Reality Rocks

ICYMI: Watch The Entire Journey Of New ‘X Factor U.K.’ Winner James Arthur

By | Reality Rocks – Mon, Dec 10, 2012 11:38 PM EST

James Arthur wins "The X Factor U.K." Season 9While you were catching up on all those "The X Factor USA" episodes on your DVR this past weekend (or doing other things with your time), a talented 24-year-old troubadour from Middlesbrough, England, named James Arthur, won Season 9 of "The X Factor U.K.," with 53.7 percent of the vote.

"Congratulations James on winning X factor uk. You deserved this," Simon Cowell tweeted after James's victory on Sunday night (presumably from his Los Angeles lair, while concocting grand schemes to get Emblem3 into the finale of the U.S. version of the show).

So while doing some of my own TV catch-up, watching James's stunning performances from this year, I really started to wish that Simon and the Fox network would just air reruns of the British version of the series instead. There has been no one like James on "The X Factor USA" this second season, and that's a shame. I'm totally putting James next to Aiden Grimshaw, Cher Lloyd, and (humor me, please) Jedward on my list of all-time favorite "X Factor U.K." contestants. This guy really does have the X factor.

Check out all of James Arthur's performances from "The X Factor U.K." Season 9 in the playlist below, and let's hope his forthcoming album gets a Stateside release.

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