James 'suffered anxiety after Blue split'

Duncan James has revealed that he suffered from panic attacks and anxiety when Blue first disbanded in 2005.

The boyband singer took anti-depressants to overcome his problems, while he compared his troubles to those of Britain's Got Talent star Susan Boyle.

"I was burnt out and emotionally drained. You come out of a big pop group after five years in a bubble and... I suffered from really bad anxiety and panic attacks," he told Heat.

"I barely left the house and I would freak out about the littlest thing. I was like a proper recluse and taking tablets to cope. It's really frightening. I look at poor Susan Boyle - she's been catapulted to huge fame overnight and found it tough, and I'm not surprised. It's such a weird thing to experience."

Bandmate Lee Ryan also revealed that he suffered from anxiety for a time after the group parted ways.

"I remember going to LA to work on my solo album and I was in my hotel room, pacing up and down, not knowing who to call. I felt like my security blanket had been taken away," he said.

Blue recently reunited to perform a headline set at the Capital FM Summertime Ball and have since lined up further live shows.