Charlotte Church has revealed finding fame at a young age tore her family apart in a candid new interview.
The singer, dubbed the ‘Voice of an Angel’ when she shot to fame aged 11, discussed the ‘stress and pressure’ placed on her and her family- including dealing with kidnap threats and mental health issues – on Tuesday’s episode of This Morning.
The 33-year-old singer’s mother Maria, who also appeared on the show, admitted that after Charlotte left home, after many years of ‘living in each other’s pockets’- she had a nervous breakdown.
Trauma: Charlotte Church has revealed finding fame at a young age tore her family apart in a candid new interview (above with mother Maria)
Success story: Charlotte rose to fame at the age of just 11 when she performed Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Pie Jesu over the telephone on This Morning in 1997 (pictured 1999)
When shown a vintage clip of herself singing on the show, Charlotte said: ‘That bit of it was amazing, we got to travel the world, we were just a really normal working class family and we were in this whole other world of glitz and glamour and some serious privilege.’
Charlotte, who makes her return to TV this week in Channel 4 documentary, Charlotte Church: My Family and Me, reflected that finding fame was like a ‘pressure cooker’ on her family dynamic
She said: ‘I don’t think anything went wrong it was just like a pressure cooker… there was a couple of kidnap plots when I was a kid, a whole load of stress and pressure, we were living in each other’s pockets.’
Charlotte has previously spoken candidly about her mother’s battle with mental illness as she was growing up.
Brave: The singer, dubbed the ‘Voice of an Angel’ when she shot to fame aged 11, discussed the ‘stress and pressure’ placed on her and her family- including dealing with kidnap threats and mental health issues – on Tuesday’s episode of This Morning.
In her darkest moments Maria’s condition drove her to excessive drinking and self-harm. Maria, 53, who has bipolar disorder, has also previously attempted suicide.
When Charlotte was 16, she and Maria fell out and didn’t speak for a year and a half.
Opening up about the traumatic time, Maria said: ‘When Charlotte left home, it was very, very brutal and very sudden, she broke my heart, I ended up having a nervous breakdown.
Adding that she is still in therapy, Maria added: ‘It’s early days but I’m trying to do something about it now, I’ve always suffered with mental health issues, mine are quite complex.’
‘We stayed in Cardiff which was really important, if I’d have moved her to London, I think that glitz lifestyle could have got the better of us, but we always went back to our roots.’
Devoted: The 33-year-old singer’s mother Maria admitted that after Charlotte left home, after many years of ‘living in each other’s pockets’- she had a nervous breakdown (pictured 1999)
The Crazy Chick hitmaker said the family had been ‘really nervous’ to watch the documentary- set to air on October 17 – back but it had made her appreciate the impact of fame on her parents.
She said: ‘To watch it back it made me understand mum a bit more, in a way I didn’t think was possible. To really understand what that success cost my mum and dad and how insane it must have been to have gone through that.’
Maria added: ‘I’m so incredibly proud of Charlotte and always will be.’
The documentary will also focus on Charlotte’s stepfather James’ battle with terminal illness AL amyloidosis – which is akin to blood cancer.
She said: ‘As we explore in the programme is my dad’s got a terminal illness, there’s still a great deal of living to do and celebrate life rather than just get down in doldrums.
Rise to fame: When shown a vintage clip of herself singing on the show, Charlotte said: ‘That bit of it was amazing, we got to travel the world, we were just a really normal working class family and we were in this whole other world’
Child star: She said: ‘I don’t think anything went wrong it was just like a pressure cooker… there was a couple of kidnap plots when I was a kid, a whole load of stress and pressure, we were living in each other’s pockets’ (pictured 2000)
Maria said: ‘He’s on chemotherapy which keeps him going, it is very hard to deal with. We can all cope with it especially because I recently lost my mum as well. I wanted to do it to address issues with Charlotte from years ago.’
James is suffering from a condition called AL amyloidosis which occurs when a person produces abnormal protein fibres, which in return causes serious damage to organs.
The former child star has never really known her biological dad, and was brought up by James and adopted by him in 1999.
Speaking on the documentary Charlotte says:’It’s absolutely terrifying the idea of not having him around. I rely on him for so much, he’s my buddy, my absolute best friend and has been for years.’
Speaking about the condition himself, James bravely noted: ‘Time is not on my side. The disease I have is very rare, only one in eight million people have it. It’s called AL amyloidosis. The worst scenario is I could only have six months, so I’m in a horrible position.’
Maria said: ‘We stayed in Cardiff which was really important, if I’d have moved her to London, I think that glitz lifestyle could have got the better of us, but we always went back to our roots’ (pictured 1999)
Discussing his treatment, Charlotte stated: ‘He’s on chemotherapy and to be honest he’ll be on it until he dies. He’s on his third round. He has had breaks because it is tough going but he is a strong as an ox.’
Charlotte rose to fame at the age of just 11 when she performed Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Pie Jesu over the telephone on This Morning in 1997.
She went on to sell 10 million records worldwide and has an estimated wealth of £10 million, but has remained largely out of the limelight for the past few years.
‘Absolutely terrifying’: Charlotte makes her return to TV this week in Channel 4 documentary, Charlotte Church: My Family and Me, which will air on October 17 and detail Charlotte’s stepfather James’ battle with terminal illness AL amyloidosis
Charlotte married musician Jonathan Powell, 32, in a secret ceremony surrounded by just a few friends and family in 2017.
The couple then officially wed at a register office in Cardiff on October 2 with a handful of guests.
The classical singer – worth a reported £9 million – began dating Jonathan after splitting with former Welsh rugby star Gavin Henson, 37, who is the father of her two children.
The former couple raise daughter Ruby, 12, and son Dexter, 10, together.
‘Fighting for his life’: Maria said: ‘He’s on chemotherapy which keeps him going, it is very hard to deal with. We can all cope with it especially because I recently lost my mum as well’
Charlotte said: ‘To watch it back it made me understand mum a bit more, in a way I didn’t think was possible. To really understand what that success cost my mum and dad and how insane it must have been to have gone through that’
