Even though Britney Spear’s much hyped, underwhelming and overrated cameo appearance on the CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” gave the show its best ratings ever, putting it into the Nielsen Top 20 that week, one of the show’s stars says he could do without another appearance from the former pop star.

Britney Spears is popwrecka non grata on the CBS sitcom she just cameo’d on – at least according to one of its stars.

Neil Patrick Harris doesn’t want Spears back on “How I Met Your Mother” – nothing personal, he just doesn’t think they need recovering celebuwackos on the show for cheap ratings’ boosts. “I’m in the minority that our show does not need stunt casting in order to succeed,” says Harris.

There were rumors that Spears might make another appearance on the show after her first one. Nothing’s been set – yet.

[From TMZ]

I gotta give it to Harris- the guy always says exactly what is on his mind. Maybe it was all those years of being a child star and having handlers telling him what to say- just like a certain former pop star. While everyone else on the show has been praising Spears and saying that she is welcome to return, Harris has been the lone dissenter. As for the stunt casting debate, it would be great if shows could survive without them, but if the cameo is written well, it can be quite a boost. Cases in point: Kathleen Turner as Chandler’s transgendered dad on “Friends,” and who could forget the hilarious “Seinfeld” episode with baseball great Keith Hernandez?

Britney is shown out shopping on 4/9/08. Her boys, Sean Preston and Jayden, are shown going to the zoo with their nanny on 4/8/08. Neither K-Fed or Britney was there. Thanks to Splash News for these photos. Neil Patrick Harris is shown at the Primetime Emmy Awards on 9/16/07, thanks to PRPhotos.

“How I Met Your Mother” star Neil Patrick Harris has addressed the fact that Britney is going to have an upcoming guest role on his show. He told ET that he was “shocked that Madame Spears (emphasis on the Madame) was willing to come and do some acting. She hasn’t acted in a while.”

ET has a partial transcript of Harris’ comments on their website, and he made some jokes about Britney, saying her role will be “unlike any Britney we have seen before, and we have seen a lot of Britney recently.”

One thing they forgot to put into their post about the video interview available on their website, is that Harris specifically mentioned Osama Lutfi when interviewer Kevin Frazier asked him if he was worried about the crush of paparazzi that follows Britney wherever she goes:

Have you gotten ready for the paparazzi onslaught that’s gonna happen obviously every day now?
We thankfully don’t film on location, so I don’t think we’re going to be dealing with lots of paparazzi people at the Fox lot, but here’s hoping that Osama Lutfi guy doesn’t come and cause a stir.
So you’re hoping that she doesn’t bring the posse. Just Britney, no posse.
What if she shows up on set and she is absolutely, totally normal and that whole thing has been a big ruse?
Would that freak you out?
Would that freak you out?
Well, of course it would freak me out.
She’s smoking a cigarette, “Oh yeah, it’s all a big bit. I’ve got a master plan.”

[Transcribed from video available on ETOnline.com]

Harris is too awesome. You can tell that he follows Britney news like the rest of us, and that he’s taking the fact that she’s going to temporarily invade his workplace in stride. It all seems a bit amusing to him, like he’ll get to see for himself what Britney is really like behind all the hype.

In related Britney news, she’s been given an allowance of $1,500 a week on a debit card by order of the Commissioner presiding over her conservatorship case.

Lawyers for Britney are also arguing against the over $400,000 in legal fees that she is obligated to pay K-Fed’s attorneys for representing him in their ongoing custody battle. Britney’s lawyers argue that Kevin’s lawyers spent too much time on the case, calling multiple hearings and bringing too many people to court in order to take advantage of the fact that Britney was paying the bills. Kevin’s lawyers say that it’s not a typical case and takes a lot of time and people to work on it. The judge is now considering whether Kevin should foot part of his legal bill.

Britney stepped out last night for dinner, and was seen with new lighter-colored hair withhighlights. She looked incredibly good. I wonder if her new hair is to prepare for her upcoming television role. Thanks to WENN for these pictures.

Perez Hilton has one less reason to blog furiously in a misguided attempt to out every semi-closeted Hollywood star. Right after Perez scrawled over some pictures of Harris with a hot guy that is claimed to be his long term boyfriend, Harris came out to People magazine. This is in spite of a statement by Harris’ PR person at the beginning of this month that he’s “not of that persuasion.”

While I agree that Evangelical Christians preaching against the “evils” of a “homosexual lifestyle” should be outed, and politicians who do their best to make sure that gay people are denied basic rights should be outed, I’m not sure it’s my business which of the people who entertain me are gay. I mean, I’m kind of naive about this because I don’t think it’s a big deal, but isn’t it someone’s human right to decide if they’re going to come out or not? It seems nasty to call people gay and out them unwillingly. It’s not an easy to decision to come out and many people are still homophobic and ignorant about it. If someone is not ready, why jeopardize their career? OTOH, if more people come out then it won’t be as big of a deal to be a public gay person. It’s just everyone’s right to decide when they’re going to say something about it.

Good for Harris for stepping up to the plate and clearing up the rumors.

The public eye has always been kind to me, and until recently I have been able to live a pretty normal life. Now it seems there is speculation and interest in my private life and relationships.

“So, rather than ignore those who choose to publish their opinions without actually talking to me, I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love.”