Gabrielle Rockson is a staff writer-reporter for PEOPLE. She joined PEOPLE in 2023 and covers entertainment and human interest stories. Her previous work can be found in OK! Magazine, MyLondon, GRM Daily, and more.

Joey Fatone is opening up about his recent *NSYNC reunion and performance.

Appearing alongside Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean on Tuesday’s episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show, Fatone, 47, revealed he didn’t tell his mom and dad that the group would be reuniting at fellow bandmate Justin Timberlake’s one-night show in Los Angeles earlier this month.

“I didn’t tell nobody. I didn’t even tell my parents,” Fatone said, joking, “My father has a very large mouth. He likes to tell anybody; he’s very proud.”

“My mom would always be quiet, but I always have to tell them like right before or right after,” he continued. “I didn’t tell my publicist; I didn’t tell nobody. … Surprise!”

Joey Fatone and his dad, Joe Fatone Sr.JOEY FATONE/INSTAGRAM

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The *NSYNC special performance marked the group’s first time performing live together since the 2013 Video Music Awards.

In videos shared on Timberlake’s Instagram Story, the crowd screamed as a large curtain unveiled Fatone, Lance Bass, JC Chasez and Chris Kirkpatrick.

The band then performed several of their massive hits, including “Gone,” “It’s Gonna Be Me,” “Girlfriend” and “Bye Bye Bye.”

They also sang “Paradise,” the second-to-last track on Timberlake’s new album Everything I Thought It Was, which is listed on the album as featuring *NSYNC.

“It was really exciting; it was kinda just fun,” Fatone recalled to Jennifer Hudson. “It was almost like we have not been around, obviously, for a long time ’cause we haven’t, and then when we came out, it was just like ‘What?!’ “

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“We have a new song called ‘Paradise’ that’s on Justin’s album. It was just one of those things where Justin asked us to do the show. We’re like, ‘Yeah, why not?’ And then we kind of played some old-school stuff, and people went crazy.”

“I was there, and it was awesome. I was dead center,” said McLean, 46, adding that he didn’t know about the *NSYNC reunion “until I walked backstage before the show and I saw [Joey] and then I saw Lance, and I was like, ‘Ohhh!’ “

“When they all walked out, the screams were unbelievable,” he raved of his fellow pop stars. “They didn’t miss a beat. Honestly.”

Meanwhile, fans get to see more of Fatone (and McLean!) on stage, as they are currently on the  A Legendary Night tour together.

The pair perform a mix of their groups’ hits, as well as other songs, alongside a seven-piece band.