Ragheb the idol
We have certainly seen a different side to Ragheb Alame this year. The Lebanese superstar — one of the most successful Arab artists of the past decade — made his first foray into reality television, appearing on MBC's Arab Idol alongside Emirati singer Ahlam and Egyptian music producer Hassan Al Shafei. And feedback from fans and Arab media has been extremely positive.
Dubbed the "gentle judge", Alame has been praised by critics for being fair on the show without putting any of the contestants down.
But it was not clear if he was going to return for Arab Idol's next season — until now.
Another first for the star is that Alame is now on Twitter. You can follow the singer @raghebalama, and when tabloid! met him in Dubai this week, he was showing off his followers on his iPhone.
"Look, I have only been on Twitter for three weeks and I have 20,000 followers — this is so exciting! So before you start asking me questions, I want to tell you something about Twitter".
You mentioned you wanted to say something before we started...
I was Tweeting my fans — actually I call them my friends — about the next episode of Arab Idol.
There's something that's bothering me: a percentage of viewers want to vote for contestants based on where they are from. Viewers should vote for the voice they prefer, and not for their country. Arab Idol is not a football match.
Idol is the first time you've been on a TV contest. How have you found it?
I am going to be honest with you. I was scared at first. However, I've always considered myself brave in my career, so I took on the challenge. If it didn't work out, I wouldn't sign up for another season. But I am so glad I took that step, because it is definitely a new experience that taught me a lot about myself.
It was the first time the public really got to see my character, and I can see love and respect from the public for the way I judge. At the beginning of my career I always used to say in interviews that I want to help others be able to sing — so I put myself in the contestants' shoes and treated them the way I'd want to be treated.
Season One comes to an end at the end of this month. Do you have a favourite contestant that you want to win?
Yes, but there is more than one person. To give you a clue, my favourites have never been in bottom two of any results show.
All three judges seem to get on really well, but you made the headlines recently when you told Al Shafei he was wrong to compare Sherine to Fairouz. Do you think the whole thing was exaggerated?
I feel bad for him because he knows very well that Sherine is not Fairouz, and even Sherine would say that no one should be compared to Fairouz. I think Hassan was trying to make a point, but it just came out the wrong way. Remember, this is Hassan's first time in public — and we're live. But sometimes he is quick when he talks. So I was quick to tell him that. I like this guy so much, and I consider him a little brother.
What is it like working with Ahlam?
Ahlam has such a good heart. She makes me laugh. Even when she's being feisty, I still laugh. It's part of her character. A lovely person.
One of the tracks you did was with Shakira. Although you never met her, many fans were wondering why you never made a music video with her?
It's a shame because I really wanted to do a video with her, but unfortunately, my company and Sony couldn't do a video at the time.
Do you still enjoy making music videos?
Not really! The problem is there's no new ideas any more, it is costing more money than ever and there's zero money coming out of it.
A lot of artists are now steering away from classical Arabic music to create tracks influenced by house music. What do you think of that?
If that's their vision, then so be it. But I don't do that, because I love the music I make.
What about Arab artists that start singing in English when they team up with an international star?
Honestly, I haven't heard anyone do this, but I don't agree with this. Just because I sing a song with an international singer doesn't mean I have gone international. For me, going international means achieving success throughout the Arab world. I think you need to focus on your own niche and strength, and I respect those that do that. That's why in international duets, I have always sung in Arabic.
What's coming up for you?
I have a duet coming up with a very famous Turkish singer called Askin Nuryenji. The music video will be out next month. The song will be released with Starbucks. Also, the song I performed with Majed Al Mohandes on Arab Idol has received great feedback — viewers loved it. So I plan on releasing that soon.
Will you release an album this year?
The new album will be out either end of 2012 or next year. At the moment, I am happier releasing singles. So maybe I will release three singles than do an album.
Are you returning for the next season?
Yes. I can confirm I have signed on with MBC. I am happy and MBC is happy. Arab Idol has achieved ratings that channels only achieve during Ramadan. So right now, we feel like the sky is the limit, because the situation is very good for Arab Idol.
We've exceeded average ratings by about 35 per cent, which you don't really hear about these days.
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Bushra's bundle of joy
Bushra has given birth to a baby boy.
The Egyptian actress — whose film Gedo Habiby is currently doing well at the box office — celebrated the arrival of Esmail.
"Although I gave birth before my due date, I couldn't be happier," she said online. "I thank God for blessing me with the gift of motherhood. My husband and I are thrilled with the arrival of Esmail."
Majida's not online
Don't go searching for an official Facebook or Twitter account for Majida Al Roumi, as she doesn't have any.
The Lebanese singer's press office has released a statement denying that Majida uses social networks, and that any accounts associated with her are fake.
"It has come to our attention that a number of people are using Majida Al Roumi's pictures to create online accounts, claiming to be her," the statement read.
Fawazeer race is on
With Ramadan less than six months away, it is becoming apparent who will be battling for the title of queen of this season's Fawazeer.
Fawazeer — originally made famous in the '90s by Egyptian superstars Nelly and Sherihan — is a quiz show where viewers have to watch 30 episodes to answer various questions, before submitting their answers at the end of Ramadan for the chance to win grand prizes.
According to reports, four female stars are in the running, with Donia Sameer Ganem (pictured) set to make her Fawazeer debut on Egyptian channel Al Kahera Wal Nas.
Meanwhile, Jordanian singer Mai Selim has been given the go ahead by production company Sawt Al Qahira, while Leila Gofran is rumoured to be funding and producing her own show.
Finally, Lebanese model Lamita Frangieh — who is merely known for wearing little clothing in her small acting parts — is also set to take part in a show produced by Melody.
