truesee's Blog

Wizards Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton pull pistols on each other

Teammates pull weapons on each other

PETER VECSEY and DAVID K. L I

Last Updated: 10:18 AM, January 1, 2010

Posted: 2:53 AM, January 1, 2010

Guess they're still the Bullets at heart.

NBA all-star Gilbert Arenas and his Washington Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton drew guns on each other in the team's locker room during a Christmas Eve dispute over a gambling debt, The Post has learned.

League sources say the pistol-packing point guards had heaters at the ready inside the Verizon Center, the Washington, DC, home of the Wizards -- whose name was changed from the Bullets over gun- violence concerns.

It was the three- time all-star Arenas, 27, who went for his gun first, sources said, drawing on the 22-year-old Crittenton, who quickly brandished a firearm as well.

NBAE/Getty Images

FREEZE! Washington Wizards Gilbert Arenas (above) and Javaris Crittenton had allegedly been arguing over a bet debt when they drew guns.

It was not clear whether other teammates saw the shocking standoff, which happened on a practice day.

The duel in DC -- unprecedented in sports history -- was sparked when Crittenton became enraged at the veteran guard for refusing to make good on a gambling debt, a source said.

"I'm not your punk!" Crittenton shouted at Arenas, according to a league source close to the Wizards.

That prompted Arenas to draw on Crittenton, who then also grabbed for a gun, league security sources said.

A playground pal of Crittenton's from Atlanta, Kendrick "Bookie Ball" Long, confirmed the locker-room standoff and said he learned of it directly from the third-year player out of Georgia Tech.

"He [Arenas] was f- - -ing with him; he [Crittenton] was just defending himself!" declared Long, who said the dispute was over money but would not elaborate.

The Wizards announced on Christmas Day that Arenas had admitted to bringing guns to the locker room and had turned them over to team security. No ammunition was handed over.

The NBA club's statement didn't disclose how Wizards officials discovered that Arenas was storing weapons on the job.

But a league source said Arenas' weapons were uncovered only after the confrontation with Crittenton.

Wizards General Manager Ernie Grunfeld declined to comment. "It's in the hands of [Washington] authorities," said Grunfeld, a former star Knicks player and president. "We're going to get to the bottom of this, if there is a bottom to this."

Washington police said they were investigating Arenas for gun-possession violations. But the Wizards' gun grab has also drawn the attention of the feds.

"We're working with the Metropolitan Police Department on the investigation. That's about all we can say at his point," said Ben Friedman, a spokesman for the US Attorney's Office in DC.

The feds have been investigating gambling within the NBA since disgraced ex-referee Tim Donaghy admitted betting on games and feeding information to bookies. It was not clear whether the gambling debt that sparked the Arenas-Crittenton duel had anything to do with league games.

A top players-union official said he was shocked by the allegations. "This is unprecedented in the history of sports," said Player's Association Executive Director Billy Hunter. "I've never heard of players pulling guns on each other in a locker room."

Team owner Abe Pollin -- his sensitivity heightened by the fatal shooting of his good friend Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995 -- changed the club from the Bullets to the Wizards in 1997 because he didn't like the violent overtones of the original name. Pollin died in November.

Arenas, who has three kids, reportedly told team officials he brought guns to his Verizon Center locker so they wouldn't be close to his newborn at their home in Great Falls, Va.

He denied pulling a gun on Crittenton and even mocked the suggestion he would ever point a weapon at a teammate.

"You guys, I wanted to go rob banks, I wanted to be a bank robber on the weekends," Arenas said sarcastically after a game this week.

Firearm laws in Washington are among the nation's strictest. Until a recent US Supreme Court ruling, private ownership of guns was illegal in the nation's capital.

As it stands now, gun owners are allowed to transport firearms only within DC under very limited circumstances -- such as taking the weapon to be registered or to a practice range. There's no provision under current DC law for a private citizen to have a gun at work.

In 2003, Arenas pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of carrying a concealed weapon in San Francisco.

Arenas claimed the gun was legally registered in Arizona -- where he was star player for the University of Arizona Wildcats -- and said he forgot he needed California authorization to carry it there.

Crittenton hasn't played a minute this season for the Wizards and has struggled to overcome a bone bruise and strained tendons.

