Scene but not Hurd

A former soft porn actress, a sexual harassment scandal, a controversial millionaire and more column inches than you could shake a stick at - Big Brother's curtain call has been eventful to say the least.

Oh, hang on a minute, no it hasn't. But the goings on at the world's largest tech company last month made for much more titillating reading.

he last day of August saw HP handed a $55m fine for allegedly paying kickbacks to ensure it won lucrative government business. And a busy month for the vendor began when chief exec Mark Hurd stepped down ignominiously, following allegations of sexual harassment and expense fiddling. Who would've thought that his accuser would be none other than the star of such cinematic tours de force as Intimate Obsessions and Body of Influence 2?

For what it's worth, "actress" Jodie Fisher claimed she never wanted Hurd to get canned. Also stepping out in defence of the beleaguered bigwig was improbably youthful-looking sexagenarian, and Oracle head honcho, Larry Ellison.

But HP's shareholders weren't feeling quite so magnanimous, hitting Hurd and other board members with a hefty mismanagement lawsuit. Showing little sympathy for the newly unemployed, the complainants want Hurd to hand back his $12m severance payoff.

I just hope he's already applied for his food stamps allowance. And if he's really short of a bob or two, he can always go on Celebrity Big Brother.