--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Not only was I an 'X Factor' winner that…" description: "\"Not only was I an 'X Factor' winner that got dropped by Syco - and when that happens, you're never heard of again - but everyone thought I was a clown...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f5/james-arthur-3067_again_not-only-was-i-an-x-factor-winner-that-g_2687798.png" --- # Not only was I an 'X Factor' winner that got dropped by… ![“Not only was I an 'X Factor' winner that got dropped by Syco - and when that happens, you're never heard of again - but everyone thought I was a clown.” quote by James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f5/james-arthur-3067_again_not-only-was-i-an-x-factor-winner-that-g_2687798.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f5/james-arthur-3067_again_not-only-was-i-an-x-factor-winner-that-g_2687798.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f5/james-arthur-3067_again_not-only-was-i-an-x-factor-winner-that-g_2687798.png) > “Not only was I an 'X Factor' winner that got dropped by Syco - and when that happens, you're never heard of again - but everyone thought I was a clown.” [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Winning a competition does not guarantee lasting success; industry decisions can abruptly end a career. **In simple terms:** Success can be fleeting; resilience is needed. Key Takeaway Plan for sustainable growth beyond initial fame. Themes career volatility industry politics personal resilience Mood determined realistic Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - post‑show career - brand building - financial planning - mental health Key Concepts artist development media cycles Questions to Reflect On - How will you diversify your career? - What support systems can you build? A Different Perspective Industry gatekeepers can limit opportunities despite talent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clown/) [Winner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winner/) ## Related quotes > [After I got dropped by Interscope, I knew in my heart that I had to fight back some way or not rap at all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-gibbs/after-i-got-dropped-by-interscope-i-knew-in-my-heart-that-i-had-to/) [Freddie Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-gibbs/) > [Will people think I've been dropped? Oh God, you don't want people to think that. No one will want to touch you if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-braxton/will-people-think-i-ve-been-dropped-oh-god-you-don-t-want-people-to/) [Toni Braxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-braxton/) > [When I got dropped, no one really wanted to work with me... I felt like my career was over and I didn't really know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-nesbitt/when-i-got-dropped-no-one-really-wanted-to-work-with-me-i-felt-like/) [Nina Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-nesbitt/) > [That's what makes a fighter. I got dropped and I got back up, and I found a way to get the win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-ward/that-s-what-makes-a-fighter-i-got-dropped-and-i-got-back-up-and-i/) [Andre Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-ward/) > [There are a lot of people who got dropped as a baby, apparently you got thrown at a wall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/there-are-a-lot-of-people-who-got-dropped-as-a-baby-apparently-you/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [We had been working. We had a bunch of songs written and it came time to make the record, so we had our lawyer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-ween/we-had-been-working-we-had-a-bunch-of-songs-written-and-it-came-time/) [Gene Ween](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-ween/) > [I felt like everyone was shitting on me, like, "She didn't get that deal with Interscope. She got dropped! She won't get another project!"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-azalea/i-felt-like-everyone-was-shitting-on-me-like-she-didn-t-get-that-deal/) [Iggy Azalea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-azalea/) > [The moment I'm most proud of my career is when I got dropped by the headkick by Carlos Condit. I fell down and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-st-pierre/the-moment-i-m-most-proud-of-my-career-is-when-i-got-dropped-by-the/) [Georges St-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-st-pierre/) > [“Whatever happened to women who liked to be swept off their feet?' 'They got dropped,' Diana said flatly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/whatever-happened-to-women-who-liked-to-be-swept-off-their-feet-they/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [I want to say sorry for abusing my position as an 'X Factor' winner because I owe everything to this thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/i-want-to-say-sorry-for-abusing-my-position-as-an-x-factor-winner/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [I try to be the clown and court jester and make people laugh. At the same time, you have people in the hospital who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-simmons/i-try-to-be-the-clown-and-court-jester-and-make-people-laugh-at-the/) [Richard Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-simmons/) > [When fighting clowns, always go for the juggler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/when-fighting-clowns-always-go-for-the-juggler/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) > [I wanted to be a clown when I was a kid, so I love interacting and goofing around with kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-stonestreet/i-wanted-to-be-a-clown-when-i-was-a-kid-so-i-love-interacting-and/) [Eric Stonestreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-stonestreet/) > [There are two types of people in this world. People who hate clowns...and clowns. (Bobby Pendragon)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-j-machale-2/there-are-two-types-of-people-in-this-world-people-who-hate-clowns/) [D. J. MacHale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-j-machale-2/) > [“October 3, 2017 The clown, Hagarty said, looked like a cross between Ronald McDonald and that old TV clown, Bozo—or so he thought at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/october-3-2017-the-clown-hagarty-said-looked-like-a-cross-between/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) ## More by James Arthur > [Me and my mum didn't see eye-to-eye for a lot of years, and I've never really felt connected with my dad, because he wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/me-and-my-mum-didn-t-see-eye-to-eye-for-a-lot-of-years-and-i-ve-never/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [I'm a mix; I'm sure some of my Canadian friends find me very American, both in person and on the page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/i-m-a-mix-i-m-sure-some-of-my-canadian-friends-find-me-very-american/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [I often write from memory by walking around and talking to myself. Even when I'm working at a computer I write out loud, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/i-often-write-from-memory-by-walking-around-and-talking-to-myself/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [I'd like to think that maybe the average person is rational, and they realise that I'm not this crazy monster that, at times, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/i-d-like-to-think-that-maybe-the-average-person-is-rational-and-they/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [I had nothing and lived in the most insignificant place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/i-had-nothing-and-lived-in-the-most-insignificant-place/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [It can feel like your whole world is caving in on you, and if you don't speak about it, it gets worse. