People talk 1/23/03

Trace Adkins completes alcohol rehabilitation

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Country singer Trace Adkins says he voluntarily entered and completed a 28-day alcohol rehabilitation program during the holidays.

In a statement released Tuesday, Adkins said he entered the inpatient program at the Cumberland Heights Alcohol and Drug Treatment Center after a year of extensive touring.

"This is something I needed to do for myself, my family and my career," the 41-year-old said. "I feel the best I've felt in years -- both physically and mentally."

Adkins pleaded guilty in November 2001 to drunken driving and was sentenced to two days in jail. He also lost his license for a year.

Last October, he was treated at a hospital for injuries from being pinned under a small off-road farm vehicle while working on a gravel road on his farm.

The singer's hits include "Chrome" and "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing."

Fatboy Slim and wife give each other space

LONDON -- Disc jockey Fatboy Slim and his wife, Zoe Ball, have separated after 3 1/2 years of marriage, Ball's agent said.

The couple wants to give themselves "a bit of time and breathing space," Vivienne Clore said this weekend.

Fatboy Slim, 39, whose real name is Norman Cook, married Ball, a television and radio presenter, in August 1999. They have a 2-year-old son, Woody.

"They have split for now. It is very amicable," Clore said.

She said Woody would spend time with both parents.

Ball, 32, will likely reside at the couple's home in north London, while Cook will continue to work on his new album at their seaside house in Brighton on England's south coast, Clore said.

Cook began his career as a member of '80s band The Housemartins before turning to dance music. He's known for his infectious, sample-happy style.

His albums include "You've Come a Long Way, Baby," "Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars" and "Big Beach Boutique II."

L.A. police chief tries hand at acting

LOS ANGELES -- Police Chief William J. Bratton is giving acting a try with a bit part in a Sundance Film Festival entry.

"People I Know" premiered Friday at the Utah festival with the chief playing a tough New York City politician in a Miramax film starring Al Pacino and Kim Basinger. The movie about a famous actor considering a run as a U.S. senator is set for limited release in April.

Bratton's role was modeled on Rudolph Giuliani, whom Bratton tangled with when he was New York City's police chief and Giuliani was mayor.

"It's an inside joke for New Yorkers that the rest of the country might not get," Bratton said of the part filmed more than a year before he came here.

Bratton says he hasn't caught the acting bug.

"I would never want to be an actor, because they spend most of their time just hanging around," he said. "It's like being a cop at court."

Swedish princess drafted into her native army

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- She's in the army now.

Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria has been drafted, but just for three weeks, to serve in the Scandinavian country's army, part of her preparations as the future monarch of the nation of 8.9 million people.

"The princess will spend March 3-21 at Swedint, the Swedish armed forces' international arm," Royal Court spokeswoman Katrin Broms told The Associated Press Tuesday.-- From wire reports