Sam Smith had liposuction when he was just 12 years old

He said: “When I was a kid, I was chubby … and then it would get worse and worse and worse and I was holding a lot of weight in my chest. When I hit 11 years old, I went to the doctor’s. I was so self-conscious that it was affecting my mood every day.

“I had liposuction, I was 12 years old. At the time I think I was very happy about it. It didn’t really change anything. I think I put the weight back on in two weeks because I hadn’t figured out my relationship with food, so it didn’t really change anything. But being 12 years old and having liposuction on your chest is quite a big deal.”

During his childhood, Sam got his mother to write him notes so he wouldn’t have to do swimming lessons in school, because he was so self-conscious about being shirtless in front of his friends.

He added: “[I’ve been struggling with my weight] from since I can remember, like since I was a baby.

“I used to get my mom to write a note to the school when I was like 8 so I wouldn’t have to go to swimming lessons. So it’s something that’s been in me forever.”

And the 26-year-old singer says he still struggles with his body image, which he blames as “the basis” of all his “sadness”.

Speaking to Jameela Jamil during the premiere episode of her new 'I Weigh Interviews' Instagram series, Sam said: “It’s the basis of all my sadness. Literally everything I’ve ever been sad about is my weight. I struggle with it every day. I get very, very dark and very sad.”