A teenager was left red-faced when his grand proposal to his high school crush completely back-fired in front of 2,000 people.

New Jersey 18-year-old Patrick Smith boldly decided to ask fellow student Jen Malespina to the prom using a microphone at a running event, as hundreds of people stood watching.

But a cringe-inducing video shows Jen bluntly knocking back his offer - because she already has a date.

Scroll down for video

Fail: Patrick Smith, 18, walks back dejected after he asked his high school crush Jen Malespina to the prom in front of 2,000 people, not knowing she already had a date. In the background the crowd are heard jeering

Patrick Smith, pictured with YouTube sensation Michael from VSauce, said he didn't anticipate the video of his failed proposal to Jen Malespina (pictured right) being watched thousands of times on the internet

The humiliating clip was uploaded to Twitter by his friend, and has been seen thousands of times around the world.

Patrick, who studies at Park Ridge High School in New Jersey, told MailOnline he was initially mortified that he had been rejected.

‘I spent a bit of time planning the proposal, I really thought she was going to be the one.

‘Apparently she already had a date and I had no idea.

‘At the time I felt pure embarrassment. You can’t even put it into words. I was like, ‘Oh my god, I was just rejected in front of 2,000 people.'

‘I was pretty confident she would say yes.’

Patrick had even asked his friends in the crowd to film the proposal – but didn’t expect the failed incident would be put on Twitter.

‘I really wanted them to film it, but when I saw one of my friends had uploaded it onto the internet I was like, come on.

'Immediately my friend Eric's Twitter blew up., It got 400 retweets.

‘Within a couple of days I decided to embrace the pseudo-fame of it all. It's pretty funny.’

The object of his affections, Jen Malespina, told MailOnline she was taken aback by the attention the video received.

Confident: Patrick said he spent a while planning the proposal, and was confident she would say yes

Embarrassed Patrick, 18, told MailOnline there were no words to describe the embarrassment that he felt

'I felt awful saying no but at the same time he never asked me beforehand about it', she said.

'I didn't know he was going to ask me, we are still friends and I think the video is kinda funny to look back on and laugh about now.

'I'm very excited for prom, it's on Friday and now that this is in the past me and Patrick are able to joke about it.'

And despite his first failed attempt, the unfortunate episode didn’t put Patrick off from another grand proposal.

He drove to friend Lilli Abraham’s home and held a sign outside her house, asking her whether she’d be his date to the prom – and luckily she said yes.

‘I talked to her friends beforehand to make sure she wasn’t going with anyone', he said.

‘She was very aware of my first rejection – she found it hilarious.’