Broken-hearted Britney eyes 'cute' Hugh Grant
( 2002-06-18 09:06 ) (7 )

britney

Broken-hearted pop princess Britney Spears, still hurting after her split from NSYNC star Justin Timberlake, has admitted a fondness for British actor Hugh Grant, a London newspaper reported Monday.

"I'm still hurting. It is a strange feeling getting used to being single again but I suppose I'll have to," the 20-year-old singer was quoted as saying by The Sun tabloid, before adding "Hugh Grant is so cute."

Squeaky-clean Spears describes herself in her latest single as "not a girl, not yet a woman," while the worldly 41-year Englishman hit headlines in a 1995 scandal involving a Los Angeles prostitute.

But the singer's admiration for Grant is apparently mutual. He was quoted recently as saying Spears was "special" and he would opt for a date with her over pop superstar Madonna.

Spears told the paper she had not dated anyone since her five-year relationship with Timberlake ended in February.

"I am the type of person who can't go from a serious relationship and then just start dating someone else straight away," she said.

The duo blamed the rift on conflicting tour schedules, but media reports said Timberlake was unhappy about repeated marriage demands from the religious Britney.

By contrast, Hugh Grant has taken a more casual approach to relationships since his 2000 split with actress Liz Hurley.

At the recent Cannes Film festival the floppy-haired heartthrob said he was keen on Sandra Bullock, his sexy co-star in "Two Weeks Notice," but that it was "just a sex thing."

Grant was arrested in 1995 by Los Angeles police after they found him engaged in a "lewd act" with a prostitute.