Olivia Newton-John Pities Britney

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OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN is grateful she found fame in the 1970s - because she doubts she could handle the amount of attention BRITNEY SPEARS receives now.

The 61 year old was propelled to stardom after her turn in 1978 movie Grease and graced the covers of magazines worldwide.

Newton-John refused to take her pin-up status seriously at the time, and claims the decision kept her grounded. But the actress feels sorry for Spears, who found fame as a teenager in the late 1990s - because the amount of press coverage sexy stars receive nowadays is unprecedented.

She tells Britain's Attitude magazine, "The poor girl. She has lived in a time where the paparazzi reign and we didn't have that problem at all. We'd have occasional intrusion, you know I had a few incidents, but it was nothing like it is now.

"I don't think you realize it (early fame) until you look back because it doesn't really feel like reality in the time. I never really took it too seriously, which is healthy."

Source: Contact Music

Spears Voted Best Celebrity Mom

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BRITNEY SPEARS' comeback is complete - she has topped a new poll to find the best celebrity mum.

The Toxic superstar lost custody of her two sons after her public meltdown in 2008, but gained shared custody with ex Kevin Federline after she proved to the courts she had cleaned up her act.

And the singer's fans have obviously noticed Spears' efforts - she received a mammoth 74 per cent share of the vote in a new poll by U.K. company Park Christmas Saving to find the best mother in showbusiness.

Following in second place is Spears' childhood rival, Christina Aguilera, who pulled in 12 per cent of the votes, while mother-of-six Angelina Jolie was in third.

Late British reality TV star Jade Goody and mum-of-one Katie Holmes were awarded the fourth and fifth spots respectively.

Other famous matriarchs in the top ten include Madonna, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Garner, Nicole Richie and Victoria Beckham.

Source: Contact Music

Spears Determined to Win Her Kids Back

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BRITNEY SPEARS is preparing to move for full custody of her two sons with ex-husband KEVIN FEDERLINE - because she's reportedly concerned her boys are picking up bad habits from their dad.

The Toxic hitmaker was recently granted an extension on the equal custody agreement she has with Federline to share care of Sean Preston, four, and Jayden James, three, while she's on tour.

The former dancer was handed primary custody of the kids last year (08) after Spears suffered a mental breakdown.

But the pop star is reportedly considering filing legal documents to make her the primary guardian when her world Circus tour comes to a stop this November (09), reports the National Enquirer.

A source says, "She is ready to fight to get her boys back. Britney feels that leaving Kevin in charge has turned her sons into cursing, ill-mannered little boys who don't behave. Britney wants to be the one who chooses where the boys go to school and where they go to church.

"She wants full custody and for Kevin to have visitation. Britney feels that Kevin is now the one with problems that the judge needs to hear about. She believes he's become a poor role model for Sean and Jayden. The boys are used to Kevin's foul-mouthed, lazy, unemployed dancer friends, who either live at the house or hang out there. Britney doesn't want the boys growing up thinking that kind of lifestyle is acceptable."

Federline, who has piled on the pounds in recent years, was this week (begs05Oct09) accused of failing to keep up with rent payments on his Tarzana, California home.

Source: Contact Music

Spears Bans Sons From Federline's TV Show

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BRITNEY SPEARS is set for legal action against her ex-husband KEVIN FEDERLINE - to stop their children appearing on his new TV show.

Federline hopes to land a deal to document his day-to-day life with his two sons and his new girlfriend, Victoria Prince, for a new reality series.

But his pop star ex is refusing to give permission for Sean Preston, three, and two-year-old Jayden James to appear on the programme - and is considering launching a legal battle to limit filming.

Spears and Federline famously allowed TV cameras into their lives in 2005 for the MTV series Britney & Kevin: Chaotic.

Source: Contact Music

Spears' Dad 'Wants Tour Extension'

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BRITNEY SPEARS is reportedly set to add a string of dates to the U.K. leg of her CIRCUS tour - after her dad JAMIE urged her to perform more concerts.

The pop superstar is allegedly considering more gigs after Jamie pointed out her popularity is currently so high she should try to cash in.

