James Arthur Page 6

Somehow, Myleene Klass' career is still alive, sort of. Believe it or not, Heart have handed her a special Christmas show, in which she can have special guests come in for a Christmassy chat and some mince pies, The Mirror reports. 

"I'm so excited to be joining the Heart presenter line up," Klass explained of her new show, Myleene's Klass Christmas (wow). "To be given my own show, a piano and the chance to work with some incredible people (as well as the seemingly constant supply of mince pies), is a lovely way to get in the Christmas spirit," she continued. Clearly a fan of The X-Factor, Klass has elected the prematurely ejected Ella Henderson as the first guest on her brand new project. Deemed an 'incredible' person by someone who is yet to prove that of herself, Henderson was considered to be an X-factor favourite before her shock eviction from the show. 

James Arthur - the eventual winner of The X Factor - has been hitting the headlines for a very different reason. He's been mixing it up with ex-winner Matt Cardle, saying, "the blokes that have won before have had a niche, they haven't sold records because they haven't made great albums. That's the bottom line." To which Cardle hit back, saying, "I said, 'Look, James, you're very talented but you haven't sold two million records yet, which I have,'" Matt said, humbly taking his Mother Theresa costume out of the wardrobe and pulling it on while recounting a conversation which may or may not have taken place in his head. "You haven't had two top ten albums yet, which I've had. Don't start mouthing off before you've even really left the show."

Matt Cardle hasn’t taken a comment by recently crowned X Factor UK James Arthur too well, and has hit back in a rather agitated manner.

The Mirror reports that Arthur had commented that past winners of the show hadn’t done so well because they hadn’t created great records. Cardle took exception to that in a long rant: "I said, 'Look, James, you're very talented but you haven't sold two million records yet, which I have,'" we’re not sure if he actually did say that to James, but anyway. "You haven't had two top ten albums yet, which I've had. Don't start mouthing off before you've even really left the show” he continued.

"I doubt he's even listened to my albums. It's a shame and I hope it doesn't do him too much damage," the rant carried on, with Cardle sounding in absolutely no way bitter that his career hadn’t quite worked out the way he’d hoped. "Not only has he offended me but he's offended every other person that's won the X Factor and everyone who works or has written on these albums. That's some of the best songwriters in the world - all these people - and he's now rubbished their work. So it's a pretty s*** thing for him to have said." Can’t wait for Steve Brookstein’s response.

Jahmene Douglas - the runner up on this year's X Factor - has signed with Sony Music. The deal follows hot on the heels of Ella Henderson and Union J also putting pen to paper with the major label. Thanking his fans on Twitter, soul singer Jahmene said, "This is all down to all of your support! I'm EXCITED, eek manyblessings xx"

Despite holding the unofficial record of stretching every musical note to within an inch of its life, Jahmene clearly impressed Sony bosses and is likely to release his debut album in 2013. He's already signed on to appear in a TV advert for his former employers Asda, recording a version of Silent Night. Appearing on Lorraine Kelly's ITV show this week, the 24-year-old discussed his plans for the future, saying, "I see it as that growing process that you go through, and just a blessing because I've been through so much." Grimsby girl Ella Henderson announced her Sony deal last week, telling fans, "Thank u for your kind messages! X It's all of you who help to inspire my music!! I cannot wait for 2013," while Union J are presumably still in shock after being snapped up too.

Though history suggests The X Factor eliminees outperform the eventual winners in the charts, this year's victor James Arthur sold almost 500,000 copies of its single 'Impossible' in just one week. He remains on course to become Christmas No.1 

Continue reading: Watch Out James! X Factor's Jahmene Signs With Sony Music

Could James Arthur bag the 2012 Christmas Number One after all? Despite the bookies selecting The Justice Collective’s Hillsborough charity single as the likely candidate, it now looks as though James Arthur is now the favourite for the number one slot this year. His single ‘Impossible’ looks to be heading to the top of the chart, despite the huge support for The Justice Collective’s cover of The Hollies’ ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,’ which is raising money to help the families of those killed in the Hillsborough disaster with their legal fees.

