Tony Hadley's revelation

His comic persona was of the slightly dour, slightly dim, world-weary everyman – but away from the camera, Mel Smith could be quite different.

Former Spandau Ballet singer Tony Hadley has revealed how he once walked in on the Not The Nine O’Clock News’ star snorting a line of cocaine, in a secret room in Freddie Mercury’s house.

The Queen star had taken Hadley back to his home in Kensington, West London, to show  off his new carpet, which set him back ‘tens of thousands’.

‘He’s having a bit of a party,’ the singer said. ‘There were beautiful mirrored walls either side. He pushes one door and there’s a lovely bathroom, and he pushes the other door and there’s Mel Smith doing a line of coke.

‘Mel said, "All right, Tone, alright Fred? You want some of this?" I said, "I’m alright, thanks".’

His comments, reported in the Mirror, came during a Floating Festivals’1980s-themed cruise.

During his life, Smith admitted an addiction to sleeping pills, which he said he took to relieve the pain of gout and to ease the stress of filming. He was hospitalised in 1999 with stomach ulcers, after taking more than 50 Nurofen Plus tablets a day.

He died in 2013, at the age of 60, from a heart attack.

Published: 16 Oct 2019