But the Toxic hitmaker is said to be resisting the plan to increase her British road trip as she is struggling with the gruelling schedule.

Spears' father was made conservator of her affairs after her 2008 meltdown which led to the singer being taken to hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

A family friend tells U.K. magazine Reveal, "Jamie can't physically force Britney to get on stage and do more concerts, but he does have nearly all the power. He controls the purse strings and can make things very difficult for Britney if he chooses to.

"He gets to dictate her schedule - where she goes, who she sees, who she doesn't see. He's in charge of everything to do with her life. It's a battle of wills over who will win - but while her dad remains in charge, he'll be laying down the law."

Source: Contact Music

Midler Urges Spears To Take Las Vegas

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BETTE MIDLER is urging BRITNEY SPEARS to follow in her footsteps and headline a Las Vegas residency.

Midler kicked off her own Sin City set, The Showgirl Must Go On, this year (09), replacing Celine Dion at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

Spears, currently making her pop comeback with a world tour, has been tipped for her own Vegas show - and Midler is convinced she has what it takes, provided she avoids the party temptations the city has on offer.

Offering Spears some advice in an interview with the NYPost.com's PopWrap blog, Midler says, "Don't drink, keep your body up, do your vocal warm-ups every day and be happy to see the people. They're not a burden, they're happy to see you, be happy to see them."

Source: Contact Music

Spears Gets Magical For Tour Comeback

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BRITNEY SPEARS has hired the services of an illusionist to make sure her comeback concerts next month (Mar09) really are magic.

The pop star has been working with top TV magician Ed Alonzo - and she'll have a few tricks up her sleeve, literally.

Alonzo tells In Touch Weekly, "She’ll be singing, dancing and doing illusions at the same time."

Meanwhile, the singer has been rehearsing eight hours a day, often in a string bikini, to perfect her dance moves with Indian choreographer Rujuta.

He says, "Britney is a perfectionist."

Rujuta reveals Spears is planning a Bollywood-inspired duet with Madonna.

Source: Contact Music

Britney Forced To Re-Record Song

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BRITNEY SPEARS has reportedly been forced to rerecord her upcoming single IF YOU SEEK AMY after radio stations across the U.S. threatened to ban the song due to its controversial lyrics.

The Toxic hitmaker's track features the chorus "All of the boys and all of the girls are beggin' to, if you seek Amy" - with the last four words sounding like "F**k me" when sung quickly.

Many DJs reportedly planned to ban the track deeming it too offensive to broadcast.

But Spears has now stepped back into the studio to rerecord the song, dropping the "k" from the end of "seek" and renaming the song "If You See Amy", reports U.K. newspaper The Sun.

Source: Contact Music

New Report: Britney To Attend The Grammy's

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Jewellery designer DARA DUBINET has designed a $27,000 (GBP18,000) black Chinese agate rock ring for BRITNEY SPEARS to wear to the Grammy Awards in February (09).

Dubinet started work on the huge gem after she spotted Spears wearing a Tourmaline ring she had created and sent to the pop star when she appeared on U.S. morning show Good Morning America on her 27th birthday in December (08).

The designer tells Life + Style magazine she was told Spears "loved" her birthday gift.

And a source tells the publication, "She's worn it several times, She says it has a positive energy, and it just makes her smile."

Source: Contact Music

Britney Has A Crush On David Beckham

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BRITNEY SPEARS has a crush on DAVID BECKHAM - and is begging the British star to give her soccer lessons.

The Toxic hitmaker is a big fan of the sport but admits her skills on the pitch are less than impressive.

And she has called on the Los Angeles Galaxy star to give her some helpful tips on how to play the game.

She tells OK! magazine, "David Beckham - he's a cutie. I am not a very good soccer player, so I have to get someone in to help me. Maybe he can."

Source: Contact Music

Britney and David are sitting in a tree...Childish? Thought so...

Spears Plans Rauncy X-Factor Performance

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BRITNEY SPEARS is set to showcase her ranchiest routine to date when she performs on U.K. talent show The X-Factor later this month (Nov29).

