Madonna was "saved" by her children.
Madonna on stage in London
The 65-year-old singer kicked off her 'Celebration' tour in London over the weekend and five of her six kids made an appearance, with 11-year-old Estere showing off her dance moves to 'Vogue', judged by her mom and 27-year-old sister Lourdes, the youngster's twin Stella making an appearance during 'Don't Tell Me', while Mercy, 17, and David, 18, showed off their musical skills, playing piano for 'Bad Girl' and guitar on 'Mother and Father' respectively.
And Madonna admitted it was an "honour" for her to share the stage with her brood as she discussed the impact they have had on her life.
Speaking on stage at The O2 on Sunday (15.10.23), Madonna - who also has 23-year-old Rocco with ex-husband Guy Ritchie - pointed out David's mother was amongst the faces projected onto the screens and said: "It's such an honour for me to not only perform with my children every night on the stage but also pay tribute to his mother and hopefully everyone's mother.
"We all have motherly connections with one way or another and my children always say to me, 'Thank you mom for giving us a better life', and I say to them, 'No you, you saved me.' "
The 'Papa Don't Preach' singer went on to urge fans to "make a difference" in the world.
She said: In these dark and crazy times, we have to remember that even if our heart is breaking, they cannot break our souls.
"Each and every one of us have the opportunity to turn our light on, we are each a candle in the world, so take the opportunity to be a light in the world and you will make a difference."
Earlier in her set, Madonna reflected on her days as a struggling dancer as she implored the crowd to "never forget" their roots.
Dancing with a replica of her younger self, she said: "Let me start by giving a little kiss to my former self. I've missed her, but I've carried her with me through my entire musical journey and she has served me well. I never forget my roots, and neither should you. Never forget where you've come from...
"Anyways, when I came to New York to be a dancer with $35, all that is true. I got sick of being broke and hungry and homeless and scared and lonely and all of those things, so I decided to be a musician, I got a guitar, taught myself how to write songs... and I continued to be broke and hungry and homeless and scared and lonely.
However, it got me here. I'm grateful for those early days of struggling and you know what? I'm still struggling, it's funny how life never changes.
"Don't ever put yourself in a bubble where you cannot remember the struggle, stay close to the people, stay close to your past, stay close to your true self, always."
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