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Hugh Jackman says wife Deborra-Lee Furness teased him after finding out he'd been named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive."

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The Associated Press

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, singer and wife of France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, performs on NBC’s ‘Today’ show.

Recalling Furness' reaction, Jackman says: "God bless her, she said, 'I could've told them that years ago! And then she said, 'Obviously Brad (Pitt) wasn't available this year.' And I said, 'That was a joke, right?' "

The magazine's executive editor, Jess Cagle, said Wednesday on NBC's Today show that Jackman is a "surprising choice," but he'd been on the editors' minds "for a long time and it seemed like this was the year to do him." Cagle pointed out that not only is Jackman's career at its peak, with the X-Men movies and his upcoming epic with Nicole Kidman Australia, but he's "built like a tank."

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The prostitute at the centre of the scandal that brought down former New York governor Eliot Spitzer has apologized to his wife.

Ashley Alexandra Dupre tells People magazine that the FBI informed her in early March that it was investigating one of her clients. A few days later, she found out which client when she recognized Spitzer on TV - resigning.

That was March 12, after revelations Spitzer had used Emperors Club VIP, where Dupre worked. She says she was stricken by the pained expression on Silda Wall Spitzer's face.

"I try not to revisit that place too often, but when I think about his speech, I think of her face, her eyes, the hurt," Dupre said. Her message to Silda Wall Spitzer: "I'm sorry for your pain."

Dupre, 23, said Spitzer was polite and businesslike when they met. "Some guys, they want to have conversations and really get to know each other. With him, it clearly was not like that," she said. "It was more of a transaction. Strictly business."

Dupre, who was known then as Kristen, said she practised safe sex with all her clients, including Spitzer. On her lawyer's advice, she would not elaborate on their liaison, or say whether Spitzer visited her more than once. Dupre also sat down with Diane Sawyer for an ABC 20/20 segment to be aired Friday.

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The post office is telling Bob Hope: "Thanks for the memories."

The beloved entertainer will be honoured on a U.S. postage stamp next spring. The stamp design will be unveiled Monday at a ceremony on New York's Ellis Island, the entry spot for thousands of immigrants like Hope.

Born in England as Leslie Townes Hope, the singer, actor and comedian was a youngster when his parents moved to the United States. He eventually became one of the nation's most beloved entertainers. Hope died in 2003.

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Actress Winona Ryder was briefly hospitalized after falling ill on a flight to London's Heathrow Airport Wednesday.

Her publicist Mara Buxbaum said the 37-year-old was taken to a west London hospital Wednesday "as a precaution" and had since been released.

"She's fine now," Buxbaum said.

British Airways said a flight from Los Angeles to Heathrow requested priority landing after a female passenger "required medical attention" and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

"Our cabin crew looked after the female passenger as much as they could onboard and our passenger services staff also accompanied her to the local hospital," the statement said. "We wish her well."