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Less than a year ago she was a bald, drug-crazed pop princess gone very bad and now she is Madonna. Yes, it's been a remarkable transformation for Britney Spears, just months after her career and sanity seemed on the brink. With a new album, "Circus", out next week and world tour to follow (including two dates at the O2 Arena in London), this remarkably swift turnaround was confirmed last night with her first live solo appearance since that infamous, wobbly display at last year's MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles.

Britney looked very much like her hero at the 2008 Bambi Awards in Offenurg, Germany, performing new single "Womanizer". Trussed-up in a black burlesque costume and top hat, it seems she may have just nipped into Madonna's dressing room during her "Sticky & Sweet" tour when no-one was looking and pinched her outfit. Whichever way you look at it, however, this was a confident, seductive and triumphant display, crowned by her collecting the Best International Pop Star gong from fashion icon Karl Lagerfield.

Meanwhile, Britney's mother Lynne has been in town, promoting her pretty dubious new book. Appearing on breakfast TV this week, she admitted the whole guerrilla hair incident had been unbearable but insisted those dark days are behind her. "I think Britney's just ready to get started again. I think this is when she's most in her element. Everything's going to be fine because we've got a lot of people - and the best - that are helping us now. And we're going to get this done and it's all going to be good - you just wait and see." This clip from last night's live return suggest she could be right...