Bette Midler has blasted singers including Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera for not showing any "emotion" in their performances.

The musical legend - who is currently in Las Vegas completing her 'Showgirl Must Go On' residency - argues young stars need to put more depth into their shows.

She said: "They don't speak. They don't talk to their audience. They may say, 'Hello, New York' or 'Hello, Las Vegas,' in the beginning, and 'Thank you' in between songs, but they don't talk. They don't tell stories or take the time to make a connection, build a rapport. There's no emotion."

Bette also blamed music video channel MTV for encouraging people to lip-synch to their songs when performing 'live'.

She added to the New York Daily News: "Video really did kill the radio star. After MTV came along, people were seeing their favourite singers in videos, and suddenly there was a certain vision of a song - how it should sound, how it should look.

"Then in concert, there was no room for improvisation - everyone wanted an exact replica."