Pop svengali Scooter Braun has spoken about his working relationship with Justin Bieber, revealing that he feared that the singer might die during his much-publicised troubles around five years ago.

Bieber was frequently in the media for the wrong reasons during the period 2013-14, with issues including leaked controversial videos, and arrests for assault and dangerous driving.

Braun has been Bieber’s manager for a decade since he discovered the Canadian star singing covers on YouTube, and oversaw his transformation into a global pop icon. However, speaking to The Guardian this week, Braun admits that he felt like he “failed” Bieber when he was in a “dark place”.

The turning point coming as Bieber “looked me in the eye and said: ‘I’m making a change’,” Braun explained.

Justin BieberJustin Bieber with Scooter Braun (l) and Usher (r)

“I was not going to give up on him, I was not going to let him die, I was not going to put him in that position of: ‘Oh, let’s just keep him working’.”

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“At the end of the day, I would choose this result over what I was dealing with, a thousand times over,” Braun said about Bieber’s turnaround, crediting it to his Christian beliefs.

“The best thing that happened to Justin Bieber is that he found God. He was able to remove himself from being worshipped, and realise he’s in service to others. Because I don’t think human beings are built to be worshipped.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Braun, who also manages Ariana Grande, said that he’s working with the controversial Kanye West again, having been hired then fired earlier this year.

“I really do love the guy,” Braun said. “We'll see how long it lasts, but I'll always be a friend to him. We're not going to use the word 'manager' - it's not a word that he likes, nor does it really describe our relationship.”

More: Kanye West splits with long-term manager – Scooter Braun poised to take over