Britney Spears Reacts to Death of Ed McMahon

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Matthew Simmons / Getty Images
Britney Spears is opening up about the death of Ed McMahon, who she says give her her "first shot" as an artist.

"I am deeply saddened by today's news about Ed McMahon," Britney tweeted. "He is responsible for giving so many artists their first shot including myself. He was a wonderful man and will be greatly missed."

Britney appeared on the McMahon-hosted "Star Search" when she was a child.

Britney Spears set to cause a 'Circus' with raunchy show

DUBAI (AlArabiya.net)

American superstar Britney Spears is set to bring her massive Circus show to the United Arab Emirates to bring to an end her comeback tour, which has been described "sex, fire and stomp-and-slither choreography," and bound to stir controversy in the Muslim state.

Local press reports said AEG, the organizers of the singer's tour, were planning to bring Spears to Dubai but not before her raunchy routines could be amended in line with cultural sensitivities and logistical problems were solved to accommodate her massive performance.

Britney in a cage for her Circus show"Britney is confirmed 100 percent, it is just a matter of working out the finer details, getting all the promoters on board and happy," TimeOut Dubai magazine quoted an unnamed AEG official as saying.

The magazine, which also reported that Michael Jackson and diva Beyonce were headed to the emirate, said Spears was tipped to perform in November after finishing her European tour dates.

“We are looking at dates but as it is a very complex tour and it’s a show that needs a central stage, there are a lot of logistical challenges. You wouldn’t believe the amount of equipment involved. But I would like it to happen," AEG Middle East chief executive, Thomas Ovesen, told local daily 7Days.

" The Circus concerts are very theatrical shows and any big show that comes through here would have to be acceptable to the market. As with any artist, she would be fully briefed about the guidelines "
Event organizerSpears recently launched the European leg of her comeback tour and some critics have criticized her two-hour show as "dull" but the one thing most critics have agreed on is that the tour is full of "sex and fire," which Dubai officials are likely to ask she tones down.

Last month Hip Hop rapper Akon performed in Dubai and sparked outrage after he ripped off his shirt breaking the government rules against nudity, the paper reported.

The UAE has hosted an array of artists like Shakira, Justin Timberlake, Coldplay and Alicia Keys.

“The Circus concerts are very theatrical shows and any big show that comes through here would have to be acceptable to the market. As with any artist, she would be fully briefed about the guidelines," 7Days quoted an event organizer as saying.

“It’s possible there might have to be some tweaks to the current show,” he added.

It's official: Miley is the new Britney

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Images: Getty

Miley Cyrus has been crowned the new "Teen Queen", inheriting the title from Pop Princess Britney Spears, according to an online poll.

32% of teens surveyed by PopEater.com voted for 16-year-old Miley as their idol, booting 27-year-old Britney out of the top spot and into third place.

Teens may think Miley's cool, but they also know she's a bit dodgy — only 10% believe she's the best role model.

The Jonas Brothers came in a close second in the teen idol stakes, with 27% of the vote.

Britney Spears: Getting Back in Shape Took Hard Work

By Brian Orloff
people.com
Britney Spears showed off her fit body – and a fierce dance routine – during her recent European mini-tour. But what did it take for the pop star to get back in shape? A lot of hard work, the pop star says. "I have had to work hard at getting [my body] back to where it used to be," Spears tells Glamour in its January issue. "I used to be obsessed with working out ... But I can't get motivated right now because I'm so focused on my music." What about her workout regimen? "It isn't fun [for me], so to do it every day would be horrible," Spears say of going to the gym. "Three days a week is cool, even two. It makes me feel good and feel like I've done something. It's important to take care of your body."Still, Spears, who will turn 27 on Tuesday, says that with her efforts comes a new appreciation for her body. "Recently I started to appreciate my body a bit more from before I had kids," the singer says. "But it completely changed."
Family TimeSpears will release her sixth album, Circus, which she describes as "really personal," on Tuesday as well – and will continue her media blitz, performing on Good Morning America. But despite her recent world travels, and whirlwind schedule, the singer says she likes being home and spending time with her sons, Preston, 3, and Jayden, 2. "I fix breakfast for my kids when they're here," she tells Glamour. "And then we'll go for walks. During the day I spend most of the time with my children. At night is when I go to work." With motherhood in mind, Spears passes along some tips for her sister, Jamie Lynn, who is a new mom. "As a mother, the one thing that always goes through your head is, 'You're never enough. You never can be enough – or do enough – for your kids,'" she says. "It's a never-ending issue for me. I had to learn: Don't beat yourself up so much ... You have to take it one day at a time, do the best that you can and enjoy yourself. "I notice that if there are some times I've been stressed ... that affects your kids," she says. "So you have to make sure you're a happy mom so they can be happy." As for her own wishes for her family, the singer, who also spoke out about her tumultuous relationships ("I have good days and I have bad days," she says) in an MTV documentary that aired Sunday, tells Glamour she has a five-year plan.

