Leann Rimes once stated that she worked very hard to have the body she had, and she intended to show more of it in the future. If she had followed that proposal through to the policy stage, she’d have joined a select group of female singing stars who have made it their business to flash some flesh - a group that includes such colourful individuals as Cher, Kylie and Dannii Minogue, Mariah Carey, Madonna and Christina Aguilera.

Britney’s image problems: That seems to be the catch phrase on every fan’s lips these days. It’s brought up each time we see a new set of candids; it’s bemoaned on every website and fan forum; it’s discussed and argued and “fixed” a million times over. And everyone has come to the same conclusion: Britney’s image is either irrevocably wrecked or will be pretty soon. I can see why people have come to this conclusion. So why do I feel so calm and undisturbed by this? Maybe it’s because I’m not in the habit of looking back and playing “what if??” It’s a cruel game and one I’ve learned (from personal experience) to carefully avoid!! Maybe it’s that I’m in a dulled state of denial, where I refuse to believe this is all there is, and this is how it will end? But mostly I think it’s because I knew this would happen. Looking at Britney at 17...young, full of dreams, cavorting down that hallway in the “Baby, One More Time” video…I somehow knew her road would not be easy, I knew she would face drama and backlash and be hurt and scarred in the process. This is not the benefit of hindsight. I can’t explain how I knew these things would happen, but I did. And though I enjoyed seeing her succeed in the early years, I always knew that the moment would come when I would be sitting here writing about her “failure”.