Jamie Spears was made co-conservator of the singer`s estate - meaning he has control of her personal and professional affairs - three years ago after a troubling time which saw the pop star shave her head and have a series of public meltdowns, and she is now grateful for his intervention and believes it helped her get back on track.

An insider said: "Britney now recognises that if her father hadn`t stepped in and taken the action he had, well, Britney is now crediting Jamie for saving her life."

Backstage at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night (28.08.11), Britney - who picked up the Michael Jackson Vanguard award for lifetime achievement - was said to be "extremely emotional" and constantly told Jamie how much she loved him.

The source added to RadarOnline.com: "Britney`s relationship with her dad is in a very, very good place right now. She was extremely emotional backstage before leaving the VMAs and kept telling her daddy how much she loves him.

"Britney is on top of the world right now. She is getting ready for the next leg of her world tour, which will be on September 22 in Moscow. Her father will be with her for some of the European performances, along with her mom."
sections: Celebrities