Sam Smith says being single during lockdown was "not fun"

They said: "I’m not looking, but I am hoping - it is like wading through water and trying to catch a fish with your bare hands. I am just sitting by the side of the pond now.

"Being single during lockdown was not fun. I spent it with my sister and felt very lucky because we get along so well."

And Sam would love to have children by the time they're 34 and is already exploring options.

They added: "I am trying to seize control of things and let life happen, but I would love to have kids. I want to have a kid before I am 34. There are lots of options - adoption, surrogacy. I have friends who have done both."

The 28-year-old singer also lamented over their failed relationship with Brandon Flynn, admitting there was a "cathartic" nature to the songs they penned after the split.

Speaking to The Sunday Times' Style magazine, they said: "That was my longest relationship - the main relationship of my life - so there was a catharsis going on. When you write songs you may start with an initial inspiration, but then it becomes something else, a story that everyone can relate to. I also found it hard that the relationship was public ... I think there are ways to get around it, where you can maintain a level of privacy, but it was hard. I was 25 during that time and in many ways I seem a lot older now, but when it comes to relationships I am still a bit of a teenager. Before, it was more important to me to love - that is part of the reason the album is called Love Goes. I was addicted to the melancholy of love - you are putting yourself through pain to be inspired because it is a creative space. Now I understand what love is - for me there has to be an equal amount of nurturing going on."