Boy George thinks sobriety has set him free.
Boy George
The 56-year-old pop star - who is currently serving as a judge on 'The Voice Australia' - feels like he's been given a new lease of life since he managed to kick his drug habit ten years ago.
Speaking to contestant Colin Lillie on the show, George shared: "As you know, if you're in recovery, it's amazing to think that you could go this long without being a mess.
"It's like, you get through the other side and you get a life beyond your wildest dreams, you know, because recovery really does set you free."
The singer - whose real name is George O'Dowd - then drew a parallel between himself and Colin, who is also celebrating ten years of sobriety in 2018.
And the 'Karma Chameleon' hitmaker claimed he can hear Colin's real-life pain when he performs.
He told the aspiring star: "You have the road in your voice, you know, and that's a beautiful thing to hear."
Meanwhile, George recently revealed he feared for his life when he was suffering from panic attacks.
The musician experienced particularly bad moments of anxiety during the 90s, which left him thinking he was going to die.
He shared: "When you're in the public eye, you're going along and then suddenly ... you realise you're not so in control of your life as you think you are.
"I had a period in the 90s, had these really bad panic attacks, I used to go to the Royal Free Hospital and freak out. There was nothing wrong with me. I thought, 'I'm dying!'"
Eventually, George was advised to make a number of lifestyle changes in order to get the problem under control.
He said: "Eventually somebody just said to me, 'You need to learn how to breathe, change your diet, maybe try yoga ...' just calming down.
"It wasn't chest pains ... just panic. It's not logical. Sometimes there's no symptoms, you're just like, 'What's wrong with me?' You just lose it."
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