James Arthur blasts PR team in latest Twitter rant

James Arthur has blundered into another online row after criticising his own publicity team for the messages they post on Twitter.

The former X Factor winner, whose most recent single Get Down made it to just number 96 in the chart, grumbled that the comments the team had written were 'embarrassing' and he would prefer one of his fans to do the job.

It is the latest difficulty for the 2012 show winner who has been in a number of rows on Twitter and has drawn criticism for his online views.

At the weekend he wrote about those running his account: "Please stop writing things like 'we think you would #LOVE This and that' or 'everybody #GETDOWN and buy this..' It's embarrassing. Stick to promoting Paul Potts please."

He added: "The job is now going to an actual fan."

James then asked for a fan to design the cover for his next collection of tracks, which he wanted to feature a killer whale called Tilikum which was involved in the deaths of three people and featured in a documentary called Blackfish.

The singer said: "Ideally I'd like him to be attacking a crowd of people, lashing out after being exploited."

Last year he temporarily withdrew from Twitter after being involved in online arguments and became embroiled in a homophobia row, for which he later said he was 'disappointed in myself for being so naive'.

Some have interpreted his latest comments as a suggestion he had axed his publicity team, but the PR firm representing him said they continued to do so.

 

Press Association

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.