all about Madonna

The famous singer Madonna and her husband, a well known famous film director, Guy Richie has come to Maldives to celebrate holidays.
A good source of Haveeru has informed that Madonna and her husband Richie came to Maldives on Thursday around 12:30 pm, on a private jet. They are staying in Baa Atoll Soveyvaafushi, however, they will be spending more time in Maldives and they have set to visit many other trips to other resorts according to Haveeru news source. An official from the Male' International Airport has said that they came as VIPs.
"There were four people other than Madonna and her husband. Everything about emigration was done in side the boat and as soon as they got off the boat they left with out staying for long in the airport" said the official.
source : haveeru.com.mv

Madonna is learning to speak her adopted son's native language.
The 'Hung Up' singer and her director husband Guy Ritchie have been taking lessons in Chichewa, which is spoken in the African country of Malawi where baby David Banda was born.
A source said: "Madonna and Guy use the few words they have learned - Mummy, Daddy, hello, my love and some others - every day.
"Madonna knows a Chichewa lullaby called 'Gona Mana' and has been working on a guitar piece to go along with it."
The source added: "David is a very smart little chap who idolises his brother Rocco."
Meanwhile, Madonna's father-in-law has claimed that her desire to adopt another child is putting strain on her marriage to his son.
Guy's father, John Ritchie, said: "They've had a difficult time. David is very beautiful and Guy is very good with him. But I don't think he'd want to adopt again.
"They were both under an unbelievable amount of pressure because of all the press surrounding David's adoption. It has caused tension and been deeply upsetting."
It has been suggested that Madonna plans to give a home to a baby girl also from Malawi.
source : londonnet.co.uk

4 Pictures - Madonna going to the gym in London (December 27 2006) - are added to the gallery.

Madonna is nominated for Best Solo Awards at 2006 Virgin.net Music Awards.
Click here to vote.

Madonna isn't a force to be reckoned with and she will soon make her voice heard on a new concert DVD - without any censorship.
Madonna's long-awaited music DVD of her "Confessions" tour, which aired on NBC right before Thanksgiving, is set to be released on January 31. The DVD and CD combo pack will also include special behind-the-scenes footage.
Filming for her sold out 25-city "Confessions" tour was taped at London's Wembley Arena and will include songs from her latest hit album "Confessions On A Dance Floor" and footage that was cut from the NBC broadcast.
The DVD will feature an uncut version of "Live To Tell" and four songs that never aired on television. The total running time for the concert footage is an estimated two hours.
The CD will include top tracks "Jump," "Hung Up," "Sorry," "I Love New York" and familiar classics "Like A Virgin" and "Lucky Star."
The Orange Country Register describes the new DVD as a mix of Cirque du Soleil and dance extravaganza, saying "The pop spectacle of the year - a politically charged combination of Cirque du Soleil, performance-art commentary and dance-party explosion that more or less sums up everything that she has been striving to say and show this decade... it's quite possible the best production she has ever concocted."
"Confessions On Dance Floor" debuted at No.1 on the U.S. charts and has sold over 8 million copies worldwide.
source : allheadlinenews.com

Christopher Ciccone, Madonna's brother, manages a good amount of grace about his famous sister. Until you go a tad too far with the Madge questions.
Then he'll straight cut you off. You were waiting to see how long it would take him. And to his credit, he almost gets through his entire egg white omelet at Lincoln Road's Balans before he checks you in that manly-man voice of his.

"Are we doing a Madonna interview now?"
Actually, there's nothing you're burning to know about Madonna. You're all for her finally having a private life. You were more commenting on how grown up she seems these days.

But who can blame Ciccone, really? Here's a guy who works hard at being defined by something beyond that unavoidable tag. Yeah, he's Madonna's brother. He's also a painter, an interior designer, a clothing designer, a concert tour director, a music biz manager, a filmmaker, a writer.

But it always comes back to the Madonna thing.

So, what's best about that?

"The best thing about being Madonna's brother is that it gave me the access to being creative. I got to design all her houses. I got to work with her on a lot of projects. Like the Girlie Show tour, which I designed and directed. As far as I'm concerned, it was a peak for both of us creatively."

