The 32-year-old Scottish beauty said; "I do the programme with an American psychic and I'm the sceptic. We are going to Marilyn's house and grave to see if we can feel her presence."

Gail recently appeared on Channel 4's The Games and has just finished a spoof BBC drama, The Lost Children. She and guitarist husband Dan Hipgrave will also appear in a Christmas special of Channel 4's A Place In The Sun. Dead Famous will be screened on satellite channel Living TV.

At the height of her illness Gail's weight dipped as low as six-and-a-half stone as she struggled with the slimming disease which started after being bullied at school. As a result Gail, who is married to ex-Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave with a one-year-old daughter called Honey, will be on medication for the rest of her life and has warned girls about the dangers of slimming.

The 32-year-old said: "I've got all sorts of problems now. Girls should eat normally and not aspire to be six stone skeletons. It's nice that Jennifer Aniston and other celebrities are now slim but healthy too. People should be aspiring to that. I could never be anorexic again. Nothing could make me go down that road. You only get one life, and I wasted so much time worrying about myself and being so selfish. I've just done some work for a breast cancer charity. Seeing women who have had their breasts removed made me realise how pathetic I was. All I wanted to do was get thin and these people are fighting for their lives."

She was even warned that her anorexia could prevent her from being able to have children. But she dismissed their concerns. She added: "At the time I didn't care about what I was doing to myself, I just wanted to get skinny." Gail's admission about her anorexia came during an emotional heart-to-heart with singer Mel C when they appeared together on the Channel 4 reality show The Games.

She told the former Spice Girl how she had to be rushed to hospital after going without proper food for several days. Gail said: "I collapsed a couple of times and was in hospital once. I had anorexia for eight or nine years. Yes, a long time. It was grapes for breakfast, cucumber and tomatoes. I used to go to the gym and just eat water-based things. No meat, no protein. Nothing."

Gail, who is 5ft 4in tall, was forced to pull out of the The Games after tearing a hamstring. And she says the disappointment of that plunged her into depression and made her worry about her weight again. She told Closer magazine: "I didn't feel good about myself. I felt really lethargic all the time and I'd find fault with everything. Then I'd start to eat, picking at things for no reason. I'm not really into cakes so it was more like Marmite and crackers, rice cakes, biscuits. I'd be watching Trisha every morning and thinking 'normally, I'd be at the gym by now running and enjoying the buzz of it'. It's those endorphins, they make all the difference. Instead I felt like a great big blob."

When Gail got together with Dan in 2001 he was shocked to find she had just two items in her fridge - vodka and face cream. This year, his career suffered a setback after Toploader split up. But the break has allowed him to spend time with their daughter, and given Gail a chance to work without needing to take on a child minder. After having just two periods in nine years her chances of falling pregnant seemed slim - but after a few months she succeeded in conceiving Honey, now one. Gail credits Dan for helping her beat anorexia after getting fed up with taking her out for dinner and watching her order bowls of lettuce. Eventually she started eating more sensibly. "Dan made me so happy I just got on with it," she added.

The baby's father, Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave, is understood to have driven his wife to hospital and held her hand throughout the birth. He is said to be "overjoyed" at becoming a father.

She is reported to have had a Caesarean section after 15 hours of labour. According to The Scotsman, Honey was born at an NHS hospital in central London - exactly a week after her due date. The couple celebrated their first wedding anniversary last month, after tying the knot in Edinburgh last year.

A spokesman for the couple told Ananova they are "very delighted" at the news. Unconfirmed reports of the pregnancy first surfaced last night. It is thought they would rather have kept the news private because Gail is only in the early stages of her pregnancy.

She has previously insisted she did not want children. Gail, who used to front Channel 5's Movie Chart Show, said a year ago: "There isn't a maternal bone in my body. I never ever want to have children. Ugh! No. They're not for me."

A friend said Toploader guitarist Dan had been keen to start a family. The pal added: "Dan was talking about having a baby before they went on honeymoon, but Gail didn't want to." But just before Christmas, Gail conceded she had changed her tune. She said: "You never know, you never know. We get on so well. There was me saying, 'I'll never get a husband, I'll never be a mum. I've found my soulmate and now I feel totally calm."

