James Arthur has topped the charts with his comeback track.

The former X Factor winner, 28, has reached number one in the Official Singles Chart with Say You Won’t Let Go.

The song notched up 85,000 sales to push The Chainsmokers’ track Closer into second place.

James Arthur (Official Charts Company)
James Arthur (Official Charts Company)

James, who was dropped by Simon Cowell’s record label in 2014, said: “This is incredible. I wasn’t in any way expecting it. I knew it was a good song and I thought some people might like it, but if you’d said to me it would be this well received, I would have thought you were pulling my leg.”

The singer had a difficult few years after winning The X Factor in 2012.

He was criticised for promoting extremism after it emerged his song Follow The Leader included the lyric “I’m gonna blow up your family like I’m a terrorist”, and in 2013 Arthur sparked a homophobia row when he uploaded a rap online.

He was later re-signed by Simon and Say You Won’t Let Go is his second number one on the official chart, following his X Factor winner’s single Impossible.

Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd’s new single Starboy, featuring Daft Punk, is at third place, followed by Calvin Harris’ My Way and DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber’s Let Me Love You.

The Songaminute Man, real name Ted McDermott, the 80-year-old Alzheimer’s sufferer who landed a record deal after his son posted videos of his father singing online, is at number 43 with his charity single, You Make Me Feel So Young.

The Weeknd (Jordan Strauss/Invision/PA)
The Weeknd (Jordan Strauss/Invision/PA)

In the album chart, Passenger has seen off competition from Bruce Springsteen to land this week’s number one.

The English singer-songwriter scores his first chart-topping album with his fourth release, Young As The Morning, Old As The Sea.

Passenger said: “This is so unbelievably exciting!! When I saw that we were up against Springsteen… I basically wrote off any chance of getting number one anywhere. It’s a huge surprise and just the most amazing feeling! I think this is probably how Leicester fans felt last season.”