Blitz on uni ‘grade inflation’
an incredible moment where Britney ran and jumped into the arms of our lead dancer,” says Randy. “It was beautiful.” Randy says when Britney was shown the finished video, she almost broke her bed jumping around at her hotel. “She knew it was special and proud her idea came good,” he says. “Her look and sound were different. Straight after, everyone knew the words, kids were doing the choreography and it was all over radio. After its release it took a life of its own.” Now 36, you have to wonder if Britney would have reached such heights if the record company had insisted on doing things its own way – and the Baby One More Time we know had never been. She is believed to be worth £150million after selling 150million albums and is thrilling crowds on a European tour. She has also bagged a Las Vegas residency worth £388,000 a night – making her the highest paid resident on the Strip. But for all of her highs, her journey has had some very well-documented lows. Her 55-hour marriage to childhood pal Jason Alexander in 2004 was followed by a tumultuous two-year marriage to dancer Kevin Federline, with whom she has kids Sean, 13, and Jayden James, 12.
Then came a very public breakdown in February 2007, in which Britney was pictured shaving her head amid mental health and addiction issues.
Other astonishing images showed her attacking photographers with an umbrella and she was eventually committed to a psychiatric hospital.
But from those depths, she has clawed her way back to health and on to the stage – and is happy in her relationship with personal trainer Sam Asghari, 24.
And Randy says while she owes so much to Baby One More Time, Britney also got where she is because of the work ethic, determination, resilience and creativity she showed him in those two days in LA – and she still has 20 years on.
“She had hunger and drive to be an artist, not just a star, and a real pro,” he says. “The fact she is still where she is now tells the story.”
■ Visit Randy’s site at randyconnor.com UNIVERSITIES will be rated on “grade inflation” to ensure the value of British degrees is not undermined.
Some 26% get a first-class degree, up from 18% in 20122013. Grade inflation will now be a criteria in the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework.