While the celebrity gossip world has been oscillating over the past year between lauding and suing LA-based gossip blogger Perez Hilton, Canada's Elaine Lui has been sitting pretty. Christened the "Chinese Gwyneth Paltrow' and Canada's "Queen of All Gossip," Lui has been giving Hilton a run for his money with her site, Laineygossip.com, since 2005. But don't start thinking the two bloggers are interchangeable, in any way. While Hilton gets his rocks off trying to out the likes of Jodie Foster and poking fun at the less-than-perfect looks of celebrity offspring (Billy Joel's daughter was a recent target), Lui plays it clean. The Toronto native gingerly addresses what she calls "sad smut" (see Amy Winehouse's drug addiction) and grants some less publicly inclined celebrities (see Foster) their privacy.

This year, Lainey is the TIFF correspondent for TV's eTalk. She recently dished to AOL on her memorable moments at past TIFFs, why she isn't competing with Perez and what exactly is wrong with Britney Spears.

Why is celeb gossip so popular now - are blogs whetting the hunger of gossip mongers?

I think that blogs play a big part. Celebrity gossip becomes more immediate with the blogs and also almost infinite. With a magazine, you have a cover, pages in the middle and an end. With blogs, theoretically we could go on forever. Also, the public is a bit more savvy as to what celebrities are really like now. In the past - maybe even five or six years ago - you knew there was some scandal but it was very controlled. People Magazine had a spin, their job was to sell an image for celebrity, that's what the publicists wanted. Now that people have gotten a taste of the truth, they want more.

What do you do when there's nothing going on in gossip land?

There's always something to talk about, like what someone's wearing, whether or not they look good. My site has diversified too, so I'm adding a movies page and a

Perez Hilton (aka Mario Lavendeira), the self-proclaimed Queen of All Media, seen here with singer Sophie Monk. (Getty)

books page. Right now, for instance, I'm just prepping an article to post on the site about Jessica Simpson looking like a tranny. It's not gossip per se...

Plus, she always looks like a tranny.

..exactly. That's not breaking news but it's gossip worthy.

Wouldn't it be easier if you were in LA rather than Vancouver to keep on top of celebrity gossip?

I think Perez is in LA and in the thick of it all because, let's face it, Perez wants to *be* a celebrity. To further that objective, he has to be there. For me, I don't have an interest in being a celebrity. With the power of communication and the internet you don't actually have to be in LA to get the gossip. It's all about who your sources are, how good your sources are and whether or not your sources are in the right place at the right time. Look at the London tabloids, they often break things about Hollywood celebrities from London. And London is further away from Los Angeles than Vancouver is. It's about having the right sources at the right time.

Who is your favourite to report on?

I love reporting on Victoria Beckham. I think she's exactly what good gossip should be. She's over the top, she's ridiculous, she's just hilarious. I love the fact that she's so nuts in a way that doesn't make you feel sad for the world. Unlike what's happening to Amy Winehouse right now. Victoria Beckham is never going to cut herself or fall in love with a heroin dealer - that's what I call sad smut. I certainly find an obligation to report on the Britney Spears and the Lindsay Lohans, people have to know about it and you can't ignore that. At the same time, it's really really hard to write it - I wake up everyday expecting to not be surprised if somebody dies. I was just thinking this morning 'Gee, I wonder if Britney is still alive.' I don't want to f*** up my karma but I don't think that's outside the realm of possibility.

What do you think is actually wrong with her - because it seems to be a mix of things.

I think first and foremost she's genetically stupid. She's just dumb. Some people are so heartbreakingly dumb and she's one of them. So that's her first problem - she can't make good decisions because she's dumb. Number two, she's a child star. This is my problem with child stars: their parents push them to live in a world where they're not able to learn the skills that they need to be able to cope with challenges in their life. Going to school, getting picked on at school or picking on other people at school and getting punished, through those journeys and lessons we learn the skills that we'll need to confront larger issues as adults. Unfortunately for celebrities and child stars, they're living in this bubble that prevents them from learning those essential skills. So when challenges do come up, they don't know how to deal. Three, I think there is some sort of hereditary bipolar or post-partum issue going on but I don't think she's ever been properly diagnosed and she's too dumb to get diagnosed.

Is there anything you won't print?

Yah, there are a lof of things I can't print because my sources don't want me to. There are a lot of celebrities who have secrets - they may be gay or they may have a love child, they may have an issue with addiction - but they are not the kind of celebrities who parade themselves at Hyde or Winston's every night. They haven't invited that kind of scruinty - we all f*** up. Those are the celebrities who I would say are allowed to f*** up in private. The ones that we skewer are those who actually invite it. The Paris Hiltons, the Lindsay Lohans, they don't want privacy. If they wanted privacy, they could be private. It is possible - there is a celebrity [who Lainey wishes to remain nameless] who's very successful who's a lesbian, but I'm not going to refer to that in my column. She says she's in it for the craft and she means it. So why should I talk about her sexuality? She's not putting it on the table.

So you don't agree with Perez that the public has a right to know everything about the stars?

It's fine for me what he's doing - I have no moral objection to it - it's just not my style. It doesn't offend me but I can see how it would offend others.

How would you describe the celebrity presence at TIFF over the years?

In the last four or five years I think it's just as attractive to celebrities as Cannes. Look at the big names that have come over the last few years and are coming this year - it doesn't get any bigger than Clooney, Witherspoon and Pitt. I think that Toronto, at least in the industry, is recognised as a major player. Especially now because it's regarded as the official beginning of awards season. I'm really proud to be from Toronto and I'm really proud that Toronto has developed a film festival like this.

Have you had any memorable celeb meetings at previous TIFFs?

Jeff Goldblum grabbed my hand and I was wearing this nail polish and he was like: 'Oh my gosh, that's a naughty plum, isn't it?' He was so flirty and it was kind of pervy but I was a little bit flattered. I'm generally the kind of person who is like 'Ew, this person is disgusting get them away from me,' but that was pretty cool.

Wyclef was awesome too. It's amazing to me that he is so articulate but it's really natural. He doesn't have to think a really long time about what he has to say, it just comes out. He's riffing on this and that and these great words are coming out and it's almost poetry and he's not thinking about it. I wonder if he practises at home?

Does your husband ever get jealous?

No! There are five million cameras around, I'm never alone with these people, nor do I seek it out. There are some girls who would show a little cleav and slip a phone number into a pocket, but I'm not that kind of girl. I would only be that kind of girl with David Beckham. One hundred per cent.