GLASGOW singer Michelle McManus has opened up about giving up alcohol in a new podcast series.

The Pop Idol winner, 41, is the first celebrity guest on Be Honest, where she discusses being teetotal, pregnancy and her first Edinburgh Fringe Show.

Michelle told hosts Jojo Sutherland and Bruce Devlin: "Can you believe I'm two and a half years off it? Not touched it.

"I mean I never ever thought - I mean I love alcohol. I still love alcohol, it was such a huge part of my life. I got to the point where I loved booze but booze didn't love me." 

She explained that while taking a break from booze during her pregnancy, she came to enjoy how she was feeling.

She said: "The decision was taken out of my hands when I fell pregnant with Harry, of course you quit drinking. When I came off the booze and realised how nice Saturday mornings were without being hungover, I never went back on to it.

"I don't know if I ever will, never say never, but I don't know if I ever will.

"See the journey we've been on discovering non-alcoholic beverages... we've discovered so many amazing non-alcoholic options.

'I still pour myself a glass of wine, or a beer. But it's all non-alcoholic." 

Michelle also spoke of her experience of her first Edinburgh Fringe appearance at the iconic but now defunct gay club The New Town Bar. 

She said: "To be fair on Jimmy (the owner) there were guys that came in in full boiler suits and industrially cleaned the place before we went down because he had to.

"I remember, we only ran from the Monday to Saturday, and on the Friday night after the show, all these curtains went up and Jimmy said 'I've got to have the dark room tonight, it's a Friday!' and I went well we've got two shows on tomorrow, and he said he'd give it a quick spray round and it would be fine!" 

Links to the podcast can be found at http://pod.link/behonestpod or on Twitter @BeHonest_Pod.