Mitchell, played by Steve McFadden, will wed the former detective who has moved in with him in Albert Square, the magazine says.

McFadden has already announced plans to take a break from the show at the end of the year.

It is not clear whether his exit is linked to the forthcoming wedding.

Evanescence top album chart

US rock band Evanescence have reached the top of the UK album chart - while also hanging on to the top spot in the singles chart.

The band nudged Radiohead's album Hail To The Thief into second spot with their debut album Fallen.

The quartet, from Little Rock, Arkansas, resisted several new entries to stay at number one in the singles chart with Bring Me To Life.

The song, featuring guest vocalist Paul McCoy of 12 Stones, originally appeared on the soundtrack of the Ben Affleck film Daredevil.

Actress Hudson expecting baby

Actress Kate Hudson and her rock star husband Chris Robinson have announced they are expecting a baby early next year.

It is their first child and will also make Hudson's mother, Goldie Hawn, a grandmother.

Hudson's publicist declined to give an exact due date for the baby's birth.

Hudson, 24, who won a Golden Globe for her role in hit film Almost Famous, married Black Crowes singer Robinson, 36, in December 2000.

Gulf show for US troops

Stars including Kid Rock, Brittany Murphy and Wayne Newton are to perform for US troops in the Gulf this week.

The show, will be part of the first large-scale entertainment tour of the region since the outset of the Iraq war, its sponsors said.

Sponsors for the tour, called Project Salute 2003, include the Tribeca Film Institute, the Intrepid Museum Foundation and Vanity Fair magazine.

Other famous faces performing for the troops include country singer Lee Ann Womack, actor Gary Sinise and comedian Paul Rodriguez.

Awards honour for Hoffman

The Los Angeles County Music Center has given awards to dancer Cyd Charisse, actor Dustin Hoffman, TV star John Ritter and composer John Williams at its 19th Distinguished Artists Awards.

"I've been lucky. I had wonderful teachers and wonderful partners," Charisse, 82, told guests at the awards on Wednesday.

"My husband [Tony Martin] always knew who I'd danced with. If I was black and blue it was Gene [Kelly]. If I was unmarked it was Fred [Astaire]," Charisse said.

The Music Center is one of the US's largest performing arts centres.