Emeli Sandé admits it was "killing her" not being able to be her true self before coming out.
The 'Next To Me' hitmaker - who was married to university lecturer Adam Gouraguine from 2012 to 2014 - announced last month that she is now dating female classical pianist Yoana Karemova, and Emeli finally felt like she could "breathe" after letting everyone know her sexuality and having such a positive reaction from her supportive fanbase.
Speaking on Wednesday's (11.05.22) episode of 'Loose Women', she said: "Yeah, it's been amazing. You know, I wasn't sure especially coming out and talking about my new relationship. I wasn't sure how people would see that. But it definitely got to a point in my life where I felt I have to be me. You know, I really have to be because it's killing me not to be my real self. So now the reaction was so lovely.
"My fans have just been so supportive and I just feel finally I can be myself and breathe."
The 35-year-old singer feels like she is "floating on a cloud" she's so smitten with her girlfriend.
She gushed: "I think I have such a physical reaction falling in love. You just feel like you're floating on a cloud. Everything's good. I remember just you know, a few months after just knowing her, life is really nice. Like everything seems good. I feel optimistic. And I think since I met Yoana, I think your body tells you and life becomes just like a dream."
Emeli - who returned with the new album, 'Let's Say for Instance', last week - admitted she didn't have the nerve to have her hair cut how she liked it, and upon deciding to return to music as an independent artist after leaving a major label, it was vital that she could be herself, no matter what everyone else thinks.
She explained: "There's so much like you said the hairstyle, all of these things that I didn't feel really represented who I really was. So I think, you know, cutting my hair and having the guts to do that. And when I decided to come back into the industry, I thought when I come back I want to be my true self.
"Maybe I'm not as popular as before and maybe people don't like the change but I need to present who I really am this time.
"I feel really relaxed I just feel every time I go on stage now it's this is me."
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