Since then, it has gone on to sell over 2.5 million copies worldwide,[1] making it the most successful winner's single in the show's history.

[5] Neil was a delivery driver, but also used to be a DJ and drummer for many years, while Shirley was a fashion model and later a sales and marketing professional.

[citation needed] In 2012, he auditioned in Newcastle for the ninth series of The X Factor, performing an acoustic rendition of judge Tulisa's "Young", before explaining his past, including a short spell in respite foster care and time spent in flats and bedsits after break-ups within his family.

He sang "A Million Love Songs" at bootcamp and was chosen as one of six contestants in the "Boys" category to advance to judges' houses.

After his judges' houses performance of "I Can't Make You Love Me", he was picked as one of 12 contestants to advance to the live shows, and one of three in the "Boys" category.

While being treated at the studio, paramedics determined he did not need to go to hospital, and he was ordered back to his hotel to rest.

[24] Following his victory, Arthur's winner's song, a cover of Shontelle's "Impossible", was released as a charity single for Together for Short Lives.

[33] It has sold over 1.3 million copies in the UK, overtaking Alexandra Burke's version of "Hallelujah" to become the best-selling winners single ever.

On 7 August 2013, Arthur announced that his next single would be called "You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You",[39] which was released to UK radio stations on 9 September 2013.

The song was officially released worldwide on 20 October 2013 and debuted at number two in the UK, falling just behind Lorde's "Royals".

It debuted in the UK at number two, behind Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP 2,[40] and became the 30th best-selling album of 2013 in the country.

Arthur responded to Worthless with his vitriolic diss track "Hey Mickey" issuing string of slurs directed at Worthless, rapping "Hilarious, precarious you Talibani confused, imbellic mimic of a gimmick" adding the slur "You fucking queer".

[43][44] This sparked outrage among the LGBT community and led to Twitter spats with comedians Frankie Boyle and Matt Lucas, and singer Lucy Spraggan.

[48] On 22 November 2013, Arthur's management announced that the singer would be cancelling all public engagements for the next seven days due to exhaustion.

[51] He took to Twitter to deny the claims;[52] however, on 11 June 2014, Arthur announced that he and Syco had parted ways by mutual agreement.

[53] During the summer of 2014, Arthur stated that he was working on his second studio album and was close to signing a new record deal.

[54] On 19 October 2014, Arthur released a collaboration with British record producer Rymez entitled "Kryptonite"; the song entered the iTunes top 150 on pre-orders alone.

[70] The same month, OneRepublic lead singer Ryan Tedder also confirmed that he would be joining the band and Fitz and the Tantrums as a support act on their Honda Civic Tour in the US and Canada during the summer.

[72][73] In early April, it was announced that he would be embarking on his first arena tour across the UK and Ireland with fellow X Factor contestant Ella Henderson as his support act.

[75] The same month it was announced that Arthur would be one of the vocalists featured on a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water", which was recorded to raise funds for those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.

[79] Two nights later he performed alongside Julia Michaels and Kelly Clarkson at Fresh 102.7's Fall Fest at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York.

[81] James Arthur released the song "Naked" as the lead single from his then-upcoming third studio album on 24 November 2017.

[83] In November 2018, Arthur was featured on The Greatest Showman: Reimagined, alongside Anne-Marie, for the song "Rewrite the Stars".

[84] In October 2018, James Arthur appeared on the Brazilian soap opera O Tempo não Para, singing the song "Naked".

[89] In July 2020, Arthur confirmed via Twitter that he had begun working on a fourth studio album "for the last couple of months", further revealing "I couldn't be more excited to share with you this new lane I'm playing around in, I think you'll be surprised in a good way.

[93] Arthur told Music Week that "[t]here was a definite genre or lane [he] wanted to do, which was mixing rock, guitar-based stuff with trap, hip-hop, and pop".

[94] Neil and Shirley – his father and mother, respectively – hardly spoke with one another for 22 years, but they agreed to attend Arthur's audition together in a family reunion to support him.

[98][99][100] In September 2016, after opening up about his struggles with drugs, anxiety and depression, it was announced that he had become an ambassador for UK mental health charity SANE.