The contestants on Rock the Cradle received a pleasant surprise Thursday - their audience doubled when Britney Spears showed up to watch the season finale in person and support her former manager, Larry Rudolph.

Rudolph is the producer of Rock The Cradle, which pits aspiring pop stars, all of whom have rock and roll in their DNA, against one another in a competition. Sort of like American Idol, only not at all popular.

Britney Spears spent the duration of the show seated backstage surrounded by security. After the show, Larry Rudolph told Us Weekly:

“She was here to support the show. I mentioned to her that I was going to my show. Britney said, ‘I want to come down.’ She loved it. She really loved it. She didn’t come here for publicity or anything like that. She came here because she wanted to see the show, which I appreciated.”

Spears headed to the show after spending the day with her two sons, Jayden James and Sean Preston. It was the first visit since she, along with parents Lynne and Jamie Spears, appeared in Los Angeles County Superior Court Tuesday for a custody hearing, where she was granted extended visitation rights.