James Arthur came under fire after branding an unknown rapper a "f**king queer" during a rap battle, leading to a high-profile Twitter argument with openly gay Lucy Spraggan and many fans requesting a refund on his new album.

So it makes sense that the Recovery singer took the chance to apologise for his behaviour after performing live on stage for Sunday's episode of The X Factor.

Speaking to Dermot O'Leary, James said: "It's been an amazing year for me. There's been incredible highs paired with some terrible lows. I've made a few very silly mistakes.

"I just want to thank all the people who are still supporting me and especially The X Factor for giving me the opportunity to do my dream job.

"Above all, I'd like to say sorry for abusing my position as an X Factor winner, because I owe everything to this thing."

His apology came after his sister, Sian, revealed to the Sunday Mirror that James has been "diagnosed with depression and anxiety attacks" after struggling with fame.

She said: "He put it really simply to me. He just said, 'Fame has mentally broken me'."

"Sometimes I wish he'd never won X Factor. Despite finally having what he's always wanted, he says he feels like a caged animal surrounded by yes-men and is really lonely.

"He turned down media training and I think he has really struggled with this new world."

Sian, who is two years older than the 25-year-old singer, urged people to "move on" and end the "hate campaign" targeted at her brother.

"It was the wrong word to use, no excuses - but he apologised immediately and the hate campaign against him has gone too far now. He made a mistake and he's so sorry about it that he's making himself ill with worry.

"He's human and people need to move on from a mistake that he made that he's deeply, deeply sorry for."

However, despite this, viewers of The X Factor have continued to slam James as "disturbing" and "homophobic".

Twitter user Kevin O'Sullivan said: "The X Factor's sad little attempt to rehabilitate that homophobic oaf James Arthur tonight was nothing short of pathetic…"

Another tweeted: "James Arthur thinks it's OK to call a rapper a "fking q*r". Something tells me he'd not be invited back if it was a racist slur #XFactor."

A fellow user added: "The X Factor should be ashamed of James Arthur after his recent escapades. They dropped Matt Cardle quick enough & he wasn't even a bigot!"

Whilst another tweeted: "James Arthur, that performance was disturbing. But not as disturbing as that interview with Dermot. #XFactor."

James Arthur's return to the X Factor stage marked his first public appearance since he was diagnosed with acute exhaustion on 22nd November.

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