Madonna and The Killers top a list of workout-music favorites, according to a survey of dozens of the nation's top trainers by Fitness magazine. The top five songs: "Mr. Brightside," by The Killers, and "Sorry," by Madonna, tied for No. 1; "HollaBack Girl," by Gwen Stefani; "Since U Been Gone," by Kelly Clarkson, and "Feel Good Inc.," by Gorillaz.
source : suntimes.com

6 Pictures - Madonna going to the gym in London (December 22 2006) - are added to the gallery.

Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season. May the New Year bring peace in your heart and all around the world.

Love,
Madonna

source : madonna.com

Madonna has recently finished a new photoshoot and commercial to show off M by Madonna collection for H&M. M by Madonna was designed by Madonna and will be debuting in stores in March. Madonna & Steven Klein are frequent collaborators, whose photographs have been the cover of Madonna's latest multi platinum selling CD, Confessions on a Dance Floor, as well as two W Magazine spreads, and the subject of an exhibition in Tokyo and Moscow. We can't wait to see what they come up with next!
source : madonna.com

11 Pictures - Madonna with Guy Ritchie leaving J. Sheekey Restaurant (December 21 2006) - are added to the gallery.

11 Pictures - Madonna going to / leaving the gym in London (December 21 2006) - are added to the gallery.

#3 Madonna - Sorry
More ABBA-esque than the ABBA-sampling "Hung Up," the unapologetically Euro second single from last year's Confessions On A Dance Floor should have scored Madonna another Top 10 hit, but U.S. radio stations apparently got confused when they realized Timbaland wasn't involved. Madge is notorious for not being the apologetic type, so, if nothing else, "Sorry" gave Camille Paglia a chance to hear her say it in 10 different languages.
List by Sal Cinquemani
source : slant magazine

Forget the battle for the Brits - the only awards celebs care about winning are the Bizarre Readers poll gongs.
The biggest names in rock, pop, and comedy queued up to get their hands on my prestigious awards.
Madonna was delighted to be the big winner with Best Female and Best Live Act for her breathtaking Confessions world tour.

source : thesun.co.uk

Steven Klein has shot the ad campaign for Madonna's second collection with Sweden's fast-fashion giant Hennes & Mauritz. Industry sources say the mood is ultraglamorous and, surprise, very sexy. The ads feature curve-hugging silhouettes, military details and satin cummerbunds, and the pieces reflect Madonna's own wardrobe, which is packed with tight skirts, high heels and sunglasses. As reported, M by Madonna is slated to hit stores this March. An H&M spokeswoman declined to comment.
source : wwd.com

20 Pictures - Madonna going to the gym in London (December 20 2006) - are added to the gallery.

Scarlett Johansson is desperate to play Evita.
The actress is fascinated by Evita - real name Eva Peron, the wife of former Argentinean dictator Juan Peron - but fears she could never live up to Madonna's big screen portrayal.
Scarlett said: "I became fascinated with Evita as a teenager. I would love to play that role, but Madonna was awesome."
Madonna won the 1997 Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her portrayal of Evita in the movie version of the musical.
Evita is widely considered to be one of Argentina's most influential women. In 1952, she was given the official title of 'Spiritual Leader of the Nation'.
Meanwhile, Scarlett has said she is ready to bare all on the big screen for the right part.
She revealed: "I'm still making up my mind about when I'll do a nude scene. I'm not opposed to doing nudity, it would just have to be the right project, maybe some sensational European art film."
The 22-year-old insists she wouldn't be embarrassed about showing her naked curves on celluloid because she is very happy with her body - especially her breasts.
She added: "I'm proud of my breasts. I call them my girls. They're my charms, my feminine wiles. I'm very comfortable with my sexuality, my body and my face. Well, not always my face, but it's stuck there and there's nothing I can do about it."
source : bangmedia

