Celebrity news

British comedian Ricky Gervais has been picked as host of the Golden Globes.

A more freewheeling affair than the Academy Awards and other Hollywood honors, the Globes are known as a place where stars can cut loose over dinner and drinks. Gervais said it was a good environment to give him free rein as host of the Jan. 17 program on NBC.

The Globes have gone without a host since 1995, when John Larroquette and Janine Turner teamed up for the job.

Nominations will be announced Dec. 15. The awards are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

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• Elizabeth Taylor says the new Michael Jackson documentary is "the single most brilliant piece of filmmaking" she has ever seen. The actress and longtime Jackson friend says she saw "Michael Jackson's This Is It" last week.

• Television legend Norman Lear has been awarded the AARP's annual Andrus Award for service. The 87-year-old Lear is the creator of shows including "All in the Family," "Sanford & Son," "Maude," and "Good Times."

Eric Clapton has pulled out of this week's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert in New York after undergoing gallstone surgery. -- From Wire Reports