Britney Spears is being hailed as "a great ambassador for virginity" in an official Church of England paper that includes a titillating pix spread of the popster.
A spokesman for the magazine Celebrate said: "Britney is very sexy but she has strong principles and religious views. We are trying to show
readers that there are famous people who have religious beliefs.
Spears, who has made much of her virginal relationship with 'N Sync's Justin Timberlake, says she prays every night and before going on stage.
"Just because I look sexy on the cover of Rolling Stone doesn't mean I'm a naughty girl," she says. "I find a lot of comfort and strength in knowing I can talk to God and he's listening. That's the way we were raised, and my family still goes to church on Sundays." In Ireland, the Government has a Do a Britney campaign in which it urges girls to remain virgins until at least 18. Spears has just hit 19.
* Jennifer Lopez and Puff Daddy, the twosome critics keep trying the most to break up, apparently went through a recent spell apart but all's well now.
Their split lasted four weeks at the end of October and early November. Insiders say they had a power struggle for control over the CD she was cutting at the time, JLo, sheduled to come out on January 23.
* Michael Jackson, Paul Simon, Aerosmith and Queen headline an all-male group of artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland for 2001.
Also inducted were Steely Dan and the Flamingos, soul singer Solomon Burke and Ritchie Valens, who was killed in a plane crash with Buddy Holly and J.P. Richardson (the Big Bopper) in 1959.
* Costumes and personal belongings of ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn have sold at auction in London for more than $US948,000 ($2.28 million).
The internationally renowned dancer, who died in 1991 aged 71, was a star of the Royal Ballet for decades and, with Rudolf Nureyev, created one of ballet's most famous partnerships.
A tutu Fonteyn wore in Swan Lake went for $US93,000 while two Yves-Saint Laurent dresses went for $US133,000 and $US105,000.
- NZPA
