AceShowbiz - Boy George lost a huge amount of weight after he gave up drugs - because he cut out sugary snacks along with illegal substances. The former Culture Club singer vowed to tackle his drink and drug demons before he was jailed for four months in 2009 for the assault and false imprisonment of a male escort at his London apartment.

The star will celebrate three years sober in 2011 and he's adamant his new clean-living ways have helped him slim down. He tells Britain's The Times, "Two years ago I was four times the size I am now and I didn't realize it. People would tell me I was fat, but I was in denial. I was happy!"

"It was the drugs that did it: I could go for three days without eating, then I'd eat sugary foods late at night. For the past eight months I've been exercising a lot." And Boy George insists his outlook on life has changed since he gave up drugs, "I'm more religious now. It's only in the last two or three years that I've got me back. I wouldn't call myself spiritual though. It's about how you lead your life and what you do."