X Factor guru Simon Cowell has revealed that his is "gutted" to have lost out on the race for Christmas number one.

It has been one of the most closely fought festive chart countdowns in history. Taking on the might of X Factor a Facebook campaign propelled Rage Against The Machine into contention.

Competing against a huge entertainment company the organisers cracked open the champagne last night (December 20th) after 'Killing In The Name' was declared the British number one.

Now rival boss Simon Cowell has claimed that he is "gutted" to have lost out. The X Factor champion Joe McElderry was beaten despite selling over 450,000 copies of his single 'The Climb'.

However Cowell is not one to miss out on an opportunity. "I am genuinely impressed by the campaign they have run. It has been a good campaign with no dirty tricks and without any funding. They have been passionate and worked hard," Cowell told the Daily Mirror.

"I offered them jobs at my record company. It could be in marketing or perhaps even running the company!"

"This is their first attempt at putting out a record and they got a Christmas Number One, so they have not done badly at all. I wanted them to come and work for us. I was deadly serious but they haven't taken me up on the offer."

The Facebook campaign was run by Joe Morter and his wife Tracy. Previously, it was revealed that Simon Cowell had phoned the pair to wish them the best of luck.

"Simon was very sweet and it was lovely to talk to him," Morter explained to the NME. "We had a good chat about music in general and just wished each other good luck. I've got total respect for him. That was really nice thing to do."

For an exclusive full interview with Jon Morter - including his reaction to the chart victory - click HERE!

Adam Clayton of Irish rock giants U2 has begun court action against a former PA over allegations she stole over 1 million from his accounts.

The history of rock music is littered with fraudulent accounting. Groups such as The Small Faces topped the charts, only to discover that they hadn't made a penny from their songwriting.

Since then the music industry has been re-structured to give artists more rights, but some cases still exist. Leonard Cohen, for example, was left fighting bankruptcy after his accountant embezzled money from his accounts.

In a new case U2 bass player Adam Clayton has brought charges against a former personal assistant alleging that she stole more than 1.6 million from his accounts.

Carol Hawkins is alleged to have appropriated money from Clayton's account, spending it on property, including a New York apartment, expensive cars and jewellery. A case at Dublin High Court has heard that U2 bassist Adam Clayton is seeking a freezing order on the former personal assistant's accounts.

According to court statements bass player Adam Clayton is alleged to have fired Hawkins last month after she confessed to "misappropriating" some of his money. A subsequent investigation allegedly found she had been using the musician's credit and debit cards for herself, reports the Irish Independent.

A statement in court saw Carol Hawkins admit to using Adam Clayton's credit cards, but disputed the sum of money involved.

The case will resume later today (December 21st).

One time '8 Mile' actress and Paul Okenfold collaborator Brittany Murphy has died.

One of the brightest young talents in Hollywood, Brittany Murphy broke through with a series of roles as a ditzy blonde. Starring in 'Clueless' the actress made her name in comedy before turning towards more adult roles.

Appearing as Eminem's love interest in '8 Mile' the actress won acclaim for her role sparring with the rap heavyweight. Speaking to the BBC about that film, she said: "What I love is the way it explores the willingness to get out of where you are, and the fact that you actually can make it, no matter what."

Always keen to further her musical ambitions, the star teamed up with superstar DJ Paul Oakenfold. The singer 'Faster Kill Pussycat' was released in 2006, while Brittany Murphy also contributed to the soundtrack of the animated feature 'Happy Feet'.

Covering the Queen classic 'Somebody To Love' the actress also carved out a version of 'Boogie Wonderland' by Earth, Wind & Fire.

However in a tragic turn of events it seems the young actress has died as the result of a cardiac arrest. Reports on TMZ suggest that Brittany Murphy was taken to hospital after falling ill yesterday morning (December 21st).

Reports on BBC News claim that Los Angeles City Fire Department were called to a home listed as belonging to Murphy's husband, Simon Monjack.

The young actress was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre where she was pronounced dead on arrival. Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said the authorities were looking into her medical history.

"It appears to be natural," he revealed in a statement.