Spears Works PR Angle Down Under

Britney Spears is planning an extended public appearance in Sydney to make up for her erratic behaviour towards fans in London.

Spears was howled down by critics in Britain after she arrived hours late to the "Crossroads" premiere in London, and ignored fans who had travelled from across Britain to see her. But sources close to the singer have revealed she will use her appearance in Sydney on April 18 to make amends with fans and restore her clean-cut image in the press.

Spears is booked to walk the red carpet for the premiere of "Crossroads" at Fox Studios, and she will be in Sydney for only one day. But it is believed she will conduct an extended meet-and-greet with fans before the main event.

"Because of what happened in London, it makes sense for her to try to rectify things," a music industry insider said.

"Her American management are yet to confirm it publicly, but they're looking at the Sydney appearance as a good opportunity for her to win back some fans."

Spears's visit is being organised by Roadshow Film Distributors but her Australian-based publicists are yet to receive confirmation of her demands for the trip. "The final details of her visit have not been confirmed," Roadshow's Tom Roache said.

But the princess of pop is expected to have a queen-sized entourage for her three-day Australian visit. When she arrives in Melbourne next Tuesday, she will be accompanied by more than 20 people, but her on-again, off-again boyfriend Justin Timberlake won't be one of them. Her role in "Crossroads" has received mixed reviews from critics in Britain, but it looks as though the film won't be instantly classified as a pop star shocker.

"It is a million miles away from the Mariah Carey Glitter fiasco," London's Mail On Sunday reviewer Matthew Bond said. "Britney will definitely act again - only next time hopefully with more clothes on."