17 Pictures - Madonna going to / leaving the gym in London (December 18 2006) - are added to the gallery.

Do-It-Yourself in the New Year: BookFinder.com Unveils the Top 10 Out-of-Print Books of 2006
There's a decidedly Do It Yourself trend apparent in the top 10 most sought-after out-of-print books of 2006. Popular titles include the rare Football Scouting Methods, Vincent Price's Treasury of Great Recipes, and The Principles of Knitting, as well as classic self-help title The Secret of Perfect Living and running novel Once a Runner.
"America spent 2006 cooking with Rachael Ray, sharing home videos on YouTube, customizing USPS stamps, writing on blogs, and reading magazines like ReadyMade," says BookFinder.com founder Anirvan Chatterjee. "Out-of-print books are not marketed by publishers; readers are seeking these books out on their own."

The top 10 as compiled by BookFinder.com:
1) Sex (1992) by Madonna; A perennial favorite, the pop icon's first book
2) Football Scouting Methods (1963) by Steve Belichick; Legendary college football scout's playbook, used by coaches and players
3) Touch Me Again (1978) by Suzanne Somers; A collection of poetry from the devotee of "inside out" self improvement
4) Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words (1975) by Johnny Cash; Original autobiography (and the source for the hit film Walk the Line)
5) Treasury of Great Recipes (1965) by Mary and Vincent Price; Recipes from world-famous restaurants reworked for the amateur kitchen
6) The Principles of Knitting (1988) by June Hemmons Hiatt; The ultimate hand knitting resource
7) The Lion's Paw (1946) by Robb White; An enduring children's adventure story
8) The Secret of Perfect Living (1963) by James Mangan; An influential work in the personal behavior modification genre
9) Once a Runner: a Novel (1978) by John L. Parker, Jr.; Cult classic (a long-awaited sequel Again to Carthage expected soon)
10) One Way Up (1964) by John F. Straubel; Chronicles the history of helicopter development
source : newswire

The owners of London's Earl's Court arena have been fined £175,000 after a workman fell 20 feet while preparing the stage for a Madonna concert.
American technician John McLaughlin spent three weeks in intensive care after the accident during the singer's Reinvention tour in 2004.
The 44-year-old suffered life-threatening injuries after falling into a gaping hole caused by a section of the arena floor being raised for maintenance work.
He was airlifted to the Royal London Hospital with punctured lungs, fractured ribs, broken limbs and a mild brain haemorrhage, and had to be resuscitated on arrival.
Mr McLaughlin, who now lives in the US, is undergoing a prolonged programme of rehabilitation.
Earl's Court pleaded guilty to the breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act for the accident, which happened on August 6, 2004.
The company was fined £175,000 plus costs of £23,000 by Judge Aiden Marron QC at Blackfriars Crown Court on Friday.
It is the third major failing for the firm, which has previously been convicted for fatal falls in 1999 and 2000.
source : thisislondon.com

Angelina Jolie insists Madonna knew she would run into trouble by adopting a baby from Malawi - because of the country's uncertain adoption laws.
'The Good Shepherd' actress - who has given homes to two underprivileged children, five-year-old Maddox and Zahara, 23 months - says Madonna was open to criticism and problems because Malawi has no set guidelines for such cases.
She is quoted by Britain's New magazine: "Madonna knows very well that she adopted from a country without legal adoption, so it was an unusual situation."
Angelina - who also has a seven-month-old biological daughter Shiloh Nouvel with her partner Brad Pitt - insists she will not make the same mistake as Madonna next time she welcomes an unwanted child into her home.
She said: "I don't anticipate that being a problem for me because I don't intend to adopt a child from a country where there is no legal adoption."
source : azcentral

