Lewis Capaldi has admitted there's a "very real possibility" he will need to give up his music career, if his Tourette's Syndrome continues to worsen.
The 26-year-old opened up about being diagnosed with the condition last year, humorously telling fans he wanted people to know as he "didn't want people to think he was taking cocaine."
But despite usually remaining light-hearted about having Tourette's - which causes involuntary tics - Lewis has now made a serious confession about how it impacts his career.
Advert
Speaking to The Times, the Someone You Loved singer admitted that making music and performing is making his symptoms worse, which could lead him to make a very difficult decision.
"It's only making music that does this to me, otherwise I can be fine for months at a time, so it's a weird situation," he told the publication.
"Right now, the trade-off is worth it, but if it gets to a point where I'm doing irreparable damage to myself, I'll quit."
Advert
He added: "I hate hyperbole but it is a very real possibility that I will have to pack music in."
Since his diagnosis, Lewis has found his tics getting "quite bad" while performing on stage, with the pressure of performing for thousands of people appearing to worsen the symptoms.
He also spoke candidly about other health symptoms, including vertigo and bronchitis, after coming off Sertraline, a medication prescribed for anxiety and a number of other conditions.
Advert
The musician recently announced his very own Netflix documentary, How I'm Feeling Now, which is set to be released on April 5.
In a clip from the upcoming film, he speaks of the physical pain caused by his tics, which left him 'so scared' he'd never be able to perform again.
"The twitches became out of control it was awful, absolutely horrific. I started to get in my head about it, you know these pressures about things. Rather than just me singing my silly little songs other people are depending on me," he said, according to the Independent.
"My twitch gets worse when I sit down to play piano, physically painful. And I get really short of breath and it's like my back f***ing kills me when I go to do it."
Advert
Speaking of his panic attacks, Lewis continued: "It feels like I'm going insane, I can't breath, I get dizzy, I'm sweating, my whole body starts convulsing.
"Either I feel like I’m going to be stuck with it forever or I’m going to die."
The singer sought professional help from a therapist, who helped him with his anxiety, before further tests revealed he was living with Tourette's Syndrome.
Topics: Celebrity, Lewis Capaldi, Netflix, Mental Health
Emma Rosemurgey