Lola Young is back in the spotlight, but that doesn’t mean her recovery process is over.
In an interview with The Sunday Times published Saturday (March 28), the British pop star was candid about the fact that her sobriety journey is an “ongoing process,” even as she resumes her live performances and public appearances following time away spent in a treatment center. The interview comes after Young performed breakout hit “Messy” at the 2026 Grammys, marking her first public appearance since collapsing on stage at All Things Go in September.
“I think I would rather for the sake of my privacy not say too much,” Young began when broaching the subject with the publication. “But what I would say is that recovery is an ongoing process. I’m not the finished article, but I’m doing a hell of a lot better.”
“I mean drugs recovery, yes,” she continued when asked for clarification. “When you’re in recovery … that doesn’t necessarily need to mean drugs — but me specifically, yes.”
Young has long been open about her struggles with mental health and substance abuse, having previously shared that she has schizoaffective disorder. In a recent Rolling Stone cover story, she explained that the condition mixed with the stresses of her newfound fame made it increasingly difficult to manage her cocaine dependency, leading to her “breaking point” at All Things Go.
Shortly after her onstage fall, Young canceled her upcoming tour dates and announced that she’d be stepping away for a while to work on herself, which involved spending time in a treatment center. “What I can tell you is that I was being looked after,” she told The Times of her time there.
“As artists we are public-facing figures,” she added of how overwhelming fame can be. “We get scrutiny, we get people calling us out, we get people not liking our bloody outfits — we have to deal with all of it. And even though from the outside it may look like we are doing fine, sometimes we’re not.”
The challenges Young faced last year made it that much more meaningful when, at the Grammys, she won best pop solo performance for “Messy.”
“I was s–tting myself,” she said of the big night. “I was in shock to be there, I was in shock to have won.”
Shortly after the awards, Young played her first show since taking time away, hosting a one-night-only concert at London’s Palladium.
If you or anyone you know is experience mental health struggles or substance dependency, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration via its website or by phone at 1-800-662-4357 for free, confidential referral services and information 24/7.
