WTF: Weekly Trivia File

• A Chortle Award isn’t the only thing Tim Minchin won this week – he’s doing so well that even his likeness is scooping accolades. A portrait of the musical comedian by Melbourne-based Sam Leach has won the prestigious £50,000 Archibald Prize for portraits in his native Australia today. The artist said of Minchin: ‘He has lovely toenails.’

• Jimmy Carr says his contribution to the Sport Relief bike ride the length of the country took its toll. ‘I left it looking like I’d been to a pool party at Michael Barrymore’s house,’ he said.

• Someone once heckled Markus Brigstocke by throwing a prosthetic leg at him… then the exact same thing happened 18 months later. He said ‘They were obviously so hacked off with the show that words weren’t going to cut it. The first time, I played with the leg for a while and sang Jake The Peg before giving it back. The second time, I kept the leg hostage for the duration of the show.’

• Laura Solon has suffered a hamstring injury – from sitting on her backside all day. She said: ‘I got a really tight hamstring but a physiotherapist said it was just because I sit down a lot. It’s amazing.’

• Jason Manford has revealed how made an enemy of Bette Midler – by daring to ask for a photograph with her backstage at the Royal Variety Performance. He said: ‘She went proper mental. Her people came over and said, “Leave Miss Midler alone.” She was shouting, “Are you fucking serious?” I thought she was joking but she was actually going bonkers.’

• Tips for aspiring comedians:
  

• David Walliams is auctioning off one of his stylish cast-off suits for Cancer Research. ‘I’ve donated my favourite Tom Ford suit,’ he said. ‘It's dark grey and I've looked outrageously smart in it in the past.’ Visit www.tkmaxx.com/ebay to bid – the price stands at just £53 at the time of writing.

• Here’s an odd couple. A newly blonde Noel Fielding went out on the town this week with Adam Ant, hitting London's Groucho Club and Gerry's Bar at the launch of a campaign calling for better rights for people who work in the sex industry. Meanwhile Russell Brand has been keeping more feminine company, partying with models – and Paris Hilton at a Victoria’s Secret bash in West Hollywood.

• Thanks to Ross Noble and Chris Addison, among others, for Tweeting this. Byline on a Times story about paedophile priests: ‘by Roger Boyes’. See it here.

SOURCES: Melbourne Age, Glasgow Herald, Sunday Mirror, Daily Telegraph, Metro, Daily Mirror, Daily Mail. The Times

Published: 26 Mar 2010