James Blunt opens up about military

James Blunt says he experienced the horror of "murder on a mass scale" in the military before he shot to stardom, selling more than 20 million albums.

Before James Blunt found fame with his love ballad, ‘You’re Beautiful’ he was a reconnaissance officer in the army and the first North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) peacekeeping soldier to head to Kosovo.

“The reason I joined the army was … my dad, he was a career soldier, a helicopter pilot in the air corps and he used to fly into school and things and take us out on the various cadet force exercises.”

Already a talented songwriter, Blunt put his music on hold to try to make a difference — and make a record of the devastating consequences of war.

He filmed the majority of his 1999 tour on a hand camera but says he couldn’t film all of what was happening because it was "too violent and too ugly".

“My job was to go out into an environment ahead of my commanders as their eyes and ears and be aware of my surroundings.”

“In my mind there was just no justification for it it was just murder on a mass scale, it was desperately sad.” Blunt told Rahni Sadler.

“It’s terrible and a life changing moment and I don’t think I’ll ever look at another human being in the same way.”

It was after Blunt left the military he began performing in small pubs and bars, eventually he was spotted at a US music festival and soon found himself recording in the home of Princess Leia.

“I recorded 'Goodbye My lover' in Carrie Fisher's bathroom because we had run out of money."

"She had a piano in her bathroom because that's what they do in Hollywood.”

Blunt was chasing his dream, but he didn’t expect the turn his life would take when he released ‘You’re Beautiful’ on the fifth of May, 2005.

“Yeah 'You’re Beautiful' [is about] a connection with people because everyone and anyone has had that moment when you look at someone in the eye, a stranger as you pass them by and you think 'wow'.”

The song shot to number one in 10 countries and was nominated for three Grammy awards. A decade later it’s still played frequently on radio stations throughout the world.

He became an overnight success but unfortunately the fame came with a cruel downside — Blunt became a victim of constant abuse from trolls on social media.

He refused to ignore it and instead began replying, which his managers expected to backfire.

“If anyone wants to take the mickey out of me they can and I deserve it.”

Blunt held his own and even made new fans with his witty comebacks.

“[A Tweet said] No one really likes James Blunt, right? And I replied yeah I bought those twenty million albums myself.”

Blunt now lives in one of the world’s party capitals, Ibiza, with his wife, Sofia Wellesley.

It was a dream of his since he was a teenager and he still enjoys clubbing most nights of the week.

“I came on holiday when I was about 13 and I just always joked saying if I hit it big in music I’d buy a place out here.”

Currently, Blunt is residing in Sydney as he judges this year’s X-Factor competition.

“I’ve also just got the best gig in the world, which is I’m coming to the most amazing country in the most amazing city of Sydney and I'm on the biggest show in the world, X-Factor.”

“Success should be about your friends and the smile on your face. We should measure it by how happy you are.”