When the prince and princess of pop, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, hooked up in 1998 it was a match made in Mickey Mouse Club heaven. Who could have predicted that nine years on Justin, a member of cutesy boyband NSYNC, would have become so cool, while Britney would be a twice-divorced mother-of-two struggling to hold it together as lurid details about her bizarre drug-infused lifestyle become public property.
Mr Trousersnake most definitely trumps his ex when it comes to comparing who has fared better since their split in 2002.
Earlier this month, the stark differences between the pair became painfully apparent, as Justin sat cringing in the audience of the MTV Video Music Awards while Britney lethargically lip-synched to her new single 'Gimme More' and clumsily attempted to keep up with her backing dancers.
To add insult to injury, the four-time Grammy award winner then showed her how it was done by joining Nelly Furtado and his musical collaborator, hip-hop producer Timbaland, on stage for a smooth closing performance, during which he treated the audience to some of those tightly-choreographed hip-hop dance moves that have helped him dominate the charts in recent years.
While Britney may have claimed the headlines with her shambolic performance, the night truly belonged to Justin, who picked up two of the most coveted awards of the evening, Quadruple Threat of the Year and Male Artist of the Year.
Last week, he his charmed year continued when he received four nominations for the MTV Europe Music Awards, which are due to be held in Munich on November 1.
The 'SexyBack' singer - who is hoping to replicate his success at last year's awards where was named Best Male Artist and Best Pop Artist - is in the running for Video Star award for 'What Goes Around... Comes Around' and the Headliner accolade for his successful 'FutureSex/LoveShow World Tour' of his hit second solo album of the same name. ( FF )