Houston, she has a problem

Struggle ... Whitney tugs a top of dress

POP diva Whitney Houston's comeback appearance on The X Factor last night was marred by an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction with her frock.

Whitney, 46, was visibly annoyed as she struggled with a loose strap on the long silvery dress during a live performance of her new single Million Dollar Bill.

The six-time Grammy winner, backed by a troupe of male dancers, pulled a face when she realised the strap was sticking out.

Bother ... Dermot O'Leary and Whitney

Her problem followed Robbie Williams' appearance on the ITV1 show last week, when he struggled to get on stage through a jammed door.

Judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue gave her a standing ovation when she finished - but Sun readers phoned in to call the performance "appalling".

Afterwards, Whitney hesitated for long periods before answering questions in an interview with host Dermot O'Leary.

Looking hot, she joked about the trouble with her dress, saying: "I sang my song out of my dress."

But when Dermot asked about her comeback album she looked blank. After a pause, she said: "Album? It should be released this week."

She then joked of Cowell: "Simon calls me lippy because I say what's on my mind, just like he does And when Dermot asked Whitney about the standard of this year's X Factor contestants she paused for several seconds, before saying: "They are young. They have room to grow. Practice, practice, practice."

Whitney admitted to US talk show host Oprah Winfrey last month that she used to smoke marijuana and crack cocaine. She got clean of drugs after going to rehab.

Janet Jackson, 43, famously had a breast pop out of her dress on live TV in 2004.



------------------------------------------------------