James Arthur has spoken of his struggle to adapt with fame, which he believes eventually manifested itself in a serious panic attack.

The singer went from a self-proclaimed "nobody" living in bedsits to the talk of the nation after winning the UK X Factor in 2012.

Speaking to the Mirror, the 'Impossible' star admitted that he feared for his life after suffering a panic attack on the way to the US this summer.

Arthur said that he was hospitalised in New York after the incident, which he feels was brought on by his sudden shift into the limelight. He said:

"When I got off the plane I thought I was having a heart attack. I couldn’t breathe and my left arm went numb. I couldn’t think straight. So I went to A&E in the Bronx. It was so scary. I was with this little skinny guy from the record company and I couldn’t string a sentence together.

“There were homeless guys next to me looking like they had just shot up. You hear things about the Bronx and guns. There were some pretty dodgy characters. I was freaking out and no one cared. I was there till four in the morning and thought I was going to die. In the end no-one saw me. They realised it was just a panic attack and I went back to the hotel.

“I started to calm down and went into the bathroom, knelt down and prayed. It’s quite clear that money doesn’t do anything for me, it’s quite clear that fame doesn’t do anything for me...I just didn’t know why I was feeling so unhappy."

The singer added that there was point earlier this year where he contemplated suicide.

Arthur meanwhile is due to release his debut self-titled album on November 4, with the record preceded by new single 'You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You' on Sunday (October 20).