James Arthur is having his tattoos removed.
The 28-year-old singer has countless inkings all over his body, but now he’s said he’s keen on getting the most visible etchings – on his neck, face, and hands – removed in a procedure that will cost him "a lot of money".
He said: "I’m having the owl removed from my neck, the tear from my face and a crown removed from my hand. I’ve already had nine sessions. They take a while and cost a lot of money but it will be worth it."
The decision to remove his tattoos comes as the ‘Say You Won’t Let Go’ hitmaker is planning on making a career shift from singing to acting, and doesn’t "want to be typecast" in roles that require his inked body parts.
He added to the Daily Star Sunday newspaper: "I really want to do acting and I don’t want to be typecast because of my tattoos."
And the desire to widen his career prospects comes after the former ‘X Factor’ winner recently made a comeback to the music scene after being the subject of controversy in 2013 when he found himself in a Twitter feud with Micky Worthless that saw him use derogatory homophobic language toward the rapper.
The ‘Recovery’ singer has said he "didn’t realise" the knock-on effect that his actions would have, and he has blamed his outbursts on the "pressure" of being in the spotlight.
He said: "I suffered with the pressure. I wasn’t prepared for scrutiny and attention. It felt super quick. I pressed the self-destruct button. I didn’t realise the repercussions and the devastation my behaviour would cause. My character behaviour, I was a very embarrassed by – it’s tough to look back on the adversities that followed my actions. I buckled under the pressure."
James Arthur: I want my tattoos removed
