Lewis Capaldi: singer says Tourette Syndrome tics have led to fans accusing him of taking drugs

Lewis Capaldi has revealed he has been “directly” accused of taking drugs because of his Tourette’s syndrome.

The singer, 26, from Glasgow, insisted that this "wasn’t the case” and that the confusion surrounding the accusations came not from drug use but Tourette’s syndrome, which he was diagnosed with last year.

"The truth is, I’m not banging loads of gear down. This isn’t drugs, and I’ve had that accusation on nights out.

"People have asked me directly, ‘Are you on drugs, is it cocaine?’ and I saw a few tweets knocking around after shows with people saying ‘He’s on drugs’ — and that wasn’t the case,” he told The Sun.

This announcement came after Lewis revealed he may have to quit music if his condition continues to worsen, as making music seems to be the root cause of his tics.

Speaking to The Times, he said: "It’s only making music that does this to me, otherwise I can be fine for months at a time, so it’s a weird situation.

"Right now, the trade-off is worth it, but if it gets to a point where I’m doing irreparable damage to myself, I’ll quit,” Lewis added.

Lewis has been open about both his Tourette’s diagnosis and his mental health, especially with the approaching release date of his raw and honest Netflix documentary, ‘Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now,’ which premieres on 5 April.

Lewis announced his diagnosis to the public because he wanted to avoid fans thinking he was "taking cocaine or something."

He explained that he was relieved to find out he had the condition because he originally feared he might be suffering from a degenerative disease. Since his diagnosis, he has been treated with Botox injections to freeze muscles to try to control the tics characteristic of Tourette’s.

He has reassured his fans his shoulder twitches are " not as bad as it looks.”