Her only UK interview
Say hello to the star of Marie Claire's October issue, the inimitable Ms Britney Spears.
After a three-year stint in Vegas, Britney has made a storming return to the charts this month with her album Glory (currently bumping the number 1 spot). Speaking to writer Louise Gannon at Marie Claire's LA cover shoot, Britney said she's feeling far more comfortable in her skin these days. 'I moved to Los Angeles when I was very young' she said, 'I was so under scrutiny. If a hair was out of place, I'd be so anxious. I would get very anxious about so many things.'
Britney thinks motherhood has played a big part in helping her to worry less. 'Becoming a mother and being with my boys [Jayden, 9, Sean Preston, 10] has made me so much more accepting of myself. I'm their mom, whatever. That has been a really big thing for me over these last few years.'
She also revealed that being a multi platinum-selling, international pop star doesn't make you immune to bad dates. 'I had a really bad date', she told us, 'I mean, it was really bad. I’ve been single for ages and had a date with a guy I liked. I was getting anxious, worrying he wouldn’t like me. In the evening I got on the scales and I had lost six pounds.’ [She continues] ‘We went to the movies, but I could tell right away it wasn’t working. It was sort of awkward. So after the movie I came home and that was it. It just didn’t work [...] He just wasn’t that into me. I liked him. He knew that. But he definitely didn’t feel the same. It happens to everybody. Being famous doesn’t make you any different.’
More from Marie Claire: Watch Britney Spears do Carpool Karaoke
Three years of physically demanding Vegas shows have made Britney feel fitter and stronger than ever, even though her sister tries to stuff as many brownies into her mouth as possible when she sees her. 'She’s always trying to get me to eat' says Britney. 'I never ate sushi until a year or so ago. I thought the idea of raw fish was horrible. Then we had a day in a hotel in Vegas and she ordered up every single bit of sushi they had and we sat there just eating everything. Now I’m hooked.’
Read the full interview with Britney Spears in Marie Claire's October issue, out now
Photographs by David Roemer, styled by Jayne Pickering