Britney Spears has been offered the lead female role in the forthcoming West End production of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, it has been claimed.

The troubled star — who earlier this week helped CBS sitcom ‘How I Met Your Mother’ achieve its highest ever rating — would be following in the footsteps of actress Vivien Leigh if she decided to play the role of tragic alcoholic Blanche DuBois.

A source said: “Britney’s been on the list for this for some time but was considered too risky until her recently.

“Her appearance in the American TV show How I Met You Mother changed all that. She had poise, timing and real flair

“We wanted her for Blanche because, even though she’s technically too young to play her, who else could embody this fallen Southern Belle so well?

“She’s living out the story, so to harness that on stage would be amazing for an audience to see — and cathartic for Britney, too.”