George Michael turns to Twitter to stop smoking

The singer told Smooth Radio's Mark Goodier that he started smoking again after being sent to prison.

He said: "When they put you inside, they almost chuck nicotine at you and, having given up regular cigarettes many years ago, I found within a week I was hooked back on the nicotine.

"What I have found is that now I'm trying not to smoke cigarettes the tweeting stops me from doing it because I've got something to do. Instead of having to have one of those plastic things in your hand that you suck on, I'm just tweeting to stop myself from smoking cigarettes now."

Michael was released from prison in October after serving half of an eight-week sentence for drug-driving.

George Michael: Jail Time Was Karma and “Deserved”

Pop star speaks of shame of being jailed and support he has received over drug problems

George Michael has said he deserved to be jailed for crashing his Range Rover while high on cannabis, describing the punishment as karma.

The singer said he was ashamed to have broken the law repeatedly, adding that he was now in therapy for his drug abuse issues. He served a month of an eight-week prison sentence and was banned from driving for five years.

In a radio interview, he said: "By the time I went to court, I knew this wasn't going to happen again. I knew I was going to lose my licence.

"I was assured I wasn't going to prison but I thought I was and, like I said, it was much easier to take because I felt it was deserved.

"This was a hugely shameful thing to have done repeatedly so karmically I felt like I had a bill to pay. I went to prison, I paid my bill."