Gail told the Daily Record: "It's dangerous on the streets and it's good for homeless people to be able to defend themselves. I live in Soho and have homeless people almost on my front door. You can give them money or something to eat but teaching homeless kids karate gives me the initiative to get off my backside and do something different."

Gail adds she can disable an attacker with a flick of her hands. She said: "I'm aware of moves you can do to harm someone. I'm not cocky and I never want to be in a fight, but I think I can look after myself really well. I'm going to show kids my skills."

The Who Wants To Be…? Campaign is Centrepoint's first ever celebrity-led campaign and Gail was joined at the launch at St Anne's Church, Soho, London by many fellow supporters from the entertainment world, including CHRIS TARRANT, DERMOT O'LEARY, ANTHONY HEAD, TAMARA BECKWITH, DINA CARROLL and BBC Record Breaker's new presenter SHOVELL.

The aim of the campaign is for members of the public to become CENTREPOINT CHALLENGERS and raise £1000 a time by coming up with inspirational and unusual sponsored challenges for themselves, whether that's being a chef for the night, a fashion show organiser or a marathon runner. It doesn't matter what the challenge is, or how long it takes to complete, as long as a minimum £1,000 is raised for the organisation. For full details, visit the Centerpoint website.

Gail Porter is facing a furious showdown with Top Of The Pops boss Chris Cowey amid a simmering row over a proposed rival ITV chart show. Newlywed Gail is to be confronted by Cowey over rumours that she's poised to switch channels.

Chris and his crew are furious Porter's name has been linked with what they see as a blatant rip-off. Gail isn't presenting this week, so she should have ample time to compose her response.

To be fair, the diminutive Scot could be an innocent pawn and it's possible her name is being bandied around without her knowledge. But she'd better be well prepared for her little talk with the formidable Mr Cowey.

Our perfectly placed source told us: "Politically, it's all very delicate and Chris is furious that Gail's name is being mentioned in connection with this new ITV pop show. Chris wants to know if she's been approached by ITV and whether she has entertained the idea of defecting. It's one thing that ITV are devising a TOTP rival, but trying to steal its staff is a bit much."

The storm is the last thing 30-year-old Gail needs just a month after getting wed to Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave. But there's no doubt her own ITV gig would be an attractive proposition for Gail, who shares TOTP presenting duties with the likes Jamie Theakston and Jayne Middlemiss.

He told the Sunday People: "We've not even had a honeymoon yet. I'm really worried. She's working incredibly hard and seems to be knackered all the time. I want her to relax - she's only just got married after all."

Dan was speaking after Gail failed to attend the recent V2001 music festival where he and Toploader were performing. He said: "I really wanted her to come but she was just too exhausted. We need to get away and spend some quality time together."

Her pop-star fiance arrived shortly before her with his best man, Toploader lead singer Joe Westbourne. Around 50 guests, mostly family and friends, also arrived for the ceremony. Around a hundred onlookers gathered outside the building in Victoria Street to catch a glimpse of the couple.

Following the ceremony, Gail said her wedding was "the best day of my life. It was the best thing ever". Gail, whose wedding ring is studded with 33 diamonds, hugged and kissed her husband as they briefly posed for waiting photographers. The couple followed the ceremony with a meal at top restaurant The Witchery - a favourite of Sean Connery. Later, they held a party in a marquee in the courtyard of the Malmaison hotel.

Gail's father Craig, sporting a blue Ramsay tartan kilt, said: "Gail just looked beautiful today. I'm absolutely over the moon that she decided to have the ceremony in Scotland."

Brother Keith, 27, said: "It was great to give Gail away. I love her to bits and I would do anything for her."

As the newlyweds emerged from the register office, Gail said: "Now that I'm married, I'd like to be known as Gail Hipgrave. Hipgrave is an alright surname, it's quite funny actually. We wanted the wedding to be very small and definitely not a white one because I am not a virgin."

Later, clutching her husband's hand, she said: "It's been the best day of my life. Everything has gone fantastically and I'm just looking forward to the celebration now."

She joked: "Everything except my speech went perfectly. It was rubbish but the best man's was great." Dan added: "We are looking forward to getting the real party started. It's going to be a long night."

Click here for more wedding pictures.

She confessed all at the launch of a celebrity handbag auction by web site Handbag.com in aid of the Breast Cancer Care charity. Gail revealed: "I have just bought a diamond-studded whip for Dan's birthday from Agent Provocateur. Dan likes whips."

Her saucy admissions didn't stop there. Asked what the most embarrassing thing in her handbag was, she replied: "I'll ask Dan - he says pictures of him and handcuffs."

Gail's self-designed handbag, and those of other celebrities, will be auctioned off for 10 days from October 4

GAIL PORTER has promised to pack in raunchy photo shoots – on the orders of fiancé Dan Hipgrave. Yes, I know she made the same vow before. But this time she says she really means it following the ban by Toploader star Dan.

Gail, who has peeled off for lads mags and beenprojected in the buff on the Houses Of Parliament, admits: "Dan is not a fan of my nude pictures so I don’t have any plans to do any of those kind of pictures again.

"I never really talk to Dan about those sexy photos, because it is something I know he doesn’t want to discuss. For me, it is all in the past. That was me then and this is me now, committed and in love. I want to keep my clothes on at the moment."

Gail vowed never to pose naked again two years ago after her bottom shone down from Big Ben. But she was soon stripping off again. She and Dan met at last November’s Q Awards and announced their engagement to me in February.

She says: "I fell in love so quickly. Love smacked me in the face. I am so looking forward to being Dan’s wife. He is my best friend, my soulmate. I am in love with him big time. He is honest and loving and incredibly sexy. I’ve never been happier."

But Gail dismisses the idea of having kids. She says: "I don’t want the responsibilities of children and I really don’t have a maternal bone in my body." It’ll be interesting to see what Dan has to say about that!

Gail to take over Chicago? Wee Scot tipped for unlikely new direction

Gail Porter is being lined up to replace Denise Van Outen in the musical Chicago later this year, according to the UK press. Despite speculation that Brookside actress Claire Sweeney would be the first choice, it appears that the role of the high-kicking gangster's moll Roxy will be heading in the direction of the diminutive Scot.

Despite no obvious theatre experience, the show's bosses are convinced that Porter is capable of holding her own on the West End stage. An insider said: 'It sounds very unlikely because the role is very demanding and some of the dancing is hard if you are not really a pro. Maybe they'd tone it down for her. If they just want a big name then it's possible.'

Porter, who is engaged to Dan Hipgrave from pop band Toploader, is best known for having her naked image projected on to the side of the Houses of Parliament.

Gail was sporting a black eye yesterday after going on the road with Toploader. But the TV babe hadn't fallen out with her fiancé, Dan Hipgrave, and his band - she SLIPPED as she boarded their tour bus.

Gail, who can't spend enough time with guitarist Dan, bashed her left eye in the fall. The result the next morning was a real shiner and she had to cover up with a pair of sunglasses.

A source close to the band said: "I shouldn't laugh but it was actually quite funny. She slipped on the bus and ended up getting clobbered. Dan was quite concerned and they quickly realised she was just going to have a bit of a shiner. I bet she will be a bit more careful getting on and off buses from now on."

Gail made sure she wore big shades to cover up the damage when she visited London Zoo with Dan next day. She is now in Bali filming Wish You Were Here for the BBC - let's hope they've got plenty of make-up.

The event is to be held on the night of June 6 at London’s Alexandra Palace, and will see the biggest names in worldwide dance music going head to head in what promises to be the most exciting and glamorous night in the dance music industry’s calendar. Nominees include Fatboy Slim, Spiller and Sonique, and full details are available at www.dancestar.net.

Gail says she wants a dog instead of babies, and will not have a white wedding because she's not a virgin. She told the Daily Record: "I'd quite like to be known simply as Hipgrave, one word, or just Gail anyway. Hipgrave is all right, it's quite funny."

She added: "I'm not having babies but I do want a dog." Gail said the wedding would be a very small affair. "Definitely not a white wedding, because I am not a virgin." The couple are expected to get married in Edinburgh in the summer.

HER face was adored by millions while her bum adorned the Houses of Parliament ...but now Gail Porter has decided she's had enough of the limelight. The big-drinking Scots lass, who got into trouble last month when she admitted she presented kids' shows while under the influence, says she's hanging up her microphone and quitting TV presenting.

"Fame is such a fleeting thing," Gail told the diary. "You can only be in front of the camera for so long, especially on TV, and my time is coming to an end. I'm going back to my roots behind the camera. That's what my background is and that's where I want to end up."

But Gail, who turned 30 last week, refused to be drawn on whether the uproar caused by that admission during a speech to students at the Cambridge Union forced her hand. "Twice I was f*****g out of my head," Gail told students. "I went on one morning absolutely leathered, and said, 'Hello I'm Gail Porter and I'm Satan's daughter'."

Gail was expected to lose her presenting slot on BBC1's Top Of The Pops this summer anyway but her future on Channel 5's Movie Chart Show and ITV's car show Pulling Power is now up in the air.

But don't worry. Gail, who is due to marry Toploader's Dan Hipgrave, already has a back-up plan. She has her own production company, Heroine and says three of her films have already been optioned. Just make sure you're using the steadi-cam, Gail.

Gail Porter and Dan Hipgrave are getting engaged, and it's all down to Daily Star showbiz column, Access All Areas. Just last week the Toploader guitarist denied they were getting hitched, saying: "Marriage? I wouldn't ever rule it out but when people say we're engaged that's wrong."

Eight days ago, however, Dan read in AAA how much Gail was pining for him after just three days apart and decided to pop the question. Dan was supporting Robbie Williams on his European tour at the time. Gail told us: "He didn't know how badly I was missing him and as soon as he read AAA, he rang and told me he was missing me too."

Dan urged Gail to meet him in Paris - and she agreed. Gail continued: "He told me to get the Eurostar straight away so we could spend a whole day and a night together." The lovebirds spent "the most romantic weekend ever" in the French capital. And on Sunday, Dan got down on one knee and proposed.

At the Brit Awards the gushing duo came over to thank us. They confessed that if it hadn't been for our story, they wouldn't be engaged yet. Gail said: "The Daily Star is Dan's favourite paper. If he hadn't bought it on Wednesday, he wouldn't have realised how gutted I was that I couldn't be with him."

A pal of the couple said: "They've only been together for four months and thought there was no point in rushing things. But when Dan read your story, he was really loved up and couldn't stop talking about how much Gail meant to him. The next day he kept asking things like, 'What do you think of Gail? Isn't she just perfect?' It was obvious he was thinking about asking her to marry him and wanted a bit of reassurance, but he needn't have bothered. It's clear how much she thinks of him. They are one of the most wellsuited couples in showbiz. We're all delighted for them."

Dan and Gail met on the set of Chris Evans's TFI Friday last year when they were both guests on the Channel 4 show. But they didn't get it together until the Q Awards in October. Gail, 29, took Dan up to Scotland for New Year where he met her family. According to sources, he instantly won them over.

GAIL PORTER has exclusively announced to Bizarre that she and Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave are engaged. The TV host beamed with joy as she told me her news at the Bafta do, adding: "We are so in love, I can't stop smiling." The pair exchanged rings on Sunday while shopping in London's West End, just three months after they met at the Q Awards.

Gail, co-host of ITV car show Pulling Power, revealed her platinum and diamond ring and added: "It's all very quick but we'll get married in the next couple of months." Dan said: "She's a top girl and we just clicked instantly. We're really happy."

GORGEOUS Gail Porter is going to miss her new fella's big night at the Brits... because she doesn't have a ticket. Gail has only been dating Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave for four months, but the pint-sized TV presenter has already fallen head over heels for the musician.

Dan, along with the rest of his band, headed out of Britain at the weekend to support Robbie Williams on his European tour. And sexy Gail is so in love, she says she's already "desperately" missing the guitarist.

"It's horrible. He only went away this weekend and I'm already missing him like mad," she groans. "He's so gorgeous, just perfect and we get on brilliantly. I hate it when he's not around and desperately want him to come home."

Toploader will be back in Britain next Monday when they head to the star-studded Brit Awards bash at west London's Earl's Court. The band - whose single Dancing In The Moonlight from top-selling album Onka's Big Moka, is still in the Top Ten three months after its release - are up for four gongs- Best Band, Best Newcomer, Best Single and Best Video.

Gutted Gail confides: "I'd love to be there to see them pick up an award. They've all worked so hard and deserve best newcomer better than anyone. I hope they win. Obviously I would love them to win all four awards - and you never know."

