BRIT'S HANDLERS STILL IN DENIAL • "Although Britney Spears admits in a new film that she 'totally lost my way, lost focus, lost myself,' that won't stand in the way of her comeback, says her manager. 'She's definitely ready,' Larry Rudolph [says]. 'She loves to work. … She's a very strong person. Everybody goes through setbacks in their lives. [But] every day, I see her getting happier and stronger.'"

Britney Spears is rapidly getting her life back on track, and the latest stop on the BS Comeback Tour will be Dec. 2 on Good Morning America. This is going to be a big day for Brit, because it's both her 27th birthday and her Circus album release. Here's hoping she doesn't get incredibly overwhelmed by the circus (pun intended) and end up being carted away in an ambulance.

On another note, Brit really needs to work on her cue card reading skills. She used to handle scripts like a pro back in the day; now, she blasts through them like a 9-year-old in a school play. Her dialogue in the GMA promo (at left) is painful and distracting, and that's not even taking into consideration that cheesy scene where she blows out the candles. Larry Rudolph, get back to work.

Britney Spears just wrapped a top-secret Rolling Stone cover shoot while also promising an in-depth interview in the mag's upcoming issue. The Spears Comeback Train is obviously in full force, following through with the redemption arc by granting personal access to the same magazine that had plenty to say about the BS "tragedy" back in February — and the same publication that ran the "scandalous" (but not so bad in hindsight) cover in 1999. Very clever, Larry Rudolph. Keep up the good work.

Britney Spears was welcomed by a throng of paparazzi when she arrived in New York City this week, but the singer didn't experience the usual fanfare when she stopped by NYC radio station Z-100 to promote her new single — because nobody knew she was coming. According to a station rep, the crew randomly "received a call from the Spears camp saying she was just two blocks away and wanted to come in" — and she was only accompanied by manager Larry Rudolph. Well, we're pleased to see that she needs just one person around to reign in the crazy.

The interview included a segment where Brit got nostalgic about the old days, before she lost her mind: "I wish I still had my apartment here … I love [New York City]." We agree that she would perhaps be less of a freak show in Manhattan, but we would prefer the madness to stay on the opposite side of the country. Besides, her poor kids have enough to worry about without having to move thousands of miles away from their not-so-stable environment.

Meanwhile, Brit hit up a Broadway show last night and looked as good as ever. You can't even tell she has a rat's nest on her head! Things are looking up.

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We can only hope that after this photo was taken Britney Spears told the Jonas Brothers to run for their lives. If there's anything interesting about the VMAs, it's the interactions behind the scenes between stars who would normally never speak to each other. For more audience and backstage photos, click through.

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We thought Larry Rudolph put an end to the rumors about Britney Spears performing at this weekend's VMAs, but MTV won't shut up about it. According to the network, Brit will be opening the show, but "it is not a performance."

OK, so what does that even mean? Will she be paraded out with Russell Brand at the beginning of the show and then immediately escorted off the stage? Will she be allowed to speak? We don't quite understand how one can "open" a show without a performance, but that's where you come in: What do you think Britney's VMA opener will entail?

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Oh boy! This is happening, everyone:

Britney Spears' manager Larry Rudolph has finally confirmed the pop star is currently recording a new album.

Spears was rumoured to be hard at work in the recording studio with music producers Jim Beanz and Rodney 'Darkchild' Jerkins earlier this month.
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But Rudolph has confirmed Spears "is spending her summer in the recording studio, working on a brand new album."

He adds, "She's working with a team of top-notch producers and songwriters and we're very excited about what she's accomplished so far …"

Wonderful! By the way, did you notice that Mr Rudolph didn't at all mention a team of top-notch mental health professionals or the stability of a loving family? This is what anyone with eyes and a brain calls "a vicious cycle." But hey, look on the bright side: new, mediocre dance music!

Does anyone remember Larry Rudolph? He is the manager responsible for the Britney Spears America fell in love with, and he also played a role in her 2007 trip to rehab. Brit, of course, shunned him — twice — because why trust a guy you've known for years when Sam Lutfi is around, alerting the paparazzi to your every move and pissing on your mother's grave?

Here's the good news: Jamie Spears has convinced Larry to give Brit another chance and take her under his wing. We're not sure what Larry's asking price was, but we'll even pitch in a few bucks if he can turn the former Mrs. Federline back into America's favorite Catholic schoolgirl. Because let's face it: Nobody really cares if Britney's mentally stable so long as she gets back to being the picture-perfect pop star of yesteryear.

Here's hoping the third time's a charm.

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