Britney Spears Meets Familiar Face; Gay Contestant Comes Out on The X Factor

Britney Spears became emotional when a familiar face showed up at the San Francisco auditions for The X Factor on Sunday – and revealed a personal secret.

When a male contestant stepped onto the stage at the Oracle Arena, "You could see that Britney recognized him straight away," a source says. From where?

"I know him," said Britney Spears, who was sitting on the panel with Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid and Demi Lovato. "We did a duet together 10 years ago."

"She got this huge smile on her face and her eyes lit up. It was so sweet," said a source, but when the singer started to cry in front of her, things changed.

"I'm gay," he said, and the audition became emotionally charged. "At the time I didn't think I was worthy. I didn't think you thought it was okay that I am gay."

Britney was nothing but supportive. "I think it is fine you are gay," she said.

"When he started crying and saying he thought he'd never see her again and that he'd had a lot to deal with, Britney was comforting him," the source says.

But during his audition, Britney Spears was visibly shaken up as well.

"She's been through a lot in those 10 years, too, so it must have been a shock for her to see him," the source says. "You could tell she was emotional and she really felt for him especially when he was crying, but she also stayed calm."

In the end, Britney gave the singer a typically straightforward critique.

"She handled it unbelievably well and really stepped up to the situation," says the source, who would not confirm the identity of the aspiring singer.

It's also unclear whether or not he made it through the audition.

"It was probably the most emotional situation for her that's happened so far on X Factor, and she took it totally in stride in front of a live audience of thousands."

Good for the Sexiest Woman in Music, and her old duet partner.

[Photo: WENN.com]