Lil Nas X has hilarious wardrobe malfunction on TV

Lil Nas X is known for his eccentric performances but his appearance on Saturday Night Live this week didn't quite go according to plan.

The Old Town Road rapper appeared on the show as the musical guest and suffered an unfortunate faux pas on live television.

When he performed Montero (Call Me By Your Name), the star got through two-thirds of the performance without a hitch, but things took a turn when he showed off his pole dancing skills...

And the look on his face when he realised his pants split was priceless. Looking audibly shocked, the rapper tried to recover and performed the rest of the track covering up his split pants with his left hand.

But of course, the moment was not lost on viewers who promptly pointed out the gaffe on Twitter, sparking some hilarious memes:

Lil Nas X took to his own profile to explain the moment.

"NOT MY PANTS RIPPED ON LIVE ON TV," he wrote, poking fun at the embarrassing moment.

"I wanted to do my pole routine so that's what I get lmaoo."

Some fans may have assumed the gaffe was all part of the performance, but he quickly quashed any speculation the moment was meant to happen.

"I know I do a lot of planned s*** but ripping my pants on live television is not one of them."

He also reacted to the iconic moment on TikTok and appeared to make the most out of the not-so-ideal moment.

"Everthing happens for a reason tho lol," he posted.

Since the performance, Lil Nas X has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to discuss the moment, revealing he knew about the issue when he felt "a breeze" in his downstairs region. 

Watch the full video of the performance above, and you can watch the explanation from Lil Nas X below. 

We advise you have a fan handy... It gets preeeeeeetty hot. 

This article was originally published by NZ Herald and reproduced here with permission. Added messaging from ZM.