When Don Philip faced Britney Spears on this week's season premiere on Fox's The X Factor, he was asked what had happened to him in the 12 years since he has recorded a duet with the pop star and now TV show judge.

'At the time I didn't think I was worthy,’ Philip said of when he last saw Spears.

That's the part that TV viewers saw. What they didn't see was the rest of what he said: ‘I didn't think you thought it was okay that I am gay.’

Spears then said: ‘I think it is fine you are gay.’

That part of the exchange did not make the telecast for reasons unknown.

But what did make the show was a disastrous performance of Halo by Philip whose voice had grown quite raspy since he and Spears dueted on the song I Will Still Love You which appeared on Spears' 1999 album Baby One More Time.

All four judges voted 'no' on Philip with Simon Cowell saying: good singing voice, honestly.'

Spears tried to be a bit more diplomatic: 'I feel like through the years maybe you’ve gone through a lot of hardships and battles. But your voice really isn’t up to the bar of the standards of The X Factor and what we want.'

Philip appeared distraught by the rejection and was filmed backstage crying and saying he had somehow let Spears down.

Below is video of the uncomfortable appearance as well as audio of his duet with Spears from all those years ago: