Veteran singer Lulu struggled to hold back tears during an appearance on television this morning as she discussed her struggle with alcohol addiction for the first time publicly.

The 76-year-old music icon revealed she has maintained sobriety for nearly 12 years after confronting her drinking problem in 2013.

Speaking about her new autobiography If Only You Knew, the performer became visibly emotional whilst describing her past as someone who managed to hide her alcoholism from many people.

The Scottish-born entertainer expressed feeling “liberated” by finally sharing her experiences, acknowledging her fortune in achieving recovery when many battling addiction do not reach that point.

The autobiography reveals how the Shout singer managed to maintain her career whilst battling addiction, describing herself as a “highly functioning alcoholic” who successfully masked her condition from colleagues and the public.

During her 2011 appearance on Strictly Come Dancing, she continued drinking heavily whilst meeting the demanding rehearsal and performance schedule.

“I’d be working, I’d do my stuff, you know. I could fall on the bed asleep having been drunk,” she explained during the interview.

“But if the alarm would go, I’d be up, put myself together, I’d go to work.”

LATEST CELEBRITY NEWS:

Susanna Reid sparks GMB meltdown as kefty viewers moan host has gone ‘full hard right’ over Labour probeDanny Dyer speaks out after Dani Dyer’s BBC Strictly withdrawal as he shares devastated reactionJimmy Kimmel chokes back tears and rips into Trump over failure to ‘silence’ him upon TV return

The moment to confront her battle arrived during her 65th birthday celebration in 2013, when an unplanned admission changed everything.

Whilst tidying up after the party, she overheard her niece discussing an acquaintance’s alcohol struggles. “She said, ‘I think he’s just holding on by his fingernails’,” Lulu recalled.

“He’s not the only one,” Lulu recalled saying, despite not intending to divulge such information so openly at the time. She claimed her spontaneous confession silenced the room completely.

Her sister then revealed she had already suspected the truth, telling Lulu: “I know… I’ve known for some time now.”

This accidental disclosure became the spark that led to her seeking treatment, marking the beginning of her recovery journey that has now lasted nearly 12 years.

She expressed gratitude for the positive reception, stating: “It’s good to share the difficulties, because a lot of [alcoholics] don’t get here. I’m really lucky.”

The revelation marks a significant departure from her previous privacy regarding the issue, with the singer acknowledging she had “kept it from a lot of people” throughout her career.

The interview conducted with BBC Breakfast wasn’t too dissimilar to one she conducted on the same morning over on ITV’s The Morning, although the latter hit headlines for the wrong reasons.

When speaking to hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, Lulu explained how she was speaking to her own son after a stint in rehab.

“When I called him (after), he went, ‘Woah! Wait a minute, wait a minute, mum, are you sure?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ Elton said to me, ‘How the f*** did I miss that?'” Lulu divulged.

Mr Shephard quickly intervened: “Just… Elton has an interesting choice of vocabulary, we just need to be careful because it’s quite early. So apologies…”

Lulu held her hands to her mouth before she too apologised to viewers for the slip-up. “I am so sorry, I’m so sorry,” she exclaimed.