Chart-topping singer Sam Smith has revealed he nearly quit the music business.
The 25-year-old singer enjoyed incredible success with the release of his debut album 'In the Lonely Hour' in 2014, but Sam came perilously close to walking away from his music career after he was dumped by his lover.
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Speaking to Sir Elton John in the new issue of Attitude magazine, he shared: "I was in a really bad place. I got dumped, which was not very nice. Writing music about that kind of thing is normally like therapy for me, but this time I couldn't write for about two months.
"My team had to force me to get into the studio because I almost felt I didn't want to do it anymore.
"There were moments on there where it got a bit intense and I started to lose myself. I was just too sad. Then I started drinking a lot, going out too much."
Sam announced he was taking a break from music in 2015 as he tried to find happiness in his personal life.
But he explained the success Ed Sheeran has achieved over recent years encouraged him to make a return to the spotlight.
The 'Stay with Me' hitmaker said: "It makes you push yourself. Watching him this past year has just been incredible - it makes me hungry."
Earlier this month, Sam admitted he "really struggled" when he first found fame.
The chart-topping star shot to stardom after featuring on Disclosure's 2012 hit 'Latch', but he revealed the three years that followed were tough.
Sam shared: "I really struggled in that three years. There was a moment - people call it 'the loop the loop' - when you either come out the other end or you don't with stuff like that.
"From 'Latch' to the Oscars, it's such a huge life change in such a short space of time."