Javaris Crittenton

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/nba_gunpoint_R52AnT76DRgTSuVKDQ8XBO#ixzz0bNV2ZKSS

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34641678/ns/today-today_people/

Father and 12-year-old daughter booked after fake kidnapping prank

Jeff Adelson

The Times-Picayune

December 31, 2009, 6:05AM

A Lacombe man and his daughter hatched an unusual practical joke to entertain themselves as they drove down Interstate 12: tie the girl's hands, duct-tape her mouth and watch the startled expressions as their fellow drivers noticed the apparent kidnapping in progress.

It was apparently a very realistic depiction. But the man's fellow motorists, who boxed the pickup in until law enforcement arrived, and the deputies who arrested him weren't laughing.

Tim Williams, 45, was returning to St. Tammany Parish with his 12-year-old daughter after

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office

"I don't know who in their right mind would want to play at a child abduction with their 12-year-old daughter," he said.

It's unclear when the two first started the stunt, but at least three motorists called 9-1-1 to report an abduction after seeing the girl bound and gagged in the front seat of the pickup about 3:50 p.m. as the vehicle passed the Louisiana 1077 exit on I-12, Beavers said. Deputies rushed to the highway as several motorists surrounded the truck in an attempt to keep the supposed kidnapper from getting away, he said.

The patrol cars caught up with Williams at the Louisiana 59 exit and learned it was all a prank when they pulled Williams over, Beavers said.

Because of the severity of the situation, Williams was booked into the St. Tammany Parish jail in Covington with criminal mischief and contributing to the delinquency of a minor before being released later in the day on a $3,000 bond. His daughter, who was not identified because she is a juvenile, was cited for criminal mischief and released to the care of an uncle, Beavers said.

"Their lives were put in danger as well as the lives of the general public," Beavers said. "Anything could have happened over that prank. That's why we felt he needed to go to jail for that, too many lives were put in danger to let him go on his way."

Though the situation ended up being far less serious than it initially appeared, Beavers said  he was grateful for the keen eyes of the motorists on I-12 and said such alertness could prevent a tragedy in the future.

"Even though it was a false alarm, I'm very glad the public called us and I want them to continue to call us," Beavers said. Even though this was a prank, it could easily not have been."

Tim Williams picking her up from his ex-wife at the Texas state line Wednesday afternoon when the two came up with the idea, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office spokesman Cpl. Sean Beavers said. During the stunt, duct-tape was used to bind the girl's hands and cover her mouth, Beaver said.

Deadly Surprise: Funeral Home Cremates Wrong Woman

LAUREN PETTY

Updated 3:30 PM EST, Thu, Dec 31, 2009

It was a tough Christmas for the Tuccillo family of Waterbury. Their mother and grandmother, Aurelie Tuccillo, 95, passed away on Christmas Eve.

When the family arrived at Buckmiller Brothers Funeral Home in Prospect, Conn., for her wake Tuesday night, they were shocked to find another woman's body in Tuccillo's casket.

The family called Prospect Police, who together with Connecticut State Police, searched the funeral home and found out Tuccillo's body had been inadvertently cremated.

"This is certainly an unusual case for the State Police to be involved in, but we'll certainly make every effort to answer all the questions surrounding what happened," said Connecticut State Police Lt. J. Paul Vance.

Wayne Buckmiller, the director of the family-run funeral home, said he is devastated by what he called an "identification mix-up."

He released this statement that read in part, "The funeral home is working closely with the family to resolve this difficult situation and extend our most sincere condolences to them at this challenging time."

When reached by phone, a member of Tuccillo's family said they were too upset to talk.

Wayne Buckmiller says in 75 years in funeral business, a mistake like this has never happened before.

Now State Police are heading up an investigation for the Department of Public Health, which licenses funeral home in Connecticut, looking into what led to the mix-up.

"There probably will be no criminal charges. We've been in contact with State's Attorney and right now the State Police involvement is to conduct the administrative investigation for Department of Public Health, so they can determine if there's any enforcement they need to take from their end," Lt. Vance said.

Department of Public Health Spokesperson Bill Gerrish said once the investigation is complete, the finding will be presented to a committee, which will then decide the next step. One option is stripping the funeral home of its license.

LINK TO PHOTO AND VIDEO:

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local-beat/Funeral-Home-Cremates-Wrong-Woman-80387297.html

The top 10 biggest TV blunders of the decade

James Hibberd and Nellie Andreeva

Tue Dec 29, 2009 3:56am EST   

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Perhaps executives toiling in the TV industry should get a pass given all the competitive distractions dwindling their audience, from video games to social networking. And yet, some of their decisions were so memorably boneheaded that we must celebrate these milestone mishaps. Let's start with...

10. FOX CANCELING "FAMILY GUY" (AND, SURE, PERHAPS "FIREFLY" TOO)

Axed TV shows usually stay dead, yet two titles canceled by former Fox chief Sandy Grushow in 2002 refused to go quietly. One was Seth MacFarlane's "Family Guy," which was moved around the schedule and even put opposite top-rated hits "Survivor" and "Friends" before getting yanked. After the show's repeats got strong ratings on Adult Swim and netted big DVD sales, the comedy made its way back to broadcast in 2005. "Family Guy" is now Fox's second-highest-rated scripted series and has produced a successful spinoff ("The Cleveland Show"). As for "Firefly," the show lived on as a theatrical movie ("Serenity") and to this day, no TV series cancellation inspires louder fanboy wails.

9. NBC HIRING BEN SILVERMAN

If you have a great dentist, you shouldn't assume he can perform heart surgery. If your gardener is fantastic, they aren't necessarily a good hair stylist. You know where we're going with this? Silverman was a fine agent and accomplished dealmaker ("The Office," "Ugly Betty"), but NBC chief Jeff Zucker falsely assumed Silverman could therefore run NBC and fit with the network's corporate environment. Coming off a devastating writers strike, NBC needed a General Patton. It got Hulk Hogan ("American Gladiators") and KITT ("Knight Rider" remake). The executive Silverman essentially replaced, Kevin Reilly, moved on to Fox, which is having its strongest fall season in years.

8. ABC'S OVERLOAD ON "WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE"

After a surpassingly strong summer run in 1999, the U.S. version of the British quiz show exploded during the next season. Emboldened by "Millionaire's" success, which catapulted ABC to the top of the ratings, executives increased the frequency of the show's airings to four times a week, and dramatically cut development for the 2000-01 season. "Millionaire" quickly fizzled and by November 2000, ABC had dropped from first to fourth in the ratings and had gaping holes on the schedule. Recovery took years.

7. THE CASTING OF RYAN JENKINS

There's been a slew of reality-show blunders over the past decade. But it's pretty tough to beat failing to uncover in a background check the disturbing criminal history of a man cast on a VH1 dating show who ended up murdering his wife. Ryan Jenkins was a contestant on two series produced by 51 Minds Prods., "Megan Wants a Millionaire" and "I Love Money 3" (the latter he supposedly won). Jenkins was then charged with the murder of his spouse and took his own life. The shows were canceled, and the casting process for reality shows are undergoing heightened scrutiny.

6. DUMPING JAY LENO FROM NBC'S "THE TONIGHT SHOW"

Leno's new primetime show is like New Coke: A product nobody wanted replacing a product everybody liked. There are many reasons why NBC moved Leno to 10 p.m. to honor an agreement to give Conan O'Brien "The Tonight Show." But none of the explanations add up to a convincing excuse for ousting a talk show host who dominated his time period every night.

5. ELECTION NIGHT COVERAGE IN 2000

The evening not only went down as TV news divisions' biggest blunder in recent memory, it also led to sweeping changes in how networks announce election results. At 8 p.m. ET on November 7, all major networks called Florida for Al Gore, then moved the state back to the undecided column at 10 p.m. At 2 a.m., Fox News Channel, with George W. Bush's first cousin John Ellis running its election desk, was the first to project Florida -- and the presidency -- for the Texas governor. All networks followed suit until that call, too, was retracted and the state was pronounced again "too close to call" at 4 a.m. "We don't just have egg on our face," NBC's lead anchor Tom Brokaw said that morning. "We have an omelet on our suits."

4. MYNETWORKTV

It was bad enough combining UPN and the WB into one new network -- the CW. But the biggest misstep was what happened to stations that did not join the CW. Regrouped by Fox Entertainment Group into a sixth broadcast network called MyNetworkTV, the company launched a bizarre plan to stock the network exclusively with original low-cost English-language telenovelas. The programing flopped out of the gate, and today MyNetworkTV largely airs syndicated programing and repeats.

