According to yesterday’s Daily Express newspaper, KYLIEX2008 will be part of the ‘premier line-up’ when Channel 4’s latest venture 4Music launches next month.

Channel 4 and Bauer Media who are behind the new channel - which is a reincarnation of music channel The Hits - claim that it will signify the rebirth of music TV. 4Music will be launched over the V Festival weekend (16th & 17th of August) and will be available on Sky 360, Virgin 330 and Freeview 18.

Alongside Kylie’s latest tour, shows will include performances from Coldplay, The Sugababes and The Verve plus extensive live coverage of Bestival, featuring headline act Amy Winehouse.

Alexa Chung, Nick Grimshaw, Miquita Oliver, Lauren Laverne and Steve Jones among others will be hosting shows across the channel.

PS. According to a usually reliable source, a video was shot last week for the upcoming digital release of The One. The ‘low budget’ clip set to the Freemason’s mix of the track will apparently be available to download as part of a digital bundle. As usual there has been no official confirmation - Parlophone will probably announce it about 3 weeks after it comes out - so fingers crossed that this one is true.

After the demise of Kylie Mania earlier in the year, there was no longer a Kylie fan site listing on the web. With so many great Kylie sites around at the moment, I decided to do something about it!

Introducing KYLIEKRAZY!

Anybody with a web space dedicated to Kylie is welcome to apply. I’ve also set up a help & support blog to try and make adding your site to the listing as easy as possible. You can visit the support blog by clicking HERE.

I’ve been testing the site for the past couple of weeks to try and iron out as many bugs as possible, but I’m sure there will probably be a few teething troubles so please bare with me.

Kylie has added an exclusive limited edition photographic book to the list of merchandise available for her KYLIEX2008 tour. All of the photos in the book have been taken by Kylie’s Creative Director and friend William Baker and include previously unreleased material. The book has been limited to 1000 copies, and each one has been individually signed by both Kylie and William.

The book documents a pivotal and intensely emotional part of Kylie’s life when she returned to the limelight following her battle with breast cancer, from the Showgirl Homecoming tour up to the current KYLIEX2008 tour. The book itself, which is over two hundred pages, comes packaged in a sculpted acrylic case designed by graphic artist Tony Hung.

When asked why he had taken on the role of Kylie’s primary photographer, William explained, “After Kylie’s illness she became quite selective about whom she wanted round her. Her level of privacy was increased and because of this, I stepped up as photographer - almost by default. Of course Kylie then had a lot to do with my progression as a photographer. She is an amazing subject to capture - it would be very difficult to take a bad picture of her.”

Kylie added simply, “Willie and I have a unique relationship, it’s quite symbiotoc. We feed off each other’s talents and understand each others insecurities! We both love to create, and this book illustrates that.”

Sadly, the one downside of this new release is the price. The book looks beautifully produced, but at a staggering £250.00 (plus up to £90.00 P&P if you order it from the Kylie Store) it will be well out of the price range of many of Kylie’s fans.

All images in this article are from photographs of the book taken by Minoguestar - which have then been touched up by me.

Despite there having still been no official announcement, hmv.com have now marked the physical release of ‘The One’ as deleted, and have contacted customers to let them know that their pre-order has been cancelled.

Although the rumours about the fate of this track have been circulating the forums for a while, I was really hoping they’d turn out to be untrue. It’s such a shame, this track has received the best reception of any of the singles from X, it’s actually getting decent airtime and the Freemasons’ mix is going down a storm in the clubs.

The biggest worry now is whether the digital release will be chart eligible. If it is, a track that should have been her biggest selling single for years, could end up being her worst.

On Tuesday, The Daily Express printed a refreshingly positive article about Kylie entitled, ‘Little Miss Sunshine’. Amongst all of the rumours and lies that are printed about Kylie in the British press it was great to find an article which simply celebrates what’s great about our girl, so I couldn’t resist posting it on here for anyone who didn’t get a chance to read it.

Last week she picked up an OBE, this week she has been voted Britain’s most popular person. So what does make the eternally happy Kylie Minogue such an unlikely icon?

When she was seven years old, Kylie Minogue entered a piano competition near her home in Melbourne, Australia. “Apparently, I walked on to the stage, sat on the piano stool and before I began to play, unprompted, looked over to the judges and gave them a big smile. To this day, I’m not sure if it was my piano playing or the smile that scored me a place.” Since then, she’s made a habit of flashing that trademark mega-watt grin.

