News Brief

New York Daily News: SPOILER: All about saving face on 'Young and the Restless'. Jeffrey Bardwell busts Gloria for the tainted Jabot face cream this week on "The Young and the Restless," leading to a shocking outcome. "Another man who's trying to take all her money," snaps Judith Chap-man, who plays wealthy widow Gloria Abbott Bardwell.

The Desert Sun: For Desert Hot Springs resident and soap star Judith Chapman, currently appearing as Gloria Fisher Abbott on "The Young and The Restless," The Palm Springs Classic Film Festival is a treat. "I'm actually seeing people I haven't seen in years," she said between greeting and chatting with fans at her booth. Chapman, who is a co-owner of The Vineyard Tuscan Grill in Palm Springs, was eager to participate when she was approached by the organizers of Starfair. "I so wanted to do it," she said. "I said I'd bring 'Y&R' stuff, but what I really wanted to do was promote my play ('Catonsville 9.') Everyone was so positive, I was impressed."

Entertainmentwise: "I'm A Celebrity" star Marc Bannerman is facing claims he cheated on his ex-girlfriend with a prostitute in a drug-fuelled tryst. Marc split with Sarah Matravers after falling in love with singer Cerys Matthews on the show, but is now facing sordid details of his indiscretions during his two year relationship with the actress. Prostitute Shann Fallon claims the ex-"Eastenders" actor hired her this summer whilst Sarah was away from the home they shared together, taking cocaine and cannabis with him.

Digital Spy: Sid Owen is confident that his return to "EastEnders" will be a hit with viewers. The actor, who plays Ricky Butcher, is making a comeback alongside Patsy Palmer - better known as Ricky's ex-wife Bianca. "They know these old characters work. We've proved that in the past and, providing the storylines are strong enough, it will work," Sid told the Daily Star Sunday. "By bringing us back they are also hoping to bring back a lot of the old viewers they've lost and the strong viewing figures of the past. "It is so hard for a long-running soap like 'EastEnders' to keep those viewing figures up and keep being a success."

Pocket-lint: Channel 4 has announced that is it launching a HD service on Sky from Monday 10 December. "Hollyoaks" will be available in HD from Spring 2008, making it the first home-grown soap to announce its commitment to being produced in HD.

Korea Times: The epic ``Taewangsasingi'' topped the nation's No. 1 search engine Naver's most searched word list last week. The title stands for the four guardian Gods of the king. While the soap opera has enjoyed high popularity, its final episode aired by MBC on Dec. 5, caused discontent with the TV audience. Following the ending, the program's on-line bulletin board was bombarded with messages from viewers, alleging that the final story did not follow the script made public in advance.

Melbourne Herald Sun: TALENTED actor Nathan Phillips looks set to join the cast of The Factory, the big budget Hollywood flick co-written and produced by "Canal Road" and "As The World Turns" star Paul Leyden. Acclaimed US actor John Cusack has been cast in the lead role in the thriller.

Snark Weighs In: Snark reviews the Soap Opera Digest Best & Worst of 2007 list.

Evian Dreams: Has "Passions" been canceled again? Yes, per a message supposedly from Tracey Ross. (login required)