George said: "In all honesty it does me good. I take crap for a couple of weeks but it promotes my new single. I hate to say it but it’s true." The pop superstar insists most of what has been written about him in recent months is only "50 per cent true", but added: "I don’t want to do regular promotion so it does me good." George also admits he cannot wait to start his upcoming world tour so he can show people he is not on "his death bed".

The tour kicks off in the UK, in Manchester, on November 17 and despite recent rumours suggesting the shows would not go ahead due to "personal traumas" the ’Outside’ singer has confirmed the tour - his first in 15 years - will take place. He revealed in a radio interview: "The tour is a good way of showing people that I’m not on my death bead."

George Michael slumped over the wheel of his car, again - May 15, 2020
George Michael has been found slumped over the wheel of his car. again. The troubled singer - who was cautioned for possessing cannabis after he was found asleep at the wheel in February - was photographed apparently snoozing at traffic lights in London.

The star - who was also involved in a car accident earlier this month - didn ’t wake up until another driver tapped on his window. The motorist told the News of the World newspaper: "He was sweating heavily and had his iPod on. That’s probably why he didn’t hear all the angry tooting behind him. "He got going again - but was weaving all over the place. Then he hit a bollard. I doubt he even noticed it. He looked wasted. He just drove on."

Meanwhile, the singer’s cousin, Andreas Georgiou, has claimed Michael - who was arrested for a lewd act in a public toilet in Los Angeles in 1998 - spends hours cruising the streets looking for gay lovers. He recently revealed: "George cruises. That’s what he does. That’s a big part of his life. That’s what the driving is all about - and that’s why George goes out on his own without a driver." He added: "After the LA incident, George even told me, ’Andreas, that’s what I do. I just fancied getting a w**k in the afternoon. I get off on it’."

George Michael’s friends are begging him to give up smoking cannabis - Mar 1, 2020
Pals of the ’Careless Whisper’ singer are worried about his alleged growing dependence of the drug, but he is refusing to turn his back on weed. A source close to the star told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "It’s affecting his concentration and obviously has a big impact on his lifestyle at the moment. "He needs to stop smoking so much, in fact it would probably be better if he left the weed alone completely, and got himself looked at properly."

Michael was arrested in the early hours of Sunday (26.02.06) after being found slumped over the wheel of his car, possessing class C drugs, and with a boot full of sex toys and gay porn. The star is still waiting to find out whether he will be formally charged with any offence. Friends blame the former Wham! frontman’s recent behaviour on a heavy work load - finishing off a new album and the stress of planning his first tour since 1991. One said: "George has got to be totally focussed on his music and his work if this is to come off. "He also needs to be physically fit to cope with a big tour and apart from anything else. Smoking weed is bad of his throat and won’t help his voice."