The new and improved pop princess Britney Spears lets fans know she isn’t a fan of cigarette smoke (or any other kind of smoke for that matter) while she is performing. Last night, fifteen minutes into her Vancouver show, Ms. Spears left the stage for more than a half hour apparently because of smoke in the audience.
According to The Vancouver Sun, Spears' concert was halted about 15 minutes into her performance and was followed by an announcement to the crowd that stated, “The building is awfully smoky. It is uncomfortable for everyone on stage, including Ms. Spears. Please extinguish all cigarettes – this is a non-smoking building, and the show will resume when the smoke on the stage is cleared.” Some audience members grew impatient while waiting for Spears and her troupe to return to the stage, the Sun reported.
Many boos later, Spears returned, performed her ballad "Everytime" and once again left the stage more than a minute before the song was finished. Finally, she ended the show with “Womanizer,” telling the crowd, “Vancouver, don’t smoke weed.”
Spears' publicist, Holly Shakoor, issued a statement apologizing to fans about the delay. The statement said "crew members above the stage became ill due to a ventilation issue." Spears began her "Circus" tour of the United States, Canada and England on March 3 in New Orleans. Her father and attorneys are exploring the possibility of expanding the tour to include more shows in Europe and Australia.