James Arthur saved my life, and then I got to sing live on stage with him

FAN MILLY ON SINGER'S SUPPORT IN DARK TIMES

- PATRICK HILL

SUPERFAN Milly Kirk grins widely as she cosies up to her idol James Arthur after revealing how he saved her life by helping her through a mental health crisis.

Singer-songwriter James knows all too well about struggling with anxiety and depression, writing the hit Suicide and movingly admitting a career low left him close to taking his life.

So when waitress Milly reached out to him for support after struggling for many years, the star helped her find her way back from the lowest of lows.

And their bond was cemented earlier this month, when James invited Milly, 19, to perform a duet on stage with him in Paris because he knew getting her to do something she loves - singing -, would make her happy.

Milly says: "James literally saved my life. I genuinely don't think I would be around today if it wasn't for him."

The teenager has been a huge fan of James's since he won The X Factor in 2012, when she was eight. She went to his concerts and meet-and-greet events from age 13 and she also runs an Instagram fanpage.

But from about age 11 Milly had also suffered anxiety and depression, and in 2021 reached out to her hero for help.

She says: "I never thought he would reply, but I messaged him saying 'Hi James, I'm feeling really down, I wondered if you could talk?"

"He messaged back saying 'Yeah, go on' and then he let me rant about everything that I was feeling and basically made my feelings validated and made me feel like I wasn't alone.

James, 35, an ambassador for mental health charity SANE, has spoken about his own struggles with drugs, anxiety and depression.