X Factor winner James Arthur apologises on Twitter for 'homophobic slur'
X Factor winner James Arthur has apologised after being accused by celebrities and fans of making homophobic comments in a song that appeared online.
The singer made the track as a "rap diss" attack on musician Micky Worthless after he branded Arthur a "pop puppet."
The lyrics in Arthur's song went: "You f** queer. Hilarious, precarious you Talibani confused, imbecilic mimic of a gimmick."
After receiving criticism for celebrities and fans on Twitter, Arthur replied:
He added that former X Factor contestant Rylan is "one of my best mates and he is as gay as they come!"
His comments drew criticism from celebrities on Twitter with Little Britain star Matt Lucas tweeting: "F* you @JamesArthur23 for using the phrase 'f queer' in your latest track. F*** you."
The X Factor winner tweeted an apology to the actor, who then responded by saying:
Comedian Frankie Boyle also criticised the singer by tweeting: "Nb; Battle raps usually rhyme. Try it. Eg. Arthur goes with carcrash / disaster / classless a*** and even 'gay hate slur.'"
Former X Factor contestant Lucy Spraggan also criticised Arthur by tweeting: