Matt Cardle has revealed he is “strangely thankful” for the pain of going to a “dark place” as he battled addiction and checked into rehab.
Cardle, who won The X Factor in 2010, opened up about his experience and how it helped him to create his new album Time To Be Alive.
Speaking to Lorraine Kelly on Friday, he said: “I was running away and that’s what got me at the end of the day.
“I didn’t want to do that again [a heartbreak album]. My fans don’t want to hear about that anymore […].
“I’m weirdly glad of the fact that I went to that dark place. Behind a lot of artists, behind so much art is struggle and pain. I’m strangely thankful for that pain to be able to pour it back into that album.”
He continued: “That’s why Time To Be Alive is called Time To Be Alive. It’s from being through rehab and talking about everything and realising you can’t run from the things that hurt – you have to face up to life.”
Cardle opened up about “self-medicating” and said he couldn’t pinpoint one specific trigger for his downward spiral, instead he put it down to a “culmination of everything” including “stresses of fame”.
The 35-year-old said: “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for everything that’s happened. I don’t regret a thing. There’s no shame in any of it.
“It was just my journey; this is just the next stage of it. Back with Sony as well. To land back in the Sony family is just incredible, so thank you guys for having me back.”
Lorraine airs weekdays at 8.30am on ITV
Matt Cardle’s Time To Be Alive is out now.
