Podcast
Pieces of Britney
Hosted by BBC Radio 4 · EN
Britney Spears: pop icon. Pandora Sykes pieces together what we know about her story, and what it tells us about sex, entertainment, and how we treat women in the public eye.
In this eight-part series for BBC Radio 4, Pandora traces Britney's incredible life: from her hardscrabble childhood in rural Louisiana, to her coronation as the inaugural pop princess of the internet, navigating an insatiable celebrity gossip complex; through to a young mother on trial by the paparazzi.
Britney is a pop culture phenomenon. Pandora looks behind that mask - and beyond Britney herself - to explore how Britney became the most Googled person in the world, for almost seven years, and what it says, both then and now, about the entertainment industry, politics, sex and how we see women in the public eye.
Britney's public struggles saw her placed in a conservatorship, in which she lost the right to control her finances and day to day life. Thirteen years later, and she is in court, pleading for this controversial legal arrangement to end. We will look at how Britney has been transformed from girl-next-door teen sensation to a mute symbol of a supposedly rotten system.
Pieces of Britney mixes documentary, archive and interviews to tell Britney's remarkable story. It also features drama, written by playwright Katie Hims, to bring Britney and her extraordinary world to life.
Pieces of Britney is a sympathetic portrayal of Britney, during a time of cultural reappraisal about how we treat women - famous, or otherwise. These are some of the stories that have been told about her - but The Narrative is hers to finish.
Presenter: Pandora Sykes Dramatist: Katie Hims Sound: Peter Ringrose Producers: Anne Isger & Sasha Yevtushenko A BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4
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Episodes
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8. #FreeBritney
Jul 1, 202100:56:42Tap to summarizePandora Sykes explores the movement to liberate Britney from her conservatorship - and considers the future of fameIn this eight-part series for BBC Radio 4, Pandora traces Britney’s incredible life: from her hardscrabble childhood in rural Louisiana, to her coronation as the inaugural pop princess of the internet, navigating an insatiable celebrity gossip complex; through to a young mother on trial by the paparazzi. Britney is a pop culture phenomenon. Pandora looks behind that mask - and beyond Britney herself - to explore how Britney became the most Googled person in the world, for almost 7 years, and what it says, both then and now, about the entertainment industry, politics, sex and how we see women in the public eye. Britney’s public struggles saw her placed in a conservatorship, that she remains in to this day, and in which she has lost the right to control her finances and day to day life. Today, as Britney fights to remove her father from his role as her conservator, we will look at how Britney has been transformed from girl-next-door teen sensation to pop music’s Rapunzel, trapped in a supposedly rotten system. Pieces of Britney mixes documentary, archive and interviews to tell Britney’s remarkable story. It also features drama, written by playwright Katie Hims, to bring Britney and her extraordinary world to life. Pieces of Britney will be a sympathetic portrayal of Britney, during a time of cultural reappraisal about how we treat women - famous, or otherwise.Episode 8 Cast:Britney . . . . . Samantha Dakin Lynne . . . . . Laurel Lefkow Young Britney . . . . . Maddie Evans Other parts were played by Joseph Ayre, Elinor Coleman, Tony Turner and Simon Ludders.Sound design by Peter Ringrose Produced by Anne Isger and Sasha Yevtushenko.
Transcribe →7. Groundhog Day
Jul 1, 202100:54:18Tap to summarizePandora Sykes revisits the events that led to Britney's conservatorship and the key players around that time.In this eight-part series for BBC Radio 4, Pandora traces Britney’s incredible life: from her hardscrabble childhood in rural Louisiana, to her coronation as the inaugural pop princess of the internet, navigating an insatiable celebrity gossip complex; through to a young mother on trial by the paparazzi.Britney is a pop culture phenomenon. Pandora looks behind that mask - and beyond Britney herself - to explore how Britney became the most Googled person in the world, for almost 7 years, and what it says, both then and now, about the entertainment industry, politics, sex and how we see women in the public eye.Britney’s public struggles saw her placed in a conservatorship, in which she lost the right to control her finances and day to day life. Thirteen years later, and she is in court, pleading for this controversial legal arrangement to end. We will look at how Britney has been transformed from girl-next-door teen sensation to pop music’s Rapunzel, trapped in a supposedly rotten system.Pieces of Britney mixes documentary, archive and interviews to tell Britney’s remarkable story. It also features drama, written by playwright Katie Hims, to bring Britney and her extraordinary world to life.Pieces of Britney is a sympathetic portrayal of Britney, during a time of cultural reappraisal about how we treat women - famous, or otherwise.Episode 7 Cast:Britney . . . . . Samantha Dakin Lynne . . . . . Laurel Lefkow Jamie . . . . . Elliot Cowan Sam . . . . . Paul Chahidi Adnan . . . . . Adam El Hagar Other parts played by Joseph Ayre and Julianna JenningsSound design by Peter Ringrose Produced by Sasha Yevtushenko and Anne Isger.
