MTV News Round-Up: 27/02/2004

*** The Darkness have joined the PETA campaign against KFC, with frontman Justin Hawkins writing a letter to the fast food chain, urging them to implement PETAs recommended improvements in the treatment of its chickens. PETA claims that investigations into KFC suppliers in England have turned up the same abuses as were found in the US: crippled chickens living in crowded conditions. Black Eyed Peas and Paul McCartney also support the campaign.

*** Justin Timberlake has scrapped plans to co-host a US tribute show to black record label Motown with Lionel Richie. The singer allegedly pulled out after an 'anti-Timberlake' email, fax and phone campaign was launched by a coalition of African-American organisations protesting the singer's involvement in the show.

*** Andre 3000 of OutKast is in talks to play rock legend Jimi Hendrix in an upcoming film. The film will be directed by the Hughes brothers and will follow Henrdrix's stardom, until his death aged 27 in 1970. Andre 3000 is also starring in 'Be Cool', the sequel to 'Get Shorty'.

*** G-Unit member Tony Yayo, in jail for the past year, has pleaded guilty to passport fraud in an attempt to get out of prison faster, so he can rejoin 50 Cent and his crew. Yayo was imprisoned after he was arrested for weapons-possession, which revealed an outstanding warrant and led to charges for jumping bail.

*** Britney Spears's new DVD will include the new track 'The Answer', produced by P Diddy. Both Britney and Diddy had talked about the song before the release of her album 'In The Zone', but it wasn't on the final tracklisting. A second new track on the DVD, 'Don't Hang Up', is Britney's take on phone sex.

*** Geri Halliwell is to be the subject of a fly-on-the-wall documentary on Channel Five, following the fame-hungry star as she flits between LA and London. In other Geri news, she has spoken of how she developed eating disorders while living with the Spice Girls. "I didn't want to share that I was going back to my hotel room and bingeing on cakes. It wasn't something I was very proud of."

CL