'The X Factor's' Britney Spears 'would have loved' judging 'American Idol'

Britney Spears says if she wasn't already engaged for the coming TV season, she'd happily have entertained an "American Idol" judging spot.

"I would have loved that," the music superstar tells Zap2it as she prepares to debut as a judge for Season 2 of FOX's "The X Factor" starting Wednesday, Sept. 12. Just as "Idol" is in for another big overhaul, having lost Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez in the past week, the "X Factor" judging panel will be half-new ... with Spears and Demi Lovato joining series mentor Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid.


"I feel like it brings a whole new energy to the show, definitely," reasons Spears, who already has been involved in contestant auditions for several weeks. "Nicole [Scherzinger] and Paula [Abdul] were really great, but to have such a dramatic change, I'll bet this even made Simon and L.A. nervous.

"That was what they had been used to, then these two new girls come in. I don't know how it'll be perceived, but it's been fun for us. I've been having a blast."


Spears empathizes with "X Factor" contenders, since the competition "Star Search" was part of her own career beginnings. "I would be extremely nervous, probably, if I'd really never done anything before and it was my first time to perform in front of 4,000 people," she reflects of watching auditions in such cities as San Francisco and Providence (R.I.). "I'm sure it's pretty nerve-racking."

As for herself, the artist behind such hits as " ... Baby One More Time," "Oops! ... I Did It Again," "(You Drive Me) Crazy" and "Gimme More" certainly is no stranger to being in the spotlight. Her "X-Factor" stint is certain to amp that up, and she admits, "I hope I'm ready. I don't really know what to expect at this point, so I'm just taking it one day at a time."

Is Britney Spears "Coming Undone" on the X Factor Set?

 

Quick, hide the umbrellas and electric razors, because we may be time-warping back to 2008.

A source told Us Weekly Britney Spears may be heading for another public meltdown after her rocky start as a judge on The X Factor.

"She gets extremely nervous and anxious," an insider says of the 30-year-old. "She's hard on herself and not very confident."
Spears' engagement to Jason Trawick may also be an added pressure. "For her, it's all an input as stress," the source explained. "This is a lot of change at once for Britney. She's coming undone."

But not everyone thinks Spears is heading towards another downward spiral. "Jason and Britney's family wouldn't let her do X Factor if she couldn't handle it," a second source told Us Weekly. "At first they weren't going to let her because she couldn't do live TV -- they didn't know what she would say. But they went over it with Britney, and they trust her."

X Factor creator and fellow judge, Simon Cowell, doesn’t seem concerned about Spears, either. Just last week, he dismissed rumours that Spears had walked off the set on her first day.

"There was no walking off," Cowell told E! News. "We have breaks every five or six songs. You can go have a cigarette, you can go to the loo. So as soon as anyone left their chairs, it was reported... that someone had left the show – and they hadn't!"

Despite the breakdown murmurs, Spears "wants to do a good job," the second source told Us Weekly.

"There is always apprehension about something you haven't done before, but she's looking forward to proving all the doubters wrong."

Britney Wants Demi on X Factor

BRITNEY Spears is already trying to call the shots on X Factor America.

The pop diva will reportedly receive $15 million to join Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid on the judging panel of the pop star search show and has asked that teen star Demi Lovato be considered for the final position because she believes they would have great chemistry together.

“Britney is the anchor of the new judging panel and that was Simon’s most important hire. Britney is extremely hopeful that Demi Lovato will become one of the judges because she truly admires her. Britney loves how open and honest Demi has been with her fans after she went to rehab last year,” a source said.

“She thinks they have a lot in common and that they would have great chemistry on the show. Britney is being kept apprised of the status of ongoing contract talks with Lovato and it is looking like she will be joining the show! Britney is extremely excited for filming to begin, which will be in the next month.

“Britney and Demi have met a few times very casually at Hollywood industry parties but those were very brief. Demi went to one of Britney’s concerts in Anaheim in 2011 and met with her backstage. Once Demi officially signs her contract Simon will have the new judging panel over to his house for a celebration dinner. The second season of X Factor is going to be amazing.”

Britney Spears Closing $15 MILLION Deal To Judge 'X Factor'

Britney Spears and "X Factor" have struck a deal that will line the singer's pocket to the tune of $15 million for next season ... TMZ has learned.

We're told Britney's team and "X Factor" big wigs are working out "the fine points" of the deal, but the major terms are locked. 

Once the final contract is drafted and signed ... it will go to Jamie Spears, Britney's daddy and conservator, as well as lawyers for the conservatorship. If they sign off, it must then go to the judge who oversees the conservatorship for approval.

