JESS GLYNNE’s stratospheric rise to superstardom won’t tempt her down the kind of dark path that destroyed her idol AMY WINEHOUSE.
The chart-topping star, who is up against Amy for British Female Solo Artist at next week’s Brit Awards, has revealed she is “terrified” of drugs because of the singer’s tragic demise in 2011.
During a pre-Brits visit to Bizarre HQ, Jess also blasted the people who allowed the troubled icon to publicly suffer, as was documented in last year’s Bafta-winning film Amy.
I presented Jess with her first double platinum plaque for her debut album I Cry When I Laugh before she delivered her most frank interview yet.
Jess told me: “Amy was a massive influence on me — the biggest.
“It’s devastating because you look at where it did go wrong.
“I think really it’s about the people around you. I don’t think she had the right people who cared about her.
“And that’s why I’m so grateful for the people I have around me who care just about me as Jessica, not just as Jess Glynne.
“I am Jessica who comes from North London, while Jess Glynne is an artist.”
Speaking about her attitude towards illegal substances, she added: “I’m a hypochondriac so I’ve never been able to do drugs. I’m too terrified.
“My health and wellbeing are so important. Without my health and sanity I’m nothing.
“You go through things in the industry and it’s very intense. It can be detrimental. There’s a lot of pressure, a lot of work and not much time off, so I can see where you can go wrong.”
However, Jess has admitted that in the past, before finding fame, she relied on alcohol a lot more after breaking up with the woman who inspired I Cry When I Laugh, the fastest-selling debut of 2015.
She said: “I had my crazy times when I was younger but I was never an alcoholic.
“We all go through weird times in our life.
“Everyone has a phase where they go out a lot having fun.
“But it’s a lot harder doing it now on a hangover.
“Now I hardly go out and I don’t drink a lot. I’m boring I guess!”
The 2013 split may have given Jess the raw material to score major hits, but there’s no doubt she’s now over that heartbreak.
She said: “I don’t care what that person thinks now.
“It’s not something I think about. I don’t think you need a break-up to have success. I was already on that path anyway.”
Despite revealing that she’s been in love with both men and women, Jess refuses to label herself as bisexual — and blasts the trend of coming out on YouTube in the way Olympic diver TOM DALEY and UNION J’s GEORGE SHELLEY have done.
The Hold My Hand singer explained: “I have to be honest with you, I don’t feel I have to prove anything to anyone, who I am or what I want in that sense.
“I’m not standing on stage because I want you to know I love a man or a woman.
“I would never sit down in front of a camera and make a video justifying myself.”
But Jess, who’s single, believes it will be harder to find love now that she’s a household name.
She said: “Yeah, there’s no doubt that it’s more difficult to meet someone because they know who you are. But it’s still possible to find a relationship. Why not?
“I wouldn’t go on Tinder, though. I’m more of a traditional girl.”
Following her incredible rise to the top in the past 12 months, I’d be surprised if she could even find the time.
BEEN AN ADELE OF A YEAR
ANY other year Jess would be clear favourite to win best British Female Solo Artist at the Brits.
But next week she’s up against ADELE, whose album 25 has been breaking all sorts of records.
And Jess says she’ll be happy even if the gong goes to her rival.
She said: “We are all celebrating a year of music, so I don’t think of it in terms of whether or not I’ll win.
“I met Adele at the EMAs. She asked about my voice as we went through the same surgery, she’s lovely.”
Like Adele, Jess says the op improved her singing. She said: “It’s like a different voice. But I am more careful with how I look after it now, with warm-ups and fluids.”
There’ll be no shortage of fluids – OK, mainly bubbly – at the Brits, where Jess is confirmed to perform.
She said: “I’m going to be really nervous but I’m going to enjoy it.” It’s a huge night for Jess, who is also up for British Single, for Hold My Hand, and British Breakthrough Act, which is chosen by the public. You can vote at brits.co.uk.
WHERE RI WENT WRONG
APART from her ownhits, Jess also writes for some of the biggest names in music.
Last year I revealed she pitched for RIHANNA’s eighth album.
Confirming my story, Jess said: “There were a few things Rihanna’s camp heard of mine.”
Judging by the performance of Rihanna’s ANTi, which didn’t include any of Jess’s songs, perhaps the Bajan babe made the wrong call . . .
GLYNNE BIT
JESS has some secrets for going unrecognised in public: “I don’t think I can go out in Soho... I can do it in a hoodie. One of my dancers got me a white wig for my birthday, I need to get into that for festival season.”
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