James’ single is also raising money for charity. Proceeds from his single will go to Together For Short Lives, which debuted last week with sales of 490,000. The Managing Director of the Official Charts Company told STV “While James Arthur has an early lead over The Justice Collective after just two days of sales, it is exceptionally tight – especially with Christmas gift purchases likely to impact on both releases as the week progresses. It looks like being an extremely exciting race for this year’s Official Christmas Number One." So it’s not quite in the bag for The X Factor winner then, but he’s in the lead at the moment. Can he keep hold of his lead until the weekend? Or will the Justice Collective take over.

The Justice Collective features contributions from Sir Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams, Paloma Faith, Mel C and Rebecca Ferguson.

This year's X Factor has been criticised harshly as being the beginning of the end of the show, as well as receiving uncharacteristically low audiences. However, the single of it's winner James Arthur is easily on course to become the year's fastest selling single, reports ITV. As of midnight on Tuesday it had sold 255,000 singles just from online sales, and today's release of his new video is bound to bolster sales further still.

It's rather surprising that ITV didn't have a video lined up for James Arthur's winning Christmas single song on the 50/50 chance of his winning, but the five days it's taken to make has already almost guaranteed him the top spot this week. They may have spent the week working out an interesting and mysterious narrative for James to film during the week, but given that the final video is a montage of James Arthur's time on The X Factor, from first audition to winning, we suspect it's release is a tactical move, rather than logistical. As well as being on course to be the fastest selling single of 2012, 'Impossible' is also the highest selling single of any X Factor single predating it.

The emotional lyrics of the song are perfectly matched to the tone of the video which is a bit of  a tear-jerker, if you're that kind of person. Plus to top all of this good news off, all proceeds from the single goes to charity! Check the video out here:

Continue reading: James Arthur: Brand New Video For 'Impossible', Plus Fastest Selling Single For X Factor

Christopher Maloney, it was reported, had a complete tantrum the day after the semi-final in which he was finally booted out of the show. Since then there have been numerous reports from the other x factor contestants complaining about him and his attitude, in fact, as reported by the Mirror, James Arthur has even called for a replacement.

So, has Maloney's behaviour cost him a place on the tour? While the contestants have called for Kye Somes to take Maloney's place on the tour, the producers of the show have been considering special measures to ensure that he spends as little time as possible with everyone else. Some may question: why they don't just cut him from the show? but having won the public's vote for 7 weeks of the competition, it would be stupid to dismiss him from the show, facing the risk of losing a lot of people that may come only for Maloney.

As well as reports of him calling Carolynne Pool a 'C***' there were complaints about him throughout the live shows. A source told the Mirror, however, that "There is unhappiness over this decision to let him back. He wasn't universally liked whatsoever." 

Continue reading: Christopher Maloney Is Rejected By His X Factor Peers, Will He Appear On The Tour?

Kye Sones could be replacing Christopher Maloney on the x factor Tour 2012. The lineup change will be discussed by the show’s executives today, after several contestants including James Arthur, Ella Henderson, Jahmene Douglas and Union J showed their support for Kye over Twitter, with tweets like “@UnionJworld: #getkyeonthexfactortour wuld love @Kyesones1 to be there. Spread the word peeps much love x” :-)”. X Factor winner, James Arthur, tweeted simply “#getkyeonthexfactortour.”

The strong backlash came after Maloney’s rant backstage at the show final on Sunday, during which the 28-year-old singer clashed with backroom staff and used offensive language towards fellow reject Carolynne Poole. His behaviour only served to earn him the dislike of both the audience and the rest of the X Factor contestants. If the show’s producers heed the popular vote, Maloney will not be appearing on the tour in 2013. Kye Sones, on the other hand, has received huge amounts of support from the X Factor contestants, despite being eliminated from the competition as early as week 5. In the spirit of the social media age,

Christopher Maloney also took to Twitter to express his disappointment with the situation. Maloney tweeted "Plz stop online abuse,all I done was follow my dream,coming 3rd was an achievement.feel gutted I didn't win an im unwell right now, plz xx."

