James Blunt finally reveals the creepy real story behind 'You're Beautiful'

16 February 2022, 13:16

By Thomas Curtis-Horsfall

'You're Beautiful' has undoubtedly been one of the most played and adored love songs of the past 15 or so years.

The 2005 track put James Blunt on the map as one of the UK's brightest and most heartfelt songwriting talents at the time of its release.

You're most likely to hear the song in romantic settings such as weddings, or proposals, or candle-lit dinners.

But despite the amorous feeling of Blunt's most enduring song, the inspiration behind it could be described as a tad creepy.

In a recent guest spot appearing on The John Bishop Show on Saturday 12th February, Blunt revealed the origins story behind the beloved ballad.

And it's not quite as hopelessly romantic as you'd think.

James Blunt - You're Beautiful (Official Music Video) [4K]

Appearing alongside comedian Katherine Ryan, the singer-songwriter confessed what inspired him to write 'You're Beautiful' when asked by John Bishop.

"It's about me stalking somebody else's girlfriend on the underground while I'm high."

Blunt then jokingly followed up by saying: "But people play it at their weddings, which is nice."

Let's just say the viewers at home were somewhat shocked as the Twitter reactions rolled in, with one person tweeting "You're beautiful - it really is about a high stalker" alongside a mind-blown emoji.

Upon its release, 'You're Beautiful' made Blunt a household name around the world, as the single reached No.1 here in the UK, Canada, Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands and Italy.

Years ago on The Oprah Winfrey Show, he hinted at the song's inspiration saying it was about his ex-girlfriend.

"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 told Oprah.

"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."

James Blunt has become a Twitter sensation because of his self-deprecating sense of humour. Picture: The John Bishop Show/BBC

Though you're still likely to hear the ballad at countless weddings, these days Blunt has become somewhat of a social media sensation amongst his 2.1 million Twitter followers.

More often than not because he pokes fun at his own reputation for being a bit cheesy with wonderfully self-deprecating humour.

Responding to New Zealand authorities using the songs of Barry Manilow to disperse protestors, Blunt joked by tweeting: "Give me a shout if this doesn’t work. @NZPolice."

Though the origins to his best-selling song might be a bit creepy, his sense of humour at least suggests he's incredibly down-to-earth.