People talk 02/21/03

Rap star Nelly cancels planned performancesLONDON -- Rapper Nelly has postponed his planned tour of Britain until the fall because of "an unforeseeable personal matter."

The artist behind 2002's second best-selling album, "Nellyville," and its singles"Hot in Herre"and"Dilemma,"had planned to play next month in London; Cardiff, Wales; Sheffield and Manchester in northern England; Birmingham in central England; Belfast, Northern Ireland and Dublin, Ireland.

He was to perform with fellow rapper Eve, who had a recent hit with "Satisfaction."

"Unfortunately, Nelly has had to postpone the tour due to an unforeseeable personal matter," his promoter, Clear Channel, said in a statement.

It did not specify what the problem was, but Britain's Press Association news agency said there was an illness in the rapper's family.

Concert organizers told fans they could keep their tickets to use at the rescheduled shows or return them for a refund.

Nelly's up for five Grammy nominations on Sunday, including album and record of the year.

'Bachelor' dumps Helene, but she keeps the ring

NEW YORK -- After getting engaged in romantic, dramatic fashion before millions of people on TV's "The Bachelor," Helene Eksterowicz said she was dumped unceremoniously at a Starbucks near her New Jersey apartment.

Eksterowicz said Aaron Buerge broke up with her five weeks after the ABC reality show's Nov. 20 finale, telling her he was no longer "emotionally invested."

"It felt like a bomb dropped," the 28-year-old elementary school psychologist told People magazine for its March 3 issue. "I said, 'I feel very deceived by you. You've told me every single day that you love me, and now this is it?'"

Eksterowicz said she and Buerge, a 28-year-old banker from Springfield, Mo., "tried to talk every day on the phone, but it was hard." As for the 2-carat diamond engagement ring, which Buerge paid for himself, Eksterowicz is keeping it in a safe-deposit box.-- From wire reports