Transcribe →5. Chaotic
Jul 1, 202100:54:44Tap to summarizePandora Sykes navigates the media narratives around Britney, once she gets married and has kids.In this eight-part series for BBC Radio 4, Pandora traces Britney’s incredible life: from her hardscrabble childhood in rural Louisiana, to her coronation as the inaugural pop princess of the internet, navigating an insatiable celebrity gossip complex; through to a young mother on trial by the paparazzi.Britney is a pop culture phenomenon. Pandora looks behind that mask - and beyond Britney herself - to explore how Britney became the most Googled person in the world, for almost 7 years, and what it says, both then and now, about the entertainment industry, politics, sex and how we see women in the public eye.Britney’s public struggles saw her placed in a conservatorship, in which she lost the right to control her finances and day to day life. Thirteen years later, and she is in court, pleading for this controversial legal arrangement to end. We look at how Britney has been transformed from girl-next-door teen sensation to pop music’s Rapunzel, trapped in a supposedly rotten system.Pieces of Britney mixes documentary, archive and interviews to tell Britney’s remarkable story. It also features drama, written by playwright Katie Hims, to bring Britney and her extraordinary world to life.Pieces of Britney is a sympathetic portrayal of Britney, during a time of cultural reappraisal about how we treat women - famous, or otherwise.Episode 5 Cast:Britney . . . . . Samantha Dakin Kevin . . . . . Joseph Ayre Lynne . . . . . Laurel Lefkow Other parts played by Paul Chahidi, Julianna Jennings and Elinor ColemanSound design by Peter Ringrose Produced by Sasha Yevtushenko and Anne Isger
Transcribe →6. Shattered
Jul 1, 202100:45:54Tap to summarizePandora Sykes explores of the heavy cost of having private troubles as a public figure.In this eight-part series for BBC Radio 4, Pandora traces Britney’s incredible life: from her hardscrabble childhood in rural Louisiana, to her coronation as the inaugural pop princess of the internet, navigating an insatiable celebrity gossip complex; through to a young mother on trial by the paparazzi.Britney is a pop culture phenomenon. Pandora looks behind that mask - and beyond Britney herself - to explore how Britney became the most Googled person in the world, for almost 7 years, and what it says, both then and now, about the entertainment industry, politics, sex and how we see women in the public eye.Britney’s public struggles saw her placed in a conservatorship, in which she lost the right to control her finances and day to day life. Thirteen years later, and she is in court, pleading for this controversial legal arrangement to end. We will look at how Britney has been transformed from girl-next-door teen sensation to pop music’s Rapunzel, trapped in a supposedly rotten system.Pieces of Britney mixes documentary, archive and interviews to tell Britney’s remarkable story. It also features drama, written by playwright Katie Hims, to bring Britney and her extraordinary world to life.Pieces of Britney is a sympathetic portrayal of Britney, during a time of cultural reappraisal about how we treat women - famous, or otherwise.Episode 6 Cast:Britney . . . . . Samantha Dakin Kalie . . . . . Julianna Jennings Sam . . . . . Paul Chahidi Jamie . . . . . Elliot Cowan Lynne . . . . . Laurel Lefkow Other parts were played by Joseph Ayre, Adam El Hagar and Elinor ColemanSound design by Peter Ringrose Produced by Anne Isger and Sasha Yevtushenko.
