James Arthur documentary: what happened to X Factor winner, when is Out of Our Minds on TV, how to watch it

James Arthur rose to fame in 2012 after his appearance on The X Factor, but made headlines for various controversies after the show ended - his public fallout with Simon Cowell threatened to force the singer back into obscurity. However, Arthur made a comeback, has released several studio albums and remains a successful musician. He will now front a BBC documentary where he opens up about mental health struggles he has struggled with over his life.

Who is James Arthur?

James Arthur is a 34-year-old singer songwriter from Middlesborough who is best known for winning season nine of The X Factor in 2012. His parents split up when he was two years old and he spent four years living in Bahrain in Asia with his mother and stepfather from the age of 9-13.

When Arthur was 14 he entered voluntary part-time foster care for four days a week, living with his father the rest of the time. He began writing and recording his own songs when he was 15 and auditioned for The X Factor when he was 24.

Arthur found success on the show, being mentored by Nicole Scherzinger in the Boys category. He had an anxiety attack during the second live show, but went on to win the series, beating Jahméne Douglas in the final.

What happened to James Arthur after The X Factor?

James Arthur’s cover of Shontelle’s song Impossible became the fastest selling X Factor winner’s single on its release, gaining almost half a million downloads within a week. He released his debut studio album, James Arthur, through Simon Cowell’s label Syco.

In 2014 he received a backlash over using homophobic lyrics in his songs, and was eventually dropped by Syco. He has released three more albums - Back from the Edge, You, and It’ll All Make Sense in the End.

The singer opened up about his struggles with drugs in 2016, telling the Daily Mail that he was “probably always high” during The X Factor. He told The Sun that when he was at his lowest he would smoke 15 joints and pop antidepressants before going to bed. After speaking about his struggles with drugs and mental health issues he became an ambassador for the mental health charity SANE.

In 2017, he had a fling with singer Rita Ora and later said that he had also suffered from sex and gambling addictions. Arthur was on tour in the UK earlier this year, performing at venues across the country.

What is Out of Our Minds about?

Out of Our Minds follows singer and X Factor winner James Arthur in his life following his rise to stardom. The one-off documentary special follows Arthur’s highs and lows, with a focus on his mental health struggles.

Arthur suffers from anxiety, depression, and panic attacks and has felt suicidal - and is now considering going back onto anti-depressants. Out of Minds sees Arthur look inward at his own life and where his mental health struggles originated and searches for ways to cope in the long term.

When is Out of Our Minds on TV?

Out of Our Minds will air on BBC Three on Sunday 13 November at 9pm. It is a one-off hour long episode and will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer shortly after it is first broadcast.