Britney Spears popped anti-depressant drugs minutes prior to her lacklustre performance at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, according to The Sun. A doctor was dispatched to the Palms Casino resort and pounded the star with massive quantities of prescription drugs.

“Britney took enough to floor an elephant. They calmed her down, but were clearly too effective. The scene in the dressing room before the show was one of absolute blind panic,” says a star insider.

“She knew she hadn’t rehearsed enough and was going to mess up the whole show and possibly her career - then she saw her hairdo and it was the final straw. “She went into a wild rage and started lashing out at everyone - including her stylist.”