X Factor winner James Arthur has toasted the 'spirit of the North East' for his victory and hit back at the show's haters as 'hypocrites'. The 24-year-old from Saltburn, near Middlesbrough, thanked his legion of fans back home for helping his battle for stardom. "Thank you for the unconditional support and love," he said. "Without them I may not have got this far, cos I'm sure that, knowing the North East spirit, they got behind their own. "The show has produced a lot of talent from the North East, it has nurtured people like Amelia Lily and the girls from Little Mix and Joe McElderry. I would like to carry on flying the flag for the North East." James gave a series of interviews from a five-star suite at the The Lowry Hotel in Manchester, but was 'keeping it real' by chomping on a McDonalds burger for his lunch. "I didn't have any money before this and now hopefully I will make a little bit," he said. "I'm living in five star hotels, I was in a bedsit before this, my music was being heard by a few people before this, now millions of people are hearing it. The contrast in lifestyles is huge." And James said The X Factor's knockers who claim falling ratings show the public have fallen out of love with Simon Cowell's creation are wrong. "I disagree, I think people would miss it if it was gone," he said. "You know it's funny because I think all the people who say they hate it, watch it, and I think a lot of people who say they hate it are hypocrites because they all comment on it and people always talk about it, so whether you love it or hate it, I bet they're sat in front of the telly on Saturday night watching it."
