James Arthur reveals how fatherhood ‘removed his ego’

Singer James Arthur has said fatherhood has “removed his ego” and helped him kick “unhealthy habits”.

The X Factor winner, 35, who is father to daughter Emily, 14 months, said her arrival has changed his life.

He told BBC Breakfast: “It’s changed my whole perspective. It’s been quite well documented that I’ve had my struggles, my ups and downs with mental health, and I’ve been a big campaigner for that sort of thing, I’ve made documentaries for the BBC about it.

“I would have a tendency to lose my way in life quite a lot and having a daughter has very much given me a kind of an anchor and different perspective.

“Knowing that she’s there and that she’s my responsibility sort of removed my ego and the unhealthy habits that I had, so I’m very happy being a father, it’s great.”

The musician, who released his fifth album Bitter Sweet Love, last month, said he sings to his little girl, who he shares with partner Jessica Grist, at home.

He said: “I do it a lot. I’ve been playing some of the songs from the album to test.

“I wrote a song called Emily before she was born, almost sort of manifested it a little bit.

“I don’t actually sing a lot at home because my job is to sing, obviously.

“But she’s brought it back out of me as I’ve been getting the guitar out, I’ll play the piano at home a bit more.

“And she’s picking out the right notes, which is absolutely amazing. She’s 14 months. I don’t know how she was picking the right notes in the the key that I was singing, maybe she’s got she’s got my ears. My ears are pretty good.”

Arthur also clarified that he has no plans to quit music, but might take a break from recording to explore acting.

He said: “I’ve got maybe an album or two left and me and then I might park the music and do a bit of acting but by no means am I ready to quit or anything. I just might focus on that for a little while at some point.”

“I find it hard to look at. But I’ve come a long way. It’s like I said earlier, it feels like another lifetime ago. I was a young hopeful artist and it’s been a roller coaster.”