  Britney Spears, 25, is followed by twenty paparazzi 24/7. Here, she is getting out of a Hollywood tanning salon. (PHOTO: Martin Bouffard, Sun Media)
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To this day, Britney Spears remains the most photographed Hollywood star. She is constantly followed by a 15-car detail that would make a statesman green with envy, no matter whether she's headed to Starbucks or the tanning salon.
They're called "Team Britney." These are the wildest and most feared paparazzi of them all.
They work for a number of agencies. Some work in teams and communicate via walkie-talkie.
The rhythm of their life is in synch with that of the star who earns them an average of $20,000 a month.
"If she moved to Utah, at least six of them would move there too," admitted paparazzo Mathieu Pare.
The X17 agency -- a Britney "specialist" -- calls on a team made up of a dozen paparazzi assigned exclusively to the singer. Another team is also assigned to her ex, Kevin Ferderline.
The price for the pictures rose ever since she shaved her head, and since the custody of her children is disputed in court. For instance, pictures of her with the razor earned $250,000 to X17.
No wonder they treat her royally on their website (X17online.com).
The captions under the pictures are always very flattering. That's how they ensure her collaboration. There are also videos of her saying, "I love X17."
In this profession, Team Britney is distrusted, confided a number of paparazzi.
Some even stop hounding the star because the vibe is too tense. It takes nerves of steel to follow such an unpredictable star.
These guys are tough, big chunks of men that never smile, for the most part Latinos who drive Mercedes and large black SUVs.
"It's horrible to see the whole convoy that follows Britney; they run red lights. Disgusting," said professional paparazzo Michel Boutefou. He calls this type of paparazzi "rats."
They act as if Britney was their protected domain. Does not come close to the star anyone who wishes to. This is how they make their living, and they protect her while they track her, too.
When the singer's car runs dry on a large boulevard, they hurry to her rescue and give her a gas can. They often open her door for her and wait for her at the door of public restrooms.
We tried a number of times to enter their inner circle. "Get the f*** out of here," they said.
