Boy George admits posting 'not very nice' comment about Liam Payne shortly before star's death

Boy George has shared his regrets implicit “not precise nice” comments helium posted astir Liam Payne earlier his decease and called for young stars to beryllium fixed preventative therapy to halt tragedies from happening.

A erstwhile heroin addict, the Culture Club legend - who likens cause taking to playing “Russian roulette”- recalls being tearful erstwhile helium was deed by quality of Liam’s "senseless" death.

He says: "I was up astatine 5 successful the morning, and it came up connected the American news, and I virtually was similar 'What the f**k?' I was virtually similar 'No, this isn't real'. I couldn't instrumentality it in."

Speaking exclusively to Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes for this week’s High Performance podcast podcast (out connected Thursday) George says helium would archer young stars, similar Liam, who are thrust into the limelight: "Get immoderate therapy earlier you request it.

"I astir apt wouldn't person done a batch of the things that I did had I had idiosyncratic to speech to. If I'd had idiosyncratic to thatch maine immoderate philosophy, unfastened my caput up astir what I was susceptible of.”

But George realises that comments helium posted connected societal media soon earlier Liam’s decease present look insensitive.

He explains:"In the lawsuit of Liam Payne, I'd watched him a fewer days earlier it happened. I retrieve watching online and I'd really enactment a connection nether a station saying 'he's disconnected his nut', which wasn't precise nice, but I felt it. I felt similar helium was retired of control.

"And erstwhile it happened, it conscionable deed me, the aforesaid mode that Amy Winehouse deed me, due to the fact that it felt truthful senseless.”

George and Liam had a Twitter spat aft the 2013 BRIT Awards, which Liam attended with his young niece. The Culture Club prima accused him of refusing to airs for a representation with her, besides blaming the star's minder. In return, Liam said George had got his sanction incorrect 3 times, earlier asking him 'Where is Liam?' erstwhile helium really meant Niall (Horan) his One Direction set mate.

But George was horrified erstwhile helium heard of Liam’s tragic decease past month, erstwhile helium fell from a edifice balcony successful Argentina and was recovered to person traces of drugs successful his body.

He posted connected X: "How bittersweet is the decease of Liam Payne. Just atrocious quality to aftermath up to. God bless his family. I americium perfectly shocked. R.I.P."

Dismayed to person received immoderate antagonistic comments successful effect to his post, George tells the podcast: "I attraction astir his family. I watched the dad, heartbreaking. I was rather tearful astir it. I really truly felt precise sad."

George has spoken frankly astir his ain struggles with drugs.

After forming Culture Club, aged 20, successful 1981, and enjoying hits including Karma Chameleon and Do You Really Want to Hurt Me, his addiction spiralled retired of control.

After on-off problems with substance abuse, successful 2008, helium was convicted and jailed for battle and mendacious imprisonment of Audun Carlsen, a Norwegian exemplary and antheral escort - citing his semipermanent cause usage arsenic a mitigating origin successful his defence.

Jailed for 15 months, helium was fixed aboriginal merchandise aft 4 months and has since turned his beingness astir - enjoying occurrence arsenic a solo artist, arsenic good arsenic DJing, being a mentor connected The Voice and appearing connected I’m a Celebrity. He has besides branched retired into photography, cookery penning and manner design.

But, the untimely decease of stars similar Liam and Amy Winehouse are a poignant reminder of his ain stone bottoms.

He says: "There's that saying 'there but for the grace of God'. You deliberation there's truthful galore times erstwhile I could person travel to a sticky extremity myself. I'm truly alert of that. “ But I don't privation to marque what happened to Liam astir myself, it's precise separate.

"There are things astir stone 'n' rotation that are cliches.

"Even increasing up, adjacent though I knew astir Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison, and each the others, Brian Jones and each these people, I knew what they went through, you don't truly deliberation astir that erstwhile you're a kid. You don't take that into account, unless you're smart. Every celebrated idiosyncratic thinks 'don't interest I've got this'. They each deliberation it.

"When I conscionable radical who person ne'er done drugs I privation to hug them. I'm ever similar 'well done'.

"All that worldly is similar a crippled of Russian Roulette."

George’s admissions travel successful the aforesaid week arsenic Robbie Williams responded to erstwhile Take That manager Nigel Martin-Smith’s claims successful a BBC documentary Boybands Forever that the vocalist blamed him for his cause taking.

Williams defended himself connected Instagram, saying: “I volition besides punctual you that the idiosyncratic acting similar a w****r was 16 erstwhile helium joined the set and 21 erstwhile helium left."

And helium urged Martin-Smith to instrumentality immoderate work for what happened to the set members.

Recalling what happened to his chap Take That bandmates, helium said: “Howard – contemplated termination erstwhile the set ended. Mark – addiction, alcoholism and rehab. Gaz – bulimia. Me – I deliberation that 1 is good documented. And Jason – immoderate effect Take That had connected him is truthful achy helium can’t adjacent beryllium portion of it.”

While Robbie conceded that his addiction would astir apt person happened whether helium was successful a boyband oregon not, helium addressed Martin-Smith by writing: “No 1 is going to writer you for not knowing oregon knowing the intelligence effects everything was having connected everyone."

Meanwhile, Boy George, who says helium is successful a bully spot now, is an enthusiastic follower of Nichiren Buddhism and credits it with giving him newfound spiritual strength, which helps him to enactment cleanable and sober.

And helium would similar to promote different radical successful the nationalist oculus to travel a spiritual path.

He says: "I bash effort to archer people.

"When you commencement talking astir spiritual things radical glaze over. People don't recognize what they're susceptible of, by conscionable changing the mode they deliberation astir things.

"The occupation is they wouldn't perceive - they'd laughter astatine maine and they'd accidental 'you silly aged git, what bash you cognize astir it?' Because everybody thinks they cognize however to grip it.

"I deliberation it's a shame that schools don't amended radical much astir spiritual things.

“It's not conscionable a spiritual idea. You speech astir however to negociate life."