For someone who was incredibly lucky to still be in The X Factor come the final three, Chris Maloney has been behaving like someone entitled to talent and fame. Unfortunately, for him, he's lacking the former and enjoys the latter because of it.

Following his failure on the Saturday night final, when he was voted off, Chris's exit was unceremonious to say the least. But wanting his cake (telling everyone what he thought of him not winning) and eating it (coming back to perform in Sunday night's medley) Chris has shown his immature side, turning up for rehearsals drunk, before begging to be allowed back on the show after allegedly using the c-word. Speaking to The Sun, Carolynne Poole - a former fellow contestant explained: "He came in and basically, because I didn't say hi and kiss his a***, he called me a c***. Everyone heard it, even Jahmene, who was upset. We were rehearsing the group song and he wouldn't even stand next to me."

It looks as if Chris's ridiculous behaviour, considering he always talked about making the most of his opportunity, has cost him a place on the X-Factor tour due to take place in 2013. Not only is he missing out on a highly lucrative set of gigs, but he may have proven to temperamental to work with, crushing his already farfetched dream of being a recording artist. 

This year’s x factor winner James Arthur has now beaten Alexandra Burke to have the fastest selling X Factor winner’s single since the show began. The song was released online almost immediately after he was announced as the winner. Just 24 hours later, the track had been downloaded over 187,000 times, The Independent reports. That’s a pretty impressive increase on the previous title holder; Burke’s version of ‘Hallelujah’ sold 147,000 in the same space of time back in 2008.

This year’s X Factor single is James Arthur’s ‘Impossible,’ a cover of the song by Shontelle. Comparing Arthur’s popularity to other recent years, Leona Lewis’ ‘A Moment Like This’ sold 101,000 and Matt Cardle sold 112,000. Out of the list of previous winners, of course, Cardle is the one to whom James Arthur should pay the most heed. Leona and Alexandra may have gone on to have successful careers but Cardle serves as a stark reminder that even with a huge PR machine behind them, X Factor winners can quite easily sink without trace once the initial hype has drifted away.

Keen to keep the fans that he does have on side, James was quick to show his gratitude on Twitter once the news of the sales figures broke. “Wow just seen the figures for the single sales and it’s blowing my mind! Thank you all for buying it on iTunes.” He’ll have to wait until the end of the week to see if he can keep up the momentum and beat Shayne Ward’s first week sales of 742,000. 

Continue reading: Not 'Impossible' After All - James Arthur Bags Fastest-Selling X Factor Single

If you'd managed to avoid all news sources, Facebook, Twitter, and the television until now, you'll be overjoyed to learn that the bearded singer/songwriter James Arthur won x factor. Jahmene Douglas came a close second while Christopher Maloney was booted out on Saturday night.

James Arthur has said that he'll be running things creatively when it comes to making his album. He told the Daily Mirror, "I will insist I have total control. I've been given creative control throughout and I've been lucky to have my mentor Nicole Scherzinger as an ally who has helped me out when I have strongly disagreed with stuff." Adding, "I have a feeling I will be able to call the shots. They don't mess with me, I'm a badass, me."

Likewise, the 21 year old runner up, Jahmene, is set to sign a deal with Simon Cowell as well, according to the Metro. Louis Walsh said that Simon had "big plans" for both artists, and later, Gary Barlow praised both James and Jahmene, saying: "The albums are going to be great. I can't wait to listen to both of them."

Continue reading: X Factor Update: Now The Show's Over, What Happens Next?

Despite only becoming a prominent front runner in the competition at week eight, James Arthur took the x factor UK crown last night, beating out Jahmene Douglas and Christopher Maloney in the final held over two nights (December 9 and 10).

