George Michael yesterday released his new single Symphonica.

Pop star George Michael has ditched his drug-taking lifestyle – and now gets his ‘highs’ from bingeing on episodes of Coronation Street.

The former Wham! frontman said he made the lifestyle choice after brushes with death and the law, which resulted in him spending time in hospital and jail.

In an interview with the Big Issue – excerpts of which were featured in the Sun on Sunday – the singer said he has not smoked marijuana for 18 months. He said: “I watch Corrie (Coronation Street) especially because it’s more of a laugh. Even when life is tragic on Coronation Street, it’s still funny.”

The 51-year-old showbiz veteran, who lives in north London, has slipped from the spotlight since falling out of a car on the M1 motorway, from where he was airlifted to hospital with a head injury, last year.

The accident happened just 18 months after Michael came close to death when he was struck down with pneumonia in Austria, but he fought back to perform again.

The motorway episode was the latest car drama for the singer, who in 2010 received an eight-week prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drugs and possessing cannabis following an incident in which he crashed his Range Rover into a branch of Snappy Snaps.

But the singer, who released new record Symphonica yesterday, said the support of his fans helped him through the difficult times. He told the magazine: “It’s lovely for me to read my messages because they’re very positive on the whole. Jail wasn’t great, I just thought ‘Get your head down and get on with it’. I was pretty overwhelmed by the love and support they [the fans] have showed me.”