George Michael has revealed how he rarely left his cell while in prison during a traumatic experience that saw him ‘put in with the paedophiles’.
The singer served half of an eight-week sentence at HMP Pentonville in North London and Highpoint Prison in Suffolk three years ago after crashing his car into a shop while high on cannabis.
He said going to Category B jail Pentonville in September 2010 was a ‘horrific’ experience, before he was transferred to the Category C prison Highpoint, which is known for its easy-going regime.
Michael, 50, told BBC Radio 2: ‘Pentonville was really quite a horrific experience, and I was put in with the paedophiles and the bullied, I suppose. I didn’t leave my cell very much in those few days.’
The former Wham! Star added: ‘From the moment that last crash happened (I started to get sober) — because apart from anything else, I realised it had to be something to do with me.
‘It shook me out of my denial in a way that the others hadn’t, probably because there was a chance I’d go to prison. So from the day after that crash happened, I started in drug counselling.’
He told the Up Close with George Michael programme that he spent two weeks in detox, without making it public, and that his troubles relating to taking illegal drugs ‘feel so completely behind me’.
Michael said he decided to end his relationship with Kenny Goss, his partner of 13 years, and added that his jail time led to a ‘burst of creativity’ that saw him write eight songs in less than three weeks.
Following his release from jail in October 2010, Michael said that he wanted to ‘start again’ and stop running away from the press, adding: ‘You’ll get sick of me. You’ll see me about.’
He said it was ‘fantastic’ to be free, that he wanted to ‘go out’, and added: ‘It’s a beautiful day. I just want to say thank you for everybody who has supported me in there, it’s quite inspirational.’
Michael was jailed in September 2010 after he admitted driving while unfit through drugs and possessing two cannabis cigarettes when he appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court.
