Talk of the Town: Storm Lee's enjoying a book at bedtime

X FACTOR finalist Storm Lee has revealed his secret weapon in his bid for pop superstardom - early nights tucked up in bed with Simon Cowell's autobiography.

The Capital-born singer says he is busy reading up on the life of the reality show supremo.

He said: "I think I'll win him over by being really committed to being me.

"I'm studying his autobiography right now, that is my bedside reading, because I want to know what we have in common.

"I know we are probably very, very similar.

"I have a real commitment to telling the truth and being myself and not caring what people think."

When television gets too hairy for Alex, it's the pits

IF Edinburgh Rugby centre Alex Grove appears to be putting a bit less weight behind his tackles, blame a loss of appetite caused by watching the Commonwealth Games.

Clearly a keen multi-sports follower, Scotland cap Alex has, nevertheless, found pictures coming back from Delhi, disconcerting according to his Twitter site.

Tweets Alex: "Some of the women weightlifters at the Com Games have the hairiest armpits! It just put me off my food big time!"

Sometimes, though, it is Alex who is frightening the horses - his site also proclaims: "I'm not sure how the Kings Acre Golf Club members took to me playing my 2nd shot on the 4th with pants & trousers around my ankles. Rules are rules!"

Doing the doggy paddle

DOGS enjoying walkies on the beach and a splash in the sea are not an unusual sight.

This is a first for us though - a kayaking pooch. Well, not all by himself, obviously. He had a little bit of help from his oar-wielding master.

A reader spotted the sea-loving dog on Portobello beach, and tells us that the kayaker was on the water first and whistled to the dog, which ran from the beach and swam out to join him on board.

What we want to know is who navigated.