George Michael 'high' on Coronation Street

A drug-free George Michael says he now gets his highs from watching long-running British television soap Coronation Street.

Pop star George Michael has ditched his drug-taking lifestyle - and now gets his highs from bingeing on episodes of UK TV soap Coronation Street.

The former Wham! frontman said he made the choice to give up drugs after brushes with death and the law, which resulted in him spending time in hospital and jail.

In an interview with the Big Issue magazine - excerpts of which were featured in the Sun on Sunday - the Freedom singer said he has not smoked marijuana for 18 months.

He said: "I watch Corrie (Coronation Street) especially because it's more of a laugh. Even when life is tragic on Coronation Street, it's still funny."

The 51-year-old showbiz veteran, who lives in north London, has slipped from the spotlight since falling out of a car on the M1 motorway, from where he was airlifted to hospital with a head injury, last year.

The accident happened just 18 months after Michael came close to death when he was struck down with pneumonia in Austria, but he fought back to perform again.

In 2010, Michael received an eight-week prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drugs and possessing cannabis following an incident in which he crashed his Range Rover into a branch of Snappy Snaps.

But the singer, who releases new record Symphonica on Monday, said the support of his fans helped him through the difficult times.

He told the magazine: "It's lovely for me to read my messages because they're very positive on the whole.

"Jail wasn't great, I just thought 'Get your head down and get on with it'. I was pretty overwhelmed by the love and support they (the fans) have showed me."


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Source: AAP

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