The Toxic hitmaker is set to thrill fans with her new single Womanizer on the hit TV talent contest after music mogul Simon Cowell persuaded her to appear on the series following her triumphant comeback at the MTV VMA awards in Los Angeles in September (08).

Spears has teamed up with her original choreographer Brian Friedman - who also plans the X-Factor contestant's weekly dance routines.And the dance guru promises Spears' set will be a steamy affair.

He says, "Britney is at her raunchy best. She's back on top of her game."

Source: Contact Music

Spears Was 'Too Fragile' For Court

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BRITNEY SPEARS was too "fragile" to appear in front of jurors deciding her fate in her recent driving license trial, according to her defence lawyer.

The Toxic star was charged with failure to produce a valid California license following a car crash in the state last year (07), but the case was declared a mistrial on Tuesday (21Oct08) after a jury failed to reach a unanimous decision.

The judge was forced to dismiss any criminal charges against the singer as jurors deadlocked - with two members voting guilty, and 10 not guilty.But despite the relative victory, Spears' lawyer Michael Flanagan has revealed how the star pleaded with him to excuse her from making a court appearance - and insists she wasn't "strong" enough to cope with the pressure.

Flanagan recalls how Spears told him: "I can't face all those people. I don't want to deal with all the people."

He adds, "She is not very strong. She is still very fragile. I had to explain things to her."

The comments come as the star embarks on a campaign to revive her career and put her January (08) public meltdown behind her.

Spears' new album, Circus, is due for release in December (08) and a world tour scheduled for March (09).

Source: Contact Music

Spears Is Friends Again With Husband Of 55 Hours

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BRITNEY SPEARS has reignited a friendship with her ex-husband JASON ALEXANDER - the man she married and ditched after a controversial Las Vegas ceremony.

The pair tied the knot in a Sin City chapel on 3 January 2004 - a union that was annulled just 55 hours later.

The brief marriage appeared to have ended Spears and Alexander's romance and longterm friendship, but the 27-year-old clothing entrepreneur's manager Susan Ferris insists they are pals again, four years on from the headline-grabbing wedding.

Ferris tells Us Weekly, "They are friends again and have been for six or eight months."

Source: Contact Music

Britney For Broadway

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BRITNEY SPEARS is reportedly considering a spell on Broadway to help kick start her pop comeback.

The star checked out a performance of musical In The Heights during her trip to New York last week, to promote her new single Womanizer.

And sources tell the New York Daily News she is looking for the right part to make her stage debut.

Spears has previously acted in movie Crossroads, and several episodes of sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

Source: Contact Music

Spears Caught Up In Womnaizer Hoax

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BRITNEY SPEARS is at the centre of an internet hoax after computer whizz kids superimposed the singer's face on TYRA BANKS' body - and passed the images off as the CD cover of her new song WOMANIZER.

The raunchy pictures show a woman who appears to be Spears in a black corset-style leotard, brandishing a cane. In another shot, the female is shown placing her cane on a semi-naked man's chest as a snake slithers over his body.

But the images have been exposed as fakes by Spears' record label Sony BMG - because label bosses have yet to see the photographs themselves, let alone release them online.

A spokesperson for Sony BMG says, "These are nothing to do with us. We haven't even seen the official cover pictures yet because they have only just been shot."I haven't a clue why someone should do this but there are all sorts of pictures of Britney around. There's a lot of made-up stuff on the internet, too."

The photos of former supermodel Banks are the promo shots from a previous run of her reality TV show America's Next Top Model.

Source: Contact Music

Eager Fans Force Spears To Flee Shopping Spree

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BRITNEY SPEARS was forced to cut short a shopping trip to New York after she chased by dozens of fans.

The Toxic singer was set to hit a jewellery store in the Big Apple's trendy SoHo neighbourhood on Tuesday (30Sep08).

But the star didn't get a chance to purchase any goods after she was surrounded by passersby who had heard she was due to make an appearance.

