University to hold celeb "train wreck" talk

The University of East Anglia is to hold a symposium discussing "train wreck" female celebrities.

The one-day event, entitled 'Going Cheap? Female Celebrity In The Tabloid, Reality And Scandal Genres', will look at the "self-destructive" tendencies of famous women such as Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse and Lindsay Lohan.

Conference co-organiser Professor Diane Negra said: "Saturation coverage of these 'women in crisis' stories may be testing the limits of the public appetite. This seems an opportune time to analyse how such stories work, why they are repeated so frequently and what cultural functions they serve."

Other talks to be given at the event, which takes place on June 25, include 'Kerry Katona as white trash mother' and 'Heather McCartney Mills: A woman with an agenda'.