Babyshambles singer Pete Doherty has said he is stepping up the battle to beat his addiction to hard drugs.
In an interview for BBC One's Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, the troubled star said he is being tested twice weekly for crack and heroin use.
He said: "Being clean means I can sit down and rediscover writing. My song-writing suffered, being on drugs."
Doherty, 27, also said he still loved model Kate Moss, and talked about being booted out of The Libertines.
'Persona non grata'
He was also quizzed about the time he spent in prison for burgling his Libertines bandmate Carl Barat's home
Doherty was jailed for six months - cut to two months on appeal - in September 2003 after admitting the offence.
"Being in jail was the cleanest I found myself - even though jails are riddled with drugs," he said.
"Being skint, drunk, paranoid, no, I don't wish that for myself."
Doherty broke into Barat's flat after being asked to leave the group because of his drug addiction.
He said: "I just became persona non grata, I got booted out, it was just exile - I suppose because of the drugs but really because I didn't want to tour.
"None of them talk to me. Carl [Barat]... we were best friends, we loved what we did, we took it right to the end."
'Upping the stakes'
Doherty's relationship with Moss came to an end after photographs of her allegedly taking cocaine at a London recording studio appeared in a newspaper.
She lost modelling contracts and checked into a rehabilitation clinic after the pictures appeared, but police said there was "insufficient evidence" to prosecute.
Doherty hinted that their relationship is "up and down" rather than completely over.
"She's had enough, I think. I love her bones, I always will," he said.
The musician, who has been arrested for drug possession several times, said he was "absolutely" trying to quit drugs.
"Being skint, drunk, paranoid, no, I don't wish that for myself.
"For the first time in my life I'm upping the stakes in my battle against it."
^ Back to top | BBC Sport Home | BBC Homepage | Contact us | Help | ©
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~57~RS~)