Britney Spears had been on a 24-hour meth binge before she was rushed to hospital earlier today, according to a shocking new report from the US.

Ironically, the singer – who reportedly hasn’t slept for three days, was desperately trying to stay awake – because she was terrified that if she fell asleep, her family would “drag her off to a mental institution,” according to sources close to the 26-year-old pop wreck.

The drama unfolded at 2 a.m. Wednesday when Britney and her self-styled manager Sam Lutfi checked into the Beverly Hills Hotel and she began doing meth.

In addition to the Toxic’ singer’s psychiatric problems, the National Enquirer claims that Britney is addicted to crystal meth – which allegedly  played a key role in her recent hospitalization; friends told her mother, Lynne, that she hadn’t slept since last Saturday.

Experts say that Britney’s behavior perfectly fits that of someone going on met binges.

“In heavy doses the drug causes nervousness, paranoia, complete loss of judgment, hallucinations ad extremely bizarre behavior,” said Dr James Cocores, a well-known expert on drug addiction.

“Meth users lose their grip on reality and will sacrifice their careers, kids and families to keep using the drug.”

Her drug-taking went on all day, interrupted only by brief dashes to her home.

Secret arrangements for her hospitalization had been made — but no-one wanted it to happen at the hotel.

Finally, at 8 pm, Brit’s on-off paparzzo boyfriend Adnan Ghalib persuaded her to go home.

“The doctor came over but Britney was very spacey,” says a source.

“She was eerily quiet — when they called her name she wouldn’t even look at them. It was like she was deaf.

“A psychiatrist who came to examine her put the hospital plan into operation.

Spears is currently being held at the UCLA Medical Center, where she is believed to be on a  51500 hold – for the second time in a month.

The first occurred on January 3 this year, when she locked herself in the bathroom and refused to give up custody of her sons to ex-hubby Kevin Federline.

On that night, the ‘Gimme More’ star was strapped down on a stretcher, looking dazed and confused, before being loaded onto an ambulance and taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills.

SEX and The City star Sarah Jessica Parker and reality factory Magical Elves are reportedly teaming up to create a Project Runway-type show for the art world.

“Art is a much more inclusive world than people think,” a spokesman for Magical Elves told Star Magazine.

“We really feel there’s a way to show people how much they care about art in the same way Runway showed people how much they care about clothes. That accessibility is why we think the show can work.”

Parker – known for her role as Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO television series Sex and the City, will mostly stay behind the scenes as an exec producer on the art show – which will air on Bravo – though she may pop up on camera if it makes sense creatively, Cutforth said. Parker has previously appeared as a guest judge on an episode of Project Runway.

Britney Spears’ right hand man today launched an astonishing attack at the star’s mother – insisting that she does not care about her daughter.

The pop superstar’s hospitalization sparked an astonishing war of words between her parents and those the star keeps closest to her, specifically pal Sam Lutfi.

Spears said she wants her parents kept from making key decisions about her treatment – whereas Lynne and Jamie Spears fear one of her biggest problems is the people she is surrounding herself with.

But earlier today, Lutfi raised the war of words to a new level with a direct attack on Lynne Spears. And he angrily hit back at claims that it was Britney’s mum who wanted her daughter treated – instead saying she ignored the star’s cries for help so she could get a manicure.

“Her mother is not someone who cares about her daughter, she’s only concerned with herself, Lutfi insisted.

“Sad but true.

“She was too busy getting a manicure to come over yesterday, despite her daughter’s pleas.

“Sad, very sad.”

Lutfi was present outside of Britney’s home when she was taken away for hospitalization Thursday morning. He was also seen trying to gain admission to UCLA Medical Center, although Lynne reportedly denied him visitation rights.

Sick Britney Spears is under 24-hour supervision in a psychiatric ward where screams can be heard through the night, according to a US report.

The pop princess apparently cannot even bathe by herself and is forced to wear the mandatory green robe and hospital wristband.

Patients at the UCLA Medical Center psych ward are reportedly given doses of sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication, with doctors regularly asking if they are suffering feelings of self-harm.

Britney, 26, was rushed to hospital in the early hours of Thursday morning after a string of cop cars and motorbikes arrived at her Beverly Hills home.

The decision to finally bring her in for evaluation was made after the singer confessed that she had been up since Saturday – meaning more than 100 hours without sleep. She is believed to be on a ‘mental health evaluation hold’ on the orders of her psychiatrist, who works out of the UCLA Medical Center.

The medic reportedly visited her earlier in the evening, and was alarmed at her reckless driving and her conduct, and felt her condition had deteriorated. The psychiatrist decided Britney needed to be hospitalized on a 5150 hold, which means she is considered a danger to herself and others.

A former patient of the UCLA psychiatric ward told X17online.com that the ward was a “tough” environment to live in, with patients getting agitated and screams ringing out throughout the night.

Fights apparently break out in the common area on some occasions – due to paranoia and the fact that many people there are detoxing.

