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Voice of an Angel Charlotte kicks habit

SMOKE-FREE: Charlotte

Charlotte, 20, has revealed that she gave up the habit on New Year's Day.

The opera singer-turned-pop star urged others to do the same to mark No Smoking Day today, saying smoking "looks disgusting".

The Welsh "Crazy Chick" said: "I smoked about 20 or 25 a day and I'd tried to give up a couple of times before but only lasted half a day.

"I decided to make it my New Year's resolution, I just wanted to.

"In the last four or five months before I gave up it was affecting my voice, my breathing control, my tone, and I thought `what am I doing here?'

"Now that I've stopped it's got so much better. The first two weeks were tough, (and) the first month I still really missed it, but I feel so much healthier now and can really feel the difference in my voice."

Cigarettes

Charlotte admitted: "I had two cigarettes on my birthday in February but I got really ill. It was horrible, and I won't smoke since."

She said of her health-conscious rugby star boyfriend Gavin Henson: "He's not put any pressure on me at all but he was really happy when I did give up. I just wanted to do it myself."

She said: "I started smoking at the age of 16, probably because I was bored, it wasn't peer pressure.

"I don't think it's fashion anymore that makes people start. It looks disgusting. It's the stupidest thing. It's so difficult to get off it."

She confessed: "I still find it hard to drink and not smoke. When I go out I have to hold a cigarette I'm so used to having it in my hand. But I don't light it."

Charlotte, who has been pictured leaving clubs and bars looking the worse for wear in recent years, said she was also drinking less.

Classical

The singer, who first shot to fame as a classical singer at the age of just 12, said: "I won't be drinking so much anymore. All my friends are settled down with boyfriends."

She said she approved of a Government ban on smoking in pubs: "I think it's really good. A lot of social smokers never smoke in the week but do in the weekends, and they won't be able to now, and it's a much nicer atmosphere."

Charlotte is backing a Boots campaign to offer customers NicAssist nicotine patches, gum, inhalators and lozenges for £1 as part of National No Smoking Day.

Each £1 spent on the offer will go straight to UK charity Quit to fund "stop smoking programmes" for young people.

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