Guy Ritchie spoke for the first time today about his relationship with Madonna since rumours surfaced that their marriage was in trouble.

The 39-year-old film director, whose new film RocknRolla is out next month, described his wife as "invigorating". Ritchie, who threw a £100,000 party last weekend for Madonna's 50th birthday said: "I believe my wife to be very creative so of course I'm interested in how she thinks and there seems to be no end to the desire to be creative; I find that invigorating and interesting."

The couple have faced persistent rumours of marital strife in recent months, amid claims that they had a trail separation in 2003.

When asked whether he still intellectually connected with his wife, he said: "You know, you have conversations, some deep, some shallow. That's the same in everybody's relationship." He also defended his two biggest commercial and critical failures Revolver and Swept Away, talking in the Daily Telegraph of a "conspiracy" behind the critical panning.

"Some stuff I can tell is vitriol. There's a hidden agenda. My feeling is that there was a conspiracy of reasons."

• 

  Lenny Henry: 'Maybe one day we can have a black Doctor Who'

  Shortlisted at today's Evening Standard theatre awards for his role as Othello, Lenny Henry has come a long way from black and white minstrels

  ---

• 

  Spread of the Jedhead

  Jedward, voted off the X-Factor this weekend, are the most obvious proponents of the sticky-uppy look - but the style crosses boundaries of age, gender, sexuality and taste, says Nick Curtis

  ---

Sky in plot to hire students on the cheap

Sky News is currently recruiting students as reporters for its coverage of next year's general election. However, the opportunity doesn't quite seem so appealing

All stories