Sources connected with the deal tell us ... it's a "virtual certainty" everyone will sign off. By the way, we're told Jason Trawick is "very involved" in the negotiations.

Simon Cowell, the "X Factor" Executive Producer, told us on TMZ Live Tuesday, "I would love to have her on the show. I think she would be a fascinating person to sit next to." Simon said they may make an announcement within a week.

Britney would fill one of two vacant seats on the judging panel. She's also way more expensive than the castoffs -- Nicole Scherzinger reportedly pulled in $1.5 million, while Paula Abdul raked in $2.5 mil.

"I'll Take Care of Britney Spears"

Britney Spears is about to have a brand new conservator ... her fiance Jason Trawick.

Sources tell us ... Brit's conservators will be filing a petition later today to add Jason as a co-conservator ... a move that makes total sense considering the two are all set to be married some time in the near future.

We're told Brit's dad Jamie Spears -- who is already one of the conservators -- is "thrilled" about the move.

Britney snubs $10M ‘X Factor’ offer

What will it take to get Britney Spears to the “X Factor” judges’ table?

More than $10 million, apparently.

TheWrap.com reports the pop star turned down that eight-figure offer from the Fox show and is holding out for $20 million. A source in Spears’ camp told the entertainment news site she also is considering another career option: taking over a Las Vegas showroom, Celine Dion-style.

“The X Factor,” produced by Simon Cowell, has been looking for big-name judges to take over for Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul, fired after one season. Janet Jackson recently took herelf out of the running.

There was no comment from Spears, Cowell or Fox.

Simon Cowell On Britney Spears As A Possible X Factor Judge!

During a recent interview, Simon Cowell opened up about the possibility of Britney Spears joining X Factor as a judge.

"'The fact that she's still one of the most talked-about - not just popstars, but people in the world today - means that you've got this star power."
"This girl's got resilience and the fact that she's survived this and she's still hot, she's still having hit records and she's still controversial…there's a reason for that."

And here's Simon on whether or not he thinks Britney could handle the judging gig:

"I would think that if she's managed to sustain in her family life a career which is tough, this is a walk in the park."

Nothing's confirmed yet, but it definitely sounds like Brit Brit might be the gurl for the job!

Britney Spears' Son Dancing to 'Groove Thing'

Britney Spears' eldest son has got a groove on his moves. Proud mom taped a video of Sean Preston following the dance moves in a video game that plays Peaches & Herb's hit song "Shake Your Groove Thing".

The six-year-old appeared to be hooked on the game that he did not like it when younger brother Jayden tried to get in the way. Sean pushed Jayden, who was riding his tricycle, away from the TV screen. Sean, whose father is former dancer Kevin Federline, finished the dance with a pose.

Britney has been posting videos and photos of her two boys lately. Earlier this week, she posted photos on Twitter of her sons having "hair-raising fun on the trampoline" and attending gymnastics classes.

Sean and Jayden are Britney's sons with Kevin. They split in 2006 but Kevin remains to be a dotting father. Britney is now engaged to former manager Jason Trawick.

WATCH IT HERE

Britney Spears' Big 2011: From A Smash Album To A Ring On Her Finger

Maybe Britney Spears' lucky number is 30. The singer turned 30 this year, marking the landmark birthday on December 2 with a fan-voted MTV News tournament that crowned the Best Britney Video of All Time. But her 30th year also proved to be an incredibly successful period in her career.

For the first time in a while, she seemed comfortable being the pop megastar that she is. More than a decade into her career, Spears re-emerged as a Femme Fatale, giving fans a fist-pumping album, embarking on a flashy tour and dropping more memorable music videos. Britney Spears fandom was reenergized as the singer came out of her shell, opening up about this phase in her career as well her personal life in several high-profile interviews. So it's probably not surprising that Spears will cap off the year at #4 on MTV News' Top Newsmakers of 2011 list, just behind Lil Wayne.

"When I was younger, I was busy, busy, and I was always singing and dancing all the time. I was just really creative," she recalled in the MTV special "I Am the Femme Fatale." "That's when my mom realized I'm a really creative person."

She let that creativity shine over the past 12 months. From "Hold It Against Me" to "Till the World Ends" to her Chris Marrs Piliero-directed "I Wanna Go" and "Criminal," Britney made headlines every time she dropped a music video. But no vid stirred up as much controversy as her "Criminal" clip, which featured real-life boyfriend (now fiancé) Jason Trawick — and his abs.


