Singer Lola Young has revealed that vaping has left her struggling to breathe, but the 25-year-old admits she has no plans to quit the habit anytime soon.
The Messy star took to TikTok to share her latest health worries after collapsing on stage last year. In a video posted to Instagram while wearing only a towel, the musician said she had been warned about her habits and that breathing now "feels like a chore".
Warning comes true
She said people had told her: "Lola there will be a day where you wake up you’ll be 25 or 26, from a deep sleep, and you’ll start to feel the effects of vaping."
The star, who is the great-niece of children's author Julia Donaldson, responded: "And do you know what I said? ‘Ha, nah’, and rolled my eyes. Let me tell you something, let me tell you something, the day has come.
"That day has come where my lungs feel like they’re battery powered, like they’re just one big battery. Breathing feels like a chore, feels like hard work, feels like I should be paid for breathing."
No plans to quit
She went on: "Feels like I should be paid to breathe, a good wage, £30 an hour. And it feels like there will be no tomorrow."
But she insists there won't be a change anytime soon. "Let me tell you something, I’ll quit when I’m 35," she defiantly said.
Earlier this year, Lola admitted she had fears of dying before she stepped back from music. While at the All Things Go festival in New York last September, Lola fell backwards during a performance.
Previous collapse
Disturbing scenes of her being carried off stage went viral and she soon after made the decision to cancel all her concerts for the "foreseeable future". She admitted at the time that the decision led to intense backlash.
"What else was I going to do? Die?," she told Rolling Stone. "That was the reality of where my addiction was heading."
"I chose to hurt myself and self-sabotage, and I also chose to get onstage and perform," she carried on. "I am very grateful that it happened because it was . . . a breaking point which allowed me to then be able to be here today, allowed me to be better for my fans, better for the future, and better for myself."
She later thanked fans for their support months later. Sharing on Instagram, she explained the past year had taken its toll on her.
She said: "Hey, I just wanted to express gratitude to everyone who has given me time and space to gather myself and get my head in a better place. I’ve felt so much love and support from you all, and it has helped more than you will ever know."
Lola later blamed her collapse on a severe cocaine dependency, exhaustion from a demanding schedule, and underlying mental health challenges.
