Britney Spears was one of the biggest sensations to hit the world of pop in the late 1990s, topping the charts in the UK and the US with hits like Born to Make You Happy.
She dazzled the music business in 1999 when her single and album Baby, One More Time, shot to number one in the US and the UK.
Name: Britney Jean Spears
Date of birth: 2nd December 1981
Star sign: Sagittarius
Place of birth: Kentwood, Louisiana
Married? Twice. In January 2004, she wed childhood friend Jason Alexander in Las Vegas, but the marriage was scrapped days later.
In September the same year, she married backing dancer Kevin Federline, but she asked him for a divorce in November 2006.
Children? Two, with Kevin Federline. Sean Preston, born in 2005, and Jayden James, who arrived almost exactly a year later.
Parents: Jamie and Lynne Spears
Brothers & sisters: Brother Brian and sister Jamie-Lynne