Spears' new boyfriend is a waiter

Britney Spears has started dating waiter Michael Marchand, who works at the exclusive Mirabelle eatery in Los Angeles, where she dines regularly.

The pair spent the early hours of yesterday morning at the restaurant and were later seen leaving the venue together.

A source said: "Michael came in a little after midnight, and she came in right after wearing black and dark glasses. They were being discreet. Forty-five minutes later, they left the restaurant together. He was charming - he made Britney laugh and looked at her with this secret smile. They left in separate cars."

When Marchand was asked about the budding romance, he said: "I can't talk about that right now."

Spears met the waiter when she ate at the restaurant earlier this month. A source revealed to Life & Style Weekly: "Their chemistry was immediate. He's very attracted to her. They're always texting each other."

The singer spent yesterday celebrating Thanksgiving with her two sons, two-year-old Sean Preston and one-year-old Jayden James. She is currently allowed to see the boys three times a week while her ex-husband Kevin Federline has primary physical custody of them.