‘Absolutely horrific’: Lewis Capaldi recalls Tourette’s symptoms getting ‘out of control’
Scottish singer-songwriter was diagnosed with condition in 2022
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Your support makes all the difference.Lewis Capaldi opens up about suffering from bodily twitches while performing live in his new Netflix documentary.
In 2022, the Scottish singer-songwriter was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome, a condition that affects the nerves and causes repetitive movements or unwanted sounds.
Before he received the diagnosis, he had experienced shoulder twitches that he said eventually “became out of control”.
“I didn’t know what it was at the time,” Capaldi disclosed in the new film, Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now.
“I’ve since learned that I have Tourette’s,” the Grammy-nominated pop star told the camera a week after his diagnosis. “Oh right, that makes complete sense now, when I look back.”
“Know how many people I’ve told I have Tourette’s since?” he asked. “It’s outrageous. People think I’m bragging. But it’s good to be like, ‘I’ve got this thing by the way, this is what it makes me do.’ I know I’m not dying.”
He said: “This twitch became out of control, and it was awful. It was absolutely horrific. I started to get in my head about these pressures. ‘F***, there’s skin in the game now.’ Rather than me just singing my silly little songs. Other people are depending on me.”
In a separate interview, the “Someone You Loved” singer’s mother explained that “every time he played a gig it was a struggle. Then it all came to a head at Wembley”.
Footage is shown of Capaldi stopping in the middle of a song to take a break. “My back is f***ing killing me,” he could be heard saying.
The 26-year-old has previously opened up about his anxious twitches causing him great pain, specifically in his back. Last September, Capaldi addressed fans on Instagram Live, explaining his condition.
Elsewhere in the documentary, which chronicles the making of his second album, and delves into his home and family life, and his struggles with mental health, Capaldi shared the risqué email he received from Elton John that helped him combat feelings of imposter syndrome.
Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now is streaming from Wednesday 5 April on Netflix.
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