And Gail even asked the Daily Star's showbiz column Access All Areas to help her see her man on the big night - by getting her a ticket for the Brits. She pleaded: "Dan's tried to get me one but drew a blank. AAA couldn't get me a ticket could you?" Gail, who previously dated Prodigy frontman Keith Flint says of 25-year-old Dan: "He's my ideal man. He's just so down to earth and normal, not like a lot of people in this industry. And he's sooo sexy. He's quite mad, but in a good way, and we have lots of fun together. I just wish I didn't have to wait until next week to see him again."

Gail Porter's boyfriend told last night of his love for the Scots TV beauty - then begged the world to get off her back. Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave spoke for the first time of how they fell in love, their wedding plans and their boozy new year's morning stroll through the rain-lashed streets of Edinburgh.

But the storm unleashed after Edinburgh-born Gail admitted presenting kids' show Fully Booked while "absolutely p****d" prompted him to spring to her defence. In an exclusive interview, Dan, 25, told the Sunday Mail: "She's had such a hard time recently and it's all a load of b******s, the whole lot. That makes me so annoyed.

"She's upset about it because she's worked hard to get somewhere and all people want to do is rip her apart. She's like, 'Why do they want to do that?'. It's because she's natural, normal, speaks her mind and doesn't just get on TV and talk rubbish. People are so quick to put others down in this country. You've just got to live with that stuff, but it does get annoying and sometimes I do get a bit angry about it."

Dan, whose band play Scotland in March and April, met Gail, 29, a year ago on the set of Chris Evans's TFI Friday show, but they only started dating at the end of October. He said: "I don't mind talking about her now. When it all kicked off I didn't want to go down that road, but so much stuff said about us is wrong, I'd rather people knew the truth.

"I was at TFI Friday about a year ago and Gail came up and said hello. I didn't know much about her and we just got on well and had a good laugh. I was going out with someone anyway. It wasn't like, 'Oh, I'm impressed, I need to go out with Gail Porter because she's famous'. I'm not that sort of person.

"If I saw Bono in a pub, no matter how much I like U2, I wouldn't walk up and say, 'All right, how are you doing?'. I'm just not like that. Gail and I just kept meeting up at different things and got on really, really well. Eventually things just happened from there. What can I say? We are extremely happy, to say the least."

And though no date's been set and no rings exchanged, Dan hinted strongly that he may tie the knot with the petite blonde. He said: "Marriage? I wouldn't ever rule it out. Obviously it's between me and her, but when people say we're engaged that's wrong. But when they say we're getting married well, who knows? I wouldn't say that's definitely wrong."

Dan and Gail went public with their romance when she brought him north of the border for Hogmanay - and to meet her family. Gail, who presents Top of the Pops and The Movie Chart Show on Channel Five, was also working on the BBC's Hogmanay show and they watched the new year street party from a roof in Edinburgh's Princes Street.

He said: "It was fantastic, we had a great time. We saw it all going on down below. I went down and had a walk and it was amazing. Even when it started raining, nobody cared. Everybody was too drunk."

Cynics may say that Dan's romance with Gail - who posed for lads' mags and famously had her nude image beamed on to the House of Commons - hasn't done Toploader any harm. But the band don't need any help from anyone. They have been nominated for four Brit Awards, and are now confirmed as one of the UK's biggest success stories.

The band's rise to fame has come almost entirely from word of mouth as they've had little or no support from the music press or Radio 1. Dan admits dealing with the growing interest in him and Gail has been difficult.

He said: "Seeing yourself in the public eye is a bit weird at first. But the thing with Gail is she's just the sweetest person I've ever met. She gets on with anybody. It's become a bit of a joke with the guys in the band, especially because so much of what is said about us is completely made up.

"There was one story the other day about how 'boozed up Dan was blabbing his mouth off about getting married to Gail Porter'. I was like, what? It's not the marriage part I object to so much as the 'boozed up blabbing my mouth off' part. I just wouldn't do that. The worst thing that was said about me was when we came out of the Met Bar in London and I was very drunk and this photographer was shouting things you just don't want to hear and I put my finger up.

"The next day it was me trying to be Liam Gallagher. I mean, is everyone who puts their finger up trying to be Liam Gallagher? I felt embarrassed about that, but learned a lesson. You work out that it's better to just get in the taxi and not fight with a photographer.

