People in the news

Voters put Spears in doghouse as bad celebrity pet owner

New York – When it comes to celebrity dog-parenting skills, Oprah Winfrey is tops and Britney Spears is the world’s worst, according to an online vote by readers of two dog magazines.

“Britney was the overwhelming choice” for worst celebrity dog owner for 2006, Hilary O’Hagan, editor of The New York Dog and The Hollywood Dog magazines, said in a statement.

“She once had three Chihuahuas : and never left home without at least one of them on her arm,” O’Hagan said. “As soon as she met K-Fed and had kids they (the dogs) disappeared.”

Spears has filed for divorce from aspiring rapper Kevin Federline. The 25-year-old pop singer and Federline, 28, have a 1-year-old son, Sean Preston, and a 3-month-old son, Jayden James.

Paris Hilton, 2005’s “worst” winner, placed second for “treating her dogs like accessories,” the magazines said.

Winfrey, who owns five dogs, was voted this year’s best celebrity dog owner. The talk show host replaced 2005 winner Joss Stone, and beat off competition from Tori Spelling, Nicollette Sheridan and Beth Ostrosky, Howard Stern’s girlfriend.

No-name to win Grammy duet with Timberlake

Santa Monica, Calif. – Justin Timberlake may have said “Bye, Bye, Bye” to his ‘N Sync bandmates, but he’s looking for a partner to sing with at the Grammys.

The Recording Academy, together with CBS Corp. and Yahoo Inc., is having a contest to find an unsigned artist to perform with the 25-year-old “SexyBack” singer at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, to air live Feb. 11 on CBS from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Contestants are being asked to submit a 60-second video clip of them singing one of nine songs that Timberlake selected. All of the songs have won Grammys.

A panel will whittle the contestants to 12, and people will be able to vote online to narrow the field to three.

Early Garland recordings get little interest at auction

Los Angeles – A pair of records made by Judy Garland as a child from her first studio recording session have failed to sell at auction.

The top bid Sunday for the acetate discs recorded in March 1935 was $22,500, failing to reach the minimum amount, said Levi Morgan, a spokesman for auctioneer Bonhams & Butterfields.

The auction house had expected the records to fetch between $30,000 and $40,000.

The records, which have never been heard in public, feature renditions of four songs sung by 12-year-old Garland in her early vaudeville shows including “Bill” from the Broadway musical “Showboat.” They also contain a medley of “Good Ship Lollypop,” “Object of My Affections” and “Dinah.”

‘Apprentice’ winner Rancic engaged to E!’s DePandi

Los Angeles – “The Apprentice” winner Bill Rancic, who first applied to be on “The Bachelor,” won’t be one for long.

The reality show star is now the happy fiance of “E! News” anchor Giuliana DePandi, reports People.

The couple first met when DePandi, 31, interviewed him as the first “Apprentice” winner, but it wasn’t until 10 months ago when she interviewed him again and discovered that he was still single. Behind the scenes, Rancic, 34, asked her out on their first date. They plan to wed in late 2007 in Italy.