We're going to have a great, great time. It's going to be fun," she said.

*** Troubled Libertines frontman Pete Doherty has checked out of rehab clinic The Priory after just one week. On a post on his website, Doherty claimed the clinic had asked him to leave after he went to the FA Cup final in Cardiff on Saturday. He wrote: "The Priory turfed me out for going to the final. From despair to... County Clare?"

*** Libertines singer Carl Barat has been named the world's fittest rock star in an NME poll. Barat, who fronts The Libertines with Pete Doherty, ranked ahead of Franz Ferdinand singer Alex Kapranos and The Strokes' Fabrizio Moretti. Meg White from The White Stripes came in fourth, one place ahead of bandmate Jack White.

DL