Britney Spears Wants to 'Connect With Y'all'

By Mike Fleeman
Britney Spears Photo by: Todd Williamson / WireImage
Britney Spears is overhauling her Web site, Britneyspears.com, so she can interact with fans. "I wanted to create a place where I could connect with y'all and share what's really going on in my life," she says. "I'll be sharing videos, stories, music, photos, and lots of other cool stuff." Spears, 26, will release her new album, Circus, in December.

Trial likely in Spears driving case

AP ©
Yahoo!7
Britney Spears ' trial for driving without a valid California licence is all set for next month, and the lawyer representing her in the criminal matter says she's being treated unfairly.

J Michael Flanagan, the pop singer's lawyer, said the matter is going before a jury due to unfavourable "special treatment" by prosecutors and a judge. Because the violation is a misdemeanour, Spears is not required to attend the trial.

A judge rejected Flanagan's attempts Thursday to get the case reduced or the charge dismissed.

Flanagan has repeatedly argued that the singer is being treated more harshly than other people who have been caught driving without a valid California licence. He said under normal circumstances, Spears should be allowed to pay a $US10 ($A12.45) fine and not face criminal prosecution.

He said Thursday that Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James A Steele cited Spears' celebrity status during an in-chambers meeting as a reason for not reducing the case to an infraction.

"He says, 'But I've never done that before. I'd hate to do it the first time and do it for Britney Spears because then it would appear like she's getting special treatment,"' Flanagan recounted Steele telling him.

Steele said through a clerk that he could not comment on the conference in his chambers. A court reporter was not present for the meeting. Flanagan said he will appeal a previous ruling by the judge denying Spears' motion to dismiss the case.

If the case begins as scheduled on October 15, Flanagan said he doesn't plan to present any witnesses or do anything more than make opening and closing arguments to jurors.

"I'm just going to sit there," he said. If Spears is convicted, he said he will appeal that judgment.

The charge is the last remnant of a criminal case city prosecutors lodged against Spears after she hit a parked car in August 2007 and left without notifying the owner. She was originally also charged with hit-and-run, but Spears settled that charge through an agreement with the car's owner.

Steele is not the only one Flanagan accused of treating Spears, 26, unfairly. On Thursday he said Michael Amerian, a city prosecutor handling the case, is trying to use the matter to boost his own profile because he running to become City Attorney.

Amerian vehemently denied Flanagan's contention.

"We're treating her fairly in light of the facts in this case," Amerian said. He said he has never mentioned his bid for elected office when discussing Spears' case. He said prosecutors have been consistent on how they've handled the case since it was filed last summer.

"We're trying to treat her as we have anyone else who's been charged with a hit-and-run as well as driving without a valid licence," Amerian said.

Flanagan said prosecutors have gone to unusual lengths to try to keep the case alive, including citing Spears' divorce from ex-husband Kevin Federline . Flanagan said prosecutors noted that when Spears filed for divorce in November 2007, she had to certify she had been a California resident for at least six months.

The criminal case was filed in August 2007.

Drivers are supposed to get a California licence within 10 days of establishing residency in the state. But Flanagan said Spears had a valid licence in Louisiana, which is one of several states where the singer has homes.

The case has been repeatedly postponed since Spears was placed under the conservatorship of her father, James, in February. That arrangement means that he controls the singer's personal and financial affairs and was a result of several high-profile incidents of erratic behaviour, including two hospitalisations.

"Stay away from Britney!" K-Fed warns Paris

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CelebrityFIX
Jeepers - Kevin Federline has told socialite Paris Hilton to stay the heck away from his ex Britney Spears - because Paris is a bad influence on her.
Kev reportedly ran into Paris at a restaurant in Las Vegas, and turned a friendly encounter into something much more uncomfortable.

Kevin wants Paris out of Britney's life for the sake of their children together, three-year-old Sean Preston and two-year-old Jayden James.

A source told the Daily Star that "it was quite a chilling warning. She was quite friendly and asked how Britney and the kids are but she won't be asking again."

Britney: Drinking at 13, sex at 14 and drugs at 15, says mum

CelebrityFIX

Shocking details from the upcoming tell-all book from Britney Spears' mum have been leaked - bet the next Spears family dinner will be a bit unconfortable!
In Lynne Spears book, titled Through The Storm: A Real Tale Of Fame And Family In A Tabloid World, Lynne claims her most famous daughter was not the innocent girl her pop image led us to believe.

The National Enquirer report that Lynne alleges that, while insisting to the world she was saving her virginity till marriage, Britney had actually had sex for the first time with an 18-year-old high school football player when she was 14 years old.

A National Enquirer source says that Lynne had encouraged Britney's relationship with the older boy, believing it would make her daughter more popular.

Lynne is also said to claim that her daughter had started drinking alcohol shortly after joining TV's The Mickey Mouse Club, at age 13.

