NEW YORK - Britney Spears is relishing her new role on "How I Met Your Mother." Spears has been taping her much-hyped cameo on the CBS sitcom for the March 24 episode, in which she portrays a receptionist in a dermatologist's office named Abby who crushes on Ted (Josh Radnor).

"Working at `How I Met Your Mother' has been so terrific," Spears said in a statement Thursday. "Everyone, including the cast, the crew and the producers, has been wonderful and Abby is such a fun girl to play. I'm having a blast!"

CBS spokesman Kelli Raftery said Spears attended a table reading with the cast on Monday, did a "run-through" on Tuesday and filmed scenes Wednesday. Raftery confirmed reports that Spears' divorced parents — James and Lynne — dropped by the "Mother" set on Wednesday.

Spears was scheduled to shoot scenes Thursday.

Radnor told People.com that "on the first day of the shoot, Britney knew her lines better than I knew mine. She's been great to work with."

Spears has previous TV sitcom experience playing a character on a 2006 episode of "Will and Grace." She was also the host and musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" in 2000.

"How I Met Your Mother," returning Monday with all-new episodes following the writers strike, co-stars Radnor, Jason Segal, Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders and Neil Patrick Harris as twentysomethings living in New York City.

Spears has been under the conservatorship of her father, James, following bizarre behavior and two hospitalizations. She is also locked in a custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline over the former couple's sons, Jayden James, 1, and Sean Preston, 2.

Source: AP