'Idol' Contender Is Britney's Ex!

LOS ANGELES, Calif. --

Robbie Carrico is heading to the Hollywood round of “American Idol” following his successful Miami tryout, but the longhaired rocker already has one major celebrity connection.

The 25-year-old from Melbourne, Florida once toured with and dated Britney Spears!

Carrico, who performed his “Idol” audition with facial hair and a leather wrist strap, dated the pop star in 1999, during his tenure as a member of the teen group Boyz N Girlz United.

The pop ensemble opened for Spears during her “Baby One More Time” tour, in 1999 — and during that time, sparks flew between Carrico and the pop star, a source who worked with the “Idol” wannabe told People.

The couple even made an appearance together at the premiere of “Drive Me Crazy,” a film starring “Sabrina: The Teenage Witch’s” Melissa Joan Hart.

The romance between Carrico and Spears, who were both in their teens at the time, fizzled however, after just two months.

“It wasn’t anything serious,” the source told the magazine. “It was just a flirtation thing. But they were a cute couple.”

Carrico’s tenure in Boyz and Girlz United lasted just slightly longer, until 2000.

Later, the boy who at one pointed was nicknamed “Bam Bam” (according to a fan site), joined a group called B-Factor, before ending up as the vocalist in Missing Picket, an alternative rock combo.

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