The source said that Britney will be held in the ward for at least 72 hours, and up to 14 days if she is still deemed to be dangerous.

Nurses and security guards supervise the patients around the clock and visitors are allowed to come for just one hour a day during the week – between 6.30pm and 7.30pm. At weekends the visits are extended to between 1pm and 3pm.

The psychiatric ward consists of two wings, with 10 rooms in each – most of which have two beds in. None of the rooms have televisions, but there is a TV in the communal area.

According to the source, patients are divided into two categories – addicts and bi-polars – with the highest risk people being restrained by wristbands in their beds.

Most of the patients are apparently between 18 and 50-years-old, and they are kept entertained with activity groups and newspapers.

The source claims Britney will be encouraged to sleep as much as possible for the first few days, and will be given sleeping pills and anti-anxiety meds to help her do so.

After that, she will reportedly be put on Depakote Seroquel and Lithium for the bi-polar disorder, and Ativan for anxiety.

Britney will allegedly not be allowed outside for the first 72 hours. After that she can visit and outdoor court for one hour a day.

The source said doctors will visit Britney once a day and ask her questions such as “Are you able to sleep?”, “Are you hearing voices?”, “Are you paranoid?”

The medics will also apparently ask if she thinks about self-harm or committing suicide.

It is the second time in a month that Britney has been placed on a 5150 Hold.

The first occurred on January 3 this year, when she locked herself in the bathroom and refused to give up custody of her sons to ex-hubby Kevin Federline.

On that night, the Toxic star was strapped down on a stretcher, looking dazed and confused, before being loaded onto an ambulance and taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills.

Britney Spears’ two sons Sean Preston and Jayden James were safely with dad Kevin Federline when the troubled singer was taken to hospital for psychological evaluation this morning and placed on a 5150 Hold.

Kevin, 29, was not directly involved in these latest events, “but he was aware of what was happening,” a friend of Federline’s tells People.com.

“Kevin legitimately wants Britney to get better,” adds the friend. “He wants her to be in their sons’ lives. He wants them to have a loving relationship. He wants her to get healthy so she can be the mother they need and deserve.”

It is the second time in a month that Britney has been placed on a 5150 Hold.

The first occurred on January 3 this year, when she locked herself in the bathroom and refused to give up custody of her sons to ex-hubby Kevin Federline.

On that night, the Toxic star was strapped down on a stretcher, looking dazed and confused, before being loaded onto an ambulance and taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills.

Before her hospitalization earlier today, troubled pop princess Britney Spears made a quick mid-day stop at Jerry’s Deli in Studio City, California, Wednesday – and looked like a “zombie”.

“Around 3 o’clock, Britney came in and was completely out of it,” an employee says of Spears. “She’s come in before, but we’ve never seen her this bad,” the source tells Us Weekly magazine.

“She was like a zombie… like she was sleepwalking,” the employee says, adding that she “didn’t stay to eat.”

Spears, 26, picked up her on-off paparazzo boyfriend Adnan Ghalib, who met up with her there, and “then left,” the employee says. “It was all over in three minutes.”

About 10 hours later, Spears was admitted to the UCLA Medical Center as part of “a carefully orchestrated intervention.”

As she was admitted to hospital – the ‘Gimme More’ star showed the extent of her mental problems -by angrily accusing her MUM of sleeping with her boyfriend.

Insiders say that when she first went in she was “hurling profanities” at her parents and the staff of L.A.’s UCLA Medical Center.

But most amazingly she started screaming at her mum Lynne, accusing her of “sleeping with my boyfriend”.

Although she did not say who she was referring to, Spears is currently dating Birmingham paparazzo Adnan Ghalib.

However it is not the first time the troubled star – currently getting emergency psychological help – has made such claims.

She has previously accused her mum of getting too close to Britney’s ex-husband Kevin Federline, using her delusions in part as a basis for her rift from her family.

Insiders told U.S. media that Britney said she was on Adderall, a stimulant used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder, when she was admitted.

And she also admitted to taking up to ten laxatives a day, having previously been caught buying laxatives on her regular shopping trips.

Pop wreck Britney Spears was admitted to the UCLA Medical Center because of its experience with treating bipolar disorder, a source close to the singer claims.

“Her lawyers and doctors have been working with UCLA,” says the source. “They were ready and had everything in place.”

The facility, says the source, is better prepared to treat Britney than L.A.’s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she was hospitalized for less than 48 hours earlier this month.

“When she went to Cedars they weren’t ready for her,” the source tells Us Weekly magazine.

“They have a much stricter unit at UCLA and treat bipolar cases regularly,” the source adds. “This is a serious unit she’s on.”

It has previously been reported that Mariah Carey was treated at the same facility in 2001 following her highly publicized emotional breakdown.

Before the meticulously planned intervention, which subsequently lead to Spears’ hospitalization, it was reported that the ‘Gimme More’ star hadn’t slept since Saturday — a sign of suffering from bipolar disorder, says Pauline Wallin – an expert in the field. “You can go all night without sleeping,” she says.

