Scotland's Daily Record has Grant snogging with a 21-year-old Hurley lookalike, Lady Rosanagh Innes-Ker, whose name has been bandied about as a possible match for Prince William, at a charity golf tournament. ("I do not want to talk about this. You had better ask my father," demurred the lady when asked for comment.) London's News of the World, meanwhile, says Hugh's searching for a home within "a stone's throw" from the London town house he and Hurley shared for the last decade.

Hurley, for her part, is said to be in the midst of a tabloid-fueled feud with Anna Kournikova after the tennis star reportedly told a Russian Vogue reporter she found Hurley to be "so ugly" in person. Now, according to the London Daily Mail, a neo-Nazi Hurley fan has threatened the tennis star with bodily harm.

But wait. There's more. The U.K. Mirror reports that Hurley has landed a starring role opposite Brendan Fraser in a big-screen version of "The Incredible Hulk." Original Hulk Lou Ferrigno himself, who reportedly will make a mere cameo appearance this time around, is said to have let the cat out of the bag.

But my favorite Grant/Hurley-related item comes from the trusty old U.K. Sun, which claims that a break during the filming of "Bridget Jones' Diary" found Grant trying to describe MTV's "Celebrity Deathmatch" to Salman Rushdie, who briefly appears in the film.

Grant explained that one corner of the ring might feature, say, Monica Lewinsky, while in the other corner, you might find ...

At a loss for a name, he turned to an on-set publicist.

"Divine Brown?" she blurted.

On second thought, maybe those PR people need a vacation instead of a raise ...

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Perpetual PETA prodder strikes again

"Animals have rights. Animals have rights to garlic, butter and cooking on both sides."

-- Rock-and-roll right-winger Ted Nugent talking to a Canadian hunting group about animal rights.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Mrs. Spears: No garden-variety mom

Britney Spears' mom has a new way of dealing with the fans who swipe handfuls of dirt from the grounds of her family home: She's invited them in.

According to Virgin.net, Lynne Spears recently welcomed several dirt-digging fans of her daughter into her home and showed them Britney's photo album. When the teenage fans emerged from the house a few hours later, they were toting not only the swiped soil, but also Spears souvenirs and photos.

Sounds like the Britney museum's opening a little earlier than expected ...

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Blurry vision be damned

"I think the eyes are the windows to the soul. When my friends die, I often ask to have their eyeglasses."

-- Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, in the upcoming documentary "The Eyes of Tammy Faye."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Juicy bits

Papa's got a brand new bag of trouble. A utility worker has accused James Brown of threatening him with a steak knife and holding him hostage after he went to the singer's home to follow up on a complaint of a power outage, according to the Associated Press. The knife-wielding Brown identified himself as a "government agent" who could lock up the worker "for trespassing and sneaking around on my property." The Godfather of Soul and government agent? He really is the hardest working man in show biz.

Jones, Indiana Jones ... Harrison Ford has told the Calgary Sun that, although he's passed on playing Jack Ryan for a third time because he "didn't like the script they were offering me," he'd love to play Indy again. And he wouldn't mind a little company. "I'd personally love to see Sean Connery be with me in the next chapter," he said.

So his mother's suing him and his wife's trying to do herself in. That doesn't mean Eminem is friendless. Oh no. In fact, a very special buddy's got his back: Marilyn Manson. Manson, who appears in an Eminem video, has voiced his support for the rapper on his own Web site. "[Eminem's] new album will play an important role in the fight for free speech. I think he's not afraid to tell anyone and everyone to 'fuck off,' and I like and respect him for it," wrote Manson. And with an antichrist superstar on your side, who needs anyone else?

Brilliant Careers: Sound and Vision Audio and video highlights of our Brilliant Careers profiles