Britney Spears has joked that she feels like “an old fart” following her intense 12-months in the public spotlight.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, the singer said she now goes to bed at 9.30 every night and no longer goes out.

"I feel like an old person now," she said, adding: “I just feel like an old fart."

Spears, who is preparing to release her new album, 'Circus', next month, has been the focus of media attention since she was admitted to a psychiatric ward at the beginning of 2008.

In what was a wide-ranging interview, the singer spoke candidly about her private life, including losing custody of her two children, Jayden James, two, and Sean Preston, three.

(by Jason Gregory)