Comedian Simon Brodkin staged a one-man invasion of the X Factor stage during last night’s live broadcast on ITV1. While the eight-member boy band Stereo Kicks was performing Brodkin, best known as character Lee Nelson, got up with a microphone and joined the line-up before being bundled offstage. Ironically the band was singing Michael Jackson's hit You Are Not Alone at the time.

In the clip of the incident below one of the judges – presumably Louis Walsh – can be seen standing up and gesticulating furiously to cut the cameras and get him off as the prank happened. The band members seemed both amused and bemused as Nelson attempted to join them.

This stunt is the latest in a series of headline-grabbing incidents orchestrated by Brodkin. He has previously appeared in the football pitch with the Manchester City team in the warm-up for a game with Everton and almost made it onto the England team bus dressed as one of the players before the 2014 World Cup. 

Brodkin, in the guise of Nelson, later tweeted about the incident: "Stereo Kicks were top lads. Still think they'd be better off with 9. I'd vote for them but Cowel''s got my phone". There was also speculation that the stunt was a set-up to garner publicity and boost ratings for the show because Brodkin had a microphone and ear-piece.