James Arthur has teased he's working on a special ''surprise'' with his former 'X Factor' mentor Nicole Scherzinger.

The 'Say You Won't Let Go' hitmaker, 32, has revealed he's been in regular contact with the 41-year-old Pussycat Dolls singer ever since she helped him win the TV talent show in 2012, and they've even been collaborating together on a secret project.

James said: ''I'm working on something with Nicole right now. I can't say what it is but I think it's going to be a nice surprise.

''We got our heads together and thought, 'How can we entertain fans during this lockdown?'''

On how supportive the 'Don't Cha' hitmaker has been over the years, he added to The Sun newspaper: ''We're in touch all the time, she's so supportive.

''Any gig she can make, she's there like a proud mentor.''

Meanwhile, the 'Impossible' singer opened up about his financial struggles after he ''burnt through'' all the money he made from 'The X Factor' and his self-titled debut studio album, which he released the year after winning the competition.

He said: ''I was in hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of debt.

''I was doing gigs in Moldova every other Saturday to pay the rent and get myself out of the red. It was tough times.

''I made an awful lot of money after 'The X Factor' and my first album.

''I don't know how I burnt through it all.''