While other pop divas enhance their reputation by falling out of night­clubs drunk at 3am, taking drugs or gesticulating at the pap­arazzi who trail them, Kylie has chosen a very different route: by being girl-next-door nice.

So nice, in fact, that she is now, officially, the most popular person in Britain – more popular, even, than the much-loved Terry Wogan and Bruce Forsyth, who came second and third respectively in the poll by leading market research firm onepoll.com. For many pop stars, coming top of a list like this would be deeply worrying but Kylie is nothing if not smart: she knows her enduring appeal depends on the depth of her fan base.

She may not have the greatest voice; she may not be the best dancer or the most sultry performer but as a package she is peerless. Women want to be her and men want to be with her.

The Doctor Who episode in which she guest starred last Christmas drew the show’s highest viewing figures since 1979, while she has been honoured with no fewer than four waxworks at Madame Tussauds – only the Queen has had more models made. And while she may be popular with the masses, last year she was also considered worthy of her own exhibition at London’s V&A museum.

Official recognition of public affection for her crowns a glittering year for Kylie: in February, she received a Brit Award for Best International Female Solo Artist; her European comeback concert tour, which kicked off in May, has been a sell-out and last week she was awarded an OBE by Prince Charles. In typical Kylie style, she gave the heir to the throne “that smile” before chatting, joking and even clasping his hand with both of hers, leaving him looking decidedly smitten.

There is something about Kylie that makes people want to protect her – and not just because she’s only 5ft tall. At 40, she still has a doll-like appeal. Her poor taste in men – she dated Jason Donovan, rock star Michael Hutchence and model James Gooding, none of whom popped the question – only adds to this effect. More than any other performer you feel that Kylie’s appeal could last for ever. However, as her pop career enters its third decade, she appears to be aware that this is the perfect time to diversify. She has cannily spent the past few years turning herself into a brand, selling everything from cushions and perfume to underwear and candles – all notably cuddly, cosy, intimate products that convey the Kylie feel-good factor.

Since the release of her studio album X at the end of last year, she has appeared in adverts for her third fragrance, Showtime, and promoted her new bed linen range, Kylie at Home. Her earnings last year were estimated at more than £12million. So how did the Australian sex kitten – whose first foray into pop music saw her derided by one critic as a “singing budgie” – inveigle her way into our hearts so effectively?

Kylie is one of the few artists to have had No1 hits in the Eighties, Nineties and 2000s. Her pop career has resulted in sales of more than 65million. But her popularity goes deeper than her ability to churn out breezy hits with the sort of lyrics and tunes that stick in your head long after they’ve finished playing. “I have this smiley-Kylie image and that’s fine with me,” she told an interviewer recently. “I tend to be more of a positive than a negative person. But I still have some dark and sad moments. It’s not my job, though, to go public with those.”

When her relationships flounder, as they too often seem to, she issues dignified statements and never rakes over the coals publicly. Even when she split up with Olivier Martinez, the French actor widely acknow­ledged as the love of her life, after four years together, she didn’t break down publicly but issued a statement in his defence. Last week, they were photo­graphed together again, having dinner at a Paris restaurant with her parents and manager, sparking rum­ours that they were back together. “It’s difficult to age with dignity in the pop business but I like to think I’ve managed it so far,” says the singer who was 40 in May.

Her relentlessly professional attitude – in which she reveals just as much as we need to know but not a smidgen more – was highlighted when she was diagnosed in 2005 with breast cancer. A huge surge in sympathetic affection followed, as well as an enormous increase in breast screening, which was nicknamed the Kylie Effect by medical professionals. Although she was seriously ill, we loved her for the way in which she battled the disease with chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments. She may have looked pale and wan but when she was pictured in her silk headscarf walking Olivier’s dog around Paris, she seemed to be gathering strength. She famously refused to wear a wig and the pixie look that replaced her flowing tresses when her hair grew back was worn as a badge of honour. “I’m not the same,” she said simply. She came through the other side of her illness to prove that a breast cancer diagnosis didn’t have to be a death sentence and that it was possible to emerge smiling from such a terrifying ordeal.

