Mark Speight's kin to formally ID body
LONDON, April 14 (UPI) -- Mark Speight's family was expected to formally identify a body found in a London train station as the missing British children's TV host, authorities said.
Speight's family is to identify a corpse found Sunday hanging in Paddington Station and officials have ordered an autopsy on the body, the BBC reported Monday.
Speight, 42, apparently hanged himself from the roof of the station, The Sun reported. A police source told the newspaper the body was "up in the roof where the joists are" and not visible from the ground.
Speight had not been seen since last Monday, when security cameras showed him heading into central London on the Underground and then transferring to a line that serves Paddington.
Friends said his emotional state had been "fragile" since the death of his girlfriend, Natasha Collins, in January.
Collins, who had taken cocaine and sleeping pills, died in a bathtub full of scalding water while Speight slept in the next room.
Police arrested Speight, although he was not formally charged.
Speight was a presenter on a BBC children's art show, "SMart."
"Mark was a wonderful son and brother to his family and he will be very sadly missed," Speight's father Oliver told the BBC.
R2-D2 portrayer's health is improving
LONDON, April 14 (UPI) -- Kenny Baker, the 3-foot-8-inch British actor who played the droid R2-D2 in Hollywood's "Star Wars" movies, is recovering from a health scare, his son said.
Baker, 73, was hospitalized last week after he fell ill on a flight home to England from Chicago.
Baker frequently travels to make appearances at sci-fi and "Star Wars" conventions.
The actor's son, Kevin Baker, said his father is still in a hospital in Wythenshawe in Greater Manchester, but doing "a lot better" than he had been. The younger Baker said his father suffered from pneumonia last year and doctors think that might be connected to his current respiratory ailment.
"He was very seriously ill when he flew in on Tuesday, but he's out of bed now," Kevin Baker told BBC News. "He's well aware of all the support he's received and thanks everyone for their kind regards."
Lifetime to adapt two Cornwell books
LOS ANGELES, April 14 (UPI) -- The Lifetime television network reportedly has signed a deal with popular U.S. crime novelist Patricia Cornwell to bring two of her books to the small screen.
This marks the first time any of the author's novels have been made into movies.
Lifetime is to adapt her books "At Risk" and the upcoming sequel "The Front," The Hollywood Reporter said Monday.
Cornwell is best known for her Kay Scarpetta series of novels. The two books Lifetime is adapting, however, are separate from that series.
"As we continuously reinvent our popular Lifetime original movies, we're expanding the genres and including more works by America's leading women writers," said Tanya Lopez, Lifetime senior vice president of original movies. "Patricia Cornwell is in a class by herself."
"I am excited and honored by this new creative partnership with such an outstanding network and believe that together we can bring to life stories and characters unique to the crime-writing genre," said Cornwell, who will executive produce the film versions of her two books.
Blanchett gives birth to baby No. 3
SYDNEY, April 14 (UPI) -- Australian actress Cate Blanchett gave birth to her third child Sunday in Sydney, sources told People.com.
Baby Ignatius Martin is Blanchett's third son with her writer-director husband, Andrew Upton, the report said.
Blanchett and Upton are also the parents of Dashiell John, 5, and Roman Robert, 3.
The Oscar-winning actress is best known for her roles in "I'm Not There," "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," "The Good German," "The Aviator" and "An Ideal Husband." She also co-starred in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and will soon be seen in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."
