A Margate man became an X Factor judge on Saturday night when he took Louis Walsh's seat on the panel.

The unusual scenes on the ITV show saw unemployed Phil, 46, give a rather out-of-tune rendition of Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up.

But when Simon Cowell gave him the thumbs down and asked what he would like to do in the future, he surprised viewers by saying "well, ultimately I would love to end up on that judging panel" - and his dream suddenly became a reality.

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Initially asked why he thinks he's got the X Factor, he said: "Various people over the years have said I've got a strong, good voice".

But Simon had to stop him mid-performance as fellow judges Louis Walsh, Mel B and Sharon Osborne looked on in despair.

Simon said: "This isn't working. Can I be honest with you? You sold me something when you said you had a big voice. What's your dream?"

VIDEO: Phil fails to impress with his audition

When he told Simon he would be a 'good judge', Simon boots Louis Walsh off the panel and says he can replace him temporarily, sending social media into a Phil frenzy.

Hundreds of tweets discussed Phil's moments of fame on the show.

The first audition he had to watch was Christine, 53, whose version of Shirley Bassey's Big Spender didn't go down well with the judges.

Seemingly instantly hitting it off, Phil asked Christine if she was single before saying "you've got a lovely, radiant smile to go with your voice".

VIDEO: Phil takes Louis' spot on the judging panel

But again shocking viewers, he said: "It's a no today. You're not competition ready and you were quite unrehearsed."

He then decided to leave the panel, adding "it has been a pleasure".