Lewis Capaldi, the pop singer most beloved for his song “Someone You Loved,” recently shared a personal health discovery with his fans. The 25-year-old from Glasgow, Scotland, revealed that he has been diagnosed with Tourette syndrome.
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As defined by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the syndrome is “a neurological disorder characterized by sudden, repetitive, rapid, and unwanted movements or vocal sounds called tics. There is no cure for TS, but treatments are available to help manage some symptoms.”
Further, Capaldi reportedly explained the circumstances surrounding this diagnosis during an Instagram Live. “The worst thing about it is when I’m excited I get it, when I’m stressed I get it, when I’m happy I get it. It happens all the time,” he said. “Some days it’s more painful than others and some days it’s less painful. It looks a lot worse than it is. Sometimes it’s quite uncomfortable … but it comes and goes.”
He continued, “I do the shoulder twitch quite a lot. And you see underneath every TikTok and stuff, people are like, ‘Why is he twitching?’ which is fine. Curiosity is fine. I get it.”
Capaldi also disclosed that part of his decision to share his diagnosis publicly was due to speculation that his twitching was a result of illegal drug use. This twitching, he said, is now known to be a symptom of Tourette’s.
“Tourette’s affects 1 in 100 school-aged children, however, the public perception is that it affects only a minority. Lewis Capaldi speaking out about his diagnosis will hopefully encourage others who are in the public eye to do the same,” Emma McNally, CEO of Tourettes Action, told The Guardian. “The more people who talk about Tourette Syndrome, the more people who share their stories, the better. Being diagnosed can be daunting. Newly diagnosed children need to see successful adults sharing and talking about their diagnosis, it will give them hope for the future.”
In other Capaldi news, the singer is set to release his first song in three years on September 9 called “Forget Me.”
“If it flops I will retire from public life,” Capaldi told The Sun of his new single. “I’ll be like John Deacon in Queen. No one’s heard of that c*** in ages.”
Check out “Forget Me” by Lewis Capaldi below.