Seeing her now, it’s hard to believe that just a couple of years ago she was making headlines for her cancer battle. “During my therapy they told me, ‘You’ll reach a point when you’ll almost forget all this has even happened’. Now I tell myself it’s true – I’m back living life to the fullest. Sometimes, I do feel this disease was in the past. It’s remarkable what a person is able to put up with.”

And how much reinvention is possible. Two months after her treatment ended, she was spending six hours a day rehearsing as well as working out regularly. She also found time to write a children’s book, The Show­girl Princess, release the first of her signature scents and to guest-edit Australian Vogue in December, 2006. All of this led one men’s magazine to declare her the “biggest female pop star in the world” and to rave that, while many people in the pop industry are “manipulated puppets” who are “as vacuous” as they often seem, “that’s the last thing you could say about Kylie – she’s all flesh and blood”.

In Aborigine, Kylie means boom­erang and there are few who have demonstrated such an amazing ability to bounce back.

In this months ‘Easy Living’ magazine, Kylie talks to Michael Tschernak about - amongst other things - her battle with breast cancer, her relationship with Olivier Martinez and her feelings about having a family of her own.

On her battle with breast cancer : During my therapy they told me, ‘You’ll reach a point where you’ll almost forget all this has ever happened.’ Now I tell myself it’s true - I’m back and I’m living life to the fullest. Sometimes I really do feel this disease was in the past. It’s remarkable what a person is able to put up with. Nevertheless, it has left it’s mark, it influences everything I do - it’s part of my history.

On taking things a bit easier : I’ve just spent a whole week on Mauritius. A real holiday! For the first time I didn’t feel a need to control everything. I just took it easy and I returned feeling peaceful and relaxed. Now I can concentrate on the tour. I’m really looking forward to performing the new songs live.

On the paparazzi : They know where I live and follow me from home. It took me a while to get used to it. I’d think, ‘What are they doing here, what is there to report?’ There’s always been interest in the lives of famous people - you only need to watch video footage of the last few decades to know that. But it’s grown enormously in intensity in the past few years. You can’t just ignore them, that’s impossible, but it still irritates me.

On having a family : There are days when I think, actually that’s not the right path for me. I never really felt like I was made for an ordinary life, like a husband and a terraced house in the suburbs. Understandably, there’s a huge interest in these super-mums, who perform and have kids at the same time, but for some people that would be too much. And there are lots of singers who have achieved remarkable things without a family, such as Debbie Harry or Dolly Parton. Recently, Dolly said in an interview, ‘I don’t need children, I have brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews.’ Ultimately, what matters most is how much love you’ve got inside yourself, and how much of it you are willing to give. Whenever I’m in a room with children, I’m the first to get down on the floor and fool around with them. I have a nephew who is just 22 months old - my brother Brendan’s son - and when I’m in Australia I always try to take a long ‘auntie break’. But as far as having my own family, it’s just too early to say really.

On reinventing herself : The showgirl and the feathers are behind me, I want to go into a new direction now. Jean Paul Gaultier is designing my costumes for the tour - everything will be couture! Everything is hand made, every seam, it’s absolutely beautiful. Gaultier pays meticulous attention to detail, I love his work. I’ve always found it fascinating to see how dresses are made. My grandmother taught me to sew, you wouldn’t believe it but I can actually use a sewing machine. Maybe under different circumstances I could have been a designer. In this industry you are constantly under enormous pressure: you’re asking yourself what to do for your next video and at the same time, you realise it has to be finished in five days time. No matter what you do, everything always happens at the last minute.

On getting older : I didn’t really think about it (turning 40), but everybody else seemed to. Even last year, people kept asking about it and I thought, ‘Wait a second, I only just turned 39!’ It was no big deal. I hadn’t planned anything special either. Besides, the next day I was performing in Munich. A while ago I sang ‘I Should Be So Lucky’ as a romantic torch song on ‘Later… With Jools Holland’. Jools accompanied me on the piano, and I can imagine working like that. It’s difficult to age with dignity in the pop business, but I’d like to think that I’ve managed it so far. In the pop business you need spirit, courage and determination, first and foremost, to perform on stage as you get older.