Just moments after slipping out of her luxurious SUV, the star was pushed back into the vehicle by her worried security team who couldn't control the swarm of snappers and overzealous fans who were all competing to grab a photo of the star.

Spears is in the city to promote her latest single Womanizer, and told a New York radio DJ earlier this week (begs29Sep08) she is "definitely" planning a world tour for 2009.

Source: Contact Music

Lynne Spears Used Argument To Get Daughter's Attention

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BRITNEY SPEARS' mum LYNNE has revealed she and her estranged husband JAMIE used an argument between her daughter and then-manager SAM LUTFI to "start taking charge" of their troubled daughter's affairs.

Spears claims Lutfi had shut her out of Britney's life, but the singer's parents knew it was time to take action when it appeared she was heading towards a nervous breakdown.

She explains, "We had police calling us telling us things that were going on. That's when we said, 'We've got to do something, we prayed about it.'

"We had been trying to get in; we couldn't... When she had an argument with that individual, who I just don't even want to talk about, that was the opening and we took advantage of it, we got in and that's when we were able to start taking charge."

Speaking out on American Idol host Ryan Seacrest's Los Angeles radio show, Spears confirmed Lufti was the "individual" she was referring to.

Shortly after Lynne and Jamie took charge of their daughter's personal and professional affairs at the beginning of 2008, Jamie was made a co-conservator of the pop star's estate and the couple was granted a restraining order against Lutfi.

Source: Contact Music

Spears Tops Best Comeback Poll

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BRITNEY SPEARS' MTV Video Music Awards appearance has been voted the greatest comeback ever.

The troubled pop star was awarded three gongs at the ceremony on Sunday (07Sep08) - and it has landed her the top spot in an online survey.

British boy band Take That were awarded second place in the comeback poll, after they burst back onto the music scene in 2006 following a 10-year absence.

Australian singer Kylie Minogue was voted third, for returning to the limelight in 2006 after battling breast cancer.Fourth and fifth places were handed to John Travolta and Robert Downey Jr. respectively, in the survey conducted by Onepoll.

Source: Contact Music

Britney Spears: 'My Father Saved my Life'

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Troubled pop star BRITNEY SPEARS has credited her father JAMIE with saving her life - after he stepped in to help her following a series of breakdowns.

The toxic hitmaker was hospitalised at the beginning of this year (08) under a mental health order, and her father subsequently took over her legal and business affairs - becoming conservator of her estate.

Spears was also stripped of visitation rights to her two sons, but following several months under the guidance of her dad she has won back the right to see her children and is now working on a career comeback.

And Spears insists she will always be grateful to Jamie for helping her sort her life out.She tells British newspaper the Daily Star, "My father saved my life. I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. I've not always been a good daughter; but he basically gave up his job and his life to look after me at a time when I wasn't even sure I wanted to go on living.

"I owe him my life."

Source: Contact Music

SPEARS 'STILL HOPEFUL' OF JOINT CUSTODY AGREEMENT

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BRITNEY SPEARS is reportedly still hopeful of gaining joint custody of her two sons with her ex-husband KEVIN FEDERLINE.

The couple recently settled a bitter 18-month court battle over Sean Preston, two, and Jayden James, 17 months, with a judge awarding sole custody to Federline.

Spears will pay her former spouse $20,000 (GBP10,000)-a-month in child support and retains her visitation rights - she currently enjoys three days and one night a week with her sons.

But the Toxic hitmaker is now hoping the Los Angeles courts will amend the custody agreement by the end of the year (08), if she can prove she is fit to take care of the boys.

A source tells British newspaper the Daily Mirror, "Britney is doing the utmost to stay out of the limelight and lay low, and just focus on her work. She is determined to be taken seriously by the courts, she wants regular drug and alcohol tests to prove she is a reformed mum. She thinks that by ditching the pink wigs and bad boyfriends it will help her case."

And a representative for Federline has agreed officials could review the couple's current custody agreement - and allow Spears a more active role in her kids' upbringing.

The spokesman adds, "She has a chance. Kevin could end up co-parenting the kids together with Britney."

Source: Contact Music