What was supposed to be a weekend celebration of the musical TV series "Glee" turned into an impromptu memorial of song and dance for Cory ­Monteith after news of the "Glee" co-star's death rocked a "Glee" fan convention in England.

The hundreds of "gleeks," as they're known, joined a chorus of thousands worldwide who took to social media with similar expressions about Monteith's death. The actor's struggles with addiction echoed those of other young stars whose premature deaths also left young fans grieving.

"The whole day was simultaneously the best and worst experience of my life," said Chloe Harvey, an 18-year-old fan from Portsmouth, England. "The news was devastating. No one had any idea what to say or do. It just shows how much of a truly amazing guy Cory was that everyone was so shocked and emotional."

Monteith, 31, was found dead in his Vancouver, British Columbia, hotel room on Saturday. Police Sgt. Randy Fincham said Monday there's nothing to ­indicate his death was due to illicit drug use.

NYC ballet star is coming home

Charles Askegard, star of New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, is returning home to Minneapolis in the role of associate artistic director for the Minnesota Dance Theatre. He is one of Minnesota's most prominent exports to the top echelons of ballet, and his performance career has spanned more than 35 years. Most recently he was a principal dancer for New York City Ballet, from which he retired in 2011, and before that he was a soloist with American Ballet Theatre. He has performed for and with many of the most prestigious names in both classical and modern dance, including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Twlya Tharp and Jerome Robbins. After leaving NYCB, Askegard co-founded the New York-based company Ballet Next. He also made headlines when he ­married "Sex and the City" author Candace Bushnell in 2002. The couple divorced in 2011.

kristIn tillotson

Askegard

New on 'the view': Actress and former Playboy playmate Jenny McCarthy was named Monday to join the panel of the ABC weekday talk show. Barbara Walters, who created "The View" in 1997 and has since served as a co-host, made the widely expected announcement on the air. "We love her because she's fun, she's uninhibited and she's ­opinionated enough to help us begin the latest chapter in 'The View' history," Walters said. McCarthy arrives at the start of the 17th season on Sept. 9. She has previously made 17 appearances on "The View," and guest-hosted eight times.

associated press