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United States (CNS) – Looks as if we might have an especially interesting Oscar ceremony and telecast on the horizon this year. For several reasons.

For openers, in the interest of boosting sagging TV ratings, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is trying an experiment: there will be ten, as opposed to the traditional five, Best Picture candidates. Although detractors worry that this might diminish the prestige of the slate of Oscar nominees somewhat, proponents of the move feel that it is likely to pump up widespread rooting interest by including a few commercially successful titles among the chosen (not-as-) few that would otherwise have been left out.

This is actually a return to a practice from the very earliest days of the Academy Awards, but is an experiment that could end up being a one-time event.

However, with the runaway success of Avatar, there is every reason to believe that audience interest will be high, as it was when the box-office juggernaut Titanic dominated the event over a decade ago.

And with the unusual wrinkle of the hosting being handled by two Hollywood notables — Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, currently co-starring with Meryl Streep in It’s Complicated — nobody should be shrugging and muttering “same-old-same-old” on Oscar night.

With awards season well underway and a number of titles and performers already boasting prizes, with the Academy’s voting deadline fast approaching, and with the way that the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice winners have predicted the Academy Award winners and established front-runners in recent years, the Oscar picture begins to get clearer.

Here are the titles and performers to keep an eye on as we approach the televised March 7th Academy Award ceremony, the 82nd Oscar night, at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.

Look for that group of ten Best Picture nominees to include such titles as Avatar, Up in the Air, Precious, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Up, District 9, Star Trek, An Education, and The Messenger. And look for Golden Globe winner Avatar and Critics’ Choice winner The Hurt Locker to duke it out for the top prize.

Best Director honors could go to James Cameron for Avatar or Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker. They are, interestingly and deliciously enough, ex-spouses, and have split the Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice awards. But don’t completely count out Jason Reitman for Up in the Air, Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds, Clint Eastwood for Invictus, or Lee Daniels for Precious.

The campaign for Best Actor appears to be a race between Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart and George Clooney for Up in the Air, with the former having claimed both the Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice prizes. But don’t rule out Matt Damon for The Informant!, Morgan Freeman for Invictus, Colin Firth for A Single Man, Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker, Tobey Maguire for Brothers, or Ben Foster for The Messenger.

Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia and Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side should be in the running for the Best Actress prize, both having been honored with awards already. But Gabourey Sidibe for Precious, Emily Blunt for The Young Victoria, Carey Mulligan for An Education, Abbie Cornish for Bright Star, Helen Mirren for The Last Station, and Penelope Cruz for Broken Embraces are also getting their share of attention from voters.

Best Supporting Actress shapes up to be a competition that will include Mo’Nique for Precious and Vera Formiga and/or Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air. Mo’Nique, with the Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice award, is certainly the front-runner. But there are also Samantha Mortion for The Messenger, Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart, Marion Cotillard and/or Judi Dench for Nine, Julianne Moore for A Single Man, and Melanie Laurent for Inglourious Basterds.

And the slate of candidates for the Best Supporting Actor statuette will undoubtedly include Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds because he has already collected the Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice prizes. But Woody Harrelson for The Messenger, Alfred Molina and/or Peter Sarsgaard for An Education, Christina McKay for Me and Orson Welles, and Stanley Tucci for Julie & Julia could be in the mix.

Oh, nearly forgot: remember, it’s not really a competition; the honor is just being nominated.

Uh huh.

Jennifer Lyon, who finished fourth in Survivor: Palau in 2005 has died, Us Magazine is reporting.

Lyon, who starred in the series during the tenth season, was diagnosed with breast cancer that same year. Lyon discovered lumps in her breasts but because she did not have insurance and had breast implants (which sometimes cause palpable scar tissue), she did not pursue a diagnosis, she wrote in People:

At the time I noticed the lumps I didn’t have insurance, which was a big part of why I didn’t get it checked immediately. I went on the Internet and thought, “It is scar tissue. No big deal.” But a year later, I felt another lump right in the center of the breast and something in my right armpit. I saw a surgeon who said, “I’m pretty sure you have breast cancer.” After a mammogram, an ultrasound and a biopsy, it was confirmed—stage III.

Lyon was later diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, and opted for a modified, radical bilateral mastectomy.

Fellow Survivor alum Johnny Fairplay spoke to Us about Lyon’s death:

“Jen was such a beautiful person. I wish life was as simple as survivor because I know for a fact there are 300 of us that would use every immunity idol and jury vote in the world to have her back.”

Uma Thurman has reportedly rekindled her romance with her ex-fiance.

The ‘Kill Bill’ actress was pictured locking lips with French financier Arpad Busson in New York yesterday, January 19, sparking speculation they have decided to give their romance another try.

An onlooker said, “They weren’t behaving as if they were ex-lovers and at one point kissed each other and didn’t seem to mind who saw.”

The couple ended their year-long engagement in November because Uma reportedly thought Arpad was too controlling and wanted to make drastic changes to her life.

A friend said, “It seemed like he always wanted to run the show.

“He wanted to bring in his own chef and his own security. He’d talk about redesigning her house in the city and knocking down buildings at her place upstate.”

Uma, who has 11-year-old daughter Maya and seven-year-old son Levon with ex-husband Ethan Hawke, and was also previously married to actor Gary Oldman, had previously admitted she wasn’t ready to marry again.

