Patrick Swayze's doctor has confirmed the actor has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer - but insists he's not as close to death as reports suggest. Tabloid and internet reports suggested the Ghost star was fighting for his life and had been given just five weeks to live, but his physician Dr. George Fisher suggests he's a lot more optimistic about the actor's recovery. In a statement issued to Wenn on Wednesday, Dr. Fisher says, "Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far. All of the reports stating the time frame of his prognosis and his physical side effects are absolutely untrue. We are considerably more optimistic." The Dirty Dancing hunk's publicist Annett Wolf adds, "Patrick Swayze has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is currently undergoing treatment. Patrick is continuing his normal schedule during this time, which includes working on upcoming projects. The outpouring of support and concern he has already received from the public is deeply appreciated by Patrick and his family."

Former Bond girl Denise Richards has attacked her "angry" ex Charlie Sheen for trying to use her upcoming reality show to battle her for more child custody. Sheen and his new fiancee Brooke Mueller have both spoken out against Richards' new E! show, claiming it will exploit his young daughters by his ex-wife. After losing a court battle to veto the show, Sheen has urged parents and fans to boycott Richards' reality series. And now the actress is fighting back, insisting his attempts to wreck her reality ambitions are nothing more than the acts of an "angry person." She tells America's In Touch magazine, "This is the first time I've publicly commented on one of his attacks, but I need to take a stand at some point. He's such an angry person. This court battle wasn't about our girls on the show, it was him battling me. He wasn't trying to protect the kids at all." Richards insists Sheen attempted to use the reality show as leverage to change their custody agreement - and was so convinced he'd win the latest battle in the couple's bitter divorce and custody war he had a victory statement prepared. She adds, "He lost. So now he wants my show to fail."

Movie veteran Jack Nicholson has defended the 2008 Oscars after critics savaged the telecast, which suffered terrible TV ratings in America. The Academy Awards show was snubbed by millions of TV viewers - it attracted the lowest audience figures since 1974. But the As Good As It Gets star, who sat in the front row throughout the event, insists it was still a "tremendous" evening, even though not everything at the ceremony was to his liking. He tells MTV.com, "I like the spirit of the Oscars. I think what happened this year was the Oscars had an indigenous quality. The acting categories were tremendous. The pictures themselves were not necessarily pictures that the public connected with. I like the Oscars because it's not exactly the way I want it. It's basically good for everybody. Every kind of actor is represented in there. I do think there are too many other awards shows. There are too many self-congratulations."

Actress/model Jenny McCarthy has called on the U.S. medical community to recognize that diet and vitamins can help ease the symptoms of autism. McCarthy, whose five-year-old son Evan suffers from the disorder, travels around America giving talks about the alleged benefits of natural medicines. But the blonde, who is dating Jim Carrey, wishes doctors would acknowledge how diets and vitamins can be used to treat autism. She says, "I've been speaking to moms across the country who are all shouting out the same thing: 'This (diet and supplement intake) is working.' It's so heartbreaking to see the medical community not support something called diet and vitamins. And it pains us, city after city after city. I see this heartbreak on these mom's faces. Autism isn't covered by (medical) insurance. If things like diets and supplements are working, then why not support it? These kids are getting better and I will not shut up and will not stop fighting about it."

The team behind hit TV show My Name Is Earl is delighted to have landed a guest appearance by Paris Hilton - insisting it will help boost the socialite's acting career . The heiress, who is determined to reinvent herself as a thespian, has been given a cameo role in an episode due to air next month, playing herself in a dream sequence. And show creator Greg Garcia is pleased to have Hilton on board. He says, "When we wrote the role of 'Paris Hilton' in the script, we weren't exactly sure who to go with for the role. But after an exhausting search we finally settled on a relatively unknown actress by the name of Paris Hilton. I can't wait to see what she does with the role, and I can't wait for America to discover her."

Victoria Beckham has reportedly been in talks with U.S. TV network Fox to front her own reality fashion TV series. The show will take on a similar format as British show Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares - in which the Scottish chef revitalizes flagging restaurants - which has been a massive hit with American viewers. Reports state the show - titled Fashion Nightmares - will see Beckham travel around America, finding unfashionable unfortunates and giving them a style make-over. A source tells Britain's Marie Claire magazine, "They want her to visit some boutiques and beauty pageants in real backwater towns and to try to whip them into chic shape. A couple of A-listers have recommended her, saying her humor and knowledge has yet to be fully explored."

Samuel L. Jackson has been named as the new face of British cable TV company Virgin Media. The actor is the latest in a long line of Hollywood celebrities to promote the telecommunications brand, and will take over the role from fellow Pulp Fiction star Uma Thurman later this year. James Kydd, of Virgin Media, says, "We are extremely excited about working with Samuel for our new ad campaign, as he has such massive appeal with young and old alike. He is the epitome of cool and is an unmistakably powerful narrator who never fails to grab the attention of the viewer. We couldn't think of anyone better to talk about the best TV service in the UK." The adverts featuring Jackson will air in the U.K. in April.

Actress Salma Hayek was desperate to give birth to a boy - because women suffer more than men. The star had daughter Valentia Paloma Pinault in September last year, but admits when she was pregnant, she was keen for the child to be male. However, Hayek insists she was delighted when she gave birth to a girl, because Valentia was "perfect." She tells Glamour magazine, "I have something to confess, I wanted a boy. Probably because I was afraid. I think women suffer a bit more than boys, and there is always conflict between mothers and daughters. But now that she's here, I'm so happy she's a girl. And I can't imagine there ever being conflict between us, because I'm in a state of innocence where I love everything she does."

Pink "celebrated" her marriage split with a raucous night out in Hollywood on Monday. The singer, who recently announced she had separated from her husband of two years Carey Hart, was spotted partying with longtime collaborator Butch Walker at one of her favorite Los Angeles haunts, the Key Club. And Pink was not in the mood to mourn her marriage - she got the party started when she jumped onstage to join rockers Metal Skool, who perform at the venue every Monday night. It isn't the first time Pink has joined the group onstage - she teamed up with the tribute act onstage in 2006. One fans tells In Touch magazine, "She sang laying on the floor because she seemed too drunk to stand." And it seems Walker is not only her producer and songwriting partner - he's her new man. Key Club regulars spotted the pair "making out" and "looking very Together," according to In Touch.

Troubled star Britney Spears is doing her bit for charity by selling off a photo of herself and a group of 10 young children she has been teaching at the North Hollywood Millennium Dance Complex. The photograph is going to be given to a celebrity photo agency to syndicate worldwide - and all profits will go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, in Memphis, Tennessee which treats patients with cancer.