The Daily Mirror published the week-by-week votes from throughout the 10 weeks of live competition, and as recently as week seven Arthur was in the bottom two, having only taken 13.7% that week. What a difference a week makes, though, and sure enough the next weekend he was on top of the polls with 51.7% after two stunning renditions of Abba’s ‘SOS’ and Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’. He was never bested again, and so although last night’s final was undoubtedly tense, the result was perhaps a lot less in doubt than it might have appeared.

In the final held in Manchester, Arthur was comfortably clear of Maloney on the first night, singing ‘Feeling Good’ by Nina Simone and ‘Make You Feel My Love’ by Bob Dylan with mentor Nicole Scherzinger. Indeed, it was a busy night for Scherzinger given that Douglas was also her protégé, and so she teamed up with him for ‘The Greatest Love Of All’, made famous by Whitney Houston. With Thomas putting in a strong performance on the first night, it was no surprise that Liverpudlian Maloney was the first of the three to go, bowing out on the Saturday night. Last night, though, Arthur was victorious, 53.7% to 38.9%; he returned to ‘Let’s Get It On’ and ‘Impossible’ by Shontelle to step it up a notch and take the win.

Continue reading: Late Show From James Arthur Sees Him Seal UK X Factor Crown

It looks like x factor host Dermot O'Leary and co-judge Nicole Scherzinger showed up to the wrong set earlier this week, as the pair winded up pulling pints at Coronation Street's world famous Rovers Return pub, as opposed to getting ready for tonights X Factor grand finale.

Whilst everyone else involved in tonight's (Dec 8) live final, O'Leary and his Pussycat Doll sidekick found time to sneak away from final of the ninth X Factor series to visit one of Manchester's most famous pubs. Nicole tweeted a picture of the two on Thursday (Nov 6) behind the bar at the Rovers with the pints they pulled, with the cheeky caption "Oh... Just another day at the office!" - but judging by the standard of their pints, its probably best if they stick to their day jobs.

After the little excursion though it was time to get back to work, with Dermot heading back down to the studio to check out the rehearsals and Nicole getting ready for a few rehearsals of her own. As was the case last year, the final three acts will perform a duet with their mentor as part of their farewell performance, meaning Nicole will be singing twice with her pupils James Arthur and Jahmene Douglas, whilst top dog judge Gary Barlow will be taking to the stage to sing with Christopher Maloney. Next year, we really do hope that one of Louis' lot make it to the final to see how he does.

Continue reading: Dermot O'Leary And Nicole Scherzinger Grab A Pint At Corrie's Rovers Return Before X Factor Final

As much as The X Factor is an entertaining three hours per weekend, and we enjoy the thrill of competition, by the final week we'll be tuning in out of the fear (and unhappy probability) that the wrong person will win. This year's goose is Christopher Maloney, and while it seems more and more likely that he'll nab the prize, he is almost definitely not the person to do best out of the competition.

The runners up or third placers from seasons five, six and seven have all outdone the winners.  While 2008 winner Alexandra Burke has done pretty well, she just hasn't done it on the scale that JLS (who came second to her) have; they've taken the world by storm. Likewise, in 2009, Olly Murs- who has just revealed he'll be going on tour with Robbie Williams(!)- has definitely far outrun Joe McElderry whose name seems to have paled into the backdrop of a saturated pop music scene. The biggest non-winner success though is, of course, One Direction, whose latest album Take Me Home shot to number one in both the UK and US- they've even featured in a Forbes rich list. 

Clearly, winning really isn't everything, and if we were to bet we'd put our money on James Arthur as being the top seller and earner in the future. He's proven himself to be an accomplished musician and song writer as well as singer, which stands him in really good stead both for originality and future collaborations. Jahmene has a great voice and is likeable, but his 'sellability' really depends on future song choices during his career. Christopher Maloney may sell to grandparents, but they aren't the big buyers. We don't see him going far. Contact Music wishes all the contestants the best of luck in tomorrow's final! 

Simon Cowell has no plans for the future career of X Factor finalist Christopher Maloney, according his former co-judge Louis Walsh. The Irish music manager spoke to The Mirror about a phone-chat he had with Cowell earlier this week.

