Fastest-selling album ever

The runner-up in a talent show has the top-selling music album this week.

Susan Boyle became famous in the UK and the US after her first appearance on a show called Britain’s Got Talent earlier this year.

The judges and audience were rude to Ms Boyle when she first walked on to the stage. She did not look like a star. She is 48 and lives with her cat in a small house in Scotland.

But when she started to sing the judges were very surprised. Her performance was put on You Tube and became a hit. Now she has released her first album, called I Dream A Dream. It is the fastest-selling first album ever.

What wakes you in the night?

Men can sleep through the sound of a baby crying. They are more likely to be woken by a fly buzzing round the room.

Research done for a UK company that makes medicine for colds looked at what wakes people up.

It found women are woken up by crying babies. Men are most likely to be disturbed by a car alarm, the sound of the wind, or an insect in the room.

Body hair in the news

There were lots of silly stories about Simon Cowell, the man who makes talent shows like Britain’s Got Talent.

Mr Cowell appears in the shows as a judge. He is famous for being rude.

This week people have noticed that he looks different. They think he has removed the hair from his hands and some of his chest hair with wax. The newspapers have been full of photos of Mr Cowell’s hands. There has also been lots about how painful it is to have hair ripped out using wax.

Getting ready for Christmas

Christmas is the biggest festival of the year in England and Wales. Christmas Day is December 25, but lots of people spend the whole month “getting ready”.

British people exchange presents on Christmas Day and often have a very big family meal. We decorate our homes, usually with a pine tree with glass balls and lights. And we send cards to each other.

Lots of cooks rely on a book by a cookery writer called Delia Smith to get the Christmas meal right. This even tells people what time to put the turkey in the oven, and when to add the potatoes.

This year Delia Smith has come out of retirement with a new version of her book and a television series. It is very popular. Unlike other celebrity chefs, Delia Smith isn’t glamorous or rude or exciting. People trust her because her recipes work properly.

by Susan Young - susan@englishuk.com

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