On all those romance rumours : Olivier is a good friend. The rumours flared up again only because we met for dinner in a bistro in Paris. I look forward to seeing him, but I also look forward to seeing his dog Sheba, she even spent a night at my place. I have great respect for Olivier, no matter what people say about him or about us, nobody can take away our special experiences together.

Her outlook on life : A lot of things I do are based on protecting my image. I have this ‘Smiley Kylie’ image, and that’s fine with me. I tend to be more of a positive than negative person, but I still have some dark and sad moments. It’s not my job though, to go public with those. I believe every artist is challenged by uncertainties they are trying to overcome. One moment you’re flying high above an audience of 10 or 20 thousand people, and the next moment you might be going home alone. That is kind of contradictory, but I like contradictions, you have to accept them and try to create a balance. That’s the aim of my life: to find a balance.

You can read the full article in the August edition of ‘Easy Living’ magazine.

Speaking ouside Buckingham Palace after being presented with her OBE by HRH Prince Charles, Kylie told reporters, “It’s quite overwhelming, I knew I’d be nervous and obviously I was very excited but it was emotional …. to share this day with people from all works of life and to have my family here, it was just magical, wonderful.” Keep reading to watch the interview.

Congratulations to Kylie who is at Buckingham Palace today to receive an OBE from HRH Prince Charles for a lifetime of music making. Accompanied to the ceremony by her parents, Kylie stepped out of her chauffeur-driven limousine looking stunning in a shimmering cream-coloured Yves Saint Laurent dress decorated with large stars and gold high-heeled sandals.

After pausing to greet the waiting media with a friendly “hello” she was ushered into the palace. When Kylie found out last December she would be made an OBE for services to music, she said, “I feel deeply touched to be acknowledged by the UK, my adopted home, in this way.”

THANKS TO KANE AT SAY-HEY FOR THE CLIPS

Kylie made sure she wasn’t the only one in front of the cameras at her recent show in Helnsinki on June 13th! When an aide began filming some exclusive footage for Kylie.com from the wings on her Nokia N95, Kylie cheekily took the phone for a moment or two to film the audience during her performance of ‘I Should Be So Lucky’! Keep reading to watch the clip.

In this months edition of ‘Q Magazine’ they have compiled a list of the ‘20 Greatest Duets Of All Time’, and Kylie’s duet with Nick Cave ‘Where The Wild Roses Grow’ has landed in an impressive 3rd place.

Article taken from this months ‘Q Magazine’.

No.3 Where The Wild Roses Grow - Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds & Kylie Minogue

It was inevitable that the mordantly gloomy Nick Cave should release an album called ‘Murder Ballads’, the fact that it featured a collaboration with Kylie Minogue, in which the wholesome pop princess’s protagonist had her head staved in with a rock, was altogether more shocking.

In reality the pairing wasn’t so surprising. Cave was a confirmed admirer of his fellow Antipodean. “Kylie Minogue is the greatest thing that has happened to Australian music,” he said, even going so far as to invite her to recite the lyrics of her Number 1 single ‘I Should Be So Lucky’ at a London Royal Albert Hall poetry marathon in June 1996. Minogue’s rock’n'roll credibility, meanwhile, had shot up following a fling with famously dissolute INXS singer Michael Hutchence (she was reputedly the inspiration for the band’s ‘Suicide Blonde’ single).

The song - recorded at London’s Abbey Road studios - was an ornate waltz through the obsession of two lovers, the virginal Eliza Day (Minogue) and Cave’s unnamed older character. Consumed by her beauty, Cave decides that she must die because he can’t bear the possibility of one day losing her. Stock, Aitken and Waterman it wasn’t.

It also changed the lives of both singers. Minogue later credited Cave with giving her the confidence to express herself as an artist. “Nick taught me to never veer too far from who I am, but to go further, try different things,” she said. Her next album 1997’s ‘Impossible Princess’ was the first time she received a writing credit on every track.

Cave’s career took a slightly more surreal turn. Critically respected, he had never before troubled the Top 40 singles chart. ‘Where The WIld Roses Grow’ found him being introduced to Top Of The Pops by Hale & Pace to sing his dark tragic ballad alongside the likes of D:Ream and Simply Red. “I may have the odd eight-year-old asking for my autograph, which is a bit embarrasing,” Cave said ruefully soon afterwards, “but it was worth it!”