Miley Cyrus breaks down during Saturday Night Live performance

The singer was visibly choked up during a rendition of 'The Twinkle Song'

Miley Cyrus (Getty)

Miley Cyrus left viewers concerned (and confused) after breaking down during an emotional performance on Saturday Night Live.

The “Wrecking Ball” singer's stint as a host was characteristically eventful, with Cyrus donning a number of questionable outfits, taking down Cecil the lion hunter Walter Palmer, appearing in sketches alongside Hillary Clinton (who delivered an excellent Donald Trump impression while simultaneously plugging her Democratic nomination) and performing her own musical cameo.

But proceedings took a more somber turn when Cyrus gave an impassioned rendition of "Twinkle Song" from her album Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz, bursting into tears mid-way through.

The singer was sat at a piano with framed pictures of a dog believed to be her late husky, Floyd, evoking mixed reactions from audiences at home.

Cyrus was reduced to tears by the loss of her dog shortly after his death during a performance in April, describing his passing as “the third worst” day of her life.

“I shouldn’t say he was my favourite but he was my favourite, he passed away,” she told an audience in Boston. “I just want to do a song for him. We used to always listen to Fleetwood Mac together, it’s his favourite song.”