"Simon is in America working his own show. I spoke to him this week and I know he loves James and Jahmene but I don't remember him talking about Chris, no." Walsh - who has made no secret of his desire to see Maloney voted off the show - added, "Chris, who is Chris? Oh he is still there, the Liverpool guy. He has got a nan there. He is a good singer, but I don't think he is a star. He is like Tony Christie. He is a great singer but he is not Tom Jones." At one stage in proceedings, Maloney was reportedly pulling in double the amount of X Factor votes as his rivals, and it would be no surprise should be beat James and Jahmene on Sunday. "Last week in the semi-final on his first song he was good, especially if you close your eyes. But then I opened them - and he was there! Then when he did the Michael Buble song he was back to Chris the karaoke singer or cruise ship singer," added Louis.

Nevertheless, the bookmakers have Jahmene and James joint-favourites to win the show, offering 5/4. Maloney is lagging behind with odds of 7/2, though has rejected he could be the new Steve Brookstein, "You're joking aren't you? He's got his own talent and does his own thing, but I'm completely different," he told The Sun.

Continue reading: Simon Cowell Ignores Christopher Maloney And Hopes He Goes Away

Despite X Factor's Christopher Maloney garnering an inordinate and confusing amount of votes, at the moment, James Arthur is The X Factor's golden boy. This isn't only down to his heart melting voice and lyrics, but to his boyish charms and good looks which are already proving very popular with the ladies.

STV reports that him saying: "I'd love to fall in love and find a soul-mate. I'd like to meet a girl who I can write songs for and connect with on an emotional level. I'm quite a sensitive, fragile soul and I like to be looked after." Adding, "I've had a little bit of fun but nowhere near as much as people would have you believe. I wouldn't have the time or stamina to be dating all those lovely ladies. I'll definitely be up for pursuing some of the offers I've received after the show..."

In the run up to the final on Saturday, James Arthur has returned to his home county and Middlesbrough for a free gig for local fans tonight. Nicole Scherzinger arrived on the back of a motorbike dressed in leathers ready for James to show her around. According to the BBC this free gig is the first that he's performed to his local fans since appearing on the show, and one which he's more than happy to give. "It feels like the ultimate sense of achievement, the viewers like what we do and they want to see us in the future, so it's a real honour that people pick up the phone." He added, "There wasn't a lot to be proud of in the past for me, so to see them pleased to have their brother achieving good stuff - it is very nice for me."

We’re not entirely sure why James Arthur and Nicole Scherzinger rolled into Middlesborough on the back of two Harley Davidsons today (December 4, 2012). But they did. And Nicole made sure that she looked every bit the superstar, just in case James was under any illusion that he might be the star of the show at his emotional little homecoming trip.

That’s right folks, it’s that time on X Factor, when the camera crews decamp to whichever unremarkable British town the finalists happen to hail from, feed a group of schoolchildren a barrel-load of E numbers and force them to act excited about their returning alumni and film their family members quivering with tears (presumably because they know that their intolerable offspring will be returning to the unremarkable British town with an unmanageable ego that will take years to deflate when they lose to Christopher Maloney in the final).

The main point of this trip to Middlesborough, though, isn’t just to catch up with an over-dramatised account of James’ life in the land of the parmo, but to see what Nicole Scherzinger looks like in biking leathers. The answer to that, of course, is that she looks pretty hot. There she was, all trussed up in knee high boots, tight black trousers, dark shades, leather gloves and a leather biker jacket, whilst James looked visibly frozen, forced to keep his hands in his pockets to keep them warm. We guess the wardrobe budget for the day couldn’t quite stretch to two pairs of gloves, then.

The eliminated x factor boy-band Union J insist they are glad they didn't win the ITV singing show, pointing to examples of rejected artists who have gone onto have chart topping hits. The band left the show in Saturday's semi-final, though Jaymi Hensley told The Sun, "Nine times out of 10 it is actually better not to win. It is exciting times for Union J. We get the option to really work on our artistry."