Transcribe →3. The Fame Game
Jul 1, 202100:37:22Tap to summarizePandora Sykes explores how her controversially-named debut single catapulted teenage Britney into stardom.In this eight-part series for BBC Radio 4, Pandora traces Britney’s incredible life: from her hardscrabble childhood in rural Louisiana, to her coronation as the inaugural pop princess of the internet, navigating an insatiable celebrity gossip complex; through to a young mother on trial by the paparazzi.Britney is a pop culture phenomenon. Pandora looks behind that mask - and beyond Britney herself - to explore how Britney became the most Googled person in the world, for almost 7 years, and what it says, both then and now, about the entertainment industry, politics, sex and how we see women in the public eye.Britney’s public struggles saw her placed in a conservatorship, in which she lost the right to control her finances and day to day life. Thirteen years later, and she is in court, pleading for this controversial legal arrangement to end. We will look at how Britney has been transformed from girl-next-door teen sensation to pop music’s Rapunzel, trapped in a supposedly rotten system.Pieces of Britney mixes documentary, archive and interviews to tell Britney’s remarkable story. It also features drama, written by playwright Katie Hims, to bring Britney and her extraordinary world to life.Pieces of Britney is a sympathetic portrayal of Britney, during a time of cultural reappraisal about how we treat women - famous, or otherwise.Episode 3 Cast:Britney . . . . . Samantha Dakin Lynne . . . . . Laurel Lefkow Dave . . . . . Paul Chahidi Jamie . . . . . Elliot Cowan Jamie Lynn . . . . . Tillie Murray Other parts were played by Joseph Ayre and Julianna JenningsSound design by Peter Ringrose Produced by Sasha Yevtushenko and Anne Isger
Transcribe →4. Gossip Girl
Jul 1, 202100:46:33Tap to summarizePandora Sykes revisits the collusion of paparazzi, gossip culture and being a young female celebrity in the early 2000s.In this eight-part series for BBC Radio 4, Pandora traces Britney’s incredible life: from her hardscrabble childhood in rural Louisiana, to her coronation as the inaugural pop princess of the internet, navigating an insatiable celebrity gossip complex; through to a young mother on trial by the paparazzi.Britney is a pop culture phenomenon. Pandora looks behind that mask - and beyond Britney herself - to explore how Britney became the most Googled person in the world, for almost 7 years, and what it says, both then and now, about the entertainment industry, politics, sex and how we see women in the public eye.Britney’s public struggles saw her placed in a conservatorship, in which she lost the right to control her finances and day to day life. Thirteen years later, and she is in court, pleading for this controversial legal arrangement to end. We will look at how Britney has been transformed from girl-next-door teen sensation to pop music’s Rapunzel, trapped in a supposedly rotten system.Pieces of Britney mixes documentary, archive and interviews to tell Britney’s remarkable story. It also features drama, written by playwright Katie Hims, to bring Britney and her extraordinary world to life.Pieces of Britney is a sympathetic portrayal of Britney, during a time of cultural reappraisal about how we treat women - famous, or otherwise.Episode 4 Cast:Britney . . . . . Samantha Dakin Jason . . . . . Adam El Hagar Receptionist . . . . . Julianna Jennings Registry Clerk . . . . . Elliot Cowan Lynne . . . . . Laurel Lefkow Other parts played by Joseph Ayre and Paul Chahidi.Sound design by Peter Ringrose Produced by Anne Isger and Sasha Yevtushenko.
