Thousands flocked to cinemas across Britain yesterday to see Posh, BO]Sporty, Ginger, Scary and Baby make their big screen debut in the £16 million film - SpiceWorld, The Movie. Spice Girl fans at Kensington's Odeon Cinema gave the film their seal of approval. Marwa Maan (9) said: "It was brilliant. It was really funny and the girls really can act."
BBC1's Men Behaving Badly attracted 15.5 million viewers, making it the most popular Christmas Day TV show. The programme involved a catalogue of Yuletide disasters for Gary and Tony, played by Martin Clunes and Neil Morrissey. Victor Meldrew (actor Richard Wilson) in BBC1's One Foot In The Grave had 15.1 million viewers.
The remains of Saint Nicholas, patron saint of sailors and children, are to rest in Bari where they have lain for over 900 years, the curator of the Saint Nicholas study centre has promised. Father Gerardo Cioffari spoke out indignantly against a claim he said had been lodged by the head of a Turkish "Santa Claus" foundation for restitution of the remains to Turkey.
Nicholas, who was Bishop of Myra, died in 326. His remains were stolen and brought in 1087 to the Adriatic port city, where a basilica was constructed around them. The crypt was consecrated in 1089 by Pope Urban II.
Charlton Heston put on a red apron and spent Christmas Eve feeding turkey, corn and mashed potatoes to the needy at the Los Angeles Mission. In between servings, Heston sat on a stage and read from the Bible to a group of people waiting in line to be fed.