"At the end of the day, Jason killed it," Piliero told MTV News of Trawick's cameo. "That was one of those things I was really stoked [about], as much as I went into it like, 'Wow, he's not an actor. This is going to be interesting,' but I really do like a challenge, and I really do like the idea that I'm a director and my job is to direct and get the performance. For me, it was a fun challenge to be like, 'I'm gonna make sure that you are awesome,' and he was."

Between video shoots, Spears hit the road with the likes of Nicki Minaj, Joe Jonas, and DJ Pauly D. Spears fully embraced her sensuality on the Femme Fatale Tour, a spectacular show full of costume changes, elaborate stage setups and stunning mini-films.


And while much of the 2011 VMA buzz was about Beyoncé's baby bump and Jo Calderone, Spears stole the spotlight by walking away with a Moonman for Best Pop Video and the prized Video Vanguard Award. She also had tongues wagging after an onstage kiss from Jo (a.k.a. Lady Gaga), just before she was honored with an electrifying dance tribute that highlighted some of biggest career moments.

"It was really crazy. I had no idea what to expect," Spears told us backstage at the VMAs. "The kids were amazing and so entertaining, and it was a really fun night. It was really cool. I was like, 'Wow, that's really sweet!' "

As 2011 came to a close, Spears wrapped up her tour, and MTV News threw her a birthday bash in the form of the "30 Videos for 30 Years" tournament. The competition was heated but in the end, Spears' iconic "I'm a Slave 4 U" took home the prize. And just when it seemed things couldn't get any better, Britney confirmed she was engaged to Trawick after dating for two years. She showed off her Neil Lane ring during a celebratory weekend in Las Vegas.

Spears' diamond ring cost $92K

 Britney Spears' fiance Jason Trawick splashed out on her engagement ring - the diamond band set him back $92,000.

The Toxic hitmaker became engaged to her agent boyfriend last week and the pair quickly shared its happy news on Twitter.com.

Spears later flashed the lavish ring as she partied with Trawick during his 40th birthday festivities in Las Vegas over the weekend, and now it's emerged the Neil Lane band cost Trawick $92,000, according to Life & Style.

A source tells the publication, "Jason helped design a 4-carat round-cut-diamond-and-platinum ring that has diamonds all around the band. It's gorgeous!

"He looked for a while for the perfect ring and chose it all by himself. By now he knows what Britney likes. Jason's never been engaged before, so he's really, really excited. He's thrilled that Britney will be his wife. They're both happy. They've come a long way."

Britney's Engaged!

Britney Spears made her engagement official Friday during family celebrations at Planet Hollywood Resort and Paris Las Vegas venues.

Confirming our exclusive that Spears and her former manager Jason Trawick were having their engagement party and his 40th birthday in Las Vegas, Spears let her fans in on it Friday morning with a tweet that said: "OMG. Last night Jason surprised me with the one gift I've been waiting for. Can't wait to show you! SO SO SO excited!!!!"

After the announcement reception on the mezzanine at the Planet Hollywood, they held their engagement dinner in Chocolate Lounge at Sugar Factory in the Paris Las Vegas before heading upstairs to the dance party at Chateau Nightclub & Gardens.

Planet Hollywood founder Robert Earl, who has known Spears since early in her career, toasted the couple on a mezzanine.

Britney Spears 'Gets A Kick Out Of Fist Pumping,' Pauly D Says

Pauly D has a lot of experience playing shows with Britney Spears. He not only opened for her in Las Vegas earlier this year during the taping of her "I Am the Femme Fatale" MTV special, but he later hit the road with Spears for her Femme Fatale tour.

So opening for the princess of pop as she wraps up her world tour this weekend won't be too difficult for the "Jersey Shore" star. He's slated to appear with her on December 10 in Puerto Rico. It's the very last stop on the months-long, sprawling trek around the globe.
Since Pauly last hit the road with pop's ultimate femme fatale, he told MTV News that he has been keeping in touch with his pal. "Yeah [we keep in contact], oh yeah, for sure," he said. "A lot of tweets."

While Pauly played it coy during our chat about the upcoming gig, he did give us just enough hints to let us know that the show is indeed all set for Saturday. "There's rumors; rumors have it that I might be on that tour," he joked. "I'm not sure. I'd love to. I hope so. I like Puerto Rico and it's nice this time of year."

Is there any chance that Britney might make an appearance on Pauly's in-the-works solo reality show while he's out there with her? "She's busy. She's really busy and I'd love to link up with her and get her on this 'cause doing her tour, that was another dream for me, to do an artist's tour. I've been a fan of Britney my whole life, so it's been great for me."

"She was happy for me," he continued. "She was like, 'Oh you're going to be fist pumping on the show.' She gets a kick out of the fist pumping."

