James Arthur: What is the medical issue that sent the singer to the hospital?

In an interview aired on 17 October, singer James Arthur revealed that he needed surgery after performing at the Pride of Britain Awards.

James Arthur kidney stones operation
© Karwai Tang / GETTY IMAGES
James Arthur kidney stones operation

James Arthur won The X Factor in 2012 and quickly rose to fame. Since then, the singer has been navigating his career, dealing with its highs and lows.

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On 12 October 2023, James Arthur performed at the Pride of Britain Awards. The award ceremony, which has taken place every year since 1999, aims to ‘celebrate the achievements of truly remarkable people who make our world a better place.’ This includes world leaders, activists, artists and sportsmen and women.

Arthur’s performance was really well received but behind-the-scenes James was in immense pain.

‘I was rolling around on the floor in agony’

On Tuesday 17 October, James Arthur was a guest on Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden. On the show Arthur opened up about his acclaimed Pride of Britain performance.

He said:

this pain just sort of got progressively worse the further I got down this red carpet, I got back into the dressing room and I was rolling around on the floor in agony and I thought, what have I done here, this is crazy?

However, the pain didn’t stop him from performing. Instead, the singer explained that he ‘loaded up on paracetamol’ and carried on even though he was ‘in 10/10 pain at this point.’

Somehow, James Arthur managed to get onto the stage and ‘wince through the performance.’ Only after the end of it did Arthur tell his team that he needed to go to the hospital immediately. That’s when the diagnosis was made:

They did a scan, found a kidney stone

In his interview he said that he was getting ‘the operation tomorrow’ but according to his Instagram he got operated on the day the interview aired, on 17 October. The operation seems to have gone well and James Arthur shared a story on Instagram in which he was watching football.

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James Arthur

What are kidney stones?

According to the NHS, kidney stones are ‘quite common’. They can happen in ‘1 or both kidneys and most affect people aged 30 to 60.’

Though they are common, kidney stones can be ‘extremely painful’ and lead to ‘kidney infections’ or dysfunction. The symptoms of kidney stones are dependent on the size of the stone. If they are small you won’t notice them when they exit your body when you pee.

However, bigger kidney stones can lead to: ‘pain in the side of your tummy, severe pain that comes and goes, feeling sick or vomiting’. If you want to know more about the symptoms of kidney stones, click HERE.

It is important that you get medical help if you feel this four symptoms: ‘severe pain, high temperature, episode of shivering or shaking, blood in your urine.’ The causes of kidney stones are varied. Stones can appear if you don’t drink enough fluid but certain medication or conditions can raise the risks.

The best way to prevent kidney stones is to drink enough water and to keep your pee ‘pale in colour to prevent waste products forming into kidney stones.’

Read more:

5 signs you're dehydrated and need to drink more water

Hyperhydration: This is how much water you can drink before you die

Sources:

prideofbritain.com

Mail Online: James Arthur reveals he was rushed to hospital after the Pride of Britain Awards: 'I was rolling around on the floor in agony!'

NHS

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