Celebrity Gossip, November 26: Bale’s reaction to new Batman casting

The Oscar-winning actor portrayed the caped crusader in CHRISTOPHER NOLAN’s Dark Knight trilogy, while Ben will take the superhero role in ZACK SNYDER’s Man Of Steel sequel, Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice.

“I’ve got to admit initially, even though I felt that it was the right time to stop, there was always a bit of me going, ‘Oh go on... Let’s do another’. So when I heard there was someone else doing it, there was a moment where I just stopped and stared into nothing for half an hour,” he told Empire.

DEMI LOVATO has revealed she and MILEY CYRUS are no longer friends but “acquaintances”.

The two 22-year-old singer-actresses both found fame as children on The Disney Channel, with starring roles in Camp Rock and Hannah Montana, and used to hang out. But Demi revealed in an interview with Boston’s 103.3 AMP Radio that they have grown apart and no longer share anything in common.

Asked about her friendship with Miley, Demi said: “Um... yeah... that, um... we’re, we’re like... We’re acquaintances. It’s life, and people change.”

SIMON COWELL has said his dream X Factor final would include BEN HAENOW, FLEUR EAST and LAUREN PLATT - but not ANDREA FAUSTINI, who he thinks has peaked too soon.

The ITV contest boss said that he was championing his remaining two acts and CHERYL FERNANDEZ-VERSINI’s last girl Lauren, but reckoned show favourite Andrea, who is mentored by MEL B, had lost his X Factor.

He told the Sun: “As long as Fleur and Ben are in [the final], we’ll have a proper final - where you just don’t know who’s going to win. I love that idea.”

But when he was asked if he’d like to see Andrea win, he said: “No, because I think he’s peaked. It’s the same thing week after week.”

JENNIFER ANISTON has told how she has learned to “tune out” the gossip surrounding her personal life as she copes with living in the spotlight.

The 45-year-old actress is under constant scrutiny and speculation about her private life, including her current engagement to actor JUSTIN THEROUX, her failed marriage to BRAD PITT and whether or not she is pregnant.

Jennifer told 5 News during an interview to promote Horrible Bosses 2: “You just try to tune out - it’s just nonsense and static noise - and do your job and stay focused on your job and continue doing good work.”

“It does add a little extra push, you have to override that image and that narrative.

“There’s always the accidental magazine that you’ll see... There’s always going to be a glimpse of it.”

And the former Friends star explained why she has not opted to sign up to social media to set the record straight, or hit back at any rumours she finds herself the centre of.

Jen said: “I just don’t pay attention enough that I would be sitting there defending myself all the time or correcting what’s not true.

“They exploit us enough in those rags that I’d rather do great work and focus on work and let that be my contribution, rather than me personally going, ‘Hey, I just had a taco’ or whatever.”

BETTE MIDLER has admitted she is not a fan of the way that ARIANA GRANDE goes about presenting herself.

The showbiz veteran told the Daily Telegraph that she couldn’t stand how much sex had become part of the pop industry and held up the Problem singer as an example.

She said: “It’s terrible! It’s always surprising to see someone like Ariana Grande with that silly high voice, a very wholesome voice, slithering around on a couch, looking so ridiculous.

“I mean, it’s silly beyond belief and I don’t know who’s telling her to do it. I wish they’d stop. But it’s not my business, I’m not her mother. Or her manager. Maybe they tell them that’s what you’ve got to do. Sex sells. Sex has always sold.”

Bette also hinted that she wasn’t a huge fan of The Spice Girls - her new album, It’s The Girls, is a collection of covers of girlbands but the only modern song included is TLC’s Waterfalls.

Asked why she hadn’t been tempted to include more modern tracks, Bette answered: “I couldn’t think of a girl group that was modern who had a song as meaningful as TLC. I couldn’t find one. I mean, who are you talking about? The Spice Girls?

“I like Destiny’s Child. I think that was the last great girl band there was.”