If that appearance doesn't pan out, DJ Pauly D needn't worry too much. He just announced his deal with 50 Cent's G-Note Records, a step that should help to take his DJ career to the next level. 50 spoke to MTV News about the deal earlier this week, teasing some big things.

"Pauly's project is not all his performance on the actual records," Fif explained of the "hit record" he hopes to make with the DJ, set for release in 2012. "It's more like what you would get from a DJ Khaled or DJ Drama but also what you would get from David Guetta — so it's a cross between those two worlds, and I think it's exciting."

Fans of Pauly D are also pumped for the latest season of his hit MTV series "Jersey Shore." Just this week, a season 5 trailer dropped and there seems to be enough drama, GTL and smushing to go around for everyone.
"There was a lot of tension in [Italy], because we were away from our friends, away from our family, so all we had was each other — that's it," Pauly said. "So now we literally ran to Jersey, because we missed it so much, and we just shared that bond, because we've been there before, so we enjoyed it with everybody this year. It was really one of my best years, I think."

Britney Spears Celebrates Her 30th Birthday Ice Skating

Britney Spears hit the ice with boyfriend Jason Trawick for a round of ice skating to celebrate her 30th birthday. 

Though Brit, who wore a cozy outfit of a pink shirt and jeans, didn't look all that comfortable with a pair of skates on, she looked delighted as Trawick showed off some of his moves at a rink in Houston, Texas between dates on her Femme Fatale tour.

"I think the older you get, the wiser you get," Spears told Glamour magazine. "I can't wait. I'm really excited and I am definitely going to celebrate and do something spectacular. I'm gonna be in South America so I'll have to do something pretty fun. A carnival of Britney?"

After her day of ice skating, Britney continued delighting fans with a free show at the Revolution Monument in Mexico City.

Britney to return to acting?

(RTTNews) - Britney Spears has made her intentions of returning to the big screen next year known, only this time she wants to play the role of the bad girl. 

"Definitely next year I am going to take a different route," Spears told The Sun. "I see myself being a detective, assassin or even a bad girl."

Spears first appeared on the big screen back in 2002 in the film Crossroads, which was largely panned by critics, and which only took in $61 million at the international box office.

Although the hitmaker songstress has only appeared in one big screen role to date, she has appeared on the small screen a number of times, landing roles in such television shows as How I Met Your Mother, Glee and Will and Grace.

Britney Spears' new music video: Criminal

Britney Spears has been a lot of things in her music videos: a schoolgirl, an air hostess and even a circus ringmaster, but her latest venture sees her exploring a side of her we've never seen, until now... that of a criminal.

Yes, Britney’s new video sees her taking to a life of crime with her real-life boyfriend Jason Trawick.  After watching the finished thing, we have to say it’s certainly not for Britney’s younger fans! It’s pretty jam-packed with violence, raunchy scenes and crime, so much so that for a second you'd be forgiven for thinking you were accidentally watching a Guy Ritchie gangster flick!

Steamy scenes aside though, the video is actually rather compelling and feels more like a short film rather than a pop starlet’s music video. If you can track it down, have a look and compare notes with us!

Here are our personal highlights from the video:

0.04 – We spy Britney at a swanky cocktail party where everyone is wearing posh frocks and suits - tres fancy!

0.10 – Britney turns around in a gorgeous gold cocktail dress and a sophisticated up-do. She looks utterly fabulous.

0.15 – But all is not well at this party, as Britney’s date starts being mean to her and tells her that she’s “embarrassing him”. The cheek of it! The actor’s accent also changes from posh English to east-London gangster. Remarkable.

0.25 – Yikes! The posh/gangster guy just grabbed Britney by the face. No one does that to the queen of pop and gets away with it!

0.36 - Britney runs away and is seen crying in the mirror. It’s nothing a bit of product placement won’t solve though, as Britters reaches for her own brand of perfume, sprays herself and then suddenly everything is all better.

0.50 - Britney emerges from the ladies to see that her date is chatting up someone who looks suspiciously like Michelle Heaton. The princess of pop isn’t too happy with this and she breaks the couple up and comes out with the corker: “So, you’re not working the street corner tonight I see?” Meow - go Britney!

1.00 - Suddenly, Britney’s date turns a little bit psycho and drags her out of the party. How rude! It all gets really serious and a bit uncomfortable now, as Britney’s evil date hits her!

1.09 - But who’s this? Britney’s real-life boyfriend Jason Trawick runs to the rescue and beats up Britney’s evil date – Kapow! We don’t condone violence but he had it coming. Random observation – over a minute in and the music hasn’t even started yet...