One Direction failed to win the competition, though have since risen to become the biggest boy-band on the planet and Jaymi added, "We get the time but not the pressure of being the winners to really sit down and work out what style of music we want to do and make us a brand. We have got a lot of positives out of this and they outweigh the negatives." While the likes of Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke have tasted success upon winning the show, others including Steve Brookstein, Shayne Ward, Matt Cardle and Leon Jackson were all dropped from their labels. It is likely that other eliminated acts from this year's show - including Ella Henderson - may also emulate the success of the eventual winner, especially if it's Christopher Maloney. The Liverpudlian is already mentally spending his prize money, revealing, "The first thing I'll do if I win is buy my nan a new kitchen as hers is falling to bits - it's about 50 years old."

Maloney might be waiting for a long time to buy his beloved gran a new kitchen, given that the bookmakers have him as the 4/1 outsider to win on Saturday. Jahmene Douglas and James Arthur are neck-and-neck in the betting.

Continue reading: Why Are Union J Glad They Didn't Win The X Factor?

With just one week to go, Union J were understandably disappointed at Sunday's results which saw them leave the competition. However, in infinite good humour and good manners, the boys spoke on This Morning, today (3rd Dec. 2012) in support of Jahmene Douglas, James Arthur and Christopher Maloney, the three acts still in the running to win.

Quoted by the Sun, they said: "The judges weren't there to save us and also James and Jahmene are amazing, and obviously Christopher's getting the votes and he's fantastic as well." However they added that they "don't think it would do amazingly well for the show if Chris won... but then again, it is the public vote, so they're keeping him in." The boys managed to criticise Maloney without digging themselves a hole they can't get out of, saying "I don't think Chris would be a bad winner, but this year's been a massive year for talent, incredible, and, not saying he's not credible, but I think there's been a difference this year to other years."

These soft critiques from his colleagues will probably not be something that Christopher Maloney will be focussed on of late, given that as the Metro reports, he's been getting death threats via Twitter. "Death threats yet again! Disgusting! Police informed!" He said. Likewise, James Arthur has also been engaging in some Twitter beef, but this time with Frankie Boyle who has been 'dissing' the show and its contestants. Boyle's tweets included gems such as:

Continue reading: Union J Booted Out Of The X Factor But Still Supporting Pals Still In The Running

Here come the boys! It’s an unusual mix for the 2012 x factor final and not least because there’s not a single female in the running to take the crown for this year’s TV talent contest.

Instead, we have James Arthur, who has been hailed by his over-zealous mentor Nicole Scherzinger, as a true artist. A true, original artist, who absolutely does not sound like any other artist out there. Especially if you happen to be an American pop star, who possibly isn’t entirely au fait with the slew of male artists in the UK charts over the last few years, who have all sounded a little bit similar to James Arthur. And then you have Jahmene, the lovely young man with an incredible set of pipes and the worst case of nerves known in the history of the entertainment industry. Oh, sorry, no, scrap that – the SECOND worst case of nerves known in the history of the entertainment industry. That title, of course, must go to Christopher Maloney, the orange-skinned, grandma-loving Liverpudlian that has won over the voting public with his powerful vocals, his refusal to accept that the world has moved on since 1996 and, of course, his terrible case of nerves.

Union J were the last act to get the boot from the show, leaving these unlikely lads battling out in Saturday’s final. The show will be aired on ITV1 on Saturday December 8, at 8pm.

James Arthur has said that he will calm down with his partying antics and will not let them get in his way on the way to finding victory at end of the current X Factor series.

Despite seemingly being the frontrunner to take home this years crown, there is stil doubt placed on whether Arthur will prove to be the people's champion if he continues to let his hair down and continue his partying antics. However, after being spotted taking a mystery brunette back to his London home and having been snapped a number of times partying til the wee hours since the show began, James has said that he is completely dedicated to the show and will make sure nothing gets in his way as he strives for victory.

