Suggs has given up booze because alcoholism was "ruining" his life

In an interview with Nihal Arthanayake on the 'Headliners' on BBC Radio 5 Live, Suggs explained: "I've been a bit sort of jocular about it, but no, it did get a bit serious.

"I mean, it was alcoholism, and there's no way in this horrible thing to admit to yourself, because I was a drunk. I was a good drinker, I was a bad drinker.

"When you're drinking too much, it just becomes your sole raison d'etre. I'm just [not] interested, basically, in anything other than myself and sitting there getting drunk.

"And then my family started to suggest I was getting a bit [too much] ... I went to see an addiction therapist, and he just said: 'You've got to stop,' basically.

"It's just that thin line between drinking socially and drinking unsocially and, you know, kind of ruining your life, which is where I'm sort of headed."

Suggs added he struggled with two-day hangovers and knew he had to give up the booze.

He added: "It was physiology - you can't cope with probably the amounts that I used to drink when I was younger anyway. And the hangovers were ... like two days sort of wiped out of your life.

"I didn't really get into any really negative or destructive kind of elements of life. But it's just when the drink becomes more important than anybody or anything else, that's what was happening."

Suggs went on to joke the rest of the world went into mourning after hearing he had given up drinking, saying: "There was actually a day of mourning with all the off licenses and local pubs.

"They had a procession dressed in black, and they had a big beer bottle in a hearse with RIP. It went past my house. It was very sad."

The singer is preparing to head out on tour with Madness later this year and admits his first shows sober will be interesting.

He added: "This will be the first tour [sober] so that's kind of intriguing. Most of the [Madness] boys know and in fact, a couple of the others packed up a little while ago."

Suggs concluded: "I think at [my age] and so many of my friends, without naming names, about my age in this industry, I mean, I could tell you loads, all packed up around being 60. I'm lucky to tell the tale, really."