Heather Locklear poked fun at Britney Spears for not wearing underwear during a US chat show interview.

The Melrose Place star appeared on The Jay Leno show when the host asked her if she has ever been confused for another celebrity.

Locklear, 48, said: “In 2000 I was on some kind of music awards show and I had long hair and people started cheering because they thought I was Britney Spears. But I think it was because I wasn’t wearing any underwear!”

Leno responded: “I’m not going to ask how they knew that.”

To which Locklear screamed: “I was wearing pants!”

Locklear is reprising her role as Amanda Woodward in the Melrose Place remake on US TV Tuesday.