Jessica Simpson told the audience at last night's Madison Square Garden show that she regularly splits her pants while singing and has had to adapt her stage wardrobe accordingly.

The singer has rarely been out of the headlines since debuting her fuller figure during a show in Florida in late January.

But she seems to be taking the furore over her weight gain in her stride - at least if the disclosure she made while opening up for Rascal Flatts in New York is anything to go by.

According to Us Weekly, Jessica told the audience, "I've had times when my pants split right down the middle when I bent down to reach a note.

“That's why I'm wearing a skort - not a skirt, not a short - just so they wouldn't split."

Jess tests the seams of her 'skort' in New York last night

Jessica revealed in a recent interview that she's planning to launch a clothing line to flatter women of all shapes and sizes.

Let's hope her designs come with reinforcements...

See more stars whose weight has come under the media microscope below