Former 90s pop star Kavana, real name Anthony Kavanagh, has detailed his descent into addiction and sex work in a new memoir, Pop Scars. The 47-year-old singer, who had a Top 10 hit in 1997 with a cover of Shalamar's I Can Make You Feel Good, describes hitting rock bottom, including smoking crack in a skip in Hackney with a homeless woman.
Kavanagh recalls being fired from his record label and wandering London in the rain before ending up in a pub where a barmaid offered him a grubby tea towel. He writes about waking up in strangers' apartments after being paid for sex he couldn't remember, and being banned from Loose Women after a slurred appearance. Now three years sober, he says writing the book has given him self-esteem he lacked for years.
Growing up in Manchester in the 1980s, Kavanagh was bullied and struggled with his sexuality. He became a pop star but was forced to hide his sexuality to maintain his teen girl fanbase. He recalls sharing a night with Boyzone's Stephen Gately while on tour, but says fear of being outed led him to use alcohol as comfort. He describes his younger self as 'naive' despite being driven and ambitious.
