How Britney Spears Saved How I Met Your Mom

In the event you’re a fan of the long-running collection “How I Met Your Mom,” you realize that pop star Britney Spears memorably pops up within the third season of the beloved CBS sitcom … so how did that occur, and the way did Spears’ visitor function mainly save the present?

Throughout a Reddit AMA (ask me something) in 2013, Carter Bays, who created “How I Met Your Mom” alongside Craig Thomas, was requested if any of the present’s visitor stars had ever particularly requested to hitch the collection. Apparently, Spears did simply that. “We received a name just a few weeks after the writers’ strike [in 2007] ended saying that Britney Spears needed to be on our present,” Bays responded. “And he or she particularly needed to be within the episode ‘Ten Classes,’ which despatched a chill down our spines, as a result of that is the one the place we meet Stella [Zinman, a love interest for Josh Radnor’s Ted Mosby].”

As Bays put it, he was a little frightened about what Spears’ request would possibly imply. “I instantly imagined Britney enjoying Stella and had a minor panic assault, as a result of it is such an enormous function and wanted a confirmed, skilled actress like Sarah Chalke [the ‘Scrubs’ alum who ultimately played Stella]. However to her credit score, Britney favored the character of Abby and needed to play that half. So we stated certain! And by golly, she put our present on the map. It could’t be overstated. Britney Spears rescued us from ever being on the bubble once more. Thanks, Britney!”

So who precisely is Abby on “How I Met Your Mom?” She’s Stella’s naïve, candy receptionist who takes a right away liking to Ted Mosby, although he develops a reasonably large crush on Stella, the dermatologist eradicating his lower-back tattoo, as quickly as she begins his laser therapy. Each time Ted interacts with Abby, she’s determined for his consideration and apparently has little to no concept that it is Stella he is candy on, so she retains making an attempt, even altering her look and studying books designed to impress Ted each time he visits Stella’s workplace.

This escalates into an unsettling association the place Abby and Barney Stinson — one in every of Ted’s finest buddies and a infamous womanizer performed by Neil Patrick Harris — find yourself becoming a member of forces, regardless that Barney is simply utilizing Abby for intercourse and Abby is (misguidedly) making an attempt to make Ted jealous. After the 2 have a one-night stand and Barney by no means calls Abby once more — which is form of his entire deal — they reunite within the season 3 episode “All the things Should Go” and fake that they are collectively on the present’s foremost hangout MacLaren’s Pub (they’re sporting matching sweaters, and when Barney declares that they are engaged, Abby forgets all concerning the bit and thinks that he is severe about marrying her). Abby is, frankly, a reasonably irritating character, but it surely’s humorous that she’s performed by Britney Spears … and Carter Bays’ instincts have been lifeless on that he wanted a extra skilled actor to play Stella.

Britney Spears is removed from the one main celeb to visitor star on “How I Met Your Mom” all through its run. Some, like Robin Thicke, Regis Philbin, and Kim Kardashian, appeared as themselves, however just a few different pop stars received in on the enjoyable too. In season 6, Katy Perry exhibits up as Honey, an unbelievably gullible character who will consider mainly something anybody tells her (in his voiceover, the Bob Saget model of Ted Mosby says he cannot recall Honey’s “actual” identify, so he calls her that as a result of every time she speaks, you simply need to say “Oh, honey“). Enrique Iglesias briefly performs a boyfriend of Robin Scherbatsky’s (Cobie Smulders) whom she dates early in season 3, and Jennifer Lopez seems within the season 5 episode “Of Course” as courting guru Anita, who discovers her greatest hurdle in Barney. Nichole Scherzinger, the previous Pussycat Doll turned Broadway star, pops up in season 6 as Glitter, a former co-star of Robin’s from again when she was generally known as “Robin Sparkles,” a Canadian pop star, and even Carrie Underwood appeared in season 5 as Tiffany, a lady who has Ted on her proverbial “hook.”

Martin Quick, John Lithgow, Katie Holmes, James van der Beek, Laura Prepon, and Bryan Cranston are only a few of the opposite well-known individuals who confirmed up on “How I Met Your Mom” — Joe Manganiello additionally had a recurring function on the sitcom early in his profession — but it surely’s fascinating to know that not solely did Spears request her function, however she mainly saved the present. You possibly can watch her episodes of “How I Met Your Mom” on Hulu now.