She said, “I’m happily engaged but we haven’t set a wedding up. I’m not in a rush to do anything.”

Simon Cowell has signed a $500 million deal with Sony.

The music mogul’s new two-year contract with the entertainment giants will see him rake in the staggering sum, expected to tip his fortunes close to the $1 billion mark, as he launches Syco TV to produce and sell the formats for his ‘X Factor’ and ‘… Got Talent’ franchises.

Simon, who also heads up record label Syco and is expected to sign a new $16.3 million deal with UK TV network ITV said, “I have had a fantastic relationship with Sony for many years and I’m delighted we are launching this venture together.”

A source added, “He is truly in the driving seat. He felt like an employee before, but now he has some real ownership and is thrilled to be side by side with Sony.”

The first project for Simon’s new company will be the launch of the US version of ‘The X Factor’ though the 50-year-old star has laughed off speculation that former Spice Girls star Victoria Beckham will be the first person he signs up to feature on the judging panel.

He said, “That is not going to happen. Absolutely not. Not because I don’t like her. It’s just not going to happen.”

Despite speculation about who will appear alongside him in choosing the finalists, Simon insisted he isn’t going to rush into any decisions.

He explained to OK! magazine, “In the UK we have 250,000 applicants every year and because there’s no upper-age limit and groups are allowed to enter, you get a lot of applications.

“So we gave ourselves time to set up the show in 2011, which also gives us some time to work out who the judging panel is going to be. I don’t want to make any commitments yet.”

‘The X Factor’ is broadcast in 17 countries, while ‘… Got Talent’ is screened in 27.

Susan Boyle believes her late mother is watching over her.

The ‘Wild Horses’ singer, who became a worldwide sensation when she performed ‘Les Miserables’ song ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ on UK TV show ‘Britain’s Got Talent,’ feels she owes her phenomenal success to her beloved mother Bridget as she always encouraged and supported her.

The 48-year-old star said, “She’s right here in this room. She would have been really proud. I do feel there is a lingering presence – and that person is my mother.”

Susan, whose debut album ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ was a smash hit on both sides of the Atlantic, admits she was “let loose” on the world when she auditioned for the show last year and can’t believe how much her life has changed.

Appearing on Oprah Winfrey’s US TV talk show, Susan, who is from the Scottish town Blackburn, in West Lothian added, “That’s when I was let loose. Before the audition my life was kind of mundane routine like everyone else’s. After the audition, people started recognising me in the street and I was being seen as a professional singer.

“It’s astounding and it’s very humbling. A lot of people take the time and trouble to spend their money on an album by an unknown artist, they don’t know what they’re going to get for the money.”

Kate Hudson has a new boyfriend.

The ‘Nine’ actress, who split from US baseball player Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez in December, has seemingly mended her broken heart and has been bragging to friends she is already dating a new man, believed to be a photographer.

While enjoying breakfast with pals at the weekend in A Votre Sante in Brentwood, California, the 30-year-old actress reportedly showed off pictures of her latest beau on her mobile phone and told them, “He’s a photographer!”

The blonde beauty continued to play with her Blackberry throughout the meal, giggled profusely and looked “giddy” with excitement.

A fellow diner told E! online, “At one point, they burst out laughing and one said ‘Oh my God!’

“Kate had a flirtatious smile on her face and looked really giddy.”

As well as discussing her new lover, Kate and her two friends were also thought to be talking about her ex-boyfriend Alex.

She said, “It’s too late.”

A friend responded, “Don’t be nice about it. It’s too late to apologize.”

The 34-year-old sportsman is thought to have dumped Kate in December after seven months together, because she was too much of an attention seeker.

It’s still just try-out time levels in this season’s American Idol, but it looks like we’ve already found the season’s biggest star.

General Larry Platt- let down gently by the judges’ panel for his advanced age (and depressing the hell out of us in our late twenties and early thirties who learned the cut-off age is 28 and our time for karaoke is indeed over) -made a huge impression on viewers who dug his now-viral hit “Pants on the Ground” hard.

Jimmy Fallon covered it as Neil Young. Brett Favre chanted the song after a 34-3 win against the Cowboys Sunday night. Platt won the hearts of viewers almost immediately- my nine-year-old son wandered out during his performance and refused to sleep until he learned whether Platt made it through to the competition. And all this was before anyone realized the would-be Idol had an impressive history as a civil right activist in the South:

“We had come by bus in 1963 to a church in Savannah, Georgia to plan a march to desegregate the city,” Platt writes. “Reverend Hosea Williams and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were our leaders. That particular planned march was canceled and we were singing to raise our spirits before returning home.”

Platt worked with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Georgia, organizing sit-ins in the South.

He was beaten during the Bloody Sunday march from Selma, Ala., to Montgomery.

He got his nickname, “General,” from the Rev. Hosea Williams because of his heroic efforts on behalf of the civil-rights movement.

While Platt is likely not seeing a profit from this particular venture (for shame!), you can also show your “Pants on the Ground” enthusiasm by wearing t-shirts available on the web, emblazoned with the catchy chorus. Simon predicted it all, as you may remember. Before Platt even wrapped up his performance, Idol’s crankiest judge kicked in his two pence on the singer:

“You know, I have a horrible feeling that song could be a hit.”

If you’re interested in buying a “Pants on the Ground” shirt, you’d better act quickly. The longevity here is probably on par with “where’s the beef” apparel or snap bracelets.