Another sign of Bipolar: Spears has extreme highs (known as manic episodes) followed by intense lows – a prime example, her argument with pal Sam Lutfi on Monday; she sobbed on a curbside, shoeless and “Her pattern of behavior indicates that she doesn’t have a lot of self-control when she gets upset,” Wallin adds.

The troubled mother of two is currently under a “mental health evaluation hold” – commonly known as a “5150″ – meaning she can be held there for up to 72 hours if a medical professional deems her a danger to herself or others.

After the 72-hour treatment, her family can seek a 14-day extended evaluation or patients can decide to seek further treatment, according to ABC News, citing the California Department of Mental Health.

“Because it was planned there’s a much higher likelihood they’ll be able to extend her stay beyond the 5150,” the source says.

Britney Spears showed the extent of her mental problems as she was admitted to hospital – by angrily accusing her MUM of sleeping with her boyfriend.

Insiders say that when she first went in she was “hurling profanities” at her parents and the staff of L.A.’s UCLA Medical Center.

But most amazingly she started screaming at her mum Lynne, accusing her of “sleeping with my boyfriend”.

Although she did not say who she was referring to, Spears is currently dating Birmingham paparazzo Adnan Ghalib.

However it is not the first time the troubled star – currently getting emergency psychological help – has made such claims.

She has previously accused her mum of getting too close to Britney’s ex-husband Kevin Federline, using her delusions in part as a basis for her rift from her family.

Insiders told U.S. media that Britney said she was on Adderall, a stimulant used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder, when she was admitted.

And she also admitted to taking up to ten laxatives a day, having previously been caught buying laxatives on her regular shopping trips.

Eva Longoria Parker has let the world in on her big secret – she wears a hairpiece.

The Desperate Housewives actress spilled her beauty tip on US TV on daytime chat show Live with Regis and Kelly.

When she walked on to the stage with her hair a bouncy, long bob, co-host Kelly Ripa said: “I love the hair.”

Gutsy, down-to-earth Longoria Parker replied: “Oh honey it’s not mine. It’s fake. It’s a wig.”

The 32-year-old then began to explain in minute detail how her look was put together giving all the credit to the celebrity hairdresser she shares with singer Jessica Simpson.

She said: “Ken Paves is my hairdresser so he has all these hair pieces. He has short, long, curly, straight – with seven sensitive pressure clips.

“You can clip them in. I’d take them out right now [and show you] but he’d kill me.”

When the newlywed was asked if her husband, basketball player Tony Parker, can still run his fingers through her hair when she wears these pieces, the actress put them straight. She said: “No. There’s no way.”

Leaning back in her seat, with her arms blocking her hair she said that she tells her husband: “Woo, no, no, woo.’

“Even with my own hair,” Longoria Parker jokes. “I don’t let…no, no.”

The actress who married Parker in France last year said that married life was “great” and one good thing about the Hollywood writers’ strike is that she could spend time with her husband in their Texas home. She said: “I’m a total NBA wife.”

But she added that she loved the recent Screen Actors Guild awards because it meant that she got to see her Desperate Housewives co-stars again for the first time in months, since the strike began.

Longoria Parker said: “It was like a high school reunion. We hadn’t seen everybody and we were like: ‘Oh my God’.”

The actress spent the rest of the show, however, making her hosts laugh by telling them about her recent trip to the UK.

She said while the British paparazzi were “crazy”, so too were the TV talk show hosts that asked her rude questions. “You know what’s crazy?” Longoria Parker asked Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa. “The talk shows over there. They’ll go: ‘This is the Regis and Kelly of London’ and then they go ‘This is the David Letterman of London’.

“It’s crazy. On the night one – The Jonathan Ross Show – you can cuss. He asks you crazy, crazy questions.

“And then they speak funny – I mean proper English. We speak funny.

“I had bangs. Kenny had a straight bang piece that he puts on. And I said: ‘Look at my bangs’ and bangs apparently mean something sexual.

“And they say fringe: ‘Oh fringe. It’s a fringe’. I’m like: ‘I don’t know’. Then he says something else.”

At this point Regis, 76, a veteran TV host asked the actress: “So, they ask tough, probing questions?”

But Longoria Parker stuns the presenter with her response. “Not tough,” she said, “Crazy.”

She told Regis and Kelly that Ross asked her: “Do you fart?”

A visibly shocked Regis cringed and asked: “What happened to the British nobility and civility? No more, huh?”

Longoria Parker said: “No more. And that’s how we started the interview.”

Regis then asked the actress: “And what was the answer to that question?” He immediately thought better of it and said: “I don’t want to know. I don’t want to know.”

But Longoria Parker reassured him saying, tongue-in-cheek: “I don’t fart. I never have gas.”

At which point Ripa says: “I knew it. I knew it. She’s perfect. Ken actually has an anti-gas hairpiece.”

Longoria Parker’s new film is called Over Her Dead Body and opens around the world on February 1.