Britney Spears showed her weakness for boy band stars when she branded a former Menudo member "very sexy" after his sizzling audition on The X Factor.

Troy Kurtis, who shot to fame in the chart-topping Puerto Rican group, impressed the audience when he tried out for the TV talent show in Providence, Rhode Island on Wednesday (27Jun12).

Kurtis sang entirely in Spanish and seemed to win the approval of female judges Demi Lovato and Spears, who famously dated 'NSYNC singer Justin Timberlake.

The Toxic hitmaker called his performance "very sexy", while fellow panellist L.A. Reid teased that Kurtis had left Lovato "sweating" and "giggling".

Kurtis, who sang with Menudo in 2000 after its name was changed to MDO, told the judges life after boy band fame has been a struggle, insisting, "I never had any mentors. I left my house at 16 because my stepfather told me to shut up when I would sing. I feel like I'm just getting started."