Britney Spears fans have been left floored after finding out what her iconic track ‘Toxic’ was really written about.
Now, Britney is one of the most iconic pop acts the world has ever seen. Since she first rocked onto the scene with her track ‘… Baby One More Time’, Britney has been a total mainstay of the charts.
However, it hasn’t been easy for the star, as has faced huge challenges during her time in the spotlight. Rather infamously in 2007, Britney was in and out of rehab, with the photos of the star with her shaven head having become symbolic of this era. In 2008, she was hospitalised and committed to a psychiatric ward, during which time she also lost custody of her sons to their father Kevin Federline, following their divorce the year prior.
As a result of this event, Britney was placed into a conservatorship, meaning her father Jamie Spears had control over her assets. This proved to be a controversial move, and by 2019 fans had become concerned that the conservatorship was not protecting Britney, but rather trapping her. The ‘Free Britney’ movement then developed, eventually resulting in the star being freed from the conservatorship in 2021.
Less than a year after the end of her conservatorship, Britney married her longtime partner Sam Asghari at her Los Angeles home. None of the star’s immediate family attended, including both of her 2 sons.
However, despite all this trauma, Britney remains one of pop music’s biggest stars.
So, it’s understandable that when fans were deeply confused when they found out that one of her most successful songs, 2003’s ‘Toxic’, was actually about the Irish veterinary surgeon, Noel Fitzpatrick, known best as Channel 4’s Supervet.
Turns out, it has nothing to do with Britney herself at all, but much more to do with one of the song’s writers, Cathy Dennis.
Dennis briefly dated the Supervet, with their relationship ending in 2003, which has led to much speculation that the track is about him. She is one of pop music’s biggest hit makers, with other smash songs penned by her including Kylie Minogue’s ‘I Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’ and Katy Perry’s ‘I Kissed a Girl’.
During an interview with This Morning, Fitzpatrick addressed the rumours when Holly Willoughby asked him about the track.
“You may have to ask Kylie Minogue whether ‘I Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’ is written about me,” he coyly replied.
Fans have taken to social media to react to the news.
“Just heard your brief rendition of Britney Spears ‘Toxic’ on The Trawl. Found out this fact this week that it is a song written about C4 ‘The Supervet’ Noel Fitzpatrick by Cathy Dennis. Blew my mind,” one person wrote.
Another commented: “Toxic by Britney Spears being inspired by the writer’s breakup with Noel Fitzpatrick the Supervet has changed the trajectory of everything for me.”
