Lulu shares that she's an alcoholic and admits secret battle is a 'family illness'

Lulu has bravely laid bare the extent of her alcohol addiction for the first time as she opened up on her secret shame she hid for years. The singer, 76, admitted she spent years in "dark" momentsafter trying to "suppress feelings".

She heartbreakingly shared how she felt "terrified" of ending up like her dad, who was once "dragged away by the police". Lulu, who is best known for her hit Shout, confessed: "I was a secret drinker."

The pop star explained how she wanted to be "the best Lulu" at all times, which was heightened as she shot to fame. She performed alongside her band The Luvvers, with Shout reaching number seven in the UK singles chart, and went on to have 10 UK top 10 singles and one top 10 album.

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Behind her success, Lulu has now revealed she was struggling for years but wanted to keep her addiction private "until I had the language to understand it". Lulu turned to memoirs and self help books to try to understand her battle.

She has explained how her alcoholism got worse as she got older, particularly when her son Jordan Frieda, 48, left home. "For me, it had been controllable until I got into my sixties," Lulu told The Times.

"After I became menopausal, with both my parents gone, the empty nest, looking around and seeing all the young kids in the music industry, I became more and more reliant on it and so it just got worse."

She added: "For many years, and I can’t say how many, I had not been happy with the way I felt, not at all happy and [yet] unable to ask for help." Lulu devastatingly shared scarring childhood memories of domestic violence between her parents.

"It’s a family illness. The gene is there," she said. Lulu decided to keep quiet about what she witnessed at home as she feared her parents would be seen as "bad people".

Now, she believes they were "damaged" but continues to carry shame about their actions. Lulu said her alcoholism was "the culmination of a life spent trying to suppress feelings," and continuing her public image.

Thankfully, Lulu says she has now "never been happier in life" after seeking help. "I finally understood it’s an illness that messes with everything," she said.

"So I know it sounds perverse, but I’m glad I’m an alcoholic and that I’m in recovery." Lulu has been married twice, having wed Maurice Gibb from 1969 to 1973 and John Frieda from 1977 to 1991.

She says she is now in a "brighter" world with her cockapoo in central London. In May,Lulu opened up to the Mirror about mental health as she launched her own charity, Lulu’s Mental Health Trust.

She told the Mirror: "The process of writing my memoir opened my eyes to the role that mental health has played in my life. Whether that’s my own mental health, my loved ones, colleagues, whatever.

"When I was first coming into the industry we didn’t talk about it! But it’s so important, and I want to give back. People will understand what I mean when they read the book I think… it’s coming soon."

If you are struggling with alcohol abuse or addiction, advice and support can be found atalcoholchange.org.uk

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