The bleached blonde teenager who went viral after begging everyone to leave Britney Spears alone is sweeping the internet again thanks to pictures showcasing his dramatic transformation nine years later.

Chris Crocker, 28, from Bristol, Tennessee, who made the tearful clip defending the singer after her disastrous performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, has shared photos in which he looks unrecognisable on his Instagram feed.

But after the pictures of him showcasing gleaming teeth, sculpted arms and facial hair were branded 'hot' by fans, the singer and comedian posted a video message on Facebook to explain the reasons behind his new look.

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Chris Crocker, from East Tennessee, previously filmed himself in tears in an emotional video which went viral begging people to leave Britney Spears alone

Chris posted a video which went viral in 2007. Chris was upset by criticism of Britney's performance in the 2007 Video Music MTV Awards

He explained in the video posted on his Facebook page that the reason he had built up his muscles and adopted a conventionally masculine apperance was simply a matter of personal safety.

In the response to being suddenly labelled, 'hot', he said: 'I know a lot of people are just going to say just take a compliment and shut up. Who doesn't like compliments, right?

'I wanted to say we should always feel attractive, not when society tells us we're attractive. For many years of my life I have identified as transgender and I have not had the finances to transition and so living in Tennessee, living in a town where it's not safe for me to be my full self. I've adapted to my surroundings.

'When I hear that I've gotten hot I immediately think was I just not hot before because I was androgynous?

'And although we all love compliments, we should... inner knowing of who we are and inner confidence beats a million people telling you that you got hot as long as you're happy with the way you look.

'And as long as you know you're expressing your true self that's what's most attractive. And to be honest sometimes I don't know if I am being my full self. I'm being my full self as much as I can in the moment where I can't do anything about transitioning.

Chris now looks incredibly different with brunette hair and appeared to have become more muscular

The YouTuber made his viral video not long after Britney's 'comeback' performance at the VMAs (pictured), which was panned by critics and fans alike, many of whom claimed she looked lacklustre and out of shape

'A lot of people are like, 'why do you have the beard? Why do you have this, why do you have that? But they don't know my daily life of surroundings and circumstances and still living with my family at 28. And there's just a lot of different things really.

'I just want to say I appreciate the compliments, of course who doesn't like a compliment, but you always have the right to feel attractive not just when society tells you that you are. And sometimes the most quirky and different things about us are what's most attractive, not when we blend in and when we become what society thinks is as attractive or hot.

'So I just wanted to say that everyone out there who might feel different don't wait for society to clap for our or to or affirm you. Affirm yourself and that's when your confidence will be firm.'

Chris, who has 332,000 followers on Instagram, shared his video message in response to gushing comments from his followers about his looks

@Carolem posted on his Instagram: 'He looks so different here like a new person' while @MissJazzie wrote: 'Nine years later, he looks so different in a good way.'

Other commenters were just as complimentary, @AlexWells1989 posted on Instagram: 'Why is he so hot?'

The video star has been open about his gender identity since 2014. In an interview with Queerty in 2014, he said he would be '100 p[er cent happy living as a girl'

Many commenters on Instagram called Chris 'hot' and noticed his change in appearance

He told the site: 'I started very androgynous. And now I’ve kind of gone … 360. So now I’m starting to wear girls clothes again, and I’m trying to grow my hair out, because I feel I wasn’t happy living as an everyday masculine guy.

'It keeps coming up: do I want to transition? Because I’m getting older... and you start hardening in the face and everything else. So it’s hard, because I know I would have no problem completely transitioning for myself. … But I come from a Pentecostal family, so you know.'

Chris took to his Facebook page in December, 2014, to discuss his identity further. He wrote: 'Being Transgender is not always black and white. It is on a scale for everyone. For me, I feel split between male and female. Some feel 100 per cent man, though they were born physically female. And vice versa.'

He added that, 'just because I do not present myself aesthetically female any more does not mean I have changed my mind. It means I fear for my safety living in Tennessee, where everyday became a battle.'

He also admitted that while dressing male wasn't 'uncomfortable' he did feel that a part of him was being repressed. Chris also added that for now he didn't have a current preference about pronouns in reference to his gender.

Chris first found fame in 2007 when his video pleading for people to leave Britney alone earned over four million views in two days when YouTube was still in its relative infancy.

Chris swapped blonde hair for a coiffured brunette hairstyle and regularly posts selfies

Chris spoke about identifying as transgender in a video posted today and said he had adapted to his surroundings in Tennessee by changing her appearance

In the video, Chris declared: 'All you people care about is readers and making money off of her.

'She's a human! Leave Britney alone!'

The internet star made the clip after Britney's 'comeback' performance of her then-newly released hit Gimme More at the MTV VMAs in 2007 was panned by critics and bloggers.

Her less-than-stellar rendition of the song, which she performed in a sparkly silver bra and underpants, came less than seven months after Britney suffered a very public breakdown and shaved her head, and just two months after her divorce from ex-husband Kevin Ferderline was finalised.

CHRIS'S VIRAL SENSATION Chris Crocker's 'Leave Britney Alone' video became a viral sensation after it was posted in 2007. The melodramatic clip made him a YouTube star and Wired magazine named it their top video of that year. Chris deleted the YouTube channel in October 2015 but before then the video had received over 50 million views. Advertisement

All of which are issues that Chris addressed in his video when he slammed the public for attacking her when she was going through such a tough personal time.

'She lost her aunt, she went through a divorce, she had two kids, her husband turned out to be a user and a cheater, and now she's going through a custody battle,' he added.

After the video he became an online celebrity, even being interviewed on national television about the video.

He released his first single, 'Mind in the Gutter,' in 2008 and continued releasing music.

In 2012, a documentary about Chris was released titled Me At The Zoo, looking at how the video and sharing online had shaped his life and it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2012

Chris previously said: 'I change genders or gender aesthetics. I don't know that I'll ever be content just one way or another.'