Christina Aguilera apologises for anthem mistake

Christina Aguilera has apologised for fluffing her lines while singing the US national anthem at the Super Bowl yesterday (06.02.11).

The 'Burlesque' star was given the prestigious task of performing the Star-Spangled Banner to open the proceedings ahead of the NFL showpiece game in Texas but shocked onlookers with her mistake.

Instead of the correct line "O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?" the 30-year-old singer repeated an earlier line with a slight variation, singing "What so proudly we watched at the twilight's last gleaming."

Now Christina has released an apologetic statement saying: "I got so caught up in the moment of the song that I lost my place. I can only hope that everyone could feel my love for this country and that the true spirit of its anthem still came through."

The singer's celebrity pals were quick to take to twitter to defend her with Nicole Scherzinger, who attended the game writing: "Xtina just killed it 'sangin'! Sounded amazing here," and Black Eyed Peas will.i,am saying "Xtina sing'n wonderful (sic)."

Meanwhile, the Black Eyed Peas delighted the crowd with their 10-minute halftime display, playing a number of their biggest hits before being joined by Slash and Usher.

The game - between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers - took place in Arlington, Texas, attracting a star-studded audience as well as one of the biggest TV audiences of the year.