Pop superstar Christina Aguilera is to appear in hit TV show CSI: New York, and plans have already been made for a darker theme for the episode.

The Ain't No Other Man singer will put her fledgling acting skills to the test in the Crime Scene Investigation series, having previously only voiced a small part in the animated movie Shark Tale.

Executive producer Anthony Zuiker says, "Christina's a fan of the show, and we're excited to have her. The episode will probably explore the topic of battered women."

Aguilera has been an avid campaigner against domestic violence after revealing her father physically abused her mother during her childhood.