Morton sets sights on Michelle Obama

Andrew Morton, the former tabloid journalist whose biography of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, was a massive bestseller both here and in America, has apparently set his sights on another tasty subject – the wife of the US President-elect, Michelle Obama.

To this end, Morton (pictured), who also wrote an authorised biography of President Clinton's former intern, Monica Lewinsky, is said to have been hawking the idea around American publishers. Thus far, he has met with little interest, according to columnist Cindy Adams in the New York Post. "She's [Michelle] not authorised it - he's just proposing it. One publisher so far thought a white British man seemed not the absolutely greatest ideal match for a black American first lady."

Despite three Diana books, Morton - famously described by Bob Geldof as a "loathsome creep" - has not had much success in America. He received a seven-figure advance and a 500,000-copy first printing for his book on Madonna, only to see it spend just two weeks on the New York Times bestsellers list, peaking at number eight. In contrast, J. Randy Taraborrelli's Madonna: An Intimate Biography, released at the same time, became a massive bestseller.

It was said that Madonna had been tipped off about Morton's methods and ordered her intimates not to utter a single word to him, which made the biography a little anaemic. It seems likely he will get the same cold-shoulder treatment from the next First Lady's friends.