Madonna: Fact And Fiction

When you've been at the top of the celebrity ladder for as long as Madonna has, then it's not going to be a surprise to see some weird and wonderful rumours about you floating around. Through miles of tabloid newspaper ink, endless magazine articles and online blog space, Madonna fact has blurred with fiction and become distorted or misconstrued through Chinese whispers.

DS takes a look at some of the more intriguing Queen of Pop falsehoods, including a bit of MTV controversy, being mistaken for a duo and not squeezing into a superhero outfit.

Madonna in a duo? - When Madonna's first single 'Everybody' was released, many people believed her to be one half of a double act. A critic at Billboard magazine mistakenly referred to her as "a young New York duo", prompting a bit of head scratching when fans saw that she was very much solo at live gigs.

'Erotica' MTV ban - Though there was much controversy surrounding the 'Erotica' video, a common misconception is that it was banned by MTV. In fact, the music video was only allowed to be screened after midnight on the station, though it did ban her vids for 'Justify My Love' and 'What It Feels Like For A Girl'.

No whip-cracking as Catwoman - One Hollywood myth is that Madge was offered the role of Catwoman in Batman Returns before Michelle Pfeiffer. However, it was Annette Bening, the wife of Madonna's ex Warren Beatty, no less, who got the part initially but had to vacate it when she fell pregnant with Beatty's child.

Sexuality - Everything from Madonna's music, style and live shows carries a sexual charge. It's no surprise, then, to have people debate her bedroom preferences. Though she's hinted many times about bisexuality, Madonna has always said that her relationship with Sandra Bernhard, with whom she was romantically linked in the '90s, was just a platonic one.

A Bewitching child actress - One false rumour that has inexplicably surfaced is that Madonna got her big break as a child actress in the nose-twitching '60s sitcom Bewitched. Madonna never portrayed Tabitha, the magical daughter of the show's Samantha Stephens - the role was in fact taken by fraternal twins Erin and Diane Murphy.

A clash with Clooney - When George handed Madonna over an MTV award for 'Take A Bow' she famously dodged a kiss from the actor and remarked, "This is the closest I'll ever get to George Clooney". Some saw that as Madonna's dislike for George's ladies' man antics, but in reality there is no rift between the pair. Madonna was just taking a playful jab at the then-ER star's reputation.

A rare no. 2 - Incredibly, Madonna isn't the top-selling female recording artist in the US. Who on earth could have shifted more records than the Queen of Pop? Mariah Carey? Close but not quite. Celine Dion? Nope. Whitney or Britney? Wrong again. The most successful female artist in the US is actually Barbra Streisand, according to industry figures.

Brontophobic... really? - One the most ridiculous Madonna rumours out there is that she suffers from crippling brontophobia. No, it's not a fear of really big dinosaurs, but in fact thunder! We've searched far and wide and can find no evidence of Madge herself admitting to that odd phobia. Must be one of those crazy internet rumours!