Britney Spears is "in great shape", says Larry Rudolph

Britney Spears's former manager, Larry Rudolph, says the Toxic singer is "in great shape", but remained coy about reports he and the troubled star are back in business together.

"I've seen her a few times over the past week or two. I've spent some time with her just socially. I've gone up to the house. I've sat with her. She's in great shape," Rudolph said Thursday on Ryan Seacrest's KIIS FM radio show. "I couldn't be happier to see the condition she's in. But this is not a time to talk about business with her."

Addressing the star's recent troubles, Larry said, "What she needs now is she needs the public to be on her side and root for her, because she deserves it and that means a lot to her."

Larry went on to praise the singer's recent appearance on CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and told Seacrest that if he was advising Spears, he'd suggest that she "do another little thing like that" soon.

When Seacrest asked about other forces back in the singer's life – namely her parents – Rudolph replied: "She needs people around her who are there for the right reasons."

And of Britney's career, he said "I can't think of a situation where somebody been set up for a bigger comeback than that girl."