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Fury as Britney bottles it after X Factor show
By Georgina Littlejohn, London Lite Last updated at 12:08pm on 01.12.08Britney Spears's long-awaited visit to London was branded a disaster after her diva behaviour upset fans and TV bosses.
Back home: Britney, right, arriving in New York last night
And the promoter of one of the capital's biggest club nights called her a b**** after she snubbed a planned public appearance at G-A-Y on Saturday. Michael Mitchell had to tell the angry crowd at Heaven nightclub that not only was she not performing, but she wasn't even going to take to the stage.
Writing on his Facebook page, Mitchell said: "Michael met Britney Spears and I hate that b****." The star's spokeswoman denied she was booked to perform, but a source for the club said it had been "embarrassing" for the promoters.
Not a G-A-Y day: Britney at G-A-Y on Saturday
Britney was in London for 24 hours before her album Circus is released on her 27th birthday tomorrow. She flew out at 10.30am yesterday.
Earlier on Saturday evening, she was accused of lip-synching through her appearance on The X Factor - performing her new single Womanizer - and snubbing both the contestants and judges.
She reportedly banned them from going to her room and posed for one picture with the judges in the corridor. She then admitted she hadn't watched any of the finalists, who this week performed her songs. Another big X Factor shock was Ruth Lorenzo's departure from the show, despite her being hotly tipped to make it to the final.
The 26-year-old from Spain bowed out graciously after she received the least amount of public votes.
She said: "I fought with all my heart, with everything I had."
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Reader views (14)
ye, Britney is the female Michael Jackson. But being eccentric doesnt stop her from being a superstar. So she mimed, her new song isnt exactly an acapella song. u cant in the traditional sense of the word 'sing' a song like that. its more about the performance, which wasnt bad. I dont condone her actions at all, but who are we to abuse her? while she's selling millions of records all over the world, what have you done lately? And JLS should have gone, they were poor. I love Ruth, power ballad rocker. I hope she gets a deal, i'll definately buy her album.
- John, London
none of these acts ,and I mean acts as you cant call them groups or bands can perform live. They can do the costume changes, an the dance routines but they can't sing.
All manufactured crap and programmes like the xfactor and people like Cowell perpetuate these awful acts.
Its not exactly rock n roll.
- Al Stuart, ealing
i dont think it is on that you have published this supposed comments micheal supposed to have said on his facebook site, i dont believe a word of it. leave the poor guys alone
- Den, london
gosh people are so over the top. ye she was rubbish but she didnt kill someone! her dancing was nice anyway. lets be honest it was the first performance in 4 years shes gonna be a lil rusty! shell improve. xxx
- Jane, london
The X Factor is a complete farce. First Diane (who sings in some out of tune language that no one on Planet Earth can understand) should be out as she missed a week when she "lost her voice" (but managed to be seen shouting on ITV2 on the night she was "ill"), not fair on the others who have had to do one more show. Then Ruth - the best singer out the lot of them got voted off. But to top things off was America's biggest "musical" embarrassment Britney "I am having a bad shaved hair day" Spears. Talk about mime artists, I bet she even mimed "awesome" & "good luck". To me Britney has always sounded like a Dalek, but that is an insult to Daleks. Why make the singers sing "her" songs as it is an insult to them. As far as Britney is concerned, Public Enemy's classic springs to mind "Don't Believe The Hype" Don't believe she can sing as it is all hype. Also if the X Factor want judges why have Dannii & Cheryl (who needs to be subtitled). What do they know about singing? Why not get someone who can write & perform their own songs and can hold a note unlike those two who couldn't hold a note if it fell out of a purse. I hope they don't have anymore "big name talent" on the X Factor maybe they could push the boat out for the live final and have Mr Blobby sing or Timmy Mallett
- Mike Dudley, Birmingham, UK
What a complete farce, the X factor played up her appearance throughout the week and first part of the show - at the end of the first show we were then told she'd be on the results show. When she came on and started miming it was a farce, you cannot call it a performance it was more like just a strut around the stage, and when she adjusted her microphone when all watching knew she wasn't even singing into it but miming - that was a further **** take. I cannot understand how a so called superstar appears on a live show when all the contestants are singing live, just reaffirms that she is not right in the head. Britney has just sealed her fate with a large majority of her loyal fans by doing that, how stupid does she think we are. Also Dermots attempt to get into a conversation with her about how brilliant all the x factor finalists were - she obviously did not have a clue what was going on - she had taken no interest at all in the show or the finalists efforts... all her vocabulary consists of is the word "awesome" - Alexandra Burke and Ruth Lorenzo showed her how it should be done - they both have more talent than Britney obviously.... Its just a shame that an individual get made all the more famous these days by wearing no knickers and flashing her lady parts....
- Gwynn, newport, South Wales
I think too many people had this romanticised idea of Britney coming back with a mind blowing, lights flashing, tear jerking performance that would've made an oscar performance. Sadly I think that for many of us, hollywood has distorted the line between fantasy and reality. People want a happy ending with a dramatic comeback. This is real life and there's no such thing.
Britney's upset fans and tv bosses. Now thats the kind of Britney I like to see, someone who's not afraid to piss people off. Trying to make everybody happy is what caused her meltdown. I think she's looking out for herself now, and if that means her career taking a hit, then so be it. She's a mom and she's got other priorities now.
- John, Oxford, United Kingdom
Britney was a waste of air-time, they should have had more adverts rather than that feeble attempt at miming and dancing... Let's hope she's free for next years I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here... would be good to see her miming and eating Roo-cock at the same time...
- Cliff, Hampshire, UK
Without all the razzmatazz and dancing going on around her, Britneys performance would have been even more of a joke. Ruth is worth 10 of her. Ruth, you're amazing and you will make it - in spite of the somewhat curious X Factor voting.
- Chrissy, Halifax UK
britney spears was miming that song she cant even sing propperely and cannot dance to save her live her live so she needs to SORT IIT .......
- Charlotte, manchester
Britney Spears was outshone by the contestants, she could not sing or dance, even my young children thought she was absolute rubbish, I wonder how much ITV paid for that pleasure?
- Claire Chappell, Cambridge UK
Plus she didnt even have the bottle to sing live which is a bit of a liberty considering its a singing contest show.
- Katie, London
Britney was terrible on X Factor on Sat night. Even the contestants on the show were better than her. I've always thought she is overrated and the fact she came on miming when all the contestants have to sing live is frankly a joke. It was also clear that she hadn't shown any interest in the contestants. When Dermot asked for her opinion she had nothing to say. Waste of space!!
- Pa, London
Britney's performance on x factor was a joke. She was out of time and can hardly dance.
She is now a Z-list celebrity and should go on Big Brother.
- William Jenkins, london
