Britney Spears has defended her raunchy new image and insisted she remains a role model for young girls.

The once squeaky-clean pop star has kissed Madonna on stage, posed semi-naked on magazine covers and released an album with explicit lyrics about sex.

But the 21-year-old said parents should not be worried if their children want to copy her.

She said: "I probably have more older fans than the younger ones.

"But I think the reason why everyone talks about the younger fans so much is because the parents are concerned.

"And in the end they shouldn't be concerned because they should trust their kids and believe in their kids."

The American singer also said she viewed Madonna as her "godmother".

The two pop divas kissed at the MTV Video Music Awards and got steamy in the video for Britney's single Me Against The Music.

But Britney said: "I don't think it's a flirtation. She's like my godmother in a way.

"There's something about her that draws me in in. She is a very cool lady and an inspiring person to be around."

The young singer has also been criticised for drinking and smoking in public.

Raunchy singer Christina Aguilera has angrily confronted pop princess Britney Spears over their controversial kisses with Madonna.

The steamy scenes stunned guests at the recent MTV Video Music Awards - but Aguilera now claims Britney is trying to muscle in on her image.

The pair are reported to have had a bust-up in a Hollywood nightclub last weekend following the New York bash.

The Daily Star said Christina was angry that she had helped Britney "sex-up" her image.

She accused her former Mousketeer colleague of mimicking her saucy style in an attempt to boost record sales.

But Britney has soothed relations by calling Aguilera to make peace, a Spears aide told the paper.

The blonde bombshell was even said to have talked her rival into another lesbian-style clinch on stage.

"Christina was pretty furious that she'd unwittingly helped helped to vamp-up Britney's career," the aide said.

"They had some pretty strong words it in the club and there was some bad feeling.

"Luckily, Britney managed to calm Christina down and explained that it was good for her as well.

Britney Spears has splashed on two £10,000 rings for Madonna and J.Lo to apologise for pulling out of a gig with them.

The three chart queens were due to team up for a performance of Madonna's hit Like A Virgin at the MTV video music awards.

But when Britney heard that J.Lo was considering pulling out because of filming commitments she decided leave Madonna to sing on her own.

A source close to Britney told the Daily Star: "She just wants to watch Madonna go for it.

"She wanted to buy each woman a ring as a small gesture to say how much she was honoured to have been asked to sing with them."

Britney will still grace the stage at the world famous Radio City Hall in New York during the event to present awards.

Britney Spears is to get a pair of pump-up breasts that will throb in time with her breathing.

A group of lucky experts are fixing the attachments to the singer to make her pole-dancing poses more raunchy.

But they won't be getting their hands on the real thing.

The pump-up breasts are being fixed to the star's waxwork model at Madame Tussauds in London.

Bosses want to make the £52,000 model more realistic.

So they are hoisting it up and around a dancing pole.

Her breasts will then hang provocatively out of a skimpy top, inflating rhythmically to make it look like the singer is breathing heavily.

"For the first time we are installing balloons in her chest so her boobs heave in and out," a spokesman told The Sun.

Britney will be the centrepeice of the museum's new £2m interactive room.