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/it-can-feel-like-your-whole-world-is-caving-in-on-you-and-if-you-don/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [If art doesn't require an audience, can an intimate conversation be a work of art? Can a thought be a work of art? Maybe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/if-art-doesn-t-require-an-audience-can-an-intimate-conversation-be-a/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [And treating poetry as a performing art emphasizes its ephemerality. A printed poem can be endlessly reprinted, photocopied, scanned, uploaded, cut and pasted -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/and-treating-poetry-as-a-performing-art-emphasizes-its-ephemerality-a/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [I want each poem to be ambiguous enough that its meaning can shift, depending on the reader's own frame of reference, and depending on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/i-want-each-poem-to-be-ambiguous-enough-that-its-meaning-can-shift/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [Memorizing the work of others definitely made me a better writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/memorizing-the-work-of-others-definitely-made-me-a-better-writer/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [People were telling me it was refreshing I was real because previous 'X Factor' winners were too afraid to say anything. I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/people-were-telling-me-it-was-refreshing-i-was-real-because-previous/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [Everyone wrote me off, including me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/everyone-wrote-me-off-including-me/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [I believe strongly in what John Keats called negative capability: the trait or practice that allows a poet to remain in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/i-believe-strongly-in-what-john-keats-called-negative-capability-the/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [When I had my first panic attack, I believed that it was a heart attack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/when-i-had-my-first-panic-attack-i-believed-that-it-was-a-heart-attack/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [As a species, we create tools to control our environment. What excites my imagination is wilderness: our materials' ability to escape our control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/as-a-species-we-create-tools-to-control-our-environment-what-excites/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) [Explore all 141 James Arthur quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) ## More Again quotes > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [I've always been interested in photographs, collecting them not systematically but randomly. They get lost, then turn up again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-g-sebald/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-photographs-collecting-them-not/) [W. G. 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I don't know if I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-wilson/i-don-t-know-about-writing-it-s-quite-lonely-you-have-to-have-a-lot/) [Ruth Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-wilson/) > [Inspiration comes from so many sources. Music, other fiction, the non-fiction I read, TV shows, films, news reports, people I know, stories I hear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/inspiration-comes-from-so-many-sources-music-other-fiction-the-non/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) > [You couldn't get me to go travel around and sit in a hotel room again. I have no interest in doing that. So everybody's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-everly/you-couldn-t-get-me-to-go-travel-around-and-sit-in-a-hotel-room-again/) [Phil Everly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-everly/) > [In theater, one of the biggest problems when you're rehearsing comedy over and over again is that you stop laughing at each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-ashley-carter/in-theater-one-of-the-biggest-problems-when-you-re-rehearsing-comedy/) [Lauren Ashley Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-ashley-carter/) > [I'd like to do some female roles again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cameron-mitchell/i-d-like-to-do-some-female-roles-again/) [John Cameron Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cameron-mitchell/) > [Death is a sniper. It strikes people you love, people you like, people you know - it's everywhere. You could be next. But then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/death-is-a-sniper-it-strikes-people-you-love-people-you-like-people/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [Well, a lot of our concerts do okay, and I know we still get royalty checks which still isn't that important, but again, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-johnston/well-a-lot-of-our-concerts-do-okay-and-i-know-we-still-get-royalty/) [Bruce Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-johnston/) > [Oh wow, you know what's wrong with all these families on TV? All these kids say stuff no kid would say. Stuff grown-ups want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macaulay-culkin/oh-wow-you-know-what-s-wrong-with-all-these-families-on-tv-all-these/) [Macaulay Culkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/macaulay-culkin/) > [We must resist the temptation of once again turning America into the traditional bogeyman of the left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-napolitano/we-must-resist-the-temptation-of-once-again-turning-america-into-the/) [Giorgio Napolitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-napolitano/) > [We won the Europa League in 2013 and it was an amazing night, an amazing feeling. 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