James Arthur confident The X Factor ‘can still create stars’: ‘Simon Cowell has great ideas’

The X Factor has been off-air for almost three years but James Arthur is confident the competition ‘can still produce stars’ like the good old days. 

Simon Cowell’s long-running singing competition hasn’t aired since 2018 and host Dermot O’Leary said it was unlikely to return this year. 

However, ITV hasn’t scrapped the series entirely just yet and James, 33, reckons it still has a strong place in Saturday night TV. 

‘Of course it does. I think maybe the fact there’s been a bit of a break has maybe helped’,’ James told Metro.co.uk. 

The musician – who has just released his new single Medicine – continued: ‘I think the format of the show was something that people had gotten used to I would say. It got to the point where people knew what to expect. I suppose people consume television in a different way now. 

‘I think maybe there’s a few tweaks to be made to make it more engaging or something that young people can consume. 

‘I certainly think it’s still a great platform if the right person comes along in sound and look, they can still produce stars for sure.’ 

Praising the show’s Mr Nasty judge, James added: ‘Simon’s a real innovator and has great ideas and I’m sure he’s probably working on ways to make it  a huge success again.’ 

James, who won The X Factor in 2012, has thrown his hat into the ring to become a judge – sorry, Sharon Osbourne – and stated ‘never say never’. 

‘It sounds like fun to be honest and I think I’ve got pretty good insight in how to do well in the competition. I’m pretty honest in my feedback, I don’t know whether I’d be popular as a judge or the bad guy,’ he said, adding: ‘But I’d be up for it, definitely.’ 

James is perhaps a little too busy these days while working on his next album and auditioning for a mystery TV show in which he plays the lead. 

In other words, his comeback over the past five years is still going strong. 

Despite the number ones and sold-out shows, James admitted it doesn’t quite feel like he’s ‘made it’. 

‘I feel like I’ve still got a long way to go. I was nowhere at one point and the idea of me being in any way relevant again or playing on the radio again was like a pipedream,’ the Say You Won’t Let Go singer explained. 

‘The fact that I’ve got that and I still get asked to perform on TV… I feel really honoured and privileged that that’s happening. 

‘I’ve still got goals that I want to achieve and the full comeback, redemption story would be to me – it’s hard to say this without sounding braggadocious – I’m in the top 50 artists most-streamed artists in the planet and I’m in a handful of British artists that get over 35, 45 listeners every month on Spotify, yet at times I’ve felt like I’m not acknowledged for that or like I have to work twice as hard to get the support of the industry maybe because of where I’ve come from or people just don’t get me or don’t understand my personality.’ 

He added: ‘I feel like there’s a long way to go. I think Brit Awards and Grammys would be the icing on the cake, the fairytale and full circle.’ 

James’ latest single Medicine is perhaps his most raw yet with mentions of suicidal thoughts yet also one of his most uplifting as he overcomes depression with the help of his girlfriend. 

The songwriter said: ‘The song is a love letter to anyone or anyone who’s lifted me up during a dark time. It was definitely autobiographical in that I’ve been through the depths of the darkness, whether it be my girlfriend or friends who helped me out of those moments at that time. 

‘I just wanted to write a hopeful song and I feel like it’s doing that job. 

‘At the end of the day you’ve got to look at yourself in the mirror, society does. Maybe we’re a bit more introspective than we normally would have been due to the circumstances we were in and I looked inwards and dealt with a lot of demons I had previously and baggage I was carrying around. 

‘I did a lot of work on myself and I’m in a happy place thanks to the motivation that’s my music.’ 

James Arthur’s new single Medicine is out now. 

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