Photographs: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
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Seth MacFarlane, who hosted this year's Academy Awards, helped the Oscars attract a US television audience of 40.3 million, a million more than last year.
According to the ABC network, this year's show drew the largest Oscar audience for three years, the BBC reported.
Last year's show, which was hosted by comedian Billy Crystal, was viewed by 39.3 million, while 2011's broadcast was watched by 37.6 million people.
The statistics company Nielsen said the 39-year-old actor's -- known for producing hit TV shows like Family Guy -- involvement helped boost interest among young men and the 18-to 49-year-old age group.
Figures for the latter demographic, much coveted by TV advertisers, were up 11 percent on last year, while the 18- to 34-year-old male audience saw a 34 percent increase.
Reaction to MacFarlane's performance has been mixed, with Rolling Stone saying that he resembled a 'bumbling rookie' in his first stab at Oscar host while New Yorker said that watching the three-and-a-half hour show 'meant sitting through a series of crudely sexist antics.'
He fared better with fellow members of the Hollywood community, Russell Crowe said that MacFarlane 'did great' and 'handled it all with grace,' while former Oscar host Steve Martin said he was 'wonderful.'
Carrie Fisher hospitalised with bipolar disorder
Photographs: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Video footage of the performance, which took place last week on board the Holland America Eurodam in the Caribbean,
show Fisher slurring a couple off-key songs, reported TMZ.
There were reports that Fisher, who was featured on the cruise as a 'surprise' celebrity guest, was wasted at the time
of the show... but her representative said the on-stage breakdown was caused by her bipolar disorder.
'There was a medical incident related to Carrie Fisher's bipolar disorder. She went to the hospital briefly to adjust her medication and is feeling much better now,' said her representative.
Fisher, 56, a recovering drug addict, has publicly discussed her bipolar disorder in the past. The representative said it's unclear if she will return to perform on the cruise ship again.
Scarlett Johansson forms all-girl band
Photographs: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Besides being a sought-after film and theatre thespian, Johansson has been dabbling in singing, and even got an Oscar
nomination for Best Original Song for Before My Time, a theme song of documentary movie Chasing Ice.
Now, she is taking her music career to a whole new level with the formation of her singing group, reported Ace Showbiz.
'I have an all-girls band, and we're called the One and Only Singles', and we're doing our Go-Go's thing,' said Johansson.
Besides working on her new band, the Golden Globe-nominated actress is also a certified Broadway star, currently starring in a revival of the Broadway hit Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
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