1.28 - Finally, the music starts and we see merry old London where the video was filmed. It never looks this glamorous in real life... Britney jumps on the back of Jason’s motorbike and they speed into the distance.

2.09 - Britney goes back to Jason’s house and discovers he has a gun! We have a feeling that he may be a criminal. But instead of leaving, things get steamy as the pair share a snog. Things get even steamier and we’re suddenly watching pure raunch!

3.29 - We see the scenes that were filmed earlier this year in North London, Britney and Jason robbing a bank – is there no stopping this devious duo?

3.44 - There are now some very steamy shower scenes. Probably not a good idea to watch this video at work... But, while Britney and Jason are in the shower, the police close in on them!

4.25 - Britney and Jason finally decide to put some clothes on, but the police have their house surrounded. The fuzz then start shooting at them and bullets blast through the walls. The couple seem oblivious though and instead, start kissing again. This is turning into a total kiss-fest!

5.09 - Ah, but they must have kissing-induced magical powers though - the couple miraculously escape unhurt at the end of the video despite the fact they were showered with bullets! Nothing can stop Britney, not even the British police force!

Below - Pics of Britney Spears shooting her Criminal music video in London

Britney Spears Rocks Paris

Taking her pop music machine to the City of Lights, Britney Spears performed in Paris, France this week.

The “Toxic” songstress was in top form as she took the stage at the Bercy Arena with a bevy of beautiful backup dancers and a hit-laden set list.

Brit’s opening act Destinee and Paris recently gushed about their time on the road with Spears for the Femme Fatale Tour.

"I can't even explain how amazing it is to be onstage every night and sharing it with a legend like Britney. I mean, she's been in this business forever and has really made a name for herself. To be performing before her is crazy. If somebody said to me 10 years ago that this is what we'd be doing — opening for Britney Spears — I'd be like, 'OK, you're crazy.'"

Britney Spears VMA Tribute

We all know it's not a Video Music Awards without Britney. Even though she's not even 30, pop queen Britney Spears is getting a big-time tribute from MTV at this year's VMAs.


Whether it was when she jumped to the head of the class alongside 'NSync in 1999, sang "Oops!..I Did It Again" while performing her own strip tease, the snake, Madonna's kiss, the 2007 performance disaster... every single Britney moment at the VMAs has been one to talk about.

And since MTV knows that (there's pretty much a direct correlation between the show's ratings and Spears' involvement), they're paying tribute to the star who's rocked their network from her first belly-baring music video ("...Baby One More Time") to her latest ("I Wanna Go").

Spears stars in a new promo for the upcoming awards show (she previously teamed up with Russell Brand for promos for the previous two years). The clip sees her DJing her own party and spinning the hits of her own idols and MTV legends, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson and Madonna, while the "Till the World Ends" singer is all smiles, dancing and snapping pics.

There's no word on what Brit's role in the tribute will be (only Beyonce herself performed at her own recent tribute during the Billboard Music Awards), but here's to hoping she gets to hit the stage and show off what thousands of fans have been praising during her "Femme Fatale" tour.

Spears, who's already won four Moonmen, is up for two more awards at this year's MTV Video Music Awards. Check out MTV on August 28th to see if she's a winner and what's sure to be a winning tribute.

So what do you think? Is it too early for a Britney tribute? Or should they just change the show to the BMAs?

Britney Spears 'Completely Flattered' By Two VMA Nominations

Britney Spears is no stranger to the Video Music Awards. She has so far been nominated 28 times, won four awards and has given us some of the most iconic VMA performances of all time. Who could forget her VMA strip-down in 2000 for "Oops! ... I Did It Again," her dance with a snake for "I'm a Slave 4 U" and, of course, her infamous "Like a Virgin" kiss with Madonna?

This year, Spears looks to add to her list of VMA accomplishments with two nominations, one for Best Pop Video and one for Best Choreography for her hit Ke$ha-penned song "Till the World Ends." MTV News recently caught up with Spears and broke the news of the nominations to the pop star.

"Oh my goodness, I'm completely flattered," Spears said. "That is amazing! Thank you so much for telling me. That's awesome!"

Brtiney Spears new music video: "I Wanna Go"

Britney Spears has delivered another strong music video, for her hip-moving, dance floor hit “I Wanna Go.” The pop princess takes a strong stance against the paparazzi who plague her existence in the clip and shows off her toned abs, along with some fun pink punk streaks in her blonde locks!

The video was directed by Chris Marrs Piliero.

Britney Spears Covers Madonna's 'Burning Up'

Britney Spears has just released a cover of Madonna's "Burning Up", as part of the early promotion for her upcoming tour, Femme Fatale.

What do you think about the cover?