James Blunt wanted to 'punch himself in the face' after 'bad' career moments

21 October 2023 , 16:14

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James Blunt wanted to 'punch himself in the face' after 'bad' career moments

James Blunt admits wanting to "punch [himself] in the face" after a number of awkward run-ins throughout his glistening music career.

The You're Beautiful hitmaker has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide and enjoyed a nearly two-decade career, providing him with fame and fortune. But not everything has gone to plan throughout James' time in the industry.

With artists saying they'd rather "eat [their] own s**t" than work with him, world-famous stars refusing to shake his hand and renowned artists moving out after he moved to their area, James has well and truly gone through it.

James opened up about his career in a candid interview (Getty Images)

Despite the awkward ordeals with Paul Weller, Mick Jagger and Noel Gallagher in Ibiza, respectfully, James admits wanting to hit himself. "To be honest, when I look back I want to punch me in the face," Blunt told The Times.

"I came out of boarding school and the army and I was very naive and I got a bit of a kicking. Did I deserve it? Yes, probably. Has it kept my feet on the ground? Definitely. And like boarding school, I’ve sort of come to enjoy it. Was I beaten at school? Yes, I was. Did I enjoy that? Yep, probably, and I’m just getting a bit more of it now."

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He told the newspaper he'd once again like to "punch [himself]" after watching back his own awards acceptance speeches. "I honestly wanted to punch myself in the face just as much as anyone else, so maybe they were on to something."

Addressing the awkward ordeal with Noel, James said that house prices "rocketed". He joked: "I honestly couldn't say if that was because I'd arrived or because Noel had left. But I get his point, and although my music is as limp as lettuce, I actually love dance music and nightclubs."

It comes after James revealed the inspiration behind one of his biggest hits last year. He has released a series of hit songs over the years, but his 2005 offering, 'You're Beautiful', still remains his best-known tune.

Speaking on The John Bishop Show in February 2022, James confessed that while his third single may be used in romantic settings, 'You're Beautiful' actually has a quite creepy origin story. Appearing alongside comedian Katherine Ryan on the ITV show, the crooner was asked about his most famous song and just what inspired him to write it.

"It's about me stalking somebody else's girlfriend on the underground while I'm high," the singer told host John Bishop. "But people play it at their weddings, which is nice."

Viewers watching at home were stunned by the revelation, with one taking to Twitter to write: "Just read the lyrics of @JamesBlunt You're beautiful- it really is about a high stalker #TheJohnBishopShow," adding a mind-blown emoji.

Harry Rutter