Britney Spears' ex-boyfriend found his pedigree counted for nothing on Thursday night when he was dumped out of American Idol.

Despite Simon Cowell lavishing Robbie Carrico’s initial stab at Lynyrd Skynyrd's Simple Man as “quite good”, the hopeful was one of four contestants cut from the hit show.

Carrico - previously a member of Boyz N Girlz United - dated Britters in 1999, stepping out with her at the premiere of a movie.

How times have changed.