Britney Spears (courtesy: Entertainment Tonight)

Forced to pull its highly touted new show "The Book of Daniel" last week because of charges its portrayal of Jesus was blasphemous, NBC is pushing the envelope again with news Britney Spears will guest star on "Will & Grace" as a conservative who hosts on a Christian TV network a cooking segment called "Cruci-fixin's."

The pop singing star will appear as a sidekick to the regular character Jack, who hosts his own talk show on the fictional homosexual network Out TV, which is bought by a Christian TV network. The episode will air April 13, just before Good Friday, as NBC seems determined to stir controversy about the show. "Will & Grace" is in its eighth and final season on the network.

The appearance by Spears is being billed as "her first prime-time television episodic appearance." However, she also appeared as herself in an episode of "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" in 1999 and was the star of last summer's unscripted UPN show "Britney & Kevin: Chaotic." The "Will & Grace" episode may, however, mark the first time Spears plays someone else in primetime.

The show is being taped this month.

As a young girl, Spears, now 24, was a regular on "The Mickey Mouse Club." After becoming a pop singer, she starred in the 2002 film "Crossroads."

"Will & Grace" airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. Eastern.

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NBC pulls the plug on 'Book of Daniel'

More affiliates drop 'Book of Daniel'

Advertisers drop 'Book of Daniel'

2 NBC affiliates drop 'anti-Christian' show

Group protests NBC's dysfunctional 'Christians'

New NBC show stars Jesus, pill-popping priest

NBC's 'Medium' pushes decency limit