Spears coming back to 'How I Met Your Mother'

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Britney Spears, who proved she's worth a cool million viewers to "How I Met Your Mother," is paying another visit to the CBS sitcom.

Spears will reprise her role as bubbly secretary Abby in the May 12 episode, CBS said Monday.

"We're all so thrilled to have Britney joining us once again," series executive producer and co-creator Craig Thomas said in a statement.

"And just to head it off at the pass this time around: Yes, Mom, Britney's very nice and no, I can't get her autograph for you," Thomas added, jokingly.

Spears' appearance in the March 24 episode won her good reviews and boosted the show's viewership to 10.6 million viewers, in comparison to the 9.6 million who had tuned in the previous week.

When last seen, Abby was flirting with womanizer Barney (cast member Neil Patrick Harris). The new episode, which began production Monday, has Abby and Barney sharing their mutual dislike of Ted (cast member Josh Radnor) and acting on it.

"Desperate to get a rise out of his former pal, Barney pops a surprising question to Abby," CBS said in a release.

"How I Met Your Mother" stars Harris, Radnor, Cobie Smulders, Alyson Hannigan and Jason Segel ("Forgetting Sarah Marshall") as an urban family of 20-something New Yorkers.

The pop star's camp originally approached the show about taking part, executive producer Carter Bays told The Associated Press earlier this month. E-mail to a friend

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