Madonna's $12 million home Gym

Pop superstar Madonna has no plans to live in her latest $12 million (£6 million) property purchase - she's turned the London mansion into a gym.

The Hung Up hitmaker and her film director husband Guy Ritchie bought the 10-bedroom Georgian house next door to their current home last June (07) with plans to knocking through the divide in the two buildings to turn it into one extra-large mansion.

But the ambitious project was allegedly denied planning permission and the singer is now reported to have converted the spare building into her personal fitness centre to ensure her privacy.

Madonna symbol of modern Woman

Madonna is "a symbol of modern womanhood", according to Donatella Versace.
Music for Sex vol.1
The 'Hung Up' star - who was the face of Versace's Spring/Summer range in 2005 - has been branded a "true icon" by the famous fashion designer.

Donatella said: "The word 'icon' is overused, but in the case of Madonna I believe it has some meaning. She is a true icon. She has become a symbol of modern womanhood - confident, ambitious, dynamic, constantly reinventing herself.