More about: Adam Ant

Eighties pop star Adam Ant has openly discussed his mental health problems in a new interview, revealing that he faced fear and ignorance when he was suffering from bipolar disorder.

The flamboyant star, famous for hits including 'Prince Charming', is also known for his mental health struggles, and ina new interview with The Telegraph, Ant has spoken of the health problems he suffered in 2002 and 2003, during which he was arrested on affray charges and underwent mental health treatment.

"They call it bipolar disorder, that’s the modern term. It only means up and down, it used to be manic depression, black dog, whatever. It’s a subject surrounded by a lot of ignorance and taboo," Adam Ant tells the broadsheet. "Where I come from, there’s the poor house – and worse than that is the mad house. You should never feel ashamed of it, but you do.

He also adds that he struggled to even discuss his problems with member of his family due to the stigma surround mental health.

"A lot of the time you can’t take these problems even to close family because you fear that you’ll alienate them," he adds. "So anyone in the public eye that comes forward and discusses it, I think it helps."

Adam Ant is still touring, and performed at Bestival in 2012

Adam Ant has written songs about other music stars who have suffered mental health issues on his new album, Adam Ant Is The Blueblack Hussar In Marrying The Gunner’s Daughter, saying that learning that Marvin Gaye and Vince Taylor suffered similar problems helped him cope with his own demons.

"I made some bad mistakes and got into trouble with the police, it was such a shock to me, then you read about some of these old rock-and-roll stars and that’s like an average week for them," says Any. "When you are constantly working on a creative level, the pressures are sometimes overwhelming. It’s good to find out you’re not going through these things alone."

Below: Adam Ant rocks Indigo O2, 2011

More about: Adam Ant