Britney Spears asked director to tone down new video

Britney Spears' provocative new video for Work B**ch! had to be re-edited ahead of its release this week (begs30Sep13), because the mother-of-two was uncomfortable with some sexy scenes.

The Toxic hitmaker recently confessed she struggled to ditch her "sweet mommy" persona to tap into her inner sex bomb for the video, in which she can be seen dancing seductively in the middle of a desert and posing in a bikini as she brandishes a whip.

However, the superstar admits the finished product is nowhere near as raunchy as the initial cut - because she asked director Ben Mor to rework the clip and tone it down.

During a radio interview with The TJ Show in Boston, Massachusetts on Thursday (03Oct13), she said, "Oh my god, we showed way more skin and did way more stuff for the video then what is actually there. Like, I cut out half the video because I am a mother and because, you know, I have children, and it's just hard to play sexy mom while you're being a pop star as well. I just have to be true to myself and feel it out when I do stuff."

She added, "A lot of sex goes into what I do. But sometimes I would like to bring it back to the old days when there was one outfit through the whole video, and you're dancing the whole video, and there's, like, not that much sex stuff going on."

Her comments prompted some blog writers to suggest Spears was pressured into showing so much skin for the video, but her father and conservator Jamie Spears and manager Larry Rudolph insist that was never the case.

A statement issued to TMZ.com reads: "Britney is never pressured into anything. She reviews all creative and for her Work B**ch video she discussed toning down some parts in finding a balance of sexy and being a mom."

Meanwhile, Britney's new video has been banned from TV before 10pm in Britain.

Officials there have decided scenes of the pop star dancing in lingerie, and the use of the taboo word b**ch almost 20 times are inappropriate for broadcast at times when children may be watching TV.