Shocking: We'd be as devo as Britney in this pic if our mum had blown the lid on our private lives like this
And it doesn't stop there - Lynne reportedly alleges in her book that Britney had started experimenting with drugs at 15 years of age, when travelling to LA to record her debut album Baby One More Time - and that cocaine and marijuana were found in her luggage when she boarded a private plane at age 16.

Lynne reportedly regrets letting her daughter be marketed as a raunchy teen sexpot.

"Lynne's book does a lot of soul-searching on the mistakes she made raising Britney and Jamie Lynn," a National Enquirer source said.

"She says if she had known helping her daughter Britney follow her dreams would cost her her soul, she would never have done it."

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Britney avoids embarrassment at MTV awards

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PHOTOS: MTV madnessTHE FIX

Britney Spears has once again opened the MTV Video Music Awards — but thankfully this time there was no "live" performance.

Last year, Spears was widely mocked after a bizarre showing in which she forgot her lines and gyrated in a diamond-studded bikini.

This year, she opened the show with a comedic performance in which Superbad star Jonah Hill repeatedly tried to plant a kiss on her.

"Thankyou for all the love," Spears told the screaming audience, appearing much healthier than last year.

The pop star kept things short and sharp by quickly rushing through her three sentences, escaping the embarrassment of last September's three minutes of botched dance moves and awkward lip synching.

After introducing the night's opening act, pop star Rihanna performing her hit Disturbia, Spears was then called back to the stage to accept the Best Female Video Award for Piece Of Me.

She later returned to the stage for her second statue, with buddy Paris Hilton presenting her with the Best Pop Video award for the same song.

While Spears' acceptance speech was polished, the same could not be said for Hilton's hosting duties.

She received laughs from the crowd and an odd look from host Russell Brand when she struggled to locate which camera to speak into.

British comedian host Brand divided the crowd early with his edgy humour.

He received a round of applause when he pledged his support to presidential nominee Barack Obama, but appeared to lose some of the crowd when he said America is understanding enough for a black leader after already electing a "retarded cowboy" twice.

Brand then took aim at Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter Bristol and her hockey-playing boyfriend Levi Johnston.

"That boy will spend the rest of his life masturbating while wearing a condom," he said.

Linkin Park won the Best Rock Video award for Shadow Of The Day, while the Pussycat Dolls won for Best Dancing In A Video for hit single When I Grow Up.

Chris Brown claimed Best Male Video for With You and Lil Wayne's track Lollipop was named Best Hip Hop Video.

German band Tokio Hotel won Best New Artist.

Olympic champion Michael Phelps also made an appearance, speaking of his love for hip hop before introducing rapper Lil Wayne for a live performance.

Some of Hollywood's stars raised eyebrows in a bizarre red carpet arrival in Los Angeles.

The show lived up to its crazy reputation as rapper T-Pain arrived on the back of an elephant draped in gold silk.

The hip hop star also wore a giant red top hat just in case his peculiar ride went unnoticed.

Fellow hip hop personality Fatman Scoop clearly enjoyed the laid-back feel of the MTV Awards, arriving in boxer shorts and a white singlet.

The production, now in its 25th year, is known for pushing the boundaries and has featured several controversial incidents involving Spears.

Last year, Kanye West became involved in the Spears incident by claiming the music network exploited her when she was having personal issues.

In 2003, Madonna made headlines by passionately kissing Spears and Christina Aguilera at the end of their performance.

And a year earlier, Spears referred to Michael Jackson as her "artist of the millennium", leading the reclusive pop star to believe that he was the recipient of the non-existent "Artist of the Millennium Award".

"When I was a little boy growing up in Indiana if someone told me I'd be getting the artist of the millennium award, I'd have never believed it," a confused Jackson said.

Britney's Dad to Remain in Control for Rest of the Year

Source: People.com
Who

Yahoo7

Jamie Spears, 56, was named temporary conservator of her affairs on Feb. 1 following his 26-year-old daughter's two forced hospitalizations in January. The conservatorship has been extended until the end of the year, but a progress review of the case has been set for Oct. 28.

"The extension of the conservatorship was at the request and suggestion of Britney's doctors," says a source close to the singer. "They've indicated she's made great improvement, but it's a work in progress. Jamie Spears doesn't want the conservatorship to last a day longer than the doctors recommend."

Jamie has sole authority over whom his daughter has contact with, and has hired security guards to watch her 24 hours a day. He shares control with another lawyer over her multimillion-dollar estate.

Earlier Thursday, Spears's court-appointed attorney, Samuel D. Ingham III, told the Associated Press that he wouldn't seek to extend the restraining order against the singer's one-time pal Sam Lufti, because Spears has cut all ties with Lufti anyway.

Ingham also said that the restraining order is no longer necessary because Jamie can legally control whom his daughter sees: "During the temporary conservatorship, the conservators have the power to insure that Lufti will not harm Britney anymore."