Music icon Madonna's English country estate will no longer be available for hunters wanting to shoot some pheasant, for pal Stella McCartney just put an end to the bloody sport at Ashcombe.
Madonna and her British director hubby Guy Ritchie rent Ashcombe in Wilts to shooting parties for as much as 10,000 pounds a day.
And, to give hunters a far more satisfying experience, the singer also bought and released 3,000 imported baby pheasants so that shooters were sure to have enough targets.
However, Sir Paul McCartney's designer daughter Stella, who also happens to be a pal of Madonna's, reportedly ripped into the Material Girl for playing a role in promoting the sport.
"Ashcombe's become a hunting factory and the Ritchies like playing rich landlords. Stella wasn't pleased when she heard about them releasing pheasants and spoke to Madonna" The Sun quoted a source, as saying.
"She's the reason Madonna is stopping shooting next year," the source added.
This is not the first time that Stella has been at odds with the singer, for she recently scolded Madge for wearing a 35,000 pounds fur coat.
Madonna herself gave up hunting peasants last year when a bird she shot did not die immediately, and she had to watch it as it struggled up the hill with blood gushing from its mouth.
"It wasn't dead.Blood was gushing from it's mouth and it was struggling up this hill and I thought, 'Oh God, I did that. I haven't shot since," the singer said last November..
source : ani

16 Pictures - Madonna going to / leaving the gym in London (December 14 2006) - are added to the gallery.

Us Weekly ran into Courtney Love, 42, at the British Comedy Awards where she told Us she wants to end her decade-long feud with Madonna, 48. The bad blood started at the 1995 MTV VMA Awards when Love crashed Madonna's interview with Kurt Loder and chucked a makeup compact at her. Beyond her request for diva disarmament, Love also weighed in on Lindsay Lohan's recent troubles and denied rumors that she has breast implants.
Courtney: "Could someone please make the peace between Madonna and me? We have not spoken since her wedding. I want to make peace but hey I am not going to make the first move."
[Approaches British comedian Russell Brand]
Courtney: "Russell, I want you to go up to her and mediate."
Russell: "Honey, my middle name is 'candour.'"
Courtney: "Is no one going to make the peace between Madonna and me?"
Us: What is your relationship with Lindsay Lohan like at the moment?
Courtney: "I am very worried about her. I was her mentor but that was years ago. My heart goes out to her. This shouldn't be happening."
Us: What are your thoughts on plastic surgery?
Courtney: "What is this about me and plastic surgery? Someone said I had my boobs done. I am so not a fan. Ok, I had something done to my lips but that was it. These boobs are mine. They're real. I will not be having more."
source : usweekly

10 Pictures - Madonna with Guy Ritchie leaving Cecconi's restaurant in London (December 12 2006) - are added to the gallery.

If you are in the UK be sure to tune into ITV1 tonight (starting at 9p) to see a surprise Madonna appearance at the 17th annual British Comedy Awards, hosted by Jonathan Ross.
source : madonna.com

17 Pictures - Madonna going to / leaving the gym in London (December 12 2006) - are added to the gallery.

It looks like Luc Besson has placed himself in a little bit of a conundrum when he announced that his retirement from directing would begin after Arthur and the Invisibles.
It just so happens that the soon to be ex-director has a lot of faith in the animated adventure and, if Invisibles does score a significant audience, he plans to return and direct the sequel.
Arthur and the Forbidden City to Pull Luc Besson Out of Retirement
Production Weekly recently ran a report claiming that Luc Besson is definitely thinking about going against his recent retirement announcement in order to begin work on the adaptation of his second book, Arthur and the Forbidden City.
Luc Besson is reconsidering returning behind the camera despite a recent interview announcing his retirement from directing. If the adaptation of his novel "Arthur and the Minimoys" finds an audience he will begin work on adapting the second book, "Arthur And The Forbidden City," for the big screen with a shooting start date as early as June. The film will be released on December 13 in France and stars the voices of Madonna, Snoop Dogg and David Bowie for the English version and Mylene Farmer, Alain Bashung and Marc Lavoine in the French version.
The sequel continues the story of Arthur and his adventures with the miniature people known as the Minimoys. The second installment pits Arthur in fierce battles, against ferocious monsters, and one evil wizard, Maltazard the Cursed, who rules from his terrifying stronghold: Necropolis, the forbidden city.
Arthur and the Invisibles comes to theatres on January 12th, 2007.
source : canmag

Pollstar's 18th Annual Concert Industry ceremony takes place February 8 at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. The soiree honors touring artists and the professionals who keep them on the road. It also serves as the grand finale to the 2007 Concert Industry Consortium, which will be held February 6-8.
Award nominees are selected by a well-rounded group of concert business professionals and voted on by subscribers to Pollstar magazine.

