James Blunt has revealed the inspiration behind one of his biggest hits.
The singer-songwriter, 47, 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 on Saturday night, 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.
'You’re Beautiful' went to No 1 in the UK, Canada, Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands and Italy when it was released back in 2005, and is still a popular choice for a first dance at weddings.
James first spoke about meaning behind the lyrics on The Oprah Winfrey Show in March 2006.
"It's kind of miserable. It was about seeing my ex-girlfriend on the Underground in London with her new man, who I didn't know existed," the former soldier admitted a year after his song topped the charts.
"She and I caught eyes and lived a lifetime in that moment, but didn't do anything about it and haven't seen each other since."
Over the years, it has been speculation that the ex-girlfriend in question was Dixie Chassay, casting assistant for the Harry Potter films, but James has never confirmed or denied this particular rumour.
On Saturday night, the singer poked fun at himself and how unpopular his music can be to many.
Sharing a link to an article about Barry Manilow's music being used to repel parliament protesters in New Zealand, James joked: "Give me a shout if this doesn’t work. @NZPolice."
Authorities in New Zealand have been playing Barry's greatest hits in an attempt to disperse protesters camped outside the parliament building.
Twitter-loving James often uses social media to mock himself and make self-deprecating jokes at his own expense.
Last month, the Goodbye My Lover weighed in on the Joe Rogan/Spotify saga, with yet another light-hearted quip on Twitter.
After Neil Young's Spotify ultimatum of "it's either him or me" saw his music removed from the streaming service, James appeared to back his fellow singer.
"If @spotify doesn’t immediately remove @joerogan, I will release new music onto the platform. #youwerebeautiful," James joked with his 2.1million followers on Twitter.
Controversial podcaster Joe Rogan has been heavily criticised for spreading misinformation about the Covid-19 pandemic, openly sharing his anti-vaccine views on his Spotify series.
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