X Factor winner James Arthur has apologised for using homophobic lyrics in a diss track aimed at a rapper called Micky Worthless.

Worthless recorded a track which mocked Arthur and in response Arthur laid down a diss track of his own, taking pops at Worthless, calling him "fucking queer". Arthur also rapped "You're a terrible rapper, you should shoot yourself" in the track, reports The Mirror.

In a series of tweets which have now been deleted, Arthur apologised for using the homophobic slur. The Mirror has published the tweets, in which Arthur commented: "I just have to say I'm extremely disappointed in myself for being so naive with the diss track I made for an unknown rapper recently... I Would just like to make it completely clear that it was not meant in anyway as a reference to homosexuality... I realise where the term has come from in meaning... but used in the context of the rap battles I have grown up with it has come to mean something completely different... That said, I understand why it could cause offence and that definitely wasn't my intention."

He continued: "Some of the things said in this rap can be mistaken for homophobic slurs and I assure you homophobia is something I do not believe in. I have many many gay friends. In rap feuds/rap disses the words I used have a different intent. This is a straight man I was attacking. A straight man who littered his track with severe homophobic slurs towards me... Like I said though it was a rap diss".

Arthur's debut single 'Impossible' reached Number One last December and went on to sell over 1.2 million copies in the UK. He released the follow-up single 'You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You' in October, which was followed by his self-titled debut album, which was released earlier this month, going in at Number Two in the Official UK Albums chart, behind Eminem's 'The Marshall Mathers LP 2'.

In September of this year Arthur denied sending a sexually offensive tweet to a teenage fan. It was reported in the Sunday Mirror that Arthur, who won the ITV talent show last year, had sent a tweet to a 17-year-old fan containing the hashtag "#showyourboobstojamesarthur".

The newspaper also claimed that Arthur asked the girl to send him pictures using a private phone messaging app, before asking her: "Are you naked yet?" The girl told the newspaper: "He ended up creeping me out."

However, Arthur took to Twitter to dismiss the story, writing: "You work hard all year doing positive things then people try to decimate your character! I am a decent person and I treat women with respect."