Major Tour Of The Year:
Madonna
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Roger Waters
Rolling Stones
Tim McGraw / Faith Hill

Most Creative Stage Production
Madonna
Roger Waters
Rolling Stones
Tim McGraw / Faith Hill

source : pollstar.com/pollstaronline.com

20 Pictures - Madonna leaving the gym in London (December 11 2006) - are added to the gallery.

3 Pictures - Madonna leaving the gym in London (December 11 2006) - are added to the gallery.

2 Pictures - Madonna out and about in London (December 08 2006)) - are added to the gallery.

13 Pictures - Madonna arrives for a meeting in Soho in London (December 05 2006) - are added to the gallery.

5 Pictures - Madonna leaving the gym in London (December 05 2006) - are added to the gallery.

Madonna has outraged animal rights groups by wearing a fur coat made from the skins of 40 chinchillas.
The star was photographed wearing the £35,000 coat as she emerged from a Mayfair restaurant this week with her husband, the film director Guy Ritchie.
Campaigners against real fur accused the star of ignoring the cruel reality of how animals are farmed for their skins.
Madonna's decision to flaunt such an opulent fur coat may come as a surprise to some, given that she eschews meat and even dairy products as unhealthy, and follows a strict macrobiotic diet. She is also a friend of vegetarian fashion designer Stella McCartney, who famously refuses to work with any animal products, including leather and fur.
However, since she became a full-time resident in Britain, Madonna has taken shooting lessons at her country estate, and her husband is a keen follower of blood sports.
In 2001, she was pictured wearing a £1,000 hat by the milliner Philip Treacy that had been made from the pelts of five foxes, and a year later was seen in a coat that campaigners claimed was made from the pelts of unborn lambs.
Lobby groups said that the chinchillas, which are part of the rodent family, are intensively farmed and then skinned alive in order to make fur products.
A spokeswoman for the lobby group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) said: "We encourage anyone who wears fur to watch videos of these animals being electrocuted, caught in traps and skinned alive.
"Thousands of people, including Paris Hilton, have said that the videos changed their minds about wearing fur."
"Chinchillas are shy, intelligent animals who can live for up to 15 years in the wild. Yet on fur farms, these animals are violently killed while fully conscious."
She added: "We hope that Madonna's recent acts of kindness in Africa move her to extend her compassion to animals.
Peta has run several high-profile campaigns using celebrities to urge people not to wear real fur. But the tactic has backfired in some cases, when featured stars, such as the supermodel Naomi Campbell, have later been pictured wearing mink coats and other fur products.
A spokeswoman for Madonna confirmed that the fur was real, but declined to comment further on the matter.
Madonna is not the only star to come under fire for her penchant for fur in recent times.
Kate Moss became a target of animal rights groups last week after she was photographed in New York wearing a fur coat. One of the model's biggest contracts is also with the fashion house Burberry, which has refused to stop using fur in its collections.
After years of declining sales, real fur producers have reported a turnaround in their fortunes over the last 12 months, partly because of its return as a fashion trend.
Meanwhile, Victoria Beckham, who often garners vitriolic abuse for her fashion decisions, was lauded for wearing a coat similar to Moss last week - but which was in fact made from fake fur.
Fur farming has been banned in Britain since 2003, but chinchilla products are still imported from Europe, South and North America.
source : independent.co.uk

Top Electronic Albums :
02 (03) Madonna - Confessions On A Dance Floor

Hot 100 Singles Sales :
06 (04) Madonna - Jump
33 (27) Madonna - Get Together
41 (47) Madonna - Hung Up
50 (35) Madonna - Sorry

Hot Dance Music/Club Play
08 (06) Madonna - Jump

Dance Radio Airplay :
02 (01) Madonna - Jump

Hot Dance Singles Sales :
01 (01) Madonna - Jump
08 (08) Madonna - Get Together
10 (12) Madonna - Hung Up
12 (09) Madonna - Sorry