Transcribe →1. Quiet Plans
Jul 1, 202100:42:05Tap to summarizeInternational superstar Britney Spears: the stories so far. Pandora Sykes pieces together what we know about Britney’s journey, and its place in pop culture history. In this eight-part series for BBC Radio 4, Pandora traces Britney’s incredible life: from her hardscrabble childhood in rural Louisiana, to her coronation as the inaugural pop princess of the internet, navigating an insatiable celebrity gossip complex; through to a young mother on trial by the paparazzi. Britney is a pop culture phenomenon. Pandora looks behind that mask - and beyond Britney herself - to explore how Britney became the most Googled person in the world, for almost seven years, and what it says, both then and now, about the entertainment industry, politics, sex and how we see women in the public eye. Britney’s public struggles saw her placed in a conservatorship, in which she lost the right to control her finances and day to day life. Thirteen years later, and she is in court, pleading for this controversial legal arrangement to end. We will look at how Britney has been transformed from girl-next-door teen sensation to a mute symbol of a supposedly rotten system. Pieces of Britney mixes documentary, archive and interviews to tell Britney’s remarkable story. It also features drama, written by playwright Katie Hims, to bring Britney and her extraordinary world to life. Pieces of Britney will be a sympathetic portrayal of Britney, during a time of cultural reappraisal about how we treat women - famous, or otherwise. These are some of the stories that have been told about her - but The Narrative is hers to finish.Episode 1 Cast:Britney . . . . . Samantha Dakin Lynne . . . . . Laurel Lefkow Jamie . . . . . Elliot Cowan Sam . . . . . Paul Chahidi Adnan . . . . . Adam El HagarSound design by Peter Ringrose Produced by Sasha Yevtushenko and Anne Isger A BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4
Transcribe →2. A Star is Born
Jul 1, 202100:37:43Tap to summarizePandora Sykes tells the story of Britney's hardscrabble childhood and stint as a Disney child star.In this eight-part series for BBC Radio 4, Pandora traces Britney’s incredible life: from her hardscrabble childhood in rural Louisiana, to her coronation as the inaugural pop princess of the internet, navigating an insatiable celebrity gossip complex; through to a young mother on trial by the paparazzi.Britney is a pop culture phenomenon. Pandora looks behind that mask - and beyond Britney herself - to explore how Britney became the most Googled person in the world, for almost 7 years, and what it says, both then and now, about the entertainment industry, politics, sex and how we see women in the public eye.Britney’s public struggles saw her placed in a conservatorship, in which she lost the right to control her finances and day to day life. Thirteen years later, and she is in court, pleading for this controversial legal arrangement to end. We will look at how Britney has been transformed from girl-next-door teen sensation to pop music’s Rapunzel, trapped in a supposedly rotten system.Pieces of Britney mixes documentary, archive and interviews to tell Britney’s remarkable story. It also features drama, written by playwright Katie Hims, to bring Britney and her extraordinary world to life.Pieces of Britney is a sympathetic portrayal of Britney, during a time of cultural reappraisal about how we treat women - famous, or otherwise.Episode 2 Cast: Britney . . . . . Samantha Dakin Lynne . . . . . Laurel Lefkow Jamie . . . . . Elliot Cowan Young Britney . . . . . Maddie Evans Young Christina . . . . . Tillie Murray Young Justin . . . . . Aaron Gelkoff Bryan . . . . . Joseph Ayre Other parts were played by Julianna Jennings, Paul Chahidi and Adam El HagarSound design by Peter Ringrose Produced by Anne Isger and Sasha Yevtushenko A BBC Audio Production
Transcribe →Welcome to Pieces of Britney with Pandora Sykes
Jun 29, 202100:03:25Tap to summarizeBritney Spears: pop icon. Pandora Sykes pieces together what we know about her story, and what it tells us about sex, entertainment, and how we treat women in the public eye. In this eight-part series for BBC Radio 4, Pandora traces Britney’s incredible life: from her hardscrabble childhood in rural Louisiana, to her coronation as the inaugural pop princess of the internet, navigating an insatiable celebrity gossip complex; through to a young mother on trial by the paparazzi. Britney is a pop culture phenomenon. Pandora looks behind that mask - and beyond Britney herself - to explore how Britney became the most Googled person in the world, for almost seven years, and what it says, both then and now, about the entertainment industry, politics, sex and how we see women in the public eye. Britney’s public struggles saw her placed in a conservatorship, in which she lost the right to control her finances and day to day life. Thirteen years later, and she is in court, pleading for this controversial legal arrangement to end. We will look at how Britney has been transformed from girl-next-door teen sensation to a mute symbol of a supposedly rotten system. Pieces of Britney mixes documentary, archive and interviews to tell Britney’s remarkable story. It also features drama, written by playwright Katie Hims, to bring Britney and her extraordinary world to life. Pieces of Britney is a sympathetic portrayal of Britney, during a time of cultural reappraisal about how we treat women - famous, or otherwise. These are some of the stories that have been told about her - but The Narrative is hers to finish. Presenter: Pandora Sykes Dramatist: Katie Hims Sound: Peter Ringrose Producers: Anne Isger & Sasha Yevtushenko A BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4
Transcribe →