Cher feared she would die from a hangover

In an interview with The Times Magazine: "Oh yeah, I was really frightened.

"Occasionally I'll have a glass of champagne with my friends just to shut them up, because otherwise they'll make fun of me and be a major pain in the a**."

The 'Believe' hitmaker was also put off drugs from a teenage experience that left her so "messed up" she missed a night out with her friends.

She said: "There was one time when I was a teenager and all my friends were taking this drug, a Quaalude or something, so I took it too.

"I was so messed up that they parked me outside in a car while they all went into a disco. That's when I realised: drugs and me were never going to be great.

"I smoked pot a couple of times. Didn't like it. I've been surrounded by alcoholics and drug addicts all my life and it's never appealed to me."

Cher - who has adults sons Chaz and Elijah from previous relationships - is currently dating 38-year-old Alexander 'AE' Edwards and she loves how well they get along despite coming from such "different worlds".

She said: "We get along really well, even though we come from two completely different worlds.

"I can give him a different viewpoint on music and he talks to me about black culture in a way I could never know otherwise.

"I hope this isn't taken the wrong way, but black people are so expressive. They laugh more; they cry more. Everything comes out bigger and better."

The 'Mermaids' actress has always had a big fanbase of gay men and she can understand why they connect with her so much.

She said: "Because we're the same.

"We're both outsiders, and they're always there for me no matter if I'm failing, succeeding...

"Actually, we're there for each other and it's been a relationship for ever. I met my first gay guys aged nine and thought: where have they been hiding? They're funny, outgoing and not afraid to show emotion... All the things I like, you know?""