James Arthur has heaped praise on ‘The X Factor’ for taking care of him behind the scenes.
The ‘Say You Won’t Let Go’ hitmaker – who won the ITV singing competition almost seven years ago – has wholeheartedly defended the show after 2015 champion Louisa Johnson said she struggled with fame and her experience, and he revealed how the team helped him during a "horrid time" as he tried to get used to living life in the spotlight.
He told the Daily Star newspaper: "I went through a horrid time and they looked after me really well. I don’t know how well a TV show can care for its cast members after they’ve come off the show.
"I think we should encourage people to speak up more, rather than put the blame on other people. Myself and Louisa [Johnson, who won in 2015], we come from humble beginnings and we are catapulted into fame and that is a traumatic thing to go through whether it’s good or bad.
"You need a level of counselling after something like that and that’s something I didn’t do until three or four years after ‘X Factor’ but when I did take it upon myself to do it I felt better for it."
Meanwhile, the 31-year-old star previously made it clear he’d love to return to the show and "get involved" as a member of the judging panel.
He said: "I’d love to get involved but I wouldn’t want to be a contestant. I’m still signed to a record label so I don’t think it would be right for me to take part in that way, but I’d definitely be up for helping out in some way."
And when asked if he’d be a judge, he added: "Yes I’d love to do that. If they want a really honest judge then I’d be more than happy to do it."
James Arthur says X Factor gives great support to contestants
