Next Stop for Britney: The American Music Awards?

Thu., Nov. 20, 2008 12:29 PM PST by Marc Malkin

Kevin Mazur/ Getty Images, NBC Photo/ Paul Drinkwater

Will Britney Spears be the big surprise at Sunday's American Music Awards?

It would certainly make sense. She does, after all, have her soon-to-be-released new album, Circus, to promote.

But don't ask show host Jimmy Kimmel about it. If he knows anything, he's not saying. "They have these surprises that 75 people on the crew know about, but they won't tell the host," Kimmel insists. "Apparently, there is some big surprise. I sent...the producer an email yesterday and he was like, I can't tell you."

The pop princess last appeared on the AMAs two years ago, around the time she had filed for divorce from Kevin Federline.

But things didn't go so smoothly...

Spears presented an award immediately following a skit in which Kimmel throws Federline (well, a lookalike K-Fed) into a box and dumps him in the ocean. "She didn't think that was funny," Kimmel remembers.

Spears or no Spears (her music label rep says she has no plans to be there), Kimmel says everyone is a target for his jokes—even the young ones. "I feel like a babysitter with all these kids," Kimmel says. "It's like being a counselor at summer camp. Aren't the Jonas Brothers like 10, 11 and 12? Miley Cyrus is only 16—but then again she sounds like she's 38."

And being the self-deprecating comic that he is, Kimmel promises not to attempt another dance performance like he did oh-so-horribly last year. "I really try tried to learn that stupid 'Soulja Boy' dance," Kimmel says. "I really had it down, but as soon as I got on stage I could not follow it at all."

The AMAs broadcast live Sunday night from Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre. Among the scheduled performers are Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Leona Lewis,Taylor Swift and Kanye West.

Let's hope Spears is added to the lineup. Don't ya think it's time for a live "Womanizer" performance?