Singer James Blunt has promised to legally change his name based on the most popular suggestion from the public – but there’s a catch.
The 50-year-old musician has vowed that if the reissue of his debut album Back to Bedlam reaches number one in the charts, he will change his name via a poll.
In a video message posted on X, Blunt said the album – which includes hits such as You’re Beautiful, Goodbye My Lover and High – will be reissued on October 11 to mark its 20th anniversary.
“I’ll let the people decide,” Blunt is heard saying in the short video. He adds: “But if it doesn’t go number one, I won’t change my name.”
Writing alongside the video message, the singer used the hashtag #jameswho and asked fans to comment their name suggestions below the post, with the most liked being the winner.
And the fans did not disappoint. Within hours of its posting on Wednesday, it had racked up more than 800,000 views and more than 2,000 comments.
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The most liked suggestion at the time of writing was Blunty McBluntface – the exact name the singer said he didn’t want during an interview on The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X on 30 September.
Other popular suggestions include Blames Gent, James Corden (after the host and star of Gavin and Stacey) and Nick Pope (after the Newcastle United and England footballer).
Back to Bedlam became one of the best-selling albums of the 2000s in the UK and is the 17th best-selling album of all time in the UK charts, according to the Official Charts website. His single You’re Beautiful reached number one in both the UK and US.
Blunt went on to release seven more albums. The last was Who We Used To Be, in 2023.
As part of the anniversary album, the singer is embarking on a UK and European tour, playing at The O2 Arena in London on February 16 next year, as well as dates in Belfast, Dublin, Leeds, Glasgow and Manchester.