Pop Act :
James Blunt
Katie Melua
Kelly Clarkson
Madonna
Westlife

International Female Solo Artist :
Björk
Kelly Clarkson
Madonna
Mariah Carey
Missy Elliott

International Album :
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Green Day - American Idiot
Kanye West - Late Registration
Madonna - Confessions On A Dance Floor
U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

source : madonnanation/brits.co.uk

Category 12 - Best Dance Recording :
Suffer Well - Depeche Mode
Ooh La La - Goldfrapp
Get Together - Madonna
I'm With Stupid - Pet Shop Boys
Sexy Back - Justin Timberlake & Timbaland

Category 13 - Best Electronic/Dance Album :
Supernature - Goldfrapp
Confessions On A Dance Floor - Madonna
A Lively Mind - Oakenfold
Fundamental - Pet Shop Boys
The Garden - Zero 7

Category 108 - Best Long Form Music Video :
Flow: Living In The Stream Of Music - Terence Blanchard
Directions - Death Cab For Cutie
Demon Days - Live In Manchester - Gorillaz
I'm Going To Tell You A Secret - Madonna
Wings For Wheels: The Making Of Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen

source : grammy.com

Hennes & Mauritz, Europe's largest fashion retailer, has once again sealed a deal with Madonna for a new fashion line.
Madonna has teamed up with Margareta van den Bosch, H&M's head of design, to create the "M by Madonna" women's wear collection, scheduled to be launched globally in March, the company said Thursday.
This is the second time the 48-year-old pop singer has collaborated with the Swedish clothing chain. H&M supplied Madonna and her entourage with an offstage wardrobe for her "Confessions" world tour.
"I've made no secret of my love for fashion and trends," Madonna said in a statement. "Working with Margareta and H&M was an exciting and new creative challenge for me. I'm really happy with the results and look forward to wearing 'M by Madonna' along with the rest of the world."
H&M said the new collection will "reflect Madonna's timelessness, unique and always glamorous style."
Designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and Viktor & Rolf have produced collections for H&M.

source : newscomm

It's a compilation of selected photographs taken by fans during the Confessions Tour, everything beautifully designed with illustrations to recreate the vibe.
This photographic book is called "Fanatic Confessions" and also includes kaleidoscopic artworks, excerpts from exclusive interviews with tour staff members and a compilations of photographs of Fans "confessing" around the world. The book is released as a limited edition.
Visit DrownedMadonna.com for more info.

Madonna has been attacked by animal rights group People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA) after she was snapped wearing a fur coat in London last night.
The singer dined out with husband Guy Ritchie wearing a coat that appeared to be made from chinchilla fur.
PETA spokesperson Karen Chisholm says, "Wearing a coat made of dozens of animals who were strangled or anally electrocuted got Madonna the attention she so desperately craves, but it also brought painful deaths to small, gentle animals who died for her vanity. It can take between 30 and 200 chinchillas to make just one coat."
source : pr-inside.com

Madonna will be releasing a live cd of her hits from the Confessions Tour. Madonna.com is thrilled to reveal the track listings:

1. Future Lovers / I Feel Love
2. Like A Virgin
3. Jump
4. Confessions
5. Isaac
6. Sorry
7. Sorry (Remix)
8. I Love New York
9. Let It Will Be
10. Music Inferno
11. Erotica
12. Lucky Star
13. Hung Up

source : iconmadonna

This Thursday, the 7th of December between 11,30 am and 2 pm, at the Amoreiras Centre in Lisbon, a selection of different children's books by Madonna ( all in the Portuguese translation ) and signed by the Author, will be auctioned in aid of "Acreditar" - an Association based in Lisbon which supports children suffering from cancer and their families.
As well as the books (10 in total), 7 very large posters and 3 large, full size, cut-out figures reproduced from Madonna's fifth book "Lotsa de Casha" with illustrations by Rui Paes, will also be auctioned.
Each of the 7 posters consist of a large, full size, image of "Lotsa" sporting a plumed hat and carrying toys, and the 3 cut-out figures are "Lotsa" (represented here on the left), "The wise Old Man" and " Sun and clouds".
These posters and cut-out figures were used during Rui Paes's exhibition of the original watercolours for Madonna's book "Lotsa de Casha", which took place last October, at Teatro Sao Carlos, in Lisbon.
Absentee bids will be accepted until the 6th of December by 12:00 noon.
These can be made over the Telephone, by Fax or via Email.
Tel : + 351 217 221150 Fax : + 351 217 221151 Email : acreditar@acreditar.pt
All books, posters and cut-out figures can be viewed at the Amoreiras Centre one hour previously to the begining of the auction.

Thanks to Axel Potoms

Madonna and Guy Ritchie are turning to a top British marital therapist in a desperate attempt to save their stormy marriage.
The pop queen and her movie director husband are to ask world-renowned guidance counsellor Tricia Barnes for help with their relationship.
The shock move to repair their six-year marriage comes only two months after their controversial adoption of an African toddler.
Last night a source close to the couple told The People: "The marriage is near rock-bottom.
"They've been putting on a united front in public but behind closed doors their marriage has come under strain.
"The publicity surrounding the adoption has created a difficult atmosphere in their London home.
"But they are determined to make the marriage work and after a long heart-to-heart they both decided to seek the help of a marriage guidance specialist."
The People can reveal that tensions between Madonna, 48, and Guy, 38, increased after...
A nanny walked out on the couple complaining of the superstar's bossy manner.
Furious guy shouted at Madonna in front of shocked friends: "I'll get on my bike if you want me to."
They disagreed over Madonna's determination to adopt a second child from Africa.
They clashed over her fascination with the Kabbalah Jewish sect which Guy believes has become an obsession.
Her career continues to soar while Guy's has stalled.
By turning to a counsellor, Madonna and Guy are following a sensible route increasingly used by couples still keen to strengthen their marriage.
Tricia Barnes, who has offices in London's Harley Street, is a member of the British Association of Marital and Sexual Therapists and has over 25 years' experience.
She produced the self-help video A Woman's Guide To Loving Sex which encourages women to be more assertive and skilful in sexual relations.
Although sexual problems are not believed to be at the centre of Madonna and Guy's unhappiness, Tricia is an expert in stripping down every facet of a marriage to get to the root cause of the problems.
The couple's relationship came under new strain after their high-profile adoption of one-year-old Malawi child David Banda - exclusively predicted by The People three months ago.
Uproar over the rights and wrongs of adopting a child from Africa and the mixed messages broadcast to the world by David's father put the spotlight directly on Madonna and Guy.
Madge, as fans call her, was forced to give a series of interviews defending the adoption.
Our source said: " Guy and Madonna both dote on little David as one of their own.
"But it is her attitude that can irritate and upset Guy.
"She drove the whole adoption process on from start to finish and Guy was left trailing in her slipstream just nodding and going along with things. Matters were not helped when one of their nannies quit her job because she couldn't stand the tension.
"Madonna is used to getting her way in everything she does and has admitted being a demanding and difficult employer.
"The nanny felt she was always treading on egg shells and decided she couldn't take the stress any more.
"Although little David has brought a ray of I sunshine into the couple's lives, the strain and pressures of intro-' ducing a new child from a different culture into their family has understandably brought additional pressures.
"Recently Guy lost it big time when Madonna began picking on him about something he hadn't done to her liking.
"He thundered back, 'I'll get on my bike if you want me to'. "She tried to laugh the whole episode off but it was clear he was deadly serious. The bottom line is that Guy sometimes feels he is not allowed to have \ an opinion."
Madonna, who I has a son Rocco, six, ' by Guy and daughter Lourdes, 10, from a vious lover, is desperate to adopt a second African child. But the source said: "Guy doesn't want to go through all the media attention again which he hates.
"Although he loves little David as his own he thinks they should be both concentrating on their own relationship at this time, not adding a new one.
"Madonna's devotion to the Kabbalah movement is also causing serious friction.
"Madonna wants Guy to share her beliefs just as strongly. Recently she asked Guy to help set up a web site which will give advice to fellow followers.
"But, to put it bluntly, he's just not interested." The couple's careers have also taken them in different directions.
Madonna, worth over £250 million, has yet again successfully reinvented her pop image with her Confessions world tour this year.
But the price has been a heavy workload and spells away from home.
Meanwhile Guy - director of fashionable British gangster movies like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels in the late '90s - has done little lately.
He is no longer the successful movie boss that Madonna married in a fairytale wedding in Skibo Castle, Sutherland, in 2000. Earlier this year the singer admitted on the Channel 4 documentary I'm Going To Tell You A Secret: "I got married for all the wrong reasons.
"My husband did not turn out to be everything I'd imagined him to be. I just wanted to end everything."
She also added there was no such thing as the "perfect soul-mate".
Just a few months previously Guy hinted at tensions at home. He said: "Do I listen to the wife's music? Do I have a choice?
"I like to think she values my opinion although I'm not sure she does."
In February she was spotted leaving the London home of music producer Stuart Price which doubles as his studio. The pair were believed to have got close and formed a "special working relationship" after he worked on her hit album Confessions On A Dancefloor.
Despite denying any romance, relations between Madonna and Guy appeared frosty.
He was not at her side days later when she performed at the prestigious Grammy Music Awards in the States.
Even Guy's dad, retired advertising executive John Ritchie admitted: "It's the children that keep them together."
Last February it was reported they were being offered marriage counselling by pal Sir Elton John. Elton's lover David Furnish, 43, said at the time: "Elton and I have spoken to Madonna plenty of times. She and Guy are close friends of ours."
It was also reported that Madonna had sought advice from Kabbalah rabbis to save her marriage.
Now the troubled couple are making a fresh effort to save their marriage.
Our source added: "It really is crunch time. Everyone is hoping and praying they hold it together.
"They love their children too much to throw everything away.
"By seeing Tricia Barnes they are still having a go - there is still hope for them."
source : people.co.uk

"She's like an older sister. Everything I have gone through, she went through ten times worse and ten times longer. She gives me good advice about how to say no and take care of myself," said Paltrow.
source : nationalledger.com

8 Pictures - Madonna leaving the gym in London (December 01 2006) - are added to the gallery.

9 Pictures - Madonna leaving the gym in London (November 30 2006) - are added to the gallery.

Madonna has accepted a Malawian high court ruling allowing a coalition of human rights groups to monitor her as she tries to adopt a Malawian child, the singer's lawyer said.
"The Ritchies called me from London and I explained to them the ruling ... they have no problem with the ruling and are also willing to sit back and wait," Alan Chinula told reporters in the capital, Lilongwe.
Justice Andrew Nyirenda ruled on Wednesday that the Human Rights Consultative Committee and the state-run Malawi Human Rights Commission could join the adoption process as friends of the court and could pursue their application for a full judicial review of the interim custody order he earlier granted to the singer and her husband, Guy Ritchie.
The rights groups say they are concerned that the government had cut legal corners to fast-track the adoption. They said that while they do not object to Madonna as a prospective parent, regulations must be followed to protect children.
Chinula said the challenge would help clarify Malawi's "antiquated laws" on adoption, and that the Madonna case will be a "guiding case for future adoptions."
Yohane Banda - the 32-year-old biological father of the 14-month-old Madonna wants to adopt - said that he hoped the celebrity case would lead to reforms to make it easier for foreigners to adopt Malawian children.
"In Malawi, there are to many underprivileged children, most of them orphans. I appeal to rich people with Madonna's kind heart to come and adopt these children," he said at his mud-and-thatch Lipunga Village, 120 miles from Lilongwe.
He added he had heard that David, the son he surrendered to an orphanage soon after his birth, was being sent to expensive schools and hospitals under Madonna's care in London.
"We are happy here," he said. "I know Madonna loves the child, I want to encourage her to keep on loving David."
Banda surrendered David after his 28-year-old wife of 10 years, Marita, died of childbirth complications on October 1, 2005 - a week after giving birth to David.
source : yahoo