Lewis Capaldi says being “hammered” is the only way he doesn’t suffer signs of the Tourette’s syndrome he fears may force him to quit music.
The 26-year-old BRIT Award winner revealed in 2022 on “The Zach Sang Show” he had the syndrome, which causes uncontrollable twitching and unwanted sounds in sufferers, and is still scared that despite revealing his condition fans may mistake his ever-worsening tics as the result of drug abuse.
He told “The Sun” in an interview from his favourite pub, Tennant’s Bar, in Glasgow’s West End, about the only way he can control it: “As long as I numb myself to the world … funnily, when I’m hammered, it doesn’t happen at all.
“But I’d be lying if I said this hasn’t got the better of me recently. It has.”
He said his condition was sparked by anxiety linked to being a musician. “There are times it has been really bad and I’ve wondered whether I can continue to do this with the stress, anxiety and Tourette’s. It all comes as a direct result of doing this job.
“Before, in my life, I was okay – it was never a thing. If I was a fishmonger, I’d have been fine.
“I’m not in control of it at all. There have been times in recent weeks on stage where it’s been really bad, but I have to just get on with it – as lots of people do with other things.”
“Someone You Loved” hitmaker emphasised that his twitches were not the result of drugs: “The truth is, I’m not banging loads of gear down. This isn’t drugs, and I’ve had that accusation on nights out.
“People have asked me directly, ‘Are you on drugs, is it cocaine?’ and I saw a few tweets knocking around after shows with people saying ‘He’s on drugs’ — and that wasn’t the case.
“If you think I’m going to take drugs and then come out on stage in front of 15 000 and then try to do a show – I mean, obviously, I wait until afterwards. That’s a joke.”
