These days, Britney Spears is often in the news for her “unusual” dancing in her mansion’s living room or for posting curious updates on Instagram that she later deletes. But there was a time when the Princess of Pop was one of the biggest stars on the planet, long before social media existed and when fame depended on an artist’s relationship with the press.
Britney Spears, One Of the Most Iconic Pop Singers
Britney’s fame, especially after her hit “…Baby One More Time,” was so intense that the constant media pressure led to what we now know as her public breakdown. This eventually resulted in her losing custody of her children and being placed under a conservatorship, cruelly overseen by her father, as she recounts in her autobiography, The Woman in Me.
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Yet, even during her most difficult moments, Britney Spears proved that she was born for fame. Take, for instance, her 2007 MTV Video Music Awards performance—shortly after her breakdown. While it was initially considered a disaster, time has shown that performance to be one of her most iconic.
But did Britney Spears really save How I Met Your Mother?
How I Met Your Mother debuted in 2005, created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, who drew inspiration from their own college experiences to craft the stories of Ted Mosby, Marshall Eriksen, Lily Aldrin, and Barney Stinson.
The series premiered on CBS, and while it attracted a decent number of viewers, it didn’t meet expectations in its early seasons. The show’s producers even considered canceling it after the second season and had prepared an ending for Ted.
But everything changed in the third season when Britney Spears guest-starred. She played Abby, Stella’s (Sarah Chalke) receptionist, after Alicia Silverstone turned down the role. The episode “Ten Sessions,” which aired on March 28, 2008, garnered higher ratings than the series premiere, breathing new life into the show. For years, it remained one of the most-watched episodes of the series.
“I imagined Britney playing Stella and had a little panic attack because it’s such an important role. I needed an experienced actress like Sarah Chalke. But Britney was interested in playing Abby, and we said, ‘Sure!’ And, my God, she put our show on the map. It can’t be overstated. Britney Spears rescued us,” Carter Bays said in an interview with E! News.
This article was originally written in Spanish by Daniel Matute in Cultura Colectiva