The X Factor contestant told The Mirror recently, "I've been working really hard and doing constant rehearsals and things... it is frustrating if people do think I am constantly out partying but I try not to take any notice of it."

Continue reading: James Arthur Says He Wont Let His Partying Antics Affect His X Factor Chances

James Arthur has reacted to suggestions that he's "cooler" than your average X Factor contestant after being made favourite to win this year's competition.

Speaking at a secret X Factor gig in London last night (November 29, 2012), Arthur said he didn't think he would be "embraced" by the public, but clearly he has as the British public have warmed to him greatly.

He said after teh secret show: "I didn't ever think The X Factor would suit me.I didn't think I'm the type of contestant they would normally attract. I'm just glad that they embraced me." On suggestions of his 'coolness', Arthur continued, "I don't know about this whole cool thing.I'm just really laid back and I don't impose myself on people so, maybe that's why it's working for me." Even though he's the favourite to win the show, Arthur appeared to be getting ahead of himself by teasing what will appear on his first album. "I think you'll hear a mixture of acoustic, rock, hip-hop, R&B, soul, maybe some dubstep."

Continue reading: James Arthur On Being 'Cooler' Than Your Average X-Factor Contestant

Frankie Cocozza set the bar pretty high last year when that paparazzi made him a big favourite in the tabloids. His illicit drug use fuelled that interest but ultimately got him sacked from the show. In a considerably more innocent manner, James Arthur was enjoying his celebrity status having pulled and subsequently papped outside a Mahiki in London, reports the Sun. 

James Arthur is one of only four acts left in the competition, alongside Union J, Jahmene Douglas and Christopher Maloney. James Arthur's beau from last night (Weds 28th Nov) was a brunette with 'orange legs' as the Mirror describes, false lashes, pencilled eyebrows, long black hair and a faux fur jacket. While James Arthur's performances have been hailed as 'one of the most authentic voices' by Unreality TV, it appears his taste in girls is a little less so. 

James bought her a rose and they certainly weren't camera shy as they shared a kiss. 'I didn't commit any crime - I'm young and I'm single and you only live once. I've only been out once or twice since I've been here," he told Heat Magazine. "I had a proper blow-out that night and got pretty drunk and probably went a bit too far. Unfortunately, it might have tarred me with a bit of a womaniser brush."

Continue reading: X-Factor Contenders Start Enjoying Fame

He might still be in the running to be crowned the winner of this year’s x factor, but James Arthur doesn’t seem to be taking it so seriously that he can’t enjoy a night out or even a cheeky cigarette – and on his latest trip out he managed to get himself a smacker on the lips into the bargain.

The Sun caught Arthur, who sang Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ during last weekend’s show, kissing a mystery brunette. The 24 year-old was out on the town with pals and was boozing and smoking like his life depended on it. Surely smoking can’t be good for the man given that he’s essentially resting his future (or, y’know, the next few months of it before everyone gets bored of whoever wins) on his voice, but never mind. We’re not singers, so we won’t judge.

Anyway, the most notable aspect of this night out to London nightclub Mahiki was that he kissed a mystery brunette after buying her a bunch of roses from a vendor on the street. Lovely stuff. The mystery woman looked pleased as punch to be hanging out with THE James Arthur (shortly to be known as simply ‘James Arthur’ again). He wasn’t the only X Factor man doing well for himself on the lady front though: Union J’s George Shelley was spotted hanging out with an attractive looking blonde lass. How nice.

Olly Murs may have scored a No.1 single this week - beating Girls Aloud to the top spot - though it seems it may not be enough to bag his Xtra Factor co-star Caroline Flack, who he's reportedly had his eyes on for months. James Arthur, a semi-finalist on this year's x factor competition, had admitted having a soft-spot for the ITV2 presenter.

