Britney Spears fans in the UK will this week finally be able to watch the high profile US documentary about the star’s career and court battle with her father.
Framing Britney Spears, presented by the New York Times, has sparked debate around the world and much discussion on social media since its release in the US on 5 February, with UK fans urging makers to broadcast it here.
In the documentary, friends and colleagues close to the star give their thoughts on the way she was treated in the media at the height of her fame.
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It also features lawyers tied to her conservatorship, which has been in place since 2008 and means her father has control over much of her life and finances.
It is now set to air in the UK on Sky Documentaries on Tuesday.
Highlighting the #FreeBritney fan movement that has arisen in the past few years, it takes a look at the star’s legal battle with her father, Jamie Spears. In November, through her lawyer, Spears said in a statement that she would not perform live again until he is no longer her conservator.
It also covers her relationship with Justin Timberlake and his behaviour after their break-up – causing the singer to publicly apologise in an Instagram post.
Director Samantha Stark spoke to Sky News as the documentary aired in the US, saying: “I really hope that when people watch this, they take a step back and reassess their view of who Britney is as a person and as an artist and a woman.
“I hope people also look at how they participated in the media coverage of her. It’s so mean-spirited and there was so much glee in her suffering.
“Why did no one say anything or condemn any of this coverage of her back then? It just felt so normalised. And it wasn’t that long ago.
“So I hope people really take a look at that and about how we treat young women. Number one, I hope people come away with a new understanding of Britney Spears.”
Spears did not participate in the documentary herself but appeared to refer to it in a social media post after its US release, saying: “Each person has their story and their take on other people’s stories. We all have so many different bright beautiful lives.
“Remember, no matter what we think we know about a person’s life it is nothing compared to the actual person living behind the lens.”
Framing Britney Spears airs on Sky Documentaries on Tuesday 16 February at 9pm. It will also be available on demand and on NOW TV