Ellen DeGeneres Shares 14-Year-Old Throwback Video of Britney Spears—and Fans Can’t Get Over the Change
- - Ellen DeGeneres Shares 14-Year-Old Throwback Video of Britney Spears—and Fans Can’t Get Over the Change
Mary Ellen MorinJanuary 2, 2026 at 1:55 AM
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Photo by Tim Mosenfelder on Getty Images
Ellen DeGeneres is known for hosting some of the biggest names on her daytime talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show. During the show's 19 seasons, guests on the show ranged from current politicians, celebrities, musicians, actors, and more. Once known as the princess of pop, singer Britney Spears was no stranger to the Ellen show during her peak popularity from 1999 and beyond.
To kick off the first day of 2026, Ellen gave fans a little glimpse down memory lane by posting a clip on Instagram of one of Britney's many visits to her show in 2012. The episode, which first aired on September 11, 2012, featured Simon Cowell, Britney Spears, and the Korean musician Psy.
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DeGeneres simply captioned the post, "2012 was wild. #ViralTBT." In the clip, Spears is wearing a knee-length red suit-style dress, with her hair in a professional coif. The singer is wearing a pair of nude pumps with an impressive stiletto heel. If we didn't know it, we'd think she was a business executive, rather than one of America's most iconic pop music performers.
Spears and DeGeneres join the Korean artist Psy for a quick lesson on his then-viral dance: "Gangnam Style." Cowell, remained seated while the three performed the moves under Psy's instruction.
Naturally, fans flooded the comments with reactions. "Is that Britney?" One fan wrote, hinting to the fact that this version of Spears is quite different from the one we've seen as of late. The response wasn't just about appearances—although many noted the star's beautiful teeth, toned legs, and signature blond locks—many comments were in reference to how much Spears' life, image, and demeanor have changed in 14 years.
"Why does Britney look older and more mature than she is today?" one fan noted.
"This actually made me super sad because that Britney is gone. I will never stop feeling terrible for what her family and pop culture did to her," shared another, hinting at the difficulty Spears has faced in recent years.
"Britney before she got drugged and brain-fried. Makes me sad; she was such a star and talent," said another concerned fan.
From chart-topping success and global superstardom, to struggling with her mental health and losing custody of her children, the "Toxic" singer's evolution has played out publicly in real time. DeGeneres' throwback video served as a reminder of how long Spears has been in the spotlight and how deeply invested people still are in her story.
Related: Britney Spears Addresses Family After They Spent the Holidays Without Her: 'You Have Never Disrespected Me'
This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