"Some of it is quite funny but, to be honest, none of that bothers me. The only thing that does is some of the stuff written about Gail. She doesn't deserve that. But I knew when I started going out with her that all this stuff was going to happen. That's just what comes with her and you know what? She's worth it."

TV GIRL Gail Porter has admitted presenting kids' show Fully Booked while "absolutely leathered". A probe is underway at the BBC after she bragged to a group of students about her drunken appearances. And she told them that to get on in TV you just have to "talk b*******". Last night, Gail shrugged off the revelations claiming she didn't care.

SCOTS TV star Gail Porter has laughed off presenting a kids' show while drunk by telling pals she doesn't give a damn. As insiders claim her career could go down the pan, Gail said: "I was having a laugh. I don't see what all the fuss is about." Gail bragged to a group of students that she twice appeared on air to present Saturday morning show Fully Booked while "absolutely pissed". And she said working in TV only involved "lying and talking a lot of b*******".

But despite now incurring the wrath of BBC bosses and a probe into her admissions, Gail shrugged off all the criticism. She told pals: "It's not like I was addressing a group of nuns. This was a talk to a bunch of students and the language wouldn't have caused any offence. I was having a laugh and so were the people I was addressing. I don't see what all the fuss is about. I was just having fun. I didn't cause any harm and was perfectly capable of doing my job."

Gail had bragged about her TV work and the drunken appearances to students at Cambridge University. She told them: "I went in one morning absolutely leathered and said, 'Hello, I'm Gail Porter and I'm Satan's daughter'." She also bragged that her ambition in life was to: "Make enough money to just be drunk forever. I want to retire somewhere f****** hot and get all wrinkly like Judith Chalmers. If you want to get on in television, just lie and talk b******s - it's easy. I did a maths show on Channel 4 once and I failed maths four times."

Other targets during Gail's speech included Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood and FHM magazine. Attacking Westwood, she said: "He's a t**." And she blasted men's style magazine FHM for putting the image of her naked on to the Houses of Parliament by claiming they didn't tell her about it when she agreed to a photo-shoot.

A BBC source confirmed her conduct was under investigation. Last night Gail's brother, Keith said he had spoken to the star as she prepared to leave for a week's break in America. He said: "Gail was just taking the p***. She told the students that she had failed maths four times and that's not even true. I reckon she had probably had a few drinks before she gave the talk. It was definitely a bit tongue in cheek."

Gail, 29. has also denied she is to marry her boyfriend, Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave. And Keith insisted his sister had no wedding plans. He said: "There is no way she is getting married. I reckon she and Dan allowed that rumour to leak out for a laugh. They are having a great time and they think all the fuss they receive is a bit daft."

Movie Chart Show presenter Gail Porter is putting her move into movie's on hold for the moment after money problems for the project we was supposed to doing. The Great Bear was the name of the project that the was involved in that had a budget of £6 million. Also set to co star in the movie with her was Scottish goal scoring legend Ally McCoist. But funding of this movie has had a tortous passage with a major backer of the project failing to deliver a third of the budget after an original starting date had already been set.

Gail Porter's agent has been quoted as saying "The Great Bear project is not currently in Gail’s diary." Gail Porter was playing Ally's love interest in the story of terminally ill patients. But the movie is a comedy so they discover a treatment that helps to cure them. The producer of the movie is stoical about the problems and he admits his newness to the movie industry caused a lot of the problems as well."There was such a lot of hype about our film and we are now falling victim to that. "We were all keyed up for last August and a big proportion of the money didn’t happen. "The film will go ahead when all the money is banked." The project is now thought to be going ahead in 2002.

Gail is currently filming another movie, Tabloid TV, with John Hurt and teen pop star Lolly who was drafted in at short notice to replace Billie Piper.

Gail, who has been dating Dan since October, dodged questions at the London Boat Show launch in Earl's Court yesterday as she showed off the three-band ring.

The 'pint-sized Scot' recently took Dan home to meet the folks for a real Hogmanay. When they got back, they were spotted house-hunting in Hampstead. A pal said: "They want to settle down. Dan is extremely keen on Gail and got on with her mum and dad like a house on fire."