Ah, James, now we can't speak for them across the water, but we here in Ireland don't think you're a "monster", just a bit of an eejit whose ego got the better of him by going on something of a rampage for the last few months.

Last year's X Factor winner has apologised again after his homophobic rant and Twitter rows have put his entire career at risk - and he insisted it was down to "foolish pride". Sounds like the working title of a future album.

He told The Sun on Sunday: "I've been an idiot. All I can say is it was ego - foolish, foolish pride. I got ideas above my station and I made mistakes. It's the only excuse I've got ... All my confidence has disappeared because the whole nation thinks I'm a homophobe who looks like a monster." Oh, "looks" like a monster.

The Impossibuuuhulllhullllle singer admitted he'd "had a couple of drinks" when he recorded a track responding to rapper Mickey Worthless' own song in which he called James a "puppet".

He explained: "My mates were telling me not to be a puppet and to hit back. I felt roped into it. At the time I was out with my sister and her boyfriend. I'd had a couple of drinks which I don't normally do. I decided to make a diss track. I made it in 15 minutes in my home studio. On reflection, it was the most immature, ridiculous thing I've ever done. The word 'q***r' was used in the rap which should never have been the case. In society you can't use language like that."

Ah, good ole' peer pressure. Where would we hacks be without it.