He told New Magazine, "I think she's attractive, she's funny," adding, "I'd definitely take her out for a drink." However, James insisted that nothing would happen between the pair while he's still competing on the show. He explained, "I've got her number. If we do text each other it's a friendship thing..She's really nice, she is professional and she really wouldn't cross any mark in terms of speaking to any contestants differently to anyone else." Flack has a history of dating contestants on the show, having begun a relationship with One Direction heartthrob Harry Styles before facing a ferocious backlash from fans of the band. Flack was mobbed by the paparazzi for weeks before making a plea for One Direction Twitter fans to stop sending her death threats.

We're not sure whether James Arthur's online fan-base is as hard-core as the 1D followers, though we're pretty sure Caroline Flack would be the envy of even more teenage girls. Oh oh. 

Continue reading: Move Over Olly Murs! James Arthur Has Eyes For Caroline Flack

The X-Factor is hotting up after Sunday's Quarter final left Chris, Union J, James Arthur and Jahmene Douglas left to battle it following Rylan's exit after singing in the bottom 2. 

Simon Cowell's act, Christopher Maloney has allegedly come under some stick, with people saying he's getting the sympathy vote next to the prodigious talents of his competition, but this is something the show's bosses have moved to nullify. "The backlash is working for Christopher," a source told The Sun."The more people say nasty things about him, the more votes he gets. The feeling now is the less said about him the better." Xtra Factor host Caroline Flack said she thought people were voting for the singer. She said: "I think what's happening is people are feeling sorry for him. And that perhaps might be why people are voting -- but people are voting." However, X-Factor bosses reject that appraisal. 

Elsewhere, Rylan admitted that judge Gary Barlow has no ill-feelings towards him; "Every week Gary gives me a massive cuddle and tells me how well I've done. He does like me," he explained. "Gary has single-handedly kept me in with the whole 'me and Gary' situation. I have so much love and respect for the man and I look forward to working with him. What happens in that studio stays in the studio and he's been amazing. If the opportunity arose for us to do some work together I think we'd both jump at the chance."

The latest series of The X Factor UK is drawing to an end, and the competition couldn't be tighter with the remaining five contestants hotly battling it out for that winning spot. However, not everyone is entirely sure who will take home this years X Factor crown.

Jahmene Douglas is currently the bookies favourite to leave the show as the winner, with his fellow contestant James Arthur also tipping him to win the latest instalment of the show. In an interview with Heat World, James revealed his thought process into why he believes Jahmene will walk away victorious saying, "I think Jahmene will win it, yeah. Because he's amazing."

And Arthur isn't the only one who thinks so too, as Jahmene has a host of fans behind him who say that he will be this years victor, including former X Factor star Rebecca Ferguson.

Continue reading: UK X Factor: James Arther Tips Jahmene Douglas For Victory; Chris Maloney Says He Will Win

Some of the X-Factor contestants had another little taste of the celeb life when they attended a party thrown by the Kardashians at the Aqua Club in London, to celebrate the launch of their new clothing line in Dorothy Perkins.

The collection is called the Kardashian Kollection (original!) and will provide a much needed revamp to the high street store that has seen its profits plummet in recent years. Anyway, Ella Henderson, District 3, Union J, James Arthur and Rylan Clark all rocked up to the event for a fun night out.

Kourtney and Kim met some of them, Entertainment Wise reports: "We've just met Ella and she's great" they said. "If we could appear on any of the shows in the UK it would be x factor... And obviously our sister Khloe hosts the US version so we're fans." Rylan and James Arthur were interviewed outside by ITN. They're looking forward to this week's show, the theme of which is "best of british", and apparently there's "some big big songs" for us to look forward to, says Arthur. He added: "It's got to the point that we just want to progress in the competition." The ITN interviewer asked who Gary Barlow picks on- as we all see each week he seems to have it in for Rylan, but Rylan simply said "I love Gary, I think Gary's lovely... [he's] 'banter-Barlow' off stage". However, it was all cut short when Arthur mentioned that "Chris is a diva" and Rylan shuffled them both on. 

Continue reading: X Factor Contestants Experience Celeb' Life At Kardashian Party.