'After 100 gigs I finally sang with James Arthur'

Milly Kirk sang with the star at a sold-out gig at Le Trianon theatre in Paris on 8 February

A James Arthur superfan who has been to almost 100 gigs said singing live with him was "the best day of my life".

Milly Kirk, 19, from Harlow, Essex, was invited on stage by Arthur at a concert in Paris.

They sang 'Just Us' together in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 1,000 fans.

Ms Kirk, a budding singer, said being on stage with him made her want to work as a professional performer.

Ms Kirk says her boyfriend Lewis became a James Arthur fan after they got together

"When I walked on the stage the crowd was going crazy," she said.

"It felt like everything I had done, all the money I had paid to see James, all the places I had travelled to had all paid-off for this moment."

"It was very overwhelming."

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Ms Kirk said she became an Arthur fan after watching him win ITV's The X-factor in 2012.

She set up a social media fan page for him in 2016 and had spent about £10,000 attending gigs across the UK and Europe.

Ms Kirk was seven years old when Arthur won The X-Factor

Having met him "many times" in the past, it was after a gig in Belgium in January that Ms Kirk asked Arthur if she could sing with him, and he agreed.

"At the start of the song I was very nervous, my vocals weren't great as I couldn't hear myself properly," Ms Kirk said.

"But about halfway through the song I just let it all go and seeing the crowd's reaction was just insane."

Ms Kirk's boyfriend, Lewis Brown, 20, who also attended the gig, added: "I was so proud of her, she'd been waiting for this moment her whole life.

"I was there on my phone trying to record her, but I was shaking at the same time."

Milly says she is still struggling to "comprehend what happened"

In 2022, Arthur, who has had 13 UK Top 40 singles and two number-one albums, took part in a BBC Three documentary where he opened-up about his mental health struggles.

Ms Kirk said his music had helped her through bouts of anxiety and depression, and that becoming a professional singer would allow her to support other people.

"His music has spoken to me over the years and made me feel like I'm not alone," she added.

"I want someone to look up to me and be the reason I've saved their life."

Ms Kirk, who works as a waitress, is due to attend 10 James Arthur gigs before the end of the year.