3. JANET JACKSON'S SUPER BOWL NIPPLE SLIP

The biggest problem was that it looked intentional. When Justin Timberlake ripped off fabric covering Janet Jackson's right breast for a half-second on live TV during CBS' Super Bowl halftime show, the resulting firestorm saw CBS get slapped with a record $550,000 fine from the FCC -- about a dollar for every complaint the commission received from viewers. The "wardrobe malfunction" led to increased worry about FCC fines and pre-emptive editing of risque content on scripted shows, as well as more vigilance on live telecasts.

2. ABC PASSING ON "CSI"

In the fall of 1999, ABC was pitched a new forensic drama from writer Anthony Zuiker, Disney corporate sibling Touchstone Television and studio-based producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The network passed. Then, in the summer of 2000, when "CSI" went into production as a new series for CBS, Touchstone, which was a 50/50 producing partner on the show, dramatically pulled out, not wanting to finance a show for a rival network. So far, the "CSI" franchise has generated $6 billion for CBS. What's more, the "CSI" snafu prompted Bruckheimer to leave Disney's TV divisions for CBS and its sister studio, generating billions more for them with a string of long-running procedurals such as "Without a Trace" and "Cold Case" and the Emmy-dominant reality veteran "The Amazing Race."

1. WRITERS STRIKE

Has there ever been a longer 14 weeks? The 2007-08 walkout was a largely avoidable mutually destructive act that occurred at exactly the wrong time. In addition to almost wiping out an entire pilot season, the strike sent shows into repeats, driving a ratings crash that broadcasters have not been able to recover from thanks to increased DVR use and viewers fleeing to cable. In the end, writers outmaneuvered the studios, but few felt as if they actually won.

Woman's blood alcohol content topples state records

Journal staff

Wednesday, December 30, 2009 9:15 am 

A Sturgis woman had a blood-alcohol level of .708 percent, possibly a state record, when she was found earlier this month behind the wheel of a stolen vehicle parked on Interstate 90, according to Meade County State’s Attorney Jesse Sondreal.

A South Dakota Highway Patrol trooper discovered Marguerite Engle, 45, on Dec. 1 passed out behind the wheel of a delivery truck reported stolen in Rapid City.

Her blood-alcohol level was almost nine times South Dakota’s legal limit of .08 percent.

Checks with local and state labs where blood-alcohol levels are tested suggest Engle’s reading may be the highest ever recorded in South Dakota, Sondreal said.

Sondreal said a state chemist recalled a sample that tested .53, but nothing higher, in his more than 30 years on the job.

Dr. Robert Looyenga, who recently retired from the Rapid City Police Department’s forensic laboratory, told Sondreal that the highest blood-alcohol sample he tested measured .56 percent.

Sondreal’s research indicates that a blood-alcohol level of .40 is considered a lethal dose for about 50 percent of the population.

“Engle’s was almost double that,” Sondreal said.

After she was found, Engle was hospitalized and freed on bond.

She failed to appear in court on Dec. 15, but Sturgis police located her Monday evening in another stolen car sitting in a ditch along S.D. Highway 34 near Fort Meade.

Engle was arrested for second offense driving under the influence and taken to jail.

Engle made her initial appearance in Meade County magistrate court Tuesday. She is being held without bond.

Sondreal said Engle has been living in a hotel after recently moving here from Minnesota.  Engle is most likely facing charges in Pennington County since both vehicles were stolen in Rapid City, Sondreal said.

 

Rush Limbaugh taken to hospital with chest pain

December 31, 2009 1:33 a.m. EST

• Staffer says radio host Rush Limbaugh taken to Honolulu hospital with chest pains
• Staffer says Limbaugh is "resting comfortably" at Queen's Medical Center
• Limbaugh has been vacationing in Hawaii

Honolulu, Hawaii (CNN) -- Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh was taken to a Honolulu hospital with chest pains Wednesday, a show staffer said.

"Rush was admitted to and is resting comfortably in a Honolulu hospital today after suffering chest pains," Kit Carson, the chief of staff for the Rush Limbaugh Show, said.

A source at the Queen's Medical Center told CNN that Limbaugh was admitted late afternoon in "serious condition" and is expected to stay overnight.

The hospital itself would not confirm or deny that Limbaugh was taken there.

Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the Honolulu Emergency Services Department, would only say that a man was taken from the Kahala Hotel and Resort at 2:41 p.m.

"Whether it was Rush Limbaugh, we cannot say," he said.

Limbaugh was staying at the resort at the time.

Limbaugh's attorney, Roy Black, told CNN he had heard about the hospital trip from media reports. "We are worried about it," he said.

Limbaugh's radio show is broadcast on more than 600 stations and is heard by more than 13.5 million listeners each week.

Last year, he struck a deal with Clear Channel Communications to extend his contract through 2016. The deal is worth more than $400 million.

http://www.wbaltv.com/family/22084676/detail.html

1:48 p.m. Dec. 30, 2009

Detroit man arraigned in fatal shooting of intruder

A magistrate in Detroit's 36th District Court entered a not guilty plea today for Tigh Croff, who is charged with second-degree homicide and felony firearm charges after police say he shot and killed a man he believed was trying to rob his home.

Croff was arraigned by video wearing a security guard’s uniform, a blue shirt with black epaulets and black tie with patches on each arm from the apparent security company.

The magistrate, Steve Lockhart, gave Croff a $40,000 cash bond. Though the homicide charge would normally carry no bond, Lockhart said he would “take note of both an arguable defense claim … or an imperfect self-defense claim.”

Lockhart added the defense also could make a heat of passion argument.

Croff told the judge he earns $8 an hour and lives alone in the home in the 9800 block of Manistique.

A pretrial hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Jan. 11.

Croff, 31, is accused of shooting Herbert Silas, 53, Monday on the street behind his home.

His home had been broken into three times in the last week. He reportedly found two men in his backyard around 12:30 a.m. and chased them.

One man got away. Silas stopped running, according to police, and taunted Croff asking: “What are you going to do? Shoot me?”

Croff, who has a permit for the gun, shot Silas once in the chest.

Silas was unarmed.

“All of the facts have not been reported,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said today. “We have sound reasons for charging as we did in this case. All of the relevant evidence will be presented in court.”

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Escaped Convict Taunts UK Police Via Facebook

Craig "Lazie" Lynch, 28, escaped from the minimum-security Hollesley Bay Prison near the village of Woodbridge in southern England three months ago. Since then, he's been mocking police via Facebook, and he's also managed to gain a huge number of Facebook "fans." His Facebook photo isn't exactly family-friendly, so I had to modify it some, by the way.

In fact, Lynch has 27,000 fans at the time of this writing. Strangely, a number of posts from his fans seem positive, although a few chime in every now and then to remind people they are "cheering for" a felon. Lynch had been serving a seven-year sentence for committing a burglary with a weapon.

Meanwhile, police have appealed to his Facebook fans to help track him down. How well that's going to work is unclear. Reportedly, when the authorities first made their entreaties to his fans, he only had about 3,800. Now he has the aforementioned over 27,000. In fact, according to his Facebook page, the company deleted his first page, when it had 4,000 fans. Now he has a new one and 27,000 fans.

Strange how the U.K. authorities can't close in on him via his IP address. With Facebook's help, they should be able to catch him. His latest post is further taunting, noting he was on the news being interviewed, via the phone.

i'm messaging you all to tell you to check out channel 5 news uk at 19.30 uk time i just gave them an exclusive phone interview so all you supporters and HATERS out there tune in thank you all love your favourite facebook fugitive Lazie

Shoplifting Leads to Stabbing and Wild Scene at Walmart's

December 28, 2009 1:02 PM

Richard Simms

It was a wild scene at the Gunbarrel Rd. Walmart Sunday evening as a suspected shoplifting incident led to a self-defense stabbing, according to a Chattanooga police spokesperson.

An off-duty Chattanooga police officer, shopping with his wife, came to the aid of a Walmart greeter who had detained a suspected shoplifter Sunday night. Police say Joseph Anthony Hill was trying to leave the Gunbarrel Rd. Walmart with more than $2,000 worth of merchandise.

It happened around 7:30 Sunday night. Officer Josh Wright was leaving the store with his wife when he says he saw Hill trying to force his way past the Walmart greeter with a shopping cart loaded with stolen TV’s and a computer.

A spokesperson says Officer Wright stepped in and identified himself as a Chattanooga Police Officer and displayed his badge. Hill looked at the badge and said it was fake and tried to get by Officer Wright. Officer Wright took Hill to the floor and placed him under arrest.

Lt. Kim Noorbergen says that within minutes of the arrest, the suspect's wife, Lisa Hill, began acting as if she was having a heart attack. She claimed she did not know Hill. However a witness said she had seen both Mr. and Mrs. Hill in the store together.

The witness then left the store. Police say Mrs. Hill followed the female witness to the parking lot, grabbed her by her hair, threw her to the ground and started hitting her.

That's when the witness got a pocket knife from her purse and stabbed Lisa Hill in the arm in self defense. Mrs. Hill was taken to the hospital with minor injuries where she was treated and released.

The witness who stabbed Mrs. Hill said did not want to prosecute and the surveillance video from Wal Mart confirmed her statements.

Joseph Anthony Hill is charged with Theft over $1,000 and Assualt on a Police Officer.

At this time no charges have been filed on Lisa Hill this part of the investigation is still open and charges are pending.

12.28.09 - 01:00 pm

A local funeral home is doing what it can to keep people from drinking and driving on New Year’s Eve.

Between now and noon on Thursday, drivers can visit McGuire, Jennings and Miller Funeral Home on North Broad Street and sign a contract stating they plan to drink or use drugs and drive on New Year’s Eve. If they are then killed in a wreck while operating a vehicle on Thursday, the funeral home will bury them for free.

Services they pledge to provide include a casket, grave space, limousine and preparation of remains.

Funeral home officials said the program, called “Operation Stop and Think” is designed to save lives by making people think before they act.

http://www.nydailynews.com/tech/toplists/the_25_most_viral_videos_of_the_decade/the_25_most_viral_videos_of_the_decade.html

http://www.miamiherald.com/photosofday/gallery/1400460.html

Why today's the day we all feel really guilty

Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 12:22 AM on 29th December 2009 

Wishing you hadn't tucked into all those mince pies? Ashamed at how lazy you've been over Christmas?Well today is payback time. December 29 is, apparently, the day when we feel guiltiest about all of our indulgences over the year.

A poll of 2,000 adults asked them to specify a moment of maximum embarrassment over our excesses – including eating, drinking and idleness in front of the TV.

December 29 is the crux day when all our guilty pleasures come to a head

More than 40 per cent of those polled said that the day in the middle of the festive period - four days after Christmas and three days before New Year - was the time they felt worst about themselves.

It is also today that millions of us decide on a New Year's resolution - whether it be giving up cigarettes, alcohol or fatty food or joining a gym and getting fit.

The British Dietetic Association says that we on average put on around 5lbs over the Christmas period and that on Christmas Day alone we normally eat and drink our way through 6,000 calories - more than triple the amount recommended for women and double that for men.

Fitness experts also backed up the poll and highlighted the week between Christmas and New Year as the 'guiltiest' time of the year. Health and nutrition professionals at Fitness TV said this week - and particularly today - was a time when we all felt down about Christmas excess.

They said their calculations are based on when a person last exercised, upcoming New Year's resolutions, the weight gain over the festive period, excessive Christmas spending and partying and too much time spent in front of the TV.

Luan Underwood, a health expert at Fitness TV which conducted the poll, said: ' This year has been a difficult one for many so Christmas has been a real opportunity for people to let their hair down and indulge. 

And with the festive season starting even earlier, the constant invites for post work drinks, parties and treats at home mean exercise routines go out the window. 

'This has left people feeling that they have a mountain to climb to get back in shape in 2010, making December 29 the day we feel most guilty about our indulgences.

'Exercise is the perfect way to ditch those feelings of remorse and feel great again.'

Expert nutritionist Sue Baic said: 'At Christmas we're always surrounded by lots of lovely food and drink and whilst there is no reason to feel guilty about enjoying yourself, it's easy to over-eat. 

'It's important to enjoy yourself over the festive period but taking some simple steps can contribute to a healthy and enjoyable festival period and may even stop you worrying about the post-Christmas crash diet.   

'While many of the traditional foods are actually very low in fat, it's the trimmings and extra nibbles that can add the pounds. 'Try to take some exercise over the festive period such as brisk walking or cycling.'

The research comes as Fitness TV launches a free 6-week fitness programme on 4 January on Sky 282 and is backed by the Government's Change4Life movement. 

The show will be presented by celebrity trainer Elise Lindsay, responsible for getting Coleen Rooney back into shape following the birth of Kai to Manchester United ace Wayne Rooney in November.