In her relatively short career, 23-year-old Adele has amassed a fortune of millions. Her fans praise the mature lyrics and considered music. However, they’re not too impressed by her latest foray into ‘grown-up’ matters — tax. It seems, the singer — full name Adele Adkins — hadn’t reckoned on HM Revenue and Customs wanting a share in her success. Adele’s comments were made in a recent interview with music magazine Q. She said: “I’m mortified to have to pay 50 per cent! [While] I use the NHS, I can’t use the public transport any more. Trains are always late, most state schools are s*** and I’ve gotta give you, like, four million quid — are you having a laugh? When I got my tax bill in from 19, I was ready to go and buy a gun and randomly open fire.”

However, judging by the reaction on Twitter, Adele’s comments have hit a raw nerve with some fans. A user named @Outroversion tweeted: “God that Adele pop singer is such a moron. Her comments on tax are both ignorant and self-aggrandising. I’m pretty sure it’s just her way.” Another Twitter user, raymondonia, commented: “Adele i don’ care if your rolling in the F-ing deep. Pay you tax and stop moaning. Wish i were paying 50%.” The singer will be expecting an even heftier tax bill when she picks up the royalties from her next album 21. Her top-selling LP has sold more than 1,900,000 copies in the US alone since its release earlier this year. Her second album, 21, held on to the number one chart slot in the UK for a record-breaking 13 weeks while earlier this year she also became only the second ever artist to have two albums and two singles in the top five at the same time.

— Daily Mail

Jessie J rushed to hospital after falling off a platform

Jessie J was rushed to hospital on Saturday evening after falling off a platform onstage at Wembley Stadium during rehearsals. The Do It Like A Dude star was putting the finishing touches to her routine for Sunday’s Summertime Ball at the legendary London venue when she slipped and fell, tearing a major ligament in her foot. The 23-year-old tweeted about the accident as dozens of fans — who she calls Heartbeats — had been waiting outside the venue for a chance to meet their idol when she left. She wrote: “Just want to let my #heartbeats (ones waiting outside wembley) know that I have been taken to hospital after falling off a platform. I have ripped a main ligament in my foot and have been put on crutches and told to rest. Im in a lot pain 🙁 so please dont wait in the cold for me.. #sorry! :`(” The Brit Award winner had been due to play in front of 75,000 fans at Capital Radio’s huge Summertime Ball gig. Earlier, she’d said that the prospect of playing the concert was “an overwhelming thing.” She also admitted: “I don’t think it’s going to hit me until I’ve stepped off stage and I’m done.” It’s fairly certain, however, the star wasn’t expecting to step off stage quite like she did on Saturday tonight.

— Daily Mail

Bill Gates … on children and money

Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars’s hit Billionaire reached No 3 on both sides of the Atlantic last year. The lyrics are, Gates chuckles, regularly used by his three children to poke fun at him. At 55, he has graced the cover of Forbes magazine many times. As the co-founder, with Paul Allen, of Microsoft, he grew a 1975 back-room start-up into a software behemoth worth, at its peak, $400 billion. “The Billionaire song is what my kids tease me with,” he says. “They sing it to me. It’s funny.” But Jennifer, 15, Rory, 12, and Phoebe, nine, aren’t going to inherit anything like that much. “I don’t think that amount of money would be good for them.” He won’t specify what they will get, but the reports that they’ll receive ‘only’ $10 million each can’t be far off, because he concedes, “It will be a minuscule portion of my wealth. It will mean they have to find their own way. They will be given an unbelievable education and that will all be paid for. And certainly anything related to health issues we will take care of. But in terms of their income, they will have to pick a job they like and go to work. They are normal kids now. They do chores, they get pocket money.” He is determined that his family life should be as unaffected as possible by his fortune, and that he should be a hands-on father.

— Daily Mail