George Michael on drug-taking and cruising for sex with strangers on Hampstead Heath: 'It's just who I am'



George Michael and his boyfriend Kenny Goss: The couple have an open sexual relationship

George Michael today spoke candidly of his drug use and cruising for sex with strangers, saying 'it's just who I am'.

The former Wham! star confirmed he was caught in possession of crack cocaine when arrested last year in public toilets on Hampstead Heath, a gay cruising area close to his home in north London.

But asked when he had last smoked the class A drug, the singer declined to answer.

He told The Guardian newspaper he had cut back on cannabis and now smokes only 'seven or eight' spliffs per day instead of the 25 he used to smoke.



The 46-year-old defended 'cottaging' on the Heath, saying it was 'nicer' than picking up men in bars.

'The handful of times a year it's bloody warm enough, I'll do it. I'll do it on a nice summer evening. Quite often there are campfires up there,' he said.

'It's a much nicer place to get some quick and honest sex than standing in a bar, E'd off your tits (high on ecstasy) shouting at somebody and hoping they want the same thing as you do in bed.'

Asked why he cruises for sex when he could get any gay man he wanted, George replied: 'I do get anyone I want. But I like a bit of everything. I have friends up there, I have a laugh.'

Over the last decade Michael has had a number of run-ins with the law.

In 1998, he was arrested in public toilets in Los Angeles for 'engaging in a lewd act' and was cautioned for possessing cannabis after being found asleep at the wheel of his car on two separate occasions in 2006.

He said: 'I had a problem with sleeping pills for about a year and a half, and I f***** up really badly.

'I got in the car twice when I'd forgotten I'd already downed something to try to get me to sleep. It doesn't matter that it wasn't deliberate – ultimately, I did it a second time, and I could have killed somebody.



'But the fact remains I was never accused of driving under the influence. I got done for exhaustion and sleeping pills.'

George Michael snapped leaving his home at 3.30am in 2005. He returned with three tubs of ice cream and some magazines A view of Hampstead Heath: Michael admitted he cruises for sex on the heath a few times a year - but only on warm nights

Asked about his average day Michael - who rolled and smoked two cannabis joints told how he gets up at about 10am and after a Starbucks coffee and answer a few e-mails.

He added: 'At the moment I've got nothing that pressurised other than keeping an eye on the video they're making for the Christmas single. Then, if I'm in the mood, I'll come up to the office in Highgate, do some work, writing, backing tracks or whatever.

Come home. Kenny will be here, the dogs are here. Maybe eat locally, hang out, and then probably go off and have a s**g or have someone come here and have a s**g."



Asked if he was referring to his partner Kenny Goss, the singer replied: 'If it was s******g with Kenny, I wouldn't have to invite him round, would I?'

He continued: 'Kenny gets his, believe me.'



Recently a number of stars have said they fear for Michael's wellbeing, including Sir Elton John who enlisted the help of Bono.

Bono offered to help Michael after Sir Elton John spoke to him, the singer claimed



He added: 'Geri [Halliwell] told Kenny that Bono, having spoken to Elton, had approached Geri to say, "What can we do for George?"



'This is what I have to deal with because I don't want to be part of that social clique. All I'd have to do to stop it is hang out in London, so people realise I don't look close to death.'



He continued: 'Elton lives on that. He will not be happy until I bang on his door in the middle of the night saying, 'Please, please, help me, Elton. Take me to rehab.' It's not going to happen.

'Elton just needs to shut his mouth and get on with his own life. Look, if people choose to believe that I'm sitting here in my ivory tower, Howard Hughesing myself with long fingernails and loads of drugs, then I can't do anything about that, can I?'

He added: 'People want to see me as tragic with all the cottaging and drug-taking... those things are not what most people aspire to, and I think it removes people's envy to see your weaknesses.

'I don't even see them as weaknesses any more. It's just who I am.'