AceShowbiz - British pop star Michelle Heaton is reportedly receiving treatment in rehab after increasing her alcohol intake during the COVID lockdown.

The Liberty X singer is said to have become reliant on booze to take the edge off her personal struggles during the pandemic, having previously undergone a hysterectomy in 2012 and a preventative double mastectomy in 2015, as well as experiencing early menopause.

A source told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column, "She realized she needed to get help when she'd increasingly turned to alcohol as a crutch as she couldn't cope with the effects of her operations."

"Michelle was left feeling like she had lost so much of what made her a woman and when she went into early menopause that brought with it a whole other collection of problems."

"She was just about coping when lockdown hit last year, but the effect of being at home and being unable to distract herself, saw her hit rock bottom."

Heaton previously admitted going through early menopause had taken its toll on her marriage to businessman Hugh Hanley and their family.

The mother-of-two said, "Obviously it's not an intentional thing, but to watch my six year old cry because of what her mummy has irrationally done - like throw her toy out because she was naughty. But was she really that naughty? Probably not... But it's difficult to understand what the difference is. I talk to other mums, they do that as well and they're not going through menopause."

"Is it me being a b**ch of a wife, or a really annoyed mummy? Or is it the hormones? The answer